Information Minister comments on “Saudi-led coalition Tricks”, leaks by Wall Street Journal
SANAA, Sept. 28 (YPA) – Information Minister in the National Salvation government Daifallah al-Shami, has described Saudi leaks to US newspapers about a partial cessation of air strikes on four cities, including the capital Sanaa in exchange for the halting drone and missiles attacks on Saudi Arabia, as an open manipulation.
“In accordance with the peace initiative made by president Mahdi al-Mashat, the requirements of the stage and the reality of the battle, needed is a complete cessation of air strikes in all of Yemen and the lifting siege on the Yemeni people,” al-Shami said in a tweet on Friday night.
“Otherwise (the cessation of the air strikes on all Yemen and the lifting blockade) is a manipulation and an attempt to overcome international and humanitarian pressures that reject the continuation of the aggression,” Daifallah al-Shami said.
Al-Shami reiterated the position of the Supreme Political Council and the National Salvation Government on the peace initiative put forward by the Saudi-led war coalition and the UAE, saying at the end of his tweet: “Yemen is indivisible and all its people concern us first.”
This comes in response to Saudi leaks published by the Wall Street Journal on Friday, that Saudi Arabia responded to the initiative of President al-Mashat and “a limited ceasefire (air strikes) was agreed in four areas, including the Yemeni capital Sanaa.”
“This action is in response to Ansarullah’s announcement a few days ago to stop attacks against Saudi Arabia,” the newspaper quoted people who called them “familiar with the Saudi move” as saying.
This was denied by Member of the Supreme Political Council, Mohammed Ali al-Houthi.
He stressed that President Mehdi Mashat’s peace initiative is indivisible and “provides for a complete cessation of aggression” and attacks.
“Yemen will accept only a comprehensive cessation of aggression and the lifting of the blockade,” he said.
The president of the Political Council announced last Friday the “peace initiative”, summed it up by saying: ” we declare a halt to the targeting of Saudi Arabia by drones, ballistic missiles and all forms of targeting, and we await the response of greetings like this or better” by the Saudi-led coalition.
However, coalition warplanes have stepped up their air raids since the Supreme Political Council announced the peace initiative on September 21st, bringing the number of raids as of Friday to 223, targeting residential neighborhoods and civilian facilities, killing 43 civilians, including 26 dead and 17 wounded, mostly children and women.
E.M