Headlines:

• US Hold Talks with Houthis
• Russia Blacklists EU
• Fall of Ramadi

US Hold Talks with Houthis

Under the cover of US captives in the hands of the Houthis, this week saw the direct meeting of US officials and the Houthis. The five star treatment given to the Houthis indicates the meeting between them was a significant event. The ousted government of President Hadi in Saudi confirmed: “We have been informed that there are meetings, at American request, and that a private American plane carried the Houthis to Muscat,” Rajeh Badi, a spokesman for Yemen’s government in exile told Reuters by telephone from the Saudi capital, Riyadh. The Yemeni government was not party to the talks, Badi said. A relationship between the US and Houthis has long existed and is not something new. Senior US intelligence official Michael Vickers said Jan. 21 2015 that the United States is continuing attacks on al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) despite ongoing violence in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, and has an intelligence relationship with the Houthi insurgent group that has seized much of the capital. What is taking place in Yemen is not just a local or regional conflict but involves the international powers. With the Houthis in control of most of the country, with the former government exiled, it looks like the US is now ready to formulate some type of final settlement, which will see the Houthis play a central role.
Russia Blacklists EU

The European Union responded angrily to Russia’s recent entry ban against 89 European politicians, officials and military leaders. Those banned are believed to include General Secretary of the EU Council Uwe Corsepius, and former British Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg. Russia shared the list after several requests by diplomats. The EU has protested aggressively against what it sees as totally arbitrary and unjustified. The EU and the US have laid sanctions on Russia on three separate occasions and banned travel to both the EU and the US for numerous Russian officials. The battle for Ukraine by Russia and the West has now entered its second year and whilst Russia has effectively annexed Crimea and parts of eastern Ukraine the EU and US has failed to reverse this protracted struggle. Despite capital flight, an economy in turmoil and falling in oil prices, Russia is trying to show it still has options at its disposal in the struggle for Ukraine.

Fall of Ramadi

A prominent Sunni politician and member of parliament is leading the effort to find out exactly who ordered the army to pull out of Ramadi on May 17^th and allow a much smaller force of ISIS fighters to enter and, after receiving reinforcements, take control of most of the city. Right after Ramadi fell the commander of the 25,000 troops guarding the city said he had been ordered to withdraw. Most of the troops in Ramadi belonged to the 7^th Infantry Division, which is based there. That unit had been reinforced by several thousand police and army commandos and special operations troops by early May. There were also a few thousand pro-government Sunni tribal militia. All these troops are still in Anbar, most of them just west of Ramadi. But the forces in charge of the Anbar province were only reinforced on May 17^th after the fall of Ramadi, not before. Together these forces have retaken many military posts (fortified checkpoints and police stations) abandoned during the departure of the security forces from Ramadi. Like Mosul the unannounced withdrawal of army forces caused a panic among the thousands of police and militia fighters in the city and these forces panicked and departed quickly when they found out about the army retreat. This raises series question on why Ramadi was allowed to fall?