Date: Thu, 23 Oct 2014 15:57:48 +0200
Yemen: Houthis storm Interior Ministry, set up Iranian cultural centers in
Hajjah
Confusion remains over extent to which Sana'a is cooperating with Houthi
advance
Written by : <http://www.aawsat.net/author/h-rahbi> Hamdan Al-Rahbi
on : Thursday, 23 Oct, 2014
Sana'a, Asharq Al-Awsat-Houthi fighters continued to advance across Yemen on
Wednesday and Thursday, storming a government building in the capital Sana'a
amid fears of sectarian violence and a breakdown of the fragile truce
between President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi's government and the Shi'ite
militia.
Houthi militants stormed Yemen's Interior Ministry in Sana'a on Wednesday,
expelling staff working in the office of the deputy minister for financial
affairs, a source in the Ministry told Asharq Al-Awsat.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: "The Houthis
forcibly ejected two employees who were dismissed over allegations of
corruption and selling information during the time when Abdul Qader Qahtan
was interior minister."
The source added that Interior Minister Abdo Hussein Al-Tarb has not
attended the Ministry since Yemen's Houthis took over the capital of Sana'a
in September, rejecting a call from President Hadi to remain as interior
minister in any new government.
Wednesday's developments come amid confusion over the extent to which Sana'a
is cooperating with the Houthis, who are continuing to advance in a number
of other Yemeni provinces while meeting little or no resistance from
government forces.
Meanwhile, well-informed Yemeni sources told Asharq Al-Awsat Iranian culture
centers are being established in Yemeni provinces under Houthi control,
including Hajjah province which borders Saudi Arabia, with the objective of
spreading Shi'ism.
The move comes after Sudan ordered the closure of Iranian cultural centers
across the country, claiming the centers had sought to make "Shi'ite
sectarian gains that are alien to Sudanese society," according to Interior
Minister Ali Karti. In comments to Asharq Al-Awsat, Sudanese President Omar
Al-Bashir confirmed that the centers had been seeking to proselytize in
Sudan. There are fears the Iranian cultural centers in Yemen could seek to
carry out a similar function.
Ibrahim Al-Shamali, a senior administrative officer in Yemen's Hajjah
governorate, told Asharq Al-Awsat he strongly rejected the agreement that
led to the Houthi movement entering the province and taking up security
tasks that should fall under the authority of Yemen's security and military
forces.
He accused Hajjah governorate chief Ali Al-Qaisi of authorizing Shi'ite
Houthi militiamen to undertake security tasks in the strategically important
province that borders Saudi Arabia, adding that this represented a dangerous
precedent disputing government authority.
The Houthi advance into Hajjah is part of broader attempts to infiltrate
Yemen's military and security apparatus, opponents of the group say. The
Shi'ite militia is also training its fighters in military bases it has
seized from government forces, including the Al-Farqa base in western
Sana'a.
"Since they took over Al-Farqa base, they have been conducting daily
military exercises for hundreds of recruits," a local resident told Asharq
Al-Awsat.
Yousef Al-Haimi, who lives in the Sana'a district of Al-Nahda close to the
base, said: "They utilize loudspeakers very early in the morning as part of
these training exercises while when the former [government] troops that were
based out of Al-Farqa carried out [their] training, it never reached the
ears of the surrounding residents."
He claimed the Houthis were seeking to impose their position on Sana'a, in
addition to training its members as part of a broader objective to
infiltrate the country's security and military apparatus.
"Dozens of Houthis, wearing the uniform of the Republican Guard, have been
stationed in areas close to the residence of President Hadi, as well as the
districts around Sana'a University and elsewhere," another eyewitness said.
A Yemeni security source, speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat on the condition of
anonymity, said the Shi'ite group is seeking to send as many as 20,000 of
its members to join the Yemeni military.
Yemeni Houthi fighters have been seen wearing government uniforms in and
around Sana'a, although local media reported that Houthi fighters in
military uniform remain distinguishable from other military personal as the
Houthis are often adorned with visible pro-Houthi political stickers on
their rifles and uniforms.
Shi'ite Houthi rebels man a checkpoint in Yareem town of Yemen's central
province of Ibb on October 22, 2014. (Reuters/Khaled Abdullah)
Shi'ite Houthi rebels man a checkpoint in Yareem town of Yemen's central
province of Ibb on October 22, 2014. (Reuters/Khaled Abdullah)
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