Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 1 June 2017
UAE-backed forces gain control over Aden airport

By AHMED Al-HAJ The officials said that one originally forced to flee the tempts to seize the airport. the head of airport secu-
Associated Press soldier from among the capital, Sanaa, when it was Hadi’s supporters accuse rity Saleh al-Emeiry, an ally
SANAA, Yemen (AP) — forces guarding the airport seized by Shiite rebels, and the UAE of aiding groups of the UAE, refused to al-
Forces backed by the Unit- died in clashes Wednesday Aden became his tempo- attempting to create an in- low Hadi’s plane to land in
ed Arab Emirates have tak- morning. The officials spoke rary seat of power. dependent government in Aden. Hadi ordered Emeiry
en over the airport in the anonymously as they were However, tensions have the south of Yemen, which fired and clashes broke out
southern city of Aden, ac- not authorized to brief the grown between Hadi and would allow the leading when armed Hadi loyal-
cording to Yemeni security media. the UAE over control of economic power in the re- ists arrived at the airport to
officials, further fueling ten- The UAE contributed forces Aden’s airport, the main gion to maintain a perma- enforce his decree. Since
sion between internation- to the Saudi-led coalition gateway to Yemen’s sec- nent presence in the south then control of the airport
ally recognized President that secured Hadi’s return ond largest city. UAE-led with its strategic ports. had remained split be-
Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi to the country following forces have made several Conflicts over the airport tween UAE-backed forces
and the UAE. his exile in 2014. Hadi was previous unsuccessful at- started in February when and Hadi supporters.q

Allegations of abuse, mismanagement shadow gains against IS

players in Syria’s complicat- tional released a report this
ed battlefield. U.S. officials month detailing a 2016 U.S.
have said new weapons to Defense Department au-
be supplied would include dit stating that $1 billion in
heavy machine guns, am- weapons provided to Iraqi
munition, mortars and pos- forces for use in the IS fight
sibly TOW anti-tank missiles. are now unaccounted for.
Coalition spokesman Col. The coalition could have
John Dorrian said the worked closer with the Iraqi
weapons will not be re- government to ensure the
claimed after the specific weapons were accounted
missions are completed but for, said Patrick Wilcken, a
the U.S. will “carefully moni- researcher with Amnesty
tor” where and how they and an author of the re-
are used. port. But in Syria, he said, it
“Every single one” of the will be “almost impossible
weapons will be account- to avoid leakage and di-
ed for and the U.S. will “as- version of arms” provided
sure they are pointed at” IS, by the coalition to fighters
he said. there.
But opposition fighters bat- “The coalition takes all rea-
tling Syrian forces in the sonable efforts to maintain
This April, 2017 photo shows fighters from the SDF looking toward the northern town of Tabqa, Syria. country’s six-year civil war accountability of equip-
Weapons, training and airstrikes from the U.S.-led coalition have propelled ground forces in both — some of them backed ment divested to the gov-
Iraq and Syria, allowing Iraq’s military, Iraqi Kurdish fighters and Syrian Kurdish fighters to retake by Turkey — say there is ernment of Iraq to fight” IS,
some 55,000 square kilometers of territory from the extremists in the nearly three year long fight. simply no guarantee the coalition spokesman Col.
(Syrian Democratic Forces, via AP)
weapons won’t be direct- Ryan Dillon told The Associ-
By SUSANNAH GEORGE tion have aided ground stered by the coalition will ed against them or others. ated Press. Since the 2016
ZEINA KARAM forces in both Iraq and Syr- leverage their influence U.S.-backed Kurdish groups audit referenced in the
Associated Press ia, allowing Iraq’s military, and arms once the militants have often clashed with Amnesty report, he said,
BEIRUT (AP) — As the U.S.- Iraqi Kurdish fighters and are vanquished. Numerous Turkey-backed groups in “all deficiencies identified
led coalition ratchets up Syrian Kurdish fighters to Iraqi groups that benefited northern Syria, where many in that report have been
operations in Syria, there retake some 55,000 square from the training and arms factions are jostling to hold corrected.”
are concerns that it will re- kilometers (21,235 square have been accused of hu- various zones of influence. Iraqi commanders must
sult in a rerun of what hap- miles) of territory from the man rights violations. The coalition already has sign for all equipment they
pened in Iraq, where $1 bil- Islamic State extremists in The Trump administration’s demonstrated an inability receive and the coalition
lion in weapons supplied to the nearly three-year fight. decision to provide Syria’s to track weapons in Iraq, then continues to moni-
local fighters is unaccount- However, many in both Kurds with more advanced a much less complex and tor them “for future vetting
ed for. Weapons, training countries are concerned weapons has raised con- unstable battlefield than purposes” and on the bat-
and airstrikes by the coali- about how the forces bol- cerns among the various Syria. Amnesty Interna- tlefield, Dillon added.q
Court orders last main opposition group in Bahrain dissolved

By AYA BATRAWY Rights and Democracy said government and “glorified Arab Spring style uprising in ernment play a vital role
Associated Press the political society known convicted terrorists and 2011. An official at the State in encouraging societies
DUBAI, United Arab Emir- as Waad plans to appeal saboteurs.” The govern- Department in Washing- that are tolerant, inclusive,
ates (AP) — A court in Bah- the ruling. Waad confirmed ment used similarly broad ton said the U.S. is “deeply and pluralistic,” said Edgar
rain ordered the country’s the court order for its disso- wording to dissolve the concerned” by the court Vasquez, a spokesman for
last main opposition group lution on its official Twitter country’s largest Shiite op- decision to dissolve Waad the State Department’s Bu-
dissolved and its property account. The Justice Minis- position group, al-Wefaq. and urges the government reau of Near Eastern Affairs.
confiscated on Wednes- try had launched proceed- Bahrain is a majority Shi- to reconsider its judicial ac- Earlier this month, however,
day in the latest blow to ings to dissolve the 15-year- ite nation ruled by a Sunni tion against the group. President Donald Trump
reformers and dissenting old group, alleging that monarchy with close ties to “As we have consistently touted Washington’s “won-
voices in the Middle East- Waad incited acts of terror- Saudi Arabia and the Unit- maintained, opposition derful relationship” with
ern island-nation. ism, promoted the violent ed Arab Emirates, which parties that peacefully Bahrain, which hosts the U.S
The Bahrain Institute for overthrow of the Sunni-led sent forces to help quell an voice criticism of the gov- Navy’s 5th Fleet. q