US officials making secretive trips to south Yemen to plunder resources: Analyst

By Ali Ghorban Bagheri

Secretive and suspicious visits by American diplomats and military commanders to southern Yemen are part of the economic war on the Arab country and to plunder its rich natural resources, says a Yemeni analyst.

Ali Azzehri, a journalist and analyst based in Yemen, in an interview with the Press TV website, said visits by American officials have increased dramatically in recent months.

“These consecutive trips to the occupied areas in southern Yemen are part of the massive aggression on Yemen, which is mainly aimed at plundering its wealth through the fake regime imposed on southern Yemen by hostile foreign intelligence agencies,” he remarked.

There have been multiple reports about US diplomats and military officers making whirlwind trips to southern Yemen even as efforts are underway to find a way out of the long-running crisis.

US ambassador to Yemen Steven Fagin has been visiting various governorates in southern Yemen in recent months, including Hadramout, Mukalla, Al Mahrah and Aden.

US military delegations have also been frequently touring the region, which is rich in natural resources.

Azzehri said the purpose of these visits is to “advance the economic war waged by the Saudi-US coalition by looting Yemen’s oil resources, keeping Yemeni people poor, and disrupting stability in the region.”

Asked about the reaction of Yemen’s National Salvation government and people to such plots, the analyst said the Arab country will “continue confronting military, economic, and political aggression."

He cited recent remarks by Yemen's defense minister, Maj. Gen. Mohammad Nasser Al-Atefi, who said Yemen’s national decisions are taken only in Sana’a, and any agreement by the “mercenary regime” in southern Yemen undermining the country’s national sovereignty would be deemed illegal.

Azzehri further said that Yemen’s parliament has also warned Saudi-affiliated leaders in southern Yemen against moves that violate the country’s sovereignty, Constitution and national values.

The Yemeni analyst noted that people in southern Yemen are also firmly against foreign occupation and support the government in Sana’a to counter and foil foreign-backed plots.

“People in the southern and eastern provinces are patriots and they confront the occupation. This is demonstrated by the resistance of people in the Al Mahrah Governorate against the presence of foreigners in the region,” he told the Press TV website.

“There’s a popular uprising in southern Yemen and people confront the adversaries using any means at their disposal.”

The analyst further remarked that people in the occupied provinces have become aware of the nature of aggressors and their plans to loot the country's land and resources.

“People there talk about the need to liberate Yemen. To free those regions, people should join hands and work in solidarity to push out the occupiers,” he asserted.

On whether the Israeli regime is now playing an active role in Yemen, Azzehri said the regime plays a destructive part in all countries in the region, particularly countries surrounding the Red Sea.

In Yemen, he said, the regime is deeply involved.  

“Aggression against Yemen was carried out in line with the sinister schemes of the Zionist regime by its affiliates in our region. The proof of this is numerous reports that show that the Zionist regime was directly involved during the military aggression,” he told the Press TV website.

“Israeli officials have repeatedly expressed their deep concern about the Yemeni revolution in 2014.”

He hastened to add that Yemen is an “important part” of the resistance front since it has a strategic geographical position, huge human resources, young and brave leaders and vast battle experience.

“Therefore, there is no doubt that the Zionist regime is deeply involved in the events in Yemen,” he noted, adding that their efforts to subjugate Yemen are “doomed to fail.”

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