World On Wheels.. Think Smart .. Turn to the Road Experts
Universal Rent a Car Sanaʼa (01)440309, Aden (02)245625 hertz-yemen@universalyemen.com
WWW.YEMENOBSERVER.COM
FORMER PRESIDENT’S SON SWORN IN
MONDAY - MAY 20, 2013
AL-HIMYARI TRIBES BATTLE ALQAEDA IN ABYAN
VOL. XVI - ISSUE 40
AIR FORCE UNDER SYSTEMATIC ATTACK, COMMANDER BY AKRAM AL-GAOLAHI
The Commander of the Air Force, Maj. Gen. Rashed al-Janad, said captain pilot Hani al-Aghbari was one of the best pilots and used to memorize Quran, adding that those who targeted the plane are highly professional.
Al-Janad pointed out in an interview with al-Saeeda channel on Saturday that the existence of TV cameras belonging to some private channels at the scene of the plane crash in Bait Boas in southern Sana’a shows that there was a previous arrangement which had been planned in advance.
AHMAD ALI SALEH SWEARING IN AT THE PRESIDENTIAL HOUSE
BY MOHAMMED KALFOOD
Ambassador Ahmed Ali Abdullah Saleh, son of the former president, articulated the constitutional oath on Sunday before President Abdo Rabbo Mansour Hadi on the occasion of his appointment as Extraor-
dinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Republic of Yemen to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
“This diplomatic position represents a particular importance due
CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
JUDGES ESCALATE DEMANDS AS PROTESTS WIDEN BY ISCANDER AL-MAMARI
The circles of strikes in the judiciary have expanded in Yemen to include ten Provinces, most of them in the south, after the end of the deadline to meet their demands by the relevant authorities.
Judge Isa Qaid al-Thareeb, the information official of the judiciary forum in Aden Province, emphasized that the judges and administrative officials in the courts and prosecutions in (Aden, Hadramout, CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
THREE MEMBERS OF ABU AL-HASSAN AL-HIMYARI TRIBES IN YAFIE’ DEMANDING THE STATE TO ARM THEM TO BE ABLE TO FIGHT AL-QAEDA
BY ABDUL-AZIZ OUDAH
Tribes of Abu al-Hassan al-Himyari in Yafie’ asked the state to provide them with weapons and
munitions so as to fight al-Qaeda militants that besiege their tribe in collaboration with southern tribes loyal to the armed southern Hirak
(southern movement) in al-Yazidi mountains in Yafie’. CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 MAJ. GEN. RASHED AL-JANAD
Monday - May 20, 2013 Vol. XVI - Issue 40
PUBLISHER FARIS SANABANI
LOCAL NEWS NDC SUSPENDED IN PROTEST AT AMAN AND KHATEEB MURDER BY ESCANDAR AL-MA’MARI
WWW.YEMENOBSERVER.COM
MISSION STATEMENT
T
o provide comprehensive,
trustworthy and unbiased information on
Yemeni Affairs and constantly
improving the professionalism of our staff and their lives through the compound effect
ACTING EDITOR IN CHIEF ABDUL - AZIZ OUDAH DEPUTY OF CHIEF EDITOR FOR ECONOMIC AFFAIRS
FAISAL DAREM
EDITORIAL ADVISER ZAID AL-ALAYA’A AMINAH LEONARD HASNA ABDUL MAJID
EDITING SECRETARY FARES ANAM
SENIOR JOURNALISTS AKRAM AL-GAOLAHI
JOURNALISTS MOHAMMED ALI KALFOOD HISHAM SAMI AL-KIBSI MOHAMMED SHARHAN
TRANSLATOR MOHAMMED A. ABDULRAHMAN
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR NABEEL SALEH AL-WA’AIL
GRAHPIC DESINERS ALYA FUAD TALAL AL ASQOR ABDUL NASSER SULTAN
PHOTOGRAPHERS MOHAMMED QUATAB HAMED AHMED
ADVERTISING
The National Dialogue Conference (NDC) members suspended their activities in protest to the murders of two young men on Wednesday in the Capital Sana’a.
NDC member, Nadia Abdullah said all NDC members suspended their activities and all the teams stopped work in protest to the heinous crime that was committed against Hassan Jafar Aman and Khalid alKhatib by Aal al-Awadhi and demanded the speeding up of the arrests of the perpetrators.
The Interior Ministry disclosed the plate number of the car from which the two young men, Aman and al-Khatib from Aden, were shot, at 10PM last Wednesday, May 15, 2013 on al-Khamsin Street in Sana’a, while they were trying to overtake a wedding procession of Aal Awadhi.
The security forces said the motivations behind the crime are unknown, but their procedures are continuing to disclose the perpetrators and their motives. President Abdu Rabo Mansour Hadi directed the security and judicial authorities to accelerate the process of catching the murderers of the two young men, and to
U.S. DRONE KILLS SEVEN AL-QAEDA MEMBERS BY MOHAMMED KALFOOD
The security department in Abyan province said that at least 18 members affiliated to al- Qaeda had fallen between dead and wounded in an air strike that targeted their truck in al-Mahfad district. Security and local sources said that a U.S. drone bombed a truck on late Friday evening in Abyan in southern Yemen, killing seven suspected of links to al-Qaeda amid news of the death of a senior leader in Abyan province. According to local and security sources, the bombed truck carrying on board a number of al-Qaeda members was passing near a government compound in Dhaiqa area in al-Mahfad District in Abyan, resulting in death of those on board. The sources added that information confirmed the death of al-Qaeda leader Jalal Bal-Eid, leader of al Qaeda in Abyan province, who had appeared during the control of al-Qaeda over large parts of the province during 2011 and 2012. The same sources pointed out that three of the dead were buried on Sunday in the Directorate and its vicinity, while others were buried in the districts of Ja’ar and Modiah. Security sources say that the truck bombed by the drone, was carrying various weapons and ammunition, causing a huge explosions that echoed in the region. Al-Qaeda members took refuge in the rugged mountains in the Directorate of al-Mahfad after the army expelled them from areas they controlled in Zanzibar, Ja’ar and Shakra.
BELAL SAIF MARKETING MANAGER SHEZAAN SYED ESSAM ALI HANI AL MORHI MARKETING
ads@yobserver.com LOCAL DISTRIBUTION SANA’A, ADEN, TAIZ, IBB, DHAMAR, HADRAMUT.
MAIN OFFICE SANA’A, YEMEN POLICE COLLEGE STREET PO BOX 19183 TEL : +967-1-505466/248444 FAX : +967-1-260504 PO BOX 19183
SUBSCRIBTION - www.yobserver.com/subs - subs@yobserver.com YEMEN OBSERVER ONLINE WWW.YEMENOBSERVER.COM WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/YEMENOBSERVER WWW.TWITTER.COM/YEMENOBSERVER1
NEWS STAND PRICE YEMEN 50 Riyals
ISSN 23065958
9
772306
595009
3
take decisive and strict measures to capture the culprits and hand them over to justice to face their crime in accordance with law and Sharia, the Yemeni News Agency (Saba) quoted President Hadi as saying.
