In Memoriam Guenter Grass

Guenter Grass was a German novelist, poet, playwright, illustrator, graphic artist, sculptor and recipient of the 1999 Nobel Prize in Literature. Grass was born in the Free City of Danzig on October 16, 1927, and died on April 13, 2015, in Lübeck.

"What Must Be Said" (German: "Was gesagt werden muss") is a 2012 prose poem written by Guenter Grass, a poem discussing an alleged threat of annihilation of the Iranian people. Grass exposes his fears that Germany's delivery to Israel of a sixth Dolphin class submarine, capable of carrying nuclear warheads, might facilitate an eventual Israeli nuclear attack on Iran, and thus involve his country Germany in a foreseeable crime.

The poem was first published on 4 April 2012 by the Süddeutsche Zeitung (Germany), La Repubblica (Italy) and El País (Spain), triggering four days later the declaration by Eli Yishai, the Israeli Minister for the Interior, that Grass, who had visited Israel in 1967 and 1971, was now persona non grata.

At that time, I volunteered to provide independent translations of the disputed Grass poem into the English and French language and published them in a blogspot of "blueprint news" that was titled Israel - German Submarine Delivery Raising Protest. Via an external link these translations are still available from the Wikipedia page which is dedicated to the original version written by Guenter Grass. Useless to mention that lots of people from all over the world came to read my translations. And when I noticed that Grass died the day before, I found again an impressive list of visitors to "blueprint news" and who could be identified just on the day Guenter Grass died.

What else to say about his worldwide recognition, even though there were many who blamed him for obscuring his own past during World War II when he served in the Waffen-SS while he was still a very young man with few experience of life.



" What Must Be Said ": External links from the Wikipedia site
leading to my independent translations of the Grass poem.



Visitors to "blueprint news" coming from the Wikipedia site.





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Reminding 10 years of "blueprint news"
blueprinteditor.blogspot.com

Yemen - Scenes of War

مقاتلات "عاصفة الحزم" تقصف معسكر "ماس" على الطريق بين مأرب وصنعاء

Fighter planes for the "Storm of Determination" are bombing
"Camp Ma's" on the route between Ma'rib and Sanaa.



Above: Ruins in the historic part of Ma'rib township.

شنت مقاتلات قوات "عاصفة الحزم" غارات جوية على معسكر "ماس" الموالي لجماعة الحوثيين والرئيس السابق علي عبدالله صالح في مديرية "مجزر" بمحافظة مأرب صباح اليوم الاثنين.ـ

Fighter planes belonging to the forces of [operation] "Storm of Determination" launched air raids on "Camp Ma's" and which is connected with the Houthi community and former president Ali Abdullah Saleh in Majzar District / Ma'rib Governorate this morning, Monday [i.e. April 13].

[Source: Almasdar Online المصدر أونلاين, a Yemeni daily, on April 13, 2015]




اللواءان 111 و112 في #مأرب يعلنان الولاء للشرعية

Brigade 111 and 112 in Ma'rib demonstrating their loyalty to the constitutional system.
[A complicated situation in Ma'rib as reported by Al-Arabiya TV العربية on April 12/13]




استسلام 20 مسلحا حوثيا تحصنوا بسفارة #روسيا في #عدن

Capitulation of 20 armed Houthis in Aden and who
had barricaded themselves in the Russian embassy.
[Source: Al-Arabiya العربية on April 13, 2015]




فيديو.. قصف المدفعيات السعودية على ميليشيات #الحوثي

Video: Saudi artillery shelling Houthi militias.
[First pictures by Al-Arabiya / Al-Hadath TV about
border fighting between Saudi-Arabia and Yemen,
dated: April 13, 2015.]

Yemen - Pakistan Hesitates to Join Arabic Alliance

Last Update: April 12



بالتراجع عن دعم "عاصفة الحزم".. باكستان تخذل السعودية وتخدم إيران

By abandoning the support of "Storm of Determination"
Pakistan is abandoning Saudi Arabia and serving Iran.

منذ بداية عاصفة الحزم، أعلنت باكستان دعمها الكامل للملكة العربية السعودية، وسط تردد الأنباء بين الحين والآخر عن مشاركتها الفعلية بقوات عسكرية، إلا أن إسلام آباد كانت تنفي في كل مرة مشاركتها عسكريًا، وأن كانت تدعم أرض الحرمين، وأنها على أتم استعداد لبذل كافة جهودها للزود عنها.ـ

Since the beginning of the "Storm of Determination" Pakistan proclaimed its total support of Saudi Arabian [rule] and [then raised incertainty with] news that changed from one moment to the other, from [Pakistan's] practical cooperation with military force [to the position] that Islamabad should anyway refuse each time its military cooperation, and that it should support territories in misery and should prepare for [concentrating] all of its efforts on providing food for them.

