Aden: Former Yemeni president and strongman Ali Abdullah Saleh has asked the media loyal to him to discredit Al Houthi militia leader Abdul Malek Al Houthi and expose him, reports Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
The call reportedly came in the wake of reports that suggested that the Al Houthi leader was planning to assassinate Saleh, and who instructed Al Houthi media to work on discrediting the former president.
Informed sources in Sana’a said that Saleh has, during a recent meeting with members of the General People’s Congress, threatened to expose the militia to the Arab coalition if his demands were not met and described the militia as extremists.
Saleh also approved Yemen Al Youm TV channel to attack Al Houthi group, host its opponents and victims and expose it before the Yemeni citizens over its relationship with Iran. The Yemeni strongman wanted the channel to reveal to the citizens how the militia sold the country’s interests to Tehran cheaply, and assert the ‘fact’ that Al Houthis are just a band of thieves seeking spoils of war, positions of ministers and funds, reports SPA.
The Saudi news agency said that it was a clear sign that Saleh was preparing to fight Al Houthi militia if he gets a deal from whichever party to stop the war.
This is first action from Saleh against Al Houthi militia after the group’s escalation against him and his followers. SPA asserted that Saleh was currently studying a plan to regain control of Sana’a from Al Houthis.
Media sources inside Yemen pointed out that Saleh and his party, General People’s Congress, have prepared a plan to confront Al Houthi group, starting with media’s demonisation of Al Houthi militia and ending with a confrontation of the group militarily.
The sources said that members of his party asked Saleh to review all the secret agreements with Al Houthi group in preparation for their disengagement.