The agency added that the President sent a condolence message to the family of the two deceased. The tribal sheikh, Ali Abdu Rabo al-Awadhi, who has relationship with the killers, announced his readiness to cooperate with the security and judicial authorities to arrest the culprits who killed the two young men last Wednesday evening in Sana’a.
Al-Awadhi is a leader of the Islah party and a member of NDC.
The rights and freedom department at the Islah party denounced the killing of the two young men on the hands of tribal militants last Wednesday, demanding that the security authorities catch the killers and refer them to justice.
On the other hand, the General People’s Congress (GPC) deplored the killing of the two young men, holding the government and the Interior Ministry accountable for the continuation of security disorder and the weapons carrying phenomenon in the capi-
tal and other provinces.
The two young men, Amman and al-Khatib, one of them belonging to the family of the great Yemeni poet Lutfi Jafar Aman, were killed on
the hands of gunmen from Aal Awadhi during a wedding procession of the latter in Sana’a, late last Wednesday, where the incidence was met with wide condemnation.
STUDENT MURDERED BRUTALLY BY ACAM MOTHANA HAIDER
A furious massive crowd from the districts of Alradhma and Yareem , Ibb carried out an enormous sit-in, in front of the the Security directorate of Yareem’s district, condemning and protesting against the brutal bloodshed of an innocent primary school student; Mohammed Hameed Saleh Alkafaz who was shot dead last Wednesday on his way going to school . The demonstrators protested angrily to the killing of the 13 years old innocent young student and reckoned it as a heinous crime which ultimately violated childhood’s rights since he was on his way to school, safely and peacefully before the bullets of treachery and hatred assassinated him and shattered his utter innocence . Moreover, The protesters appealed to the security apparatuses to track down the criminal and hand him over to the concerned authorities for standing a trial and getting his deterrent and just punishment according to the law. Some sources reported that the brother of the murdered young student had re-
cently been released from prison on a trade guarantee on May, 17, 2013 by the prosecution in Yareem, and an tribal arbitration was previously agreed upon. In other words, he was accused of killing the murder’s brother by manslaughter last Ramadan. Consequently, the criminal,
who belongs to Ans’ district and is a traffic policeman in Dhamar’s governorate, took revenge on the very innocent child by brutally attacking him with open fire. Unavoidably, death overcame his blood stained body.
ter, Murshed al-Arshani to accommodate Iman University students in the Supreme Judicial Institute,” the daily Oula paper quoted from a judicial source.
“The Supreme Judicial Institute enrollment is subjected to criteria that has to be met and the door is opened for the public to register only as needed,” judge Haj stated.
IMAN UNIVERSITY’S STUDENTS TO ENROLL IN JUDICIAL INSTITUTE BY ISCANDER AL-MAMARI
The Supreme Judicial Institute opened enrollment and registration for the 21st batch starting from Saturday 18, as it is scheduled that the institute will receive dozens of students from Iman University, media sources said. “The Supreme Judicial Institute carried out directives by the Justice Minis-
Judge Abdul-Moeen Ali al-Haj, deputy appeal court official, told the Yemen Observer that there are enrolment conditions in the institute that should be met by recruits.
Mass media reported that Justice Minister, Murshed al-Arshani issued directives to accommodate dozens of Iman University students in the Supreme Judicial Institute.
CONTINUATION FROM FRONT PAGE FORMER PRESIDENT’S SON SWORN IN to Yemen’s excellent and vital relations with the United Arab Emirates,” said president Hadi. The President wished Ambassador Ahmed Ali Abdullah Saleh success in his duties so as to enhance the brotherly relations between Yemen and UAE. Foreign Minister Abu Bakr al-Qirbi and Secretary General of the Presidency Dr. Ali Mansour bin Safa’a attended the swearing-in ceremony. Close sources to the ambassador said that the former Yemeni President Saleh phoned his son passing on the best wishes for his appointment as an ambassador to UAE, and urged him to value the decisions of President Hadi in all as long as they serve the interests of Yemen.
AL-HIMYARI TRIBES BATTLE AL-QAEDA IN ABYAN Sheikh Rasass Bin Mashhour al-Himyari, chief of the tribes’ sheikhs, affirmed the ability of their tribe to face, defeat, and drive al-Qaeda out of Yafie’ mountains, where they hid after running away from Abyan, stipulating that the state provide them only with munitions, adding, “we don’t need money or men . What we want is a munitions which is enough for a suitable period, to enables us to eliminate alQaeda in Yafie’ mountains.” Al-Himyari explained in a special statement to the Yemen observer that they have been facing al-Qaeda, Hirak and
saboteurs for four months after their refusal to join al-Qaeda as well as their former refusal to join the activities of the pro-Hirak tribes against unity and the northern citizens in these areas. “We are with unity, against separation, al-Qaeda, the Hirak and saboteurs, that is why al-Qaeda accused us of blasphemy and the Hirak accused us of treason and being agents to the north. We believe that we are embracing the true Islam, which urges for unity, punishes sabotage and violence against the innocent. We are the followers of the same religion and from the same nation, why do they want us to fight our fellow northerners and our brothers in the army? What kind of religion or patriotism are they calling for?” Sheikh Rasass added, explaining that “we are with unity because we suffered under the Marxist regime, which killed the clerics and all who called for freedom and ownership despite the disadvantages of the current regime.” He pointed out that some people are forced to join the Hirak because of the pressure they face by the armed Hirak militants. Rasass explained that the peaceful southern Hirak have fair demands and the state should be aware of that, because the southerners are oppressed and we were on foremost of them, but we are with unity and with justice to the southerners in their legal demands. In a related issue, Shadad Bin Haidrah al-Mashhour and Saqr Bin Hamoud alMashhour, who are notables of the tribe, warned of al-Qaeda control of the mountainous area of Yafie’ which extends up to Abyan, so that Yafie’ will not change into a
new Abyan. Saqr said the Islah clerics issued a fatwa through speeches in Labous and Yahr mosques, legalizing shedding the blood of the tribe’s members, describing them as the rouge group, which went astray from religion. He wondered over the reasons which drive these clerics to issue such fatwa. Meanwhile, lawyer Raghd al-Bar, head of Justice Advocates’ organization, called on the international community, the rights groups and the sponsors of the peace process to stand on the side of the tribe, as they are facing a common enemy of the international community and not only to them but to the government as well. Al-Bar added that the cultural and civilized heritage which Abu al-Hassan tribe enjoys is considered to be a heritage to humanity as a whole, and all the interested parties should contribute to the preservation of this lively popular heritage. Abu al-Hassan tribe members are still clinging to their Himyaritic language alongside the Arabic language; dress in the same old Himyaritic uniform, which distinguishes them from all the other Yemenis and the tribes of Arabia.
