PL C President: Houthi Attacks on Civilian Airports Require World to Unite as It Did Against ISIS and Al-Qaeda

  Riyadh

His Excellency President Dr. Rashad Al-Alimi, President of the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), received the credentials of eight newly appointed ambassadors today, Wednesday. They were Pavel Kafka of the Czech Republic, Raymond Balatbat of the Philippines, Javier María Sánchez of Spain, Yakubu N. Ngambo of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Jae-hoon Chung of the Republic of Korea, Véronique Volland-Anini of France, Merete Paul of Denmark, and Miguel Porto Parga of Cuba.

In separate meetings, the newly accredited ambassadors conveyed the greetings of their respective leaders to President Al-Alimi and wished him good health and happiness, as well as security, stability, and peace for the Yemeni people.

For his part, President Al-Alimi welcomed the new ambassadors and asked them to convey his greetings, along with those of his fellow PLC members and the government, to their respective leaders. He affirmed that all necessary facilities and support would be provided to enable them to carry out their diplomatic missions and strengthen bilateral relations.

The meetings addressed prospects for enhancing bilateral relations and expanding cooperation and support in the political, economic, security, military, and humanitarian fields. These efforts would contribute to strengthening state institutions, alleviating the suffering of the Yemeni people, and promoting regional security and stability.

President Al-Alimi expressed his appreciation for the stances taken by friendly countries in support of the PLC, the government, and the Yemeni people, who are confronting organized terrorism perpetrated by the Houthi militias with backing from the Iranian regime.

The President discussed the latest escalation by the Houthi militias, including their attacks on Aden International Airport and Al-Rayyan Civil Airport today, Wednesday. He also addressed their continued attacks on Taiz, the siege imposed on its residents, and the shelling of its densely populated neighborhoods, as well as attacks on Marib and other governorates.

These attacks have caused civilian casualties, destroyed infrastructure, and exacerbated the humanitarian catastrophe.

President Al-Alimi stressed that targeting civilian airports and residential neighborhoods, while depriving people of water, food, and medicine, exposes the nature of this terrorist organization. It uses civilian lives, the interests of peoples, and regional security as tools of blackmail.

He warned that continuing to deal with the group without measures commensurate with the scale of the threat would give it more time and greater capacity to commit further crimes.

The President called on friendly countries to support national and international efforts to designate the Houthi militias as a terrorist organization worldwide and to unite efforts to counter their threat.

He emphasized that the international community, which united against ISIS, Al-Qaeda, Boko Haram, and other terrorist organizations, must now adopt a unified and resolute stance against Houthi terrorism.

President Al-Alimi noted that the Houthi militias have combined the methods employed by various terrorist organizations and expanded the scope of their threats. Their practices range from recruiting children, planting landmines, and booby-trapping roads and vehicles to launching missiles and suicide drones against civilians and vital facilities.

They have also targeted commercial vessels, threatened international shipping, and abducted employees of the United Nations and humanitarian organizations.

President Al-Alimi stressed that the international community no longer faces a lack of evidence but rather a responsibility to take action commensurate with the scale of these crimes.

He called for moving beyond condemnation to effective measures to enforce international legitimacy resolutions, prevent the flow of weapons and technology to the militias, cut off their sources of funding, and end their ability to threaten Yemen, its neighbors, and international peace and security.

The President also discussed “Dawn of Yemen,” Operation led by the government and armed forces with support from the brothers in the Saudi-led Coalition to Support Legitimacy. The operation aims to liberate the remaining Yemeni territories, restore state institutions, and extend state authority across the entire country.

He affirmed that the operation would continue until all its objectives were achieved. Missile attacks and suicide drones would not deter the Yemeni people and their government from restoring state institutions, nor would they give the militias any right to thwart the aspirations of the Yemeni people.

He stressed that these acts of lawlessness must end now, warning that delaying action to confront them would increase their humanitarian, security, and economic costs.

President Al-Alimi reiterated that the threat to international shipping originates on land. Protecting maritime routes requires supporting the Yemeni government in establishing control over port cities and coastal areas and ending their use as platforms for attacks, arms smuggling, and blackmail against the international community.

He explained that the continued Houthi control of the ports of Hodeidah and Yemen’s coastlines prolongs the crisis and leaves trade routes and energy security hostage to the decisions of a terrorist organization and its regional ties.

He called on countries participating in maritime coalitions to support the government’s efforts to address the source of the threat on the ground.

The President affirmed that Yemenis know their enemy well and will not forget the positions taken by their friends at this decisive stage. They will remain loyal to those who confronted terrorism and defended their right to life and freedom, as well as to every country that stood by them and supported the restoration of their state, security, and stability.

In this context, President Al-Alimi expressed his profound appreciation for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s steadfast fraternal stance and its pivotal role in supporting the Yemeni people and their political leadership, bolstering the economy and state institutions, and providing humanitarian assistance.

He affirmed that these positions would remain firmly rooted in the memory and conscience of the Yemeni people.

The meetings and credential presentation ceremonies were attended by Dr. Yahya Al-Shuaibi, Director of the Office of the Presidency of the Republic, Dr. Afrah Al-Zouba, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriate, and Mr. Mohammed Haj Mahfouz, Head of Presidential Protocol and Ceremonial Affairs.