Qatari Amir lays blame at foot of Houthis, Saleh for Yemeni conflict

SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt, March 28 (KUNA) -- The Houthi militias and the former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh shoulder the responsibility for the recent escalation of violence in Yemen, said Amir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, in a speech addressing Arab Summit on Saturday.
He noted in his speech that the results of the national dialogue -- spurred by the Gulf Initiative and under the aegis of the UN which would have been the basis for the start of a fresh stage in the political life in Yemen -- went to waste as a consequence of the alliance between Ansarullah Group and the former Yemeni President, causing the disintegration of the dialogue and an affront to a peaceful transitional stage in the political life of the country.
The Qatari Amir appealed to all political factions in Yemen to respect the legitimacy of the government of Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi and withdraw all militias from public places and government agencies and resume a fruitful dialogue for a political settlement.
Sheikh Tamim alluded in his speech to the imperative of having a two-state solution for the Arab-Israeli conflict and urged the UNSC to bear its moral responsibility to help bring an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestine.
He emphasized the need for a pan-Arab mobilization to coax the international community to put a stop to Israeli settlements and to lift the blockade against Gaza.
On the issue of Syria, he blamed the Syrian government for wreaking havoc on the country and its people, many of whom becoming refugees. He appealed to Arabs everywhere to lend a helping hand to these unfortunate refugees.
The Qatari Amir moreover spoke about the scourge of terrorism which he said was spreading its tentacles throughout the Arab world, threatening regional security and international peace as well.
On the situation in Libya, he stressed that only a political settlement and a process based on a national dialogue would end the conflict in that country. He said Qatar supported UN endeavors and those of countries neighboring Libya to bring about a national dialogue in which all factions and groups would participate to ultimately reach a political settlement amenable to all. (end) ms.ajs