Family of Grand Treachery: How Did “Afash” and His Sons Turn Yemen into a Personal Fiefdom and a Proxy for the American and Israeli Enemy?!

In the scales of national honor, no crime surpasses treason, and no danger equals that of those who stab their homeland from within. This is what the family of the dead traitor Ali Abdullah Saleh—“Afash”—embodied: they did not stop at stealing Yemenis’ livelihood and looting their wealth, but turned the country into an open arena for American and Israeli hegemony.

And although Yemen today is fighting its historic battle against the Zionist enemy in support of Palestine, the old tools of treachery—foremost among them Afash’s sons—have resurfaced, trying to ignite internal chaos and distract from the larger front. Yet the family’s dark history lays bare their reality and places them squarely in the enemy’s camp.

From the “Presidency” to a “Black Hole”… 33 Years of Crisis Management and Plunder
Since taking power in 1978, Afash did not build a state; he perfected the policy of “dancing on the heads of snakes,” managing internal wars and fomenting strife—from conflicts in the central regions to the wars on Saada—while nurturing takfiri groups.

According to international reports, Yemen under his rule became a “black hole” that swallowed around $30 billion in oil revenues between 1990 and 2011 alone, with huge sums deposited in Gulf, European, and American banks, while the poverty rate among Yemenis rose to 65%.

Systemized Corruption: A Captive Economy and Overseas Investments
Afash’s family did not stop at domestic looting; they invested their stolen money in the UAE, Egypt, and Europe, leaving the home front mired in poverty.

Economic policies imposed by the regime in coordination with the IMF and World Bank wrecked agriculture and ended self-sufficiency, turning Yemen into a market for American and Israeli products, while domestic capital was barred from developing industries or cultivating grains.

Wrecking Institutions and Personalizing Power
Afash reduced the state to a narrow patronage network and hollowed out institutions—even the judiciary became a tool in the hands of corruption. Appointments were made by loyalty, not competence; bureaucratic structures ballooned to no purpose.

This “family centralization” led to comprehensive administrative collapse, leaving the country easy prey for subsequent foreign aggression.

Ahmed Afash’s Empire: Palaces, Land, and Army Funds
Between 2010 and 2012, documents exposed Ahmed Ali Afash’s rush to build his private empire before the regime fell.

Real estate and palaces: dozens of villas in Sana’a, Al-Thaniyah, Bayt al-Ahmar, Rima Hamid, and elsewhere, costing millions of dollars.

Luxury furnishings: hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on curtains, paintings, and antiques.

Land purchased with army funds: documents show plots bought for millions directly from Ministry of Defense accounts.

Foreign labor: housemaids and farmhands brought in from abroad at exorbitant cost.

A 2015 UN Panel of Experts report estimated Afash’s wealth at $60 billion—money that could have changed Yemen’s destiny. Investigations by The New York Times and Yemen’s Anti-Corruption Authority confirmed that a large portion was moved to accounts in Dubai and Switzerland.

Political Servility… From Washington to “Tel Aviv”
International documents and investigations—including The Guardian and Foreign Policy—reveal Afash’s ties to Mossad dating back to the 1970s and his covert support for the Israeli enemy, including allowing missile sites on Mayun (Perim) Island and listening posts in Socotra.

He also permitted U.S. forces to operate in Yemeni waters and took part in the arrest and killing of Yemeni fishermen under Eritrean cover.

“Afashis” at Home and Abroad: A New Tool for the Enemy
Today, the two wings of the Afash network—inside and outside—move as instruments funded by the UAE and Saudi Arabia under a U.S.-Israeli scheme to stoke chaos, deploying bogus “livelihood” slogans to sway the street and court elites.

But the truth is that the very hardships they invoke are a direct result of their corruption and their dark rule.

The Present Struggle: Confronting Treachery Is Part of the Liberation Battle
Confronting the Afash network today is not a mere political dispute; it is a battle over sovereignty and existence. The enemy pushing them now is the same enemy imposing the siege on Yemen, bombing its ports, and killing its people—and the same one occupying Palestine.

Accordingly, exposing this black history and deepening public awareness of the danger of these tools is a national and religious duty—so Yemen remains where it belongs: a supporter of Palestine, a thorn in the enemy’s throat, and free in its decision and sovereignty.