Egypt Today conducts interview with Yemen’s Qabati

CAIRO – 6 December 2017: Following protests in Yemeni streets against the ruling regime in 2011, Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh agreed to hand over power to his deputy, Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi. In 2014, Saleh and his loyal forces allied with Iranian-backed Houthi forces against Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi’s internationally recognized government.

On December 2, 2017, Saleh announced the dissolution of his partnership with the Houthi rebels, a move that the Houthis labeled as a “coup,” accusing him of treason. Two days later, the Houthi rebels announced they killed Saleh.

Egypt Today conducted an interview with Mohamed Abdel Majeed Qabati, Yemen’s minister of tourism and former minister of information and mass media, who survived an assassination attempt on September 11, 2012.

How do you view the situation in Yemen?

It is horrible. The Houthis wanted Yemen to be chaotic in order to allow Iranians to access the country and overrun it.

The Houthis are a part of a conspiracy that aims to divide Yemen. They work for the interest of some countries and everyone knows they are funded. They robbed the country.

So you think Iran is involved?

Sure it is. Iran is always involved in the incidents in Yemen. There are elements of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) inside Yemen, running Houthis’ battles. In addition, Iran is totally involved in providing Houthis with arms and missiles.

Why would Iran target Yemen in particular?

Iran’s ambitions are beyond Yemen. Iran wants the chaos to reach the Gulf countries and aims to destabilize the Arab world.

Iran’s logistic support to Houthis is proven. There are types of missiles that are made in Iran.

How would you comment on the death of Saleh?

Saleh did not only harm himself. He harmed Yemen and the Yemenis. His bloody end was a result of cooperating with Houthis who never keep their promises. They want to deliver a message that whoever obstructs their path would suffer the same fate.

How do you think Saleh harmed Yemen>/b>?

Before the Houthis allied with Saleh, they did not have anything; now they have arms and missiles, in addition to logistic support.

Saleh did not keep the unity of the Yemeni army. He made use of his loyal forces in handing over power to the Houthis. In the end, they killed him.

How would the Yemenis respond to Houthis?

The Yemeni people would revolt against the Houthis who have targeted women, elderly and children. Yemenis would expel them.

Yemeni people now revolt against those who should be described as militants, who were deviated from the path of patriotism; they have to be deterred.

These militants seize food and medicine and keep it for themselves. They totally ruined hospitals in the capital Sana’a, and caused diseases to spread.

When do you think the War would end?

What the Houthis are doing nowadays is causing everyone to unite in order to eliminate these militants and to work only for Yemen. The war will end soon and the Yemenis will regain Yemen.