Rebels had expansion plans, says former leader
The Source: /www.sabanews.net - 12/10/2009
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former Houthi leader revealed that the rebels in northern Yemen had plans to expand to Hajjah in the north and Mareb in the east, the Almotamar website reported on Sunday.
Abdullah al-Mahdoon also said that the insurgents received Iranian material support and foreign experts had trained them. Al-Houthi planned for a sixth war against the army, telling us the war would be the final for the insurgents in Yemen and all things were going in favor of the rebels, he said. Al-Houthi also said that the war will not end until we take control of large lands reaching Midy and Mareb, he added. Al-Houthi mentioned the Persian Empire saying the Arab were who destroyed it and " We, the Houthi rebels in northern Yemen, are going to restore it, according to al-Mahdoon who handed himself to the authorities during the fifth war between the insurgents and the army. Al-Houthi assured us that all things were proceeding in our favor, and we were not losing, he said, adding the rebels received concentrated training in how to use weapons by unknown trainers. As the third war erupted between the rebels and the army in 2005 that lasted until February 2006, we started to receive weapon parts and we reassembled them. Doubtlessly, the trainers were foreigners, and for those local trainers, they were Yemenis who studied and were trained in Iran and South Lebanon, he said, adding even Somali trainers were among them. Furthermore, al-Mahdoon revealed that the rebels were battered by the troops over the wars, but the truces sometimes rescued them and helped them recollect their strength. Northern provinces of Saada and Amran are the hubs of the battles between the army and the Houthi followers.
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