AIR FORCE UNDER SYSTEMATIC ATTACK, COMMANDER He affirmed that the black box was exposed to a gunshot, saying that it is likely that the pilot had also been exposed to direct injury. In response to the issue regarding his
resignation he said, “If my resignation represents any protection for the air force, I will sacrifice myself for them,” noting that his resignation in current circumstances will be cowardice. Al-Janad went on saying, “I say to the President, if there is anyone who is more competent than me for the leadership of the Air force, I will be the first to obey and carry out his orders. ”
JUDGES ESCALATE DEMANDS AS PROTESTS WIDEN Shabwa, al-Mahrah, Dhale’, Lahj, Hodeida and Thamar,) who started striking at the beginning of this month were joined by the judges of (Amran and al-Baidha) last week. The judge pointed out that the implantation of the demands had been agreed upon by the Supreme Judiciary Council and the representatives of judiciary forums in March and April 2012, in addition to the non- payment of the allowance of work nature to the administrative officials, the compliance with the agreements signed with the representatives of their trade unions in May 2012, the non- fixing of the contracted as well as the daily wage contracts with employees who were wronged. In a related issue, judicial sources told the Yemen Observer, the demands are partially fulfilled regarding the promotions, but the rights that the judges demand, such as the insurance and the allowances cannot be fulfilled, at least for the time being because there is no budget for them, according to the source.
4
Monday - May 20, 2013 Vol. XVI - Issue 40
LOCAL NEWS
S OB
ER
R VE
’S
TC A C
H
THE LARGEST SMUGGLING OPERATION FOR RARE ANIMALS FOILED
HUGE SERPENT FOUND IN KAMRAN DAM IN SANA’A BY HESHAM AL KIBSI
Yemen’s Interior Ministry said that a huge snake of more than three meters in length could be the cause of the drowning accidents which led to the deaths of many people in Kamran dam in the area of Beit Boss south of the capital Sana’a.
The ministry issued orders preventing people from swimming in the dam, which recently became scandalous after the sinking of a young couple, where the husband’s mobile camera had documented the last moments of their lives in a tragic scene.
BY OBSERVER STAFF
The General Authority for Environment Protection, in cooperation with the Hodeida security forces, managed to capture a number of hunters in al-Khokha Directorate
(16 kilometers east of Hodeida), who were in possession of rare animals that are at risk of extinction , while they trying to smuggle them abroad for trading. The General Environment Protection Manager, Yaser Ghobir,
ELECTRIC POWER LINES EXPOSED TO ATTACKS BY OBSERVER STAFF
The electricity power transmission lines were exposed to a second attack in less than 12 hours in Mareb by sons of Saleh Bin Hamd Jaradan, officials at the Electricity Ministry said Sunday. The officials of the joint operations at the Ministry of Electricity said today’s attack was carried through using iron wires between
towers 388 and 389 in Al Hatek of Marib governorate.
The attack came a day after the engineers bega the gradual re-entry of Mareb station into service after removing the wires on the power transmission lines on Saturday evening, put by gunmen from the Al-Jaradi tribe in the area located between Khalaqah Nihm and Gaillan Naqil (high mountain) in Sana’a governorate.
FAMILY AND CIVIL SOCIETIES’ ROLE IN INTERNATIONAL FAMILY DAY BY NA’IEM KHALID
A symposium was held in Taiz on the role of the civil societies in family service. It was organized by the Happy Family Club on the occasion of International Family Day. The club Manager, Wafa al-Salahi pointed out during the symposium, the integrative role of the civil societies and the family in the building and refining of the family values, in terms of achievement of stability, humanitarian needs and its solidarity, ensuring that the family relationship is one of the holiest ties that should arouse interest, because it contributes to creating a balanced individual who is a result of a concerted family. The disputes and problems which occur in the family, create a generation full of problems, including street
children, resulting from the family disintegration, divorce and the lack of family stability, which is required for the formation of a family that cares for the bringing up of its children. She noted that the civil society needs to crystallize patterns of social, economic, political and cultural links that are a result of interaction between the different social constituents, which do not share the same attitudes. They could be cooperative, conflicting or competitive, according to the extent of disparity among the different constituents within the society as well as their interests and awareness; hence, the civil society is not necessarily formed through homogeneity. It requires the existence of true partnership within the family.
GET REAL NEWS ON YEMEN TO SUBSCRIBE www.yobserver.com/subs or e-mail : subs@yobserver.com
told al-Thawra net about the operation, noting that the enumeration process of the captured animals is still continuing as to know their number and types, while the suspects who tried to smuggle them will be referred to judiciary.
READING LAMPS FOR ILLITERACY IN TAIZ BY NAIEM KHALID
The Reading Lamps for Illiteracy Project started in Taiz and is based on stimulating adult and young learners. It is linked to the practical need of the elderly in terms of distribution of electric solar lamps, at a rate of a lamp for each of the ones who are most deprived from electricity services. The project is implemented by the Yemeni reading organization in cooperation and partnership of a number of organizations, local institutes, illiteracy management in the province and with the support of the Swedish Electric Company Ikea through the Save the Children organization,
The Director of the Yemeni Organization for Reading ,Dr. Abdullah Sofian Modhish pointed out that the project targets about 35000 illiterate women including their teachers, whereas in Taiz, it targets about 11000 illiterate women and teachers in 23 Directorates, noting the organization signed agreements with al-Saeed Establishment for Science and Culture and it is on its way to signing agreements with the UNICEF and the Social Fund, so as to create real partnership in illiteracy education.
He added that the projects aims to encourage illiterate women to join and continue their education at the centers as well as increase the time allocated for reading at home, especially for changing the time of reading to the evening, as the rural women are busy all day with their work, in addition to the symbolism of the motivation, realized in the lamp which does not require electricity or batteries to dispel the darkness.
The ministry reported that the rescue team of divers, repeatedly sent to carry out operations from potential drowning, said “there is likely a giant snake in the dam which causes the drownings.” The ministry added that it asked the Defense Ministry to send a team
of divers from Special Forces to deal with the snake in the dam that
has raised the public concerns over the Dam of Kamran.
JOB ANNOUNCEMENT Oxfam, an international NGO working with others to find lasting solutions to poverty and injustice, has been working in Yemen since 1983. Oxfam announces the following vacancies for its Humanitarian Programme Public Health Engineer Officer – (1 position) Location: Haradh Contract Duration: 3 months The role You will be working closely with the Public Health Engineer Team Leader to identify, design and construct water and sanitation facilities that meet community needs. In some instances, this may involve re-commissioning existing systems. But in many cases you’ll need to create everything from ground up, including the means of abstraction, storage, treatment and distribution of water as well as excreta and refuse disposal, vector control and drainage at the field level. You will set up programme impact/process monitoring systems and collect relevant secondary data relating to disease patterns, facilities and government programmes. What we’re looking for We are looking for people who have a university degree preferably in the fields of civil engineering or related fields with 3 years practical experience working in Water and Sanitation in emergency relief programs. You should have a good understanding of Oxfam’s work in PH in emergencies and experience of undertaking assessments and analyzing the results. Any additional experience in emergency relief would obviously be an advantage, proving your resilience and ability to maintain teamwork under pressure. Diplomatic and tactful, you’ll be a sensitive and experienced communicator, able to keep a calm head and reassure those around you. You will have influential communication skills in both Arabic and English, and ability to gain the confidence, trust, and respect of everyone around you. Logistics Assistant – (1 position) Location: Haradh Contract Duration: 6 months The Role You will be responsible for organizing all logistical processes, including purchasing, warehousing, communications and transport, as well as the administrative procedures related to the job. You will report all logistical activities to the Logistic Manager. What we’re looking for We are looking for people with at least three years experience in purchasing, warehousing, and vehicle management administration. Any additional experience in emergency relief would obviously be an advantage, proving your resilience and ability to maintain teamwork under pressure. You will have excellent diplomatic, tact and negotiating skills, as well as oral and written communication skills in both English and Arabic, and will possess good computer skills. To apply If you believe that you have the qualifications and skills to excel in either of these positions, please send a copy of your CV and a cover letter, clearly stating the job and the location of the job you are applying for in the email subject, to yemenjobs@oxfam.org.uk .
