The Black List

For those who missed it or who don’t read the comments section of Waq al-waq, yesterday the Yemeni government – through its official daily, al-Thawra – published a blacklist of seven arms dealers.

Al-Sharq al-Awsat, Marib Press (sorry I can’t find the link) and the Yemen Observer all weigh in with stories about the list. (The Observer mistakenly contends that Faris Man’a was the former head of the mediation committee – at least when the list was published he was still the head.)

I have been discussing the list with a number of people and have heard as many theories as I have had conversations. But the big name is certainly Faris Man’a, a major international arms dealer and businessman as well as the head of the mediation committee with the Huthis and, oh yeah, the brother of the pro-government governor of Sa’dah, Hassan Muhammad Man’a. Besides Man’a one other name stood out to me as a significant inclusion.

It remains to be seen if the seven will be prosecuted, but parliament will almost certainly discuss the question tomorrow when al-‘Alimi, al-Qamish and al-Masri show up to answer questions.

Waq al-waq will do our level best to get to the story behind the story – no promises on publishing what we uncover – but a lingering dental, uhh, situation from Yemen will likely limit postings over the next couple of days.