Monday Papers: What can go wrong will go wrong
Another explosion in Abyan kills two more and wounds at least ten.
Al-Sharq al-Awsat reports on differences among the Huthi leadership on who can be a leader and who can’t, but both ‘Abd al-Malik al-Huthi and his top deputy survived recent strikes. Given the ownership of the paper it is wise to be cautious about its reporting, but on the other hand the writer, Arafat Madabish, has previously done an interview with ‘Abd al-Malik.
Al-Ghad and one of Waq al-waq’s favorite reporters, Muhammad al-Ahmadi has an excellent round-up on last weeks strikes on al-Qaeda positions.
It includes the most comprehensive list of dead AQ suspects to-date. On the jihdai forums I have seen reports of dead Emiratis and dead Pakistanis in the strike in Abyan along with Yemenis and Saudis, but I haven’t seen this confirmed anywhere else.
And finally, in the story that just won’t die, ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Rashd, a columnist for al-Sharq al-Awsat, claims that the US is giving logistic support to the Yemeni government in its fight against the Huthis. I really hope this is not true, but I am beginning to fear that it is true and that the US is passing along “small favors” as a way of attempting to get cooperation in other spheres. This is a mistake.