Closing date for applications is 29th May 2013
Monday - May 20, 2013 Vol. XVI - Issue 40
LEARNING ENGLISH
with Teacher Aminah
3. On a Saturday in December my friend decided to text
1._____________ wrote this book?
message me and ask me if I wanted to chill with him.
2. ______________are you going to recommend?
He wanted to hang out at his house He wanted to eat snow cones with real, fresh snow He wanted to go snowboarding He wanted to have time for the gelatin to set
3. __________________dictionary is on the table? 4. It doesn›t look like this is the right address._____________ did you ask for directions? 5. We have two extra tickets for the concert. __________________wants to go with us?
4. When it was starting to get dark at the park, my friend checked his watch and said “Gotta bounce”.
6._____________ car is parked in the handicapped parking space? If someone doesn›t move it, it›s going to be towed.
Who, Whom, Whose Subjects, Objects and Possessive Forms To understand how to use “who,” “whom,” and “whose,” you first have to understand the difference between subjects, objects, and possessive forms. Subjects do an action: • He loves movies. • She goes to school. • We enjoy Chinese food. Objects receive an action: • The teachers like him. • Thomas knows her. • The actor smiled at us. Possessive forms tell us the person something belongs to: • His bike is broken. • I like her new book. • The teacher graded our homework. “Who” is a Subject Pronoun “Who” is a subject pronoun like “he,” “she” and “we” in the examples above. We use “who” to ask which person does an action or which person is a certain way. Examples: • Who made the birthday cake? • Who is in the kitchen? • Who is going to do the dishes? “Whom” is an Object Pronoun “Whom” is an object pronoun like “him,” “her” and “us.” We use “whom” to ask which person receives an action. Examples: • Whom are you going to invite? • Whom did he blame for the accident? • Whom did he hire to do the job? “Whose” is a Possessive Pronoun “Whose” is a possessive pronoun like “his,” “her” and “our.” We use “whose” to find out which person something belongs to. Examples: • Whose camera is this? • Whose dog is barking outside? • Whose cell phone keeps ringing? “Who,” “Whom” and “Whose” in Indirect Questions The sentence below contains an example of an indirect question: • I don’t know whom he invited. Such sentences usually start with a phrase such as: “I am not sure” or “He doesn’t know” or “We don’t care.” Just ignore the first part of the sentence and look at the indirect question when deciding whether to use “who,” “whom” or “whose.” Ask yourself if the indirect question requires a subject, object, or possessive form. Examples: • He doesn’t know who the boss of the company is. subject of the indirect question • I don’t care whom you invite. object of the indirect question • She isn’t sure whose car that is. “Whose” shows possession of car. “Who,” “Whom” and “Whose” in Adjective Clauses The sentence below contains an example of an adjective clause: • I know the man who won the contest. Adjective clauses are used to describe a noun in the main sentence. In the example above, the adjective clause tells us about “the man.” Just ignore the main sentence and look at the adjective clause when deciding whether to use “who,” “whom” or “whose.” Ask yourself if the adjective clause requires a subject, object, or possessive form. Examples: • We knew the actress who starred in the movie. subject of adjective clause • They hired the man whom we interviewed last week. object of adjective clause • She knew the family whose house we bought. “Whose” shows possession of house. “Whom” Less Common The form “whom” is becoming less and less common in English. Many native English speakers think “whom” sounds outdated or strange. This trend is particularly common in the United States. Especially when combined with prepositions, most people prefer to use “who” as the object pronoun. To most native English speakers, the examples below sound quite natural. Examples: • Who did you come to the party with? • I don’t know who he gave the book to. • That is the woman who I was talking to. • Who did you get that from? • Do you have any idea who he sold his car to? • That is the person who I got the information from. •
He went to get a drink; he was thirsty
7. The police have called in an expert to identify ______________handwriting is actually on the ransom letter.
He stopped playing; he had to catch his breath
8. Do you remember ______________received the Academy Award for best actress that year? Was it Nicole Kidman?
He left; hehad to get home He thought that he needed to practice dribbling the basketball
9. I know exactly ________________I›m going to support in the upcoming election.
5. My friend, after months and months of begging, finally convinced me to play an online game with him. When I joined, I read a message from him that told everyone, “Look guys, we have a noob with us today, so go easy.” He was telling them that I was horrible at this game He was telling them that I had never played the game before He was telling them that I was a nerdy geek He was telling them that I was sick
6. I was sitting, talking to a group of friends. Then another person walked up and said “Wuttup, peeps?” Some important English proverbs
Is there a roof above us, man?
• “Birds of a feather flock together.”
Who are you, chickens? How are you, friends?
People like to spend time with others who are similar to them. • “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.”
What do you want, guys?
If you have an enemy, pretend to be friends with them instead of openly fighting with them. That way you can watch them carefully and figure out what they’re planning. • “A picture is worth a thousand words.”
7. I had just arrived at the theater where I would meet
my friend to go see a movie when he told me that he “dug my skins”.
Pictures convey emotions and messages better than written or spoken explanations. • “There’s no such thing as a free lunch.”
My tattoos
Things that are offered for free always have a hidden cost. • “There’s no place like home.”
My hair My clothes
Your own home is the most comfortable place to be. • “Discretion is the greater part of valor.”
My sister
Sometimes it’s important to know when to give up and run away, instead of always acting brave and maybe getting hurt. • “The early bird catches the worm.”
Gap-fill Exercise (Answers)
You should wake up and start work early if you want to succeed. • “Never look a gift horse in the mouth.”
2. WHOM are you going to recommend?
If someone offers you a gift, don’t question it. • “You can’t make an omelet without breaking a few eggs.” When you try to do something great, you’ll probably make a few people annoyed or angry. Don’t worry about those people; just focus on the good results. • “God helps those who help themselves.” Don’t just wait for good things to happen to you. Work hard to achieve your goals.
1. WHO wrote this book?
3. WHOSE dictionary is on the table? 4. It doesn’t look like this is the right address. WHOM did you ask for directions? 5. We have two extra tickets for the concert. WHO wants to go with us? 6. WHOSE car is parked in the handicapped parking space? If someone doesn’t move it, it’s going to be towed. 7. The police have called in an expert to identify WHOSE handwriting is actually on the ransom letter. 8. Do you remember WHO received the Academy Award for best actress that year? Was it Nicole Kidman? 9. I know exactly WHOM I’m going to support in the upcoming election. American Slang (answers) He thought it was “off the chain” (good) He was down with that (he wanted to go) He wanted to hang out at his house He left; he had to get home
American Slang
1. When I was watching “The Sing Off” season 3, Shawn
He was telling them that I had never played the game before How are you, friends? My clothes
Stockman told a group that their performance was ill.
