Abd al-Malik al-Houthi, the Shi'ite rebel leader in Yemen, speaking to reporters in the northern city of Saada, accused government forces of "genocide" in their campaign against the insurgents: "Cities and villages are being subjected nowadays to the most dreadful forms of annihilation by the corrupt authorities, and the citizens are the only damaged side because of this fierce bombing." Aid organizations say several Shi'ite villages near Saada have been almost destroyed by heavy fighting, estimating at least 5,000 people in the area have been forced from their homes.

Al-Houthi pledged to fight on: "The ruling regime faced a big failure in defeating the sons of Saada... We have the capabilities and the spirit to continue the war, launched against us by this unjust authority."

He also denied claims the rebels are receiving money and support from abroad (Iran, by implication). "These are lies, we didn't receive any funds from outside," he said, accusing the Yemeni government of itself having foreign loyalties.

"It [the government] is the one that is loyal to America, and the one that is mobilizing, attacking, destroying and slaying its own people, and shedding their blood for the sake of satisfying America." (AlJazeera, April 28)

See our last post on Yemen.