For the second time, the Yemeni government has formally written to the Lebanese government to demand that the broadcast of the Houthi militia’s “Al-Masirah” and “squares” channels, which were listed as “terrorist organisations,” be stopped.
Muammar Al-Iryani, the Yemeni minister of information, issued an official memo to Ziad Al-Makari, his counterpart in the Lebanese caretaker government, for the second time today, Sunday, regarding the closure of the Houthi militia’s march channels and squares, which were formally designated as “terrorist organisations,” and to broadcast hostile activities against Yemen, beginning from Lebanese territory.
Al-Iryani drew attention to the fact that the Yemeni government had previously written to the Lebanese government regarding the broadcast of channels that support a terrorist militia rebel against the state in the Republic of Yemen from Lebanese territory, in violation of both international law and the charter of the Arab League.
The Yemeni Minister of Information stressed that the two channels encourage hatred, spread extremist and sectarian terrorist views, threaten to destroy the social fabric, disrupt Arab ties, and undermine Yemen’s sovereignty by promoting anti-state agendas and operating without valid licences.
It also made a strong point that this issue goes beyond simply training employees in these “Al-Masirah” and “Al-Saqa” channels and what is referred to as the “war media” by putting them through training sessions with the Lebanese Hezbollah, which supports the Houthi terrorist militia and supports the war and deliberate killing of Yemenis.
He instantly requested that the required actions be done to stop them from working in Lebanon and to close the area, rather than dealing with the situation.
The Al-Masirah channel, which represents the Houthi militia, was established and started broadcasting in March 2012 on the Nilesat satellite. However, on Saudi demand, the broadcast from Nilesat was halted, and it was then moved to the Russian Express 44 satellite and based in a southern Beirut suburb.
The Houthi political, military, and cultural militia is served by the Al-Sahah channel, which is similarly situated in a southern Beirut neighbourhood and run by Yemeni cadres and Iranian media.
Yemen’s government requests in writing to Lebanon once more that it block all Houthi channels.
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