He thought “It Lacked Luster” (abbreviated as “ILL”) He thought it was “off the chain” (good) He thought it was bogus (bad) He thought the singers were sick with the flu
2. I asked my friend the other day if he wanted to see a movie with me. He text me back saying: “fo shizzle”.
Gap-fill Exercise
He was unable to go as he was too sick He was being rude and calling me an idiot He was a bad speller, and meant to say “no thanks” He was down with that (he wanted to go)
HAVE QUESTIONS?
WANT ANSWERS? Need help?
Want to submit articles, stories, poems, etc? sharon.umibrahim@gmail.com
5
6
Monday - May 20, 2013 Vol. XVI - Issue 40
C U LT U R E
INTERVIEW WITH YEMEN’S FINEST
T
he Yemen observer conducted an interview with Yemeni poet and novelist, Maher Mohammed Ata. He explained the cultural situation in Yemen and he talked about his poems and short stories.
BY MOHAMMED SHARHAN
YO : Tell us about yourself ? Maher : My name is Maher Mohammed Ata. I am a poet and narrator. I was born in Dhamar province in 1982. I studied Business Administration and I am now studying media at the University of Sana’a. I am married. YO : When did you start writing and what did you write about? Maher : I started writing at an early age. I wrote when I was in the school phase. I wrote my first poem when I was in school and the poem was about school examinations. YO : Who discovered your talent and who support your literary march ? Maher : The person who discovered my talent is my heart, ( my father ) when I was writing for myself, when I was child. After that, one of my friends whose name was Osama Abdul Aziz AlMarani took my poems and gave them ( my poems ) to the teacher Jamal Allayah. As the teacher Jamal Allayah read my poems, he was impressed with them . Teacher Jamal Allayah encourage me and gave me a chance to read my poems in front of all the students YO: What about your literary works ? Maher : I have a group of stories under the name “Sea of Half Tear” and other stories under the name “A Hole in the River”. I also have a group of stories that I am doing under the name “ Half of my Shadow Wet at Home” and “ Thirty of November”. All these stories are about realistic social issues like poverty, hunger, alienation, speed crazy, childhood innocence, early marriage and racism. I have poems for the National Dialogue. In these poems, I asked about the success of the National Dialogue Conference , because the National Dialogue will make the new Yemen.
I asked also in my ceremony to the National Dialogue in a good manner. YO : When do you write stories ? Maher : I’m not committed to a particular pattern where I write stories when I find myself wanting to write. Sometimes, I listen to music when I want to write sad stories. YO : Have you participated in any activities? Maher : I have participated in many activities and festivals. I also managed an alto of seminars and activities for senior writers and critics in our country and outside our country. I got participation shields from senior writers and critics. YO : What are the most important things you’ve worked for in your city ? Maher : We where three poets , me , Murad Issa and Asma Al-Masri, we established the literary movement in Dhamar city. We made Dhamar as a flame of cultural activity. YO : Where do you find yourself in poetry or in the story ? Maher: I find myself writing stories more than writing poems. I was born to be a novelist, as many famous critics said. Like the critic, Mohammed ALMsabah from Saudi Arabia said, “ Maher is a novelist who writes short stories which need long criticism.” I can use pronunciation appropriately relating to the subject of the story . I write stories with long narratives. YO : What job positions have you held so far? Maher : I haven’t held any government jobs positions thus far. I was an announcer and presenter in many official , cultural and graduations ceremonies in Dhamar and in other Yemeni provinces. I wrote poems for all graduations batches. I’ve managed the ceremonies for celebrations for ten years. I also manage ceremonies in all Yemeni provinces. During the coming years,
God willing, I will have cultural activities in Saudi Arabia. YO: What are the challenges you have faced ? Maher : Capability is the biggest problem to me , especially the rising of prices in the last years . I published my writings in newspapers forums and cultural links because of the rising of prices. Most of the famous Arab critics admire me writings. YO: What are the cases that your stories discuss? Maher : There are many cases that we suffered from. In some of the stories, I discuss society view on different aspects. It is a view that not only the Yemeni society suffer from. In some of the stories , I discuss the ignorance, and the old habits of the Yemenis. YO : Do you think that you have achieved your ambitions ? Maher : I have not reached my ambitions. Any person’s ambitions increase his situation. For me, I have mapped out my ambitions and I’m working to reach them. YO : What do you imagined you will be in the future ? Maher : I imagine that I’ll become an international literary man. I want to learn many languages to be in contact with other countries to learn and to know their culture as well as to teach them our culture. YO : Does the government support and encourage the creative people in our country ? Maher : There is not an active role from our country towards creative people. The creative people depend on themselves. There are many talented poets who do not find any one to publish their poetry books. So, most poets publish their poetry books by themselves. When there are literary festivals and activities outside of our country , the country give us a little money to participate in these literary festivals and activities.
MAHER MOHAMMED
I have poems for the National Dialogue. In these poems, I asked about the success of the National Dialogue Conference , because the National Dialogue will make the new Yemen. An active role from our country just began when one Yemeni talented person became famous outside our country. After that, our country invited him. Also our newspapers started conducting interviews with him. YO : Do you have other hobbies and talents ? Maher : My original talents and hobbies are poems and short stories. I exercise other hobbies of sports like walking in the morning and I play chess and other games. YO : What do you feel when you move from one province to another ?
Maher : I feel enjoyment in all activities and literary festivals. I feel so happy when I see the people enjoying my poems and short stories. YO : What is the cultural situation in Yemen in your opinion ? Maher : The cultural situation in the past was lower in its level but now it is has become better in all fields. I want to say that also in these days , I see the situation which will affect the Yemeni citizen himself. Though there’s little support for the Yemeni youth and for cultural foundations, the youth confirm their talents. A lot of writers and cultural men emerged in the field of story , novel ,poetry and documentaries. Also they need to have a political role in Yemen and have a role to improve culture. YO : Do you have any final words you would like to say ? Maher : First , I would like to thank the Yemen Observer FOR ITS CONCERN FOR THE TALENTED PEOPLE AND FOR THIS GOOD INTERVIEW. What the Yemen Observer is doing is great work for Yemeni culture and literary. This interview is a great honor to us as talented people. Second , I want to inform our new government through your newspaper to publish our literary works because literary works are the basis of the prosperity of the nations. Third , I would like to thank my wife who gave me all her time and she always encourages me.
A LESSON OF HOW TO BUILD THE NATION If the world were one state, Istanbul should have been its capital. Really, this city with its cultural, Islamic and historic supreme position deserves to be as the capital of tourism in the world.
