US-Israel plot to divide Yemen, control its natural resources failed: Official

By Ali Ghorban Bagheri

The United States, Britain and the Israeli regime have made desperate bids to sow the seeds of division in Yemen but their nefarious plots have failed, says a senior Yemeni official.

In an exclusive interview with the Press TV website on the occasion of the 33rd anniversary of Yemen's National Day of Unity, the head of media affairs at the Yemeni presidency Zaid al-Gharsi exposed and denounced the meddlesome and hegemonic role of the West and Israeli regime in the Arab country.

The National Unity Day, which falls on May 22, marks the unification of North Yemen and South Yemen in 1990. The day is marked every year by massive rallies in the Arab country.

Gharsi said the Arab country that has been grappling with Saudi-backed war and siege for years is geopolitical important given the location of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which is one of the most important straits in the world for the transfer of oil and global trade and transit.

He also referred to Yemen's strategic islands in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea. Socotra, Mion and Fatima are among the most important of them.

Owing to its geopolitical significance, the Yemeni official said the Western powers as well as the Israeli regime have for long been bent on dividing the country.

During the 2014 National Dialogue Conference, he stressed, the US ambassador was the first to propose a plan to divide Yemen into six regions.

After the September 21 Revolution and during the Saudi-led coalition attack, there were clear moves to dominate southern Yemen, the Socotra Island and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, Gharsi noted, adding that the arrogant powers have a direct presence in those areas that are still under occupation.

The Yemeni presidency's media affairs chief said the formation of the Southern Transitional Council was a British and Emirati plot to push the partition move and dominate the oil resources of the provinces of Shabwah, Hadramaut and etc.

He accused the arrogant powers of conspiring to divide Yemen into small states, with plans including the "Southern Arab state in Aden", the "Hadramaut state in eastern Yemen" and "the state of Al-Mahra and Socotra in East".

He emphasized that a meeting called the "South Currents" was held recently with the aim of declaring separatism but it ended in failure as other groups refused to take part in it.

Gharsi further said the objectives of the US and Israel in the plan to divide Yemen include the dominance of Yemen's geopolitical position, control of Bab el-Mandeb, dominance over Yemen's rich natural resources and wealth, supporting the Israeli regime which regards Bab el-Mandeb as its southern gateway to enter different countries of the world and also the destruction of the September 21 Revolution, which chanted the slogan of death to America and Israel.

He added that the US and Israel also aim to weaken and divide Yemen as it became one of the strongest countries on the resistance front after the revolution and changed the power balance in the region and played a strategic role in supporting regional nations.

Gharsi pointed to Israel's move to set up military bases under the cover of the UAE's presence in the islands of Socotra and Mion and also the presence of Israeli delegations in Socotra and other areas.

On the 33rd anniversary of Yemen's Unity Day, he said such desperate bids and conspiracies have failed as the Yemeni army and people have stood up to counter the occupiers and drive them out of Yemen, and to reestablish stability in the country.

He added that the leader of Yemen's Ansarullah resistance movement had emphasized the need to expel occupiers from Yemen to aggression and also announced that Yemen's access to military and technological power has enabled the country to have a presence anywhere in the Red Sea.

The Yemeni official further said that recent drills in the 4th military zone on the borders of Aden province carried the message that the army can expel the aggressors from the country and if the negotiations fail to reach a conclusion, the army will expel the occupiers from all areas in the country.

The occupiers, including the Zionist regime, have heard the message from Yemenis that they will never back down until the liberation of the country and securing national sovereignty.

Gharsi also thanked Press TV for supporting the oppressed Yemeni people.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk