REBELS HAD EXPANSION PLANS, SAYS FORMER LEADER

SANA'A, Oct. 12 (Saba) - A 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.

FR