That description came after my visit with a media group from Aden, Taiz and Sana’a to that spectacular city last month, organized by the office of Turkish Airlines in Aden in company with its manager Ahmet Turson, for the purpose of getting acquainted with the level of investment currently reached by Turkey, Istanbul in particular, and the continued influx of tourists, almost daily, to this great historic city. As a matter of fact, Turkish Airlines is seen as the main partner in the developmental process in Turkey; it’s not only a company, it differs from its similar ones in the Islamic world and Europe as being considered the key to tourism in the country and foremost Istanbul. Turkish Airlines truly behaves as the façade of Turkey’s progress and advancement reached by the country and the extent of the Turkish people’s keenness on contin-
BY MUBEEN ESAM
uously developing the tourism to draw thousands of tourists of various nationalities. So, I wish the concerned sides and those ones who are in charge of the tourism in Yemen were aware of the importance of the airlines as the real evidence of the serious development in any country. What I also touched during this visit to Istanbul that the development doesn’t bank just on a certain agency (public or private sector); everyone is responsible for the country growth and I wish all the Yemeni people (with no exceptions) committed to the importance of the development in various fields, especially the tourism for its worthy revenues
that may be reflected positively on the national economy. Differently not very much from Turkey, Yemen is rich in historic and touristic places. Thus, we have to honestly build our country as possible as we can with participation of all citizens, officials and even businessmen; we really own varieties of unique historic and touristic attractions not similarly found in any country around the world, Socotra Archipelago for instance. But, the main thing I would like to transfer, through this article, to be benefited by the interested persons, the wonderful experiment followed by the Turkish Airlines as a way to promote Istanbul’s history and keep attracting large numbers of tourists each year as perhaps the concerned sides may utilize such pattern to serve the Yemeni tourism. Turkish Airlines offers for the international transit passengers who have to be stuck at Istanbul Ataturk Airport for 6 hours or longer waiting for their next flight an incredible free-of-charge service. Those passengers are given the opportunity for a city tour on which they can discover, in a very short time, Istan-
After that, the passengers return to the airport in time and continue on their journey with the outstanding vision of that city’s beautiful parts still in their minds. bul’s dozens of legendary sites and foremost the historic ones, Topkapi Palace, Sultan Ahmet Mosque, AlSuleymania Mosque, Galata Tower and Pera Palace for instance. After that, the passengers return to the airport in time and continue on their journey with the outstanding vision of that city’s beautiful parts still in their minds. Thus, those passengers next may transfer this beautiful image to friends, relatives, or other people that helps Istanbul to embrace people of various na-
tionalities (Arabs, Americans, Germans, French, Chinese people and Africans). In short, if the concerned agencies in Yemen do the same in a simple way, it may assist the foreigners who may be afraid of visiting Yemen – get to experience the kindness and hospitality of the Yemenis, and the breathtaking touristic and historical sites. Perhaps such step will contribute in making a change in the negative image about Yemen reported daily in foreign media outlets.
11
Monday - May 20, 2013 Vol. XVI - Issue 40
REPORT
IS IT AL QAEDA OR USERS OF AL QAEDA BEHIND TARGETING YEMEN AIR FORCE? Yemen President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi and his commander of Air Force Rashid Al Janad finally admitted that “bad” people” were behind the crash of military air planes over Sanaa and killing of pilots coldbloodedly. BY NASSER ARRABYEE
Three military airplanes crashed over Sanaa over the last few months, the last of which was that one crashed in street 50 south of Sanaa last week in which the pilot Hani Aghbari died.And three at least came back to base with bullets on them over the previous months according good sources in the base. Two weeks earlier, three military pilots were assassinated by a motor-cycle riding gunman while in their way to their work in the second most important air base of Anad in Lahj province south of the country. The terrorist motor rider who killed the 3 pilots, all of them from south, was later allegedly arrested and identified by security authorities as the “ missile” as he called him self according to investigators. “These repeated incidents happening with Air Force indicate that
there are centers (of force) who want to destroy the Air Force,” said President Hadi who was speaking this week to thousands of officers and soldiers of Al Dailami Air Base in Sanaa, the country’s most important base. One day earlier, the commander of Air Force brigadier Rashid Al Janad said in televised interview that the three military airplanes that crashed over Sanaa had been shot down. Brigadier Al Janad was showing pieces of the stricken airplanes with bullets on them to prove that someone from Sanaa was shooting them down deliberately. “ Now it’s clear to us that there is conspiracy against Air Force,” Al Janad said. Shortly after the crash of the last military airplane,Russianmade Sukhoi22 over Sanaa, the military intelligence in Anad air base arrested a soldier originally from Lahj. The soldier, who is now under investigations, was accused of having bombed the main reservoirs of fuel of military airplanes in the Anad base. Who is behind all these terrorist incidents? Is it the conflicting parties over power? Is it those who lost their interests by reorganization of army and security? Or is it Al Qaeda who hates all as agents
of American and as not good Muslims? Both groups, Al Qaeda and conflicting influential figures whether those ruling now or those who were ruling, can be behind these terrorist acts. Because both of them have interests. The conflicting politicians exploits and uses Al Qaeda for settling accounts with their opponents and Al Qaeda, in turn, exploits and uses the chaos resulting from their conflicts for recruiting more and more and spreading wide and wide. Al Qaeda is growing more and more in the south where chaos is more than anywhere else. Al Qaeda knows very well that American trainers and some American special forces are based in Anad air base. So, this fortified bases has been always one of Al Qaeda targets. Al Qaeda is always complaining from US drones as ghosts coming down from the sky guided by agents from “ bad Muslims”, and Yemeni air planes as long arms of government betraying its religion or Kafir government. Al Qaeda justifies killing Yemeni Muslim soldiers by saying “we kill them because they are the first barrier between us and our enemy
America”.
They also justify bombing any interest of both Yemeni and American or western government by saying “we are in a war and they ( Yemen and US gov) hit us with things that we do not have, and we hit them with things they do not have ( suicide bombers, and other terrorist means).” “We kill pilots and destroy airplanes because Yemeni government who works under commandership of its master America, tries to kill us and destroy us with these things,” said member of Al Qaeda via email. Last US drone attacks
On Friday 17 May,2013, the US drone hit a car carrying Al Qaeda operatives killing at least seven of them in the most mountainous stronghold of Mahfad between Abyan and Shabwah according to local source. The local top leader, previous top leader of Abyan State, Jallal Beleidi was allegedly killed by that drone attack. However, a relative of Beleidi denied that Jallal was saying he is not dead and he is no longer working with Al Qaeda. “A deal was made by tribal leader from Marakisha between Beleidi and President Hadi, according to this deal, Beleidi gives up Al
Qaeda and in return manhunting him will stop,” said the relative
who preferred not to be named.
YEMEN’S HUMANITARIAN CRISIS COULD THREATEN POLITICAL GAINS, WARNS UN RELIEF OFFICIAL
Y
emen is facing a worsening humanitarian situation which could destabilize the country’s gains on the political front, a senior United Nations relief official warned today, noting that half of the country’s 24 million people are in need of assistance.
“There will be no political transition if we don’t deal with the humanitarian situation,” Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen, told a news conference in Geneva. Yemen has been undergoing a democratic transition led by President Abdrabuh Mansour Hadi, who came to power in a February 2012
election. A major milestone was achieved in March of this year with the opening of the national dialogue conference that will feed into a constitution-making process and pave the way for general elections in 2014.
While the political transition is on track, Mr. Ould Cheikh Ahmed warned that this process could
Humanitarian agencies would like to provide water and sanitation for 3 million people inside Yemen; food for over 7 million; and health care services for 4.2 million. The state of malnutrition is “extremely grave,”
“collapse” unless the “dramatic” humanitarian situation is addressed.
According to the Humanitarian Coordinator, 10 million people in Yemen are in need of food aid, of which about 5 million were faced with acute food shortage; 6 million people do not have access to health care; and 1 million children are facing malnutrition, with some 150,000 of them facing the risk of death due to acute malnutrition. The country is also grappling with over 340,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs), most of them uprooted from their homes due to fighting in the north and south of the country, he said. In addition, some 25,000 migrants – mainly from Ethiopia – are also facing various hardships, with a large number falling victim to violence and other inhuman treatment by human traffickers. Other
problems include gender-based violence and the recruitment of children by armed groups.
The international humanitarian community has sought $716 million for the Yemen Humanitarian Response Plan to provide emergency and early recovery assistance to 7.7 million of the country’s most vulnerable. However, the plan is so far only 28 percent
funded.
“We are still in need of major assistance if we would like to deal with this situation, which as I said, in my view, is quite dramatic,” said Mr. Ould Cheikh Ahmed. Humanitarian agencies would like to provide water and sanitation for 3 million people inside Yemen; food for over 7 million; and health care services for 4.2 million. The
state of malnutrition is “extremely grave,” he stressed, adding that UN agencies are targeting 700,000 children this year for nutrition interventions.
In addition, agencies are aiming to assist 622,000 children to receive education and provide services for 1.4 million people in terms of protection services, including 500,000 children.
12
Monday - May 20, 2013 Vol. XVI - Issue 40
A VISIT TO YEMEN’S ZOO THE NEW YORK TIMES
Arriving in Yemen last week, I had an experience I’d never had before. I drove from the airport into Sana, the capital, on the main thoroughfare, through a raging torrent of water. I was staying in the old city, a United Nations World Heritage site, which is accessed primarily by an ancient, moat-like road, THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN known as the Sailah. It used to be made of dirt, shrub and pepper trees, which for generations absorbed water in the rainy season, although in downpours it would still flood. But, in 1995, at Yemen’s request, the United States paid to have it paved. Because Yemenis have largely deforested all the mountains around Sana, the lack of trees, vegetation and topsoil means the rainwater now rushes off the mountains, enters the paved city and finds its way to the paved Sailah, turning the road into a rushing aqueduct. Our S.U.V. eventually made it upstream to our hotel, giving a whole new meaning to the expression “we sailed into town.” The other day, it hailed in Sana, piling up in some spots like a winter snow to a degree no one could remember. Meanwhile, up north, the most violent rainstorms in 25 years in Saudi Arabia just killed 13 Saudis in flooding and had Saudi television airing “footage of people clinging to trees and cars trapped by water,” the BBC reported. It is impossible to say if these more powerful storms are the result of global warming, which is expected to make the hots hotter, the dries drier and the wets wetter in certain areas. What is not in doubt is that something is changing. Yemeni farmers traditionally divided their growing season into 13-day increments for each aspect of planting and harvesting. “That is how dependable the summer rains were — but not anymore,” said Abdul Rahman al-Eryani, Yemen’s former minister of water and environment. They have become both more erratic and more violent. What also is not in doubt is that these weather changes are adding to the stress on frail infrastructure across the Arab world. This, combined with continued high population growth, is helping to fuel the Arab uprisings against the old Arab regimes and adding to the challenges for the new ones. For instance, the water table here in Sana has fallen so low from overdrilling, and has dried out the bedrock sandstone so much that it appears to be triggering geological faults, said Eryani. Sana just built a new airport terminal, but, while it was under construction, a fault opened underneath it, extending for miles and requiring an injection of concrete to keep it stable. Most of the old generation of Arab leaders never gave much thought to natural capital: the forests, shrubs and ecosystems that naturally store water, prevent runoff, flooding and silting. The new generation will have to be environmentalists, otherwise their new politics will be overwhelmed by environmental stresses. Yemen is the leading edge of this trend. In 2009, Eryani encouraged then-President Ali Abdullah Saleh to name the endangered Arabian leopard as Yemen’s “national animal,” in hopes of preventing its extinction and promoting more environmental awareness. (Where the wildlife thrives, the people usually thrive.) “The Arabian leopard is at the top of the food chain here,” explained Eryani, “so if we can keep it alive in the wild, it is a strong indicator that the ecosystem is still intact.” As the biggest predator, the Arabian leopard can survive only if the antelope, the rabbits, the partridges, gazelles, ibex and hyrax that it feeds on also survive. Those animals, in turn, need a healthy ecosystem of springs, shrub lands, topsoil and forests. Not surprisingly, since all of those are disappearing, so, too, are the leopards. In 2009, an American teacher in Yemen, David Stanton, set up a foundation here to protect endangered wildlife, focusing on the leopards. We met the other day outside the leopard zone at the Sana Zoo to discuss their future, while one of these sleek animals lounged on a shelf in his cage — waiting for his daily diet of donkey meat. “Generally speaking, the Arabian Peninsula is drying,” said Stanton, and while the Arabian leopard can roam wide areas for a long time without water, their prey cannot. “So when you destroy the habitat of the prey, you destroy the habitat of the predators.” Stanton started his work before the democracy revolution here in 2011, and back then, he recalled, “people would come to me and say: ‘Why are you protecting leopards when we have leopards in the government?’ ” Of course, they were right. Arab dictators were at the top of the food chain in their countries — the ultimate predators. Eventually, though, they and their cronies and families ate so much themselves — while also despoiling their natural capital — that there was too little left for the rest of their burgeoning populations, and their people revolted. The governments experiencing Arab awakenings, though, will never sustainably rebuild their countries’ human capital if they don’t also rebuild their natural capital. If you visit Yemen in five years and hear that the Arabian leopards are extinct, you’ll know the revolution here failed. But if you hear that the leopard population is on the rise again, there is a high likelihood that its people will be as well. Watch the leopards.
