Houthi Shiites: Former President of Yemen is Wanted

Houthi Shiites in Yemen stated on Tuesday, March 5, that Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, the ousted president who fled the capital after it was taken over by rebels in January and is now trying to return to power, should be put on trial. According to the Associated Press, this action has brought Yemen's internal crisis into a new phase. Recent developments have placed the poorest Arab country on the brink of division between the Houthi Shiite rebels in the north, who control the capital, and the south, which supports Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi. The political turmoil in Yemen has also overshadowed U.S. efforts to combat al-Qaeda-affiliated groups. These groups, which have attacked American targets multiple times, claimed responsibility for last month's terrorist attack in Paris. On Tuesday, a French woman and World Bank employee was kidnapped in front of a ministry building in Sana'a. No group has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping yet. Many European countries had previously closed their embassies in Sana'a. The official Saba news agency, now under the control of the rebels, quoted the Houthi Revolutionary Committee as saying that they are monitoring Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi's "suspicious" activities but did not provide details about a warrant for his arrest. The Houthis claim that "his wrong and reckless actions have harmed the people of Yemen" and have asked the international community to consider him a wanted criminal. The group has warned Yemeni government employees and embassies that still recognize Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi as the president that they "must be held accountable for this action." The Houthis, who belong to the Zaydi Shiite minority and make up about one-third of Yemen's population, captured the capital in September last year after advancing from their northern strongholds. They took over the presidential palace in Sana'a last month and placed Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi and the prime minister under house arrest. After the resignation of the president and prime minister in protest against their actions, the Houthi militants completely seized power by dissolving parliament and forming a revolutionary committee as the highest governing body. Last week, Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi fled to the city of Aden and declared himself the only legitimate leader of the country after retracting his resignation. He has met with local tribal leaders, representatives of the dissolved parliament, and security officials in the south. On Tuesday, he dismissed the head of security and police in Aden, who was a close associate of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh and has now joined the Houthis, and asked the defense minister to transfer the joint armed forces' headquarters to Aden. However, given the divisions within the army and tribal and political affiliations, it remains unclear how much influence Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi retains within the military. The Security Council is expected to issue a resolution against the Houthis and Ali Abdullah Saleh. Last year, the council sanctioned Abdullah Saleh and two Houthi leaders. In this context, the Gulf Cooperation Council has called for UN military intervention in Yemen, and Saudi Arabia and Western countries have evacuated their embassies in Sana'a. A Security Council resolution against the Houthi rebels has been approved. John Kerry defended nuclear negotiations with Iran in the U.S. Congress.