[Source: Al-Dostor الدستور, an independent Egyptian daily, on April 11, 2015]

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ـ#عاصفة_الحزم: أدلة على تدريب إيران للحوثيين وتسليحهم

Storm of Determination: Evidence for Iranian training of Houthis and their arming.

كما جدد التأكيد على وجود أدلة تدين إيران بدعم الحوثيين وتدريبهم، وعدم استبعاد وجود إيرانيين يقاتلون إلى جانب الميليشيات الحوثية.ـ

Renewed confirmation of the existence of witnesses [or: indicators] swearing that Iran supports Houthis and trains them. The presence of Iranians who are fighting side by side with Houthi militias cannot be excluded.

[Source: Al-Arabiya العربية on April 11, 2015. Report from a regular press conference summoned by the Saudi general staff.]




قناة إيرانية تعلن مقتل #عبد_الملك_الحوثي بغارة سعودية

An Iranian channel reports the killing of
Abdul-Malik al-Houthi in a Saudi attack.

[Source: Al-Arabiya العربية on April 12, 2015]

Editor's Note:
Sheikh Sayyid Abdul-Malik al-Houthi (born January 1st, 1982- dead 12 april 2015) was a leader of the Zaidi Shia movement Ansar Allah (Houthis). His brothers Yahia Badreddin al-Houthi and Abdul-Karim Badreddin Al-Houthi are also leaders of the group, as was his late brother Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi. Houthi addressed the nation on Yemen TV in a late-night speech on 20 January 2015 after troops loyal to him seized the presidential palace and attacked the private residence of President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi in Sana'a. He demanded Hadi implement reforms giving the Houthi movement more control over the government. Although it was initially reported that Hadi conceded to Houthi's demands, the president resigned from office on 22 January, saying the political process had "reached a dead end".

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Yemen - Iran's Diplomatic Offensive

جواد ظريف: على باكستان وإيران العمل سويا فى موضوع اليمن

Javad Zarif: Joint action taken in Pakistan and Iran concerning Yemen.

قال وزير الخارجية الإيرانى محمد جواد ظريف اليوم الأربعاء أن على باكستان وإيران العمل سويا لإيجاد حل سياسى لأزمة اليمن.ـ

Today, Tuesday [April 8], Iran's minister of foreign affairs, Mohammad Javad Zarif, declared that in Pakistan and Iran joint action is taken to find a political solution for the crisis in Yemen.

وأضاف ظريف خلال زيارة لإسلام أباد "نحن بحاجة إلى العمل سويا لإيجاد حل سياسى".ـ

Zarif added during his visit to Islamabad: " In this matter we are [working together] to find a political solution. "

ومن المتوقع أن يدعو ظريف خلال زيارته لباكستان إسلام آباد إلى رفض الطلب السعودى بأن تنضم باكستان إلى العملية العسكرية ضد قوات الحوثى المتحالفة مع إيران.ـ

It is probable that Zarif, during his visit to Pakistan, incited Islamabad to reject the Saudi demand that Pakistan might join the military operation directed against Houthi forces and who are allied with Iran.

[Source: YOUM7 اليوم السابع on April 8, 2015]


Only one day before, news were spread by Al-Jazeera that Turkey's president Erdogan and Iran's president Rouhani should have met in Tehran for talks on points of common interest, including the Yemeni crisis. Both sides should have stated their preference for a political solution in the conflict. Rouhani is said to have reached out to Erdogan, and who is in favour of the Saudi-led military operation in Yemen, by pointing to other items where Turkey and Iran were able to reach an agreement.




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Evacuation of Foreigners in Yemen

Evening Update for April 6 further down !



Coalition Partners form Committee to Evacuate Civilians in Yemen.

On a press conference held in Riyadh on Saturday April 4, Saudi Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Ahmed Asiri told reporters that a newly formed committee had already coordinated the evacuation of foreigners in Yemen from five countries: Russia, India, Algeria, Indonesia and Pakistan.

Flights organized to evacuate other foreigners in Yemen were also scheduled for Sunday, and included those from China, Djibouti, Egypt and Pakistan. Other countries who have requested their citizens to be evacuated included Britain, Germany, Canada, Jordan and Iraq, he said, adding that the committee was awaiting flights from those countries to arrive in order to begin the evacuation process in full.

All these efforts were coordinated with the countries in question as well as coalition countries, and aircraft from members of Operation Decisive Storm, such as Jordan and Egypt, had helped evacuate Russian civilians from the country on Wednesday, 1st April, Asiri revealed.

In the same week, Russia had requested a stop of all air strikes by the Arabic coalition. A Russian draft resolution to the United Nations demanded "regular and obligatory humanitarian pauses in the air strikes by the coalition to allow all concerned states and international organisations to evacuate their citizens and personnel".

Spokesman Maj. Gen. Asiri confirmed that the Saudi Defense Ministry, which is coordinating the activities of the committee to evacuate civilians in Yemen, is also helping organize procedures to ease and speed up the work of trusted and internationally recognized humanitarian agencies, in order to allow them to reach those most affected by the conflict. The request for a 24-hour ceasefire by the Red Cross could be met according to the spokesman.

[Main sources: Asharq Al-Awsat , English edition, and Sky News on April 5, 2015]

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#Storm of Determination عاصفة_الحزم
Arabic Twitter News recorded on April 5, 2015




* #عاصفة_الحزم : صد محاولة حفر خنادق على الحدود #السعودية

Storm of Determination: Foiling of an attempt to dig trenches at the border to Saudi Arabia.

[Source: Al-Hadath TV قناة الحدث on April 5, 2015]


* المؤشر العام للسوق السعودي

Annual Indicator for the Saudi Market.



It's about the Saudi Tadawul All-Share Index (TASI), which has continued its permanent decay with a record diving since the beginning of Saudi bombing of military targets in Yemen on March 25, 2015.

[Source: @AABO_Nawaf أحمد الدعيج on April 5, 2015]

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Evening Update for April 6, 2015:



مقتل 193 بهجمات لميليشيات الحوثي وصالح على عدن

193 died in the attacks on Aden launched by militias
belonging to the Houthis and [ Ali Abdullah ] Saleh.

سفرت الهجمات التي نفذتها الميليشيات الحوثية وميليشيات الرئيس اليمني المخلوع علي عبدالله صالح على عدن، عن مقتل 193 شخصاً وجرح 1000، معظمهم مدنيون، منذ بدء المعارك في المدينة.ـ

In Aden, attacks are spreading that have been staged by Houthi militants and militias of deposed Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh and where 193 people have been killed and 1.000 wounded, most of them citizens, since the beginning of fightings in the town.

[Source: Al-Arabiya / Al-Hadath العربية / الحدث on April 6, 2015]

Since the bombing campaign and intense fighting began all over Yemen just over a week ago, some 600 people are estimated to have been killed. Many more have been wounded, and tens of thousands have fled the country. [Source: CNN on April 6, 2015]



The Crisis in Yemen Explained by Bloomberg Business (March 27, 2015)

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Yemen - The Arabic Storm of Determination

Update for 2nd April added further down.



ـ#عاصفة_الحزم ... اللواء 111 يعلن دعمه للشرعية باليمن

#Storm of Determination ..... Brigade 111 declares its support of [law enforcement] in Yemen.

The Saudi-owned TV station Al-Arabiya in Dubai is now blowing the horn of patriotism when it comes to military action of the Arabic alliance against Houthi controlled Yemen. Quoting the news and comments that appeared on Twitter under the hashtag ـ#عاصفة_الحزم and which means Storm of Determination, Al-Arabiya offers a link to further Arabic sources of similar orientation.

One of those "tweets" leads to an English-subtitled video describing the expansion of Houthi militias into neighbouring regions and their strategy of mining those areas. The video, first published in December 2013, is giving a voice to local sheikhs and other witnesses and is showing irritating pictures of children wounded or killed by Houthi landmines. It should serve to give an idea of the cruelties of war in those remote areas of Yemen.



Anti-Houthi video published by The Elevated Observer راصد صعدة




#Storm of Determination: 3rd Day of Arabic engagement in Yemen.

[Sources: Al-Arabiya العربية on 1st April 2015 and related Twitter News]

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Update for 2nd April, 2015:

مقتل عريف سعودي و إصابة 10 على الحدود مع اليمن

One Saudi corporal died while 10 were wounded at the border to Yemen.




Scene from video: Saudi air force bombing a military facility.

قوات #عاصفة_الحزم تعلن فشل الحوثيين بالسيطرة على #عدن

Forces of the #Storm of Determination announce that Houthis lost control of Aden.

[Source: Al-Arabiya العربية on 2nd April 2015]

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Houthi Invasion of South Yemen

Important Update on March 29, 2015

Shelling near Aden Airport. Houthis Lost Grip on Aden Airport علنت مصادر في اللجان الشعبية الجنوبية في اليمن انها قد تمكنت من السيطرة بالكامل على مطار عدن , هذا وكما اكدت المصادر انها تلاحق المسلحين الحوثيين بالقرب من معسكر بدر وذلك بعد اشتباكات عنيفة بين الطرفين , هذا ومما اسفر ذلك عن مقتل 9 من المسلحين الحوثيين و6 من مسلحي اللجان الشعبية الجنوبية في معركة مطار عدن . ـ Sources within the Southern People's Committees in Yemen declared that Aden airport should be entirely under [their] control. This and how was confirmed by sources, [saying] they chased armed Houthis unexpectedly from the neighbourhod of the [airport] compound after violent engagements between the opposing parties which had resulted in a death toll of 9 Houthi militants and 6 from the Southern People's Committees in the fightings for Aden airport. Editor's Note: The above mentioned "Southern People's Committees" belong to an alliance fighting in favour of now exiled president Hadi. [Source: The Patriot / Al-Watny جريدة وطني نيوز الألكترونية, electronic daily centered on news for Egypt, on March 29, 2015] Heavy fighting in the area during the last week and the temporary loss of Aden airport to the Houthis led to the evacuation of foreign diplomats from the city by boat, ferried by Saudi naval vessels to Jeddah on Saturday. According to an Aden port official, Chinese diplomats and expatriate workers, altogether 590 persons, were evacuated by a Chinese warship that docked on Sunday (=> picture below). 中国外交部长王毅：我们在空袭发生的当天晚上就已经启动了外交部的应急机制。 China's minister of foreign affairs, Wang Yi: "In the evening of the day when the air raids started, we already switched on the foreign ministry's emergency mechanism." [Sources: Reuters and Chinese dailies on March 28/29, 2015]

Radio France International RFI	Important Update on March 26-28, 2015
According to Saudi state TV, Yemeni president Hadi has fled the country and found shelter in Saudi Arabia. [RFI]	Yemeni leader Hadi leaves country as Saudi Arabia keeps up air strikes. [Reuters] According to Reuters, Yemen's President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi left his refuge in Aden for Saudi Arabia on Thursday [i.e. March 26] as Houthi rebels battled with his forces on the outskirts of the southern port city. Throughout the day, warplanes from Saudi Arabia and Arab allies struck at the Shi'ite Houthis and allied army units, who have taken over much of the country and seek to oust Hadi. Warplanes resumed bombing the Houthi-held capital Sanaa on Thursday evening, shaking whole neighborhoods and terrifying residents. Several civilians have been reported killed in Sanaa. السعودية تخلي 86 دبلوماسياً عربياً وأجنبياً من عدن Saudi [Arabia] evacuates 86 Arabic and foreign diplomats from Aden. [Al-Arabiya, March 28] [The neighbouring picture, related to the above quoted article, is showing a Houthi demonstration in Sanaa.]
الانقصف عنيف ومستمر في صنعاء الان | الجمعة 2732015م Violent and continued shelling in Sanaa on Friday March 27, 2015. [yemenwindows] لليوم الثالث..عاصفة الحزم تدمر صواريخ بالستية حوثية For the 3rd day: A storm of determination is annihilating ballistic missiles of the Houthis. [Al-Arabiya, Saudi-owned TV station in the United Arabic Emirates, on March 28, 2015]	According to the Saudi minister of defense, Saudi F-15S warplanes should be on duty over the Red Sea. [Al-Arabiya on March 28]

Radio France International RFI	Important Update on March 25, 2015
	According to local witnesses, units of the 39th armoured brigade and which is allied to the Houthis' Shia rebel forces should have occupied the airport of Aden in Southern Yemen today on Wednesday March 25, 2015.

الحوثيون يسيطرون على مطار تعز.. ويتقدمون نحو عدن

Houthis are in control of Taiz airport ..... and are advancing towards Aden.

سيطر المسلحون الحوثيون مع قوات موالية للرئيس اليمني السابق علي عبدالله صالح على مطار مدينة تعز، التي تقع شمال مدينة عدن، حسبما أفادت مصادر أمنية وعسكرية.ـ

Armed Houthis together with forces belonging to former Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh are in control of the airport of Taiz township, located north of Aden township, according to information from security and military sources.

[Source: Al-Arabiya العربية on March 22, 2015]

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8 localized visitors to "blueprint news" coming from 5 continents

Libyan Troops Fighting ISIS

ليبيا: الطيران الحربي الليبي يقصف معاقل داعش في سرت

Libya: Libyan air force bombing ISIS bunkers in Sirte.

[Source: World News Today / WorldAkhbar اخبار- العالم اليوم on March 21, 2015]

Certain positions should have been bombed as well in the Tripoli area.
كما قصف مواقع فجر ليبيا في طرابلس [Source: DW Arabic on March 21]