Y E M E N I N I N T E R N AT I O N A L M E D I A
FROM GUANTANAMO TO YEMEN: A MOTHER’S DAY APPEAL FOR JUSTICE BY CHARLES DAVIS JODIE EVANS| MAY 12, 2013 RABBLE.CA
He disappeared more than a decade ago, just 18-years-old and teaching abroad, separated from his family for the first time in life. His mother and father, sick with worry, heard nothing. For all they knew he was dead. Then, one day they opened a newspaper and learned their son was being held in a military prison run by the US of A, accused of -- but never charged with -- being an enemy of the state. Were Abdurahman al-Shubati a U.S. citizen, his case would be featured on CNN, his face plastered on television screens next to a graphic listing his days in prison without trial. Some gogetting entrepreneur would be selling yellow wristbands with his name and “#solidarity” printed on them. The president, affecting the right level of empathy for the family and strong but stately anger toward his captors, would be telling us: “Never forget” and “There will be justice.” But Abdurahman was born in Yemen. Which means he’s not entitled to all those rights said to be endowed to us by our creator, at least in the eyes of the US government. And that means, despite being detained since 2001 and formally cleared of any wrongdoing in 2008, he remains trapped in a prison cell at Guantanamo Bay, slowly starving to death. A combination of racism, Islamophobia and simple guilt by association, have caused the U.S. government to keep him locked up. Since Barack Obama became U.S. president after pledging to close Guantanamo, which his administration is now seeking to expand, conditions at the
military prison have only gotten worse, prisoners there who were once promised their freedom complaining of physical and mental torture. Though he has unilaterally waged war, Obama has decided that he can’t -- nay, won’t -- unilaterally free them. In fact, the opposite: he issued an executive order creating “a formal system of indefinite detention for those held at the US military prison at Guantanamo Bay.” The Obama administration has unilaterally decided that dozens of men will never be tried so much as in a military tribunal because the evidence against them was obtained through torture, but that they can never be freed because they are nonetheless deemed “too dangerous.” Not that the U.S. government is too keen on freeing anyone else, either. A U.S. military committee has already determined that Abdurahman, like 57 other Yemenis imprisoned at Guantanamo, should be returned home; that he spent his 20s in prison for a crime he didn’t commit and with which he wasn’t even charged, much less convicted. Obama, however, refuses to release the men, ostensibly out of fear they may seek revenge against their former captors once they return to Yemen. Understandably, this has created a sense of hopelessness among the 166 people still imprisoned at Guantanamo. More than 100 of them are now on a hunger strike. What other option is left them at this point? Because of their symbolic act of defiance, however, they are being tortured even more -- “how dare you embarrass us by dying” -- with U.S. personnel force-feeding them to avoid another public relations problem
(the United Nations says the practice is simply “unjustifiable”). “Can you imagine what this is like for a mother?” asks Abdurahman’s own mom in an appeal for his freedom. “To imagine my son in such a loveless place, refusing nourishment to protest his detention; to think of him being painfully force fed -- it breaks my heart every second of every day. Don’t they realize we are human beings, not stones?” As Mothers’ Day is celebrated this year in the U.S., a holiday with roots in the fight for peace and justice, Abdurahman and more than a hundred others never charged with crimes will be sitting in prison cells, alone. George W. Bush will get to hug his mom. Michelle Obama will get to hug her children, but the mothers of Guantanamo prisoners don’t get to hug theirs -- ever. The best they can hope for is a phone call every two months. In an 1870 appeal to women of the world, writer and activist Julia Ward Howe -- the originator of the Mother’s
Day we celebrate -- implored her readers to not let their children become complicit in the machinery of war and injustice; to not let them unlearn the lessons they were taught “of charity, mercy and patience”; to not let them “be trained to injure others.” Here in the 21st century, we need to relearn those lessons and focus on training our children to be instruments of peace, not oppression. Right now, too many kids of American mothers are making mothers in other countries cry. We need to teach them that the practice of compassion and mercy shouldn’t stop at one’s mailbox or a country’s borders. Mothers overseas are in anguish over the kidnapping and loss of their children too. Join us in calling on Michelle Obama to open her heart to the cries of Abdurahman’s mother and ask Barack to send those cleared home and to expedite the closing of Guantanamo. Join Diane Wilson on her 11th day outside the White House and over 1000 others in a fast of solidarity with the prisoners. Jodie Evans, a co-founder of CODEPINK: Women for Peace, has been a community, social and political organizer for the last 30 years. Charles Davis has covered Congress for NPR and Pacifica stations across the country, and freelanced for the international news wire Inter Press Service, primarily covering U.S. policy toward Latin America and the war on drugs in particular. He has also worked as a researcher for Michael Moore on his movie Capitalism: A Love Story. He may be contacted at davis.charles84 (at) gmail. com.
MAKING ENEMIES IN YEMEN DRONE STRIKES HAVE A RIPPLE EFFECT BEYOND THOSE KILLED - THEY CREATE ENEMIES WHERE THEY DID NOT EXIST BEFORE .
ALJAZEERA.COM
A group of men stand at attention in front of a raised American flag billowing in the wind. The strained sounds of America’s national anthem, the Star-Spangled Banner, echo through the courtyard. This is not the scene of a Memorial Day celebration or military ceremony in Tennessee or Texas. This image comes to us from war-torn South Yemen, and the man standing tall and proud in the foreground is Tariq al-Fadhli. A former associate and friend of Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan during the 1980s, he returned to his home of Zinjibar near Aden in Abyan province and would come to be a prominent leader in the current tribal resistance against the Yemeni central government. A former member of the ruling party, al-Fadhli is the head of the Fadhli tribe and son of the last British-backed sultan of the Fadhli Sultanate. Though the former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh would accuse al-Fadhli of being a terrorist and member of al-Qaeda, al-Fadhli saw the US as an ally in his struggle against the government, and, in turn, saw himself as an asset for the US due to his connections with his fellow Yemeni, bin Laden. In a 2010 interview in the New York Times, he stated: I can be a mediator between America and al-Qaeda. We can be allied with the United States against terrorism, and we will achieve the interests of the United States, not those of the regime. To underline his support for the US, he released the video of him and his fellow tribesmen standing at attention before the Stars and Stripes. Referring to his days in Afghanistan, al-Fadhli stated: The Americans were our allies back then, and what I am doing now by raising the American flag is a continuation of this old alliance. One year later, al-Fadhli would shoot a video showing him burning that same American flag. He was explicit about his reasons for firmly turning against the US. He specifically cites a 2009 incident in which a US cluster bombing of a village in Abyan province in southern Yemen killed 41 people, among them 21 children and 14 women. US drone strikes The US cruise missiles and drones are making a bad situation worse in Yemen. Drone strikes have largely concentrated on the southern Abyan province. In 2011, Zinjibar would experience six drone strikes. These weapons are being introduced into an already chaotic situation and further alienating the local southern population who sees the Yemeni government as colluding with the US in the killing of innocent people. Yemenis refuse to put down their weapons This reality was laid bare at a US Senate hearing about the use of the drones on April 23 in which Yemeni activist Farea al-Muslimi testified about his village in Yemen being struck by a drone. He stated of those terrified villagers, “Now, however, when they think of America, they think of the terror they feel from the drones that hover over their heads, ready to fire missiles at any time.” The strikes have a ripple effect beyond those killed. They are creating enemies where they did not exist before, as in the case of Tariq alFadhli. In a broader sense, the US misunderstood the historical reasons why the southern tribes were fighting against the government in Sanaa, a conflict which was expanded and exacerbated by the involvement of the
US. In order to understand the reason behind the current volatile situation in South Yemen, it is necessary to look at the distinct history of the region. For centuries, the strategic region around the ancient port city of Aden on the Red Sea shipping lane would trade hands between various colonising powers and