$8 Million Spent on a Lavish Trip: A New Scandal Exposes the Corruption of Mercenary Al-Alimi and His Gang
At a time when the Yemeni people in the occupied provinces are enduring suffocating and tragic conditions—struggling with the absence of basic services and unpaid salaries—the mercenaries operating under U.S. and Saudi tutelage continue their plundering policies and extravagant spending at the expense of the people’s suffering.
The latest scandal revealed that Rashad Al-Alimi, head of the so-called “Presidential Leadership Council,” squandered a staggering $8 million during his recent visit to New York—an incident that reflects the complete disconnect between this client council and its “hotel government” on one hand, and the harsh reality of the oppressed Yemeni citizen on the other.
Private Jet and Seven-Star Hotels: Extravagance Without Limits
Political sources disclosed that the massive sum included chartering a private jet from Riyadh to transport Al-Alimi and his entourage, staying at seven-star luxury hotels, along with inflated travel allowances and excessive protocol arrangements.
Adding insult to injury, the delegation he brought with him numbered 27 people, most of them sons of officials and close associates—more reminiscent of a family mafia entourage than representatives of a state.
Internal Disputes Expose a Rotten System
The scandal went beyond wasteful spending. It was also marred by sharp disputes between Al-Alimi and Washington’s appointed ambassador, Abdulwahab Al-Hajri, over the bloated size of the delegation, which became one of the largest compared to those of most countries—while Al-Alimi even failed in his main objective: securing a meeting with the U.S. president.
Thus, Al-Alimi’s trip turned into little more than a family sightseeing tour, bankrolled by plundered public funds.
Costs Equal to Essential Service Budgets
To put this in perspective, what Al-Alimi squandered on a single trip is equivalent to an entire month’s budget for electricity or healthcare in the occupied southern provinces, where citizens endure almost constant power outages, near-total collapse of healthcare services, and crumbling infrastructure.
While the mercenaries drown themselves in luxury, Yemenis face famine, fuel crises, and unpaid salaries.
Widespread Public Anger and Corruption Accusations
The scandal has sparked widespread outrage in both popular and media circles. Activists described it as yet another undeniable proof of the corruption of this puppet government and its lack of any national project.
They stressed that this treacherous clique knows nothing but looting public money and squandering it on luxury, while remaining incapable of meeting even the most basic needs of the people.
Mercenarism Means No Patriotism
This scandal once again reveals the true nature of the council, created by Riyadh and Washington to administer the occupied territories as a tool of foreign dominance.
The mercenaries scrambling for money and positions have nothing to do with Yemen or its people’s suffering—they are nothing more than cheap tools managed from embassies and hotel rooms.
Scandals Piling Up, Inevitable Collapse
What happened in New York is just one episode in a long series of corruption and betrayal staining the mercenaries’ history. As long as they chase after chairs and personal gains, they will remain exposed before their people and before history.
As for authentic Yemen, it has already chosen the path of freedom, sovereignty, and independence—and it continues with its revolution and struggle until every collaborator is overthrown and swept away from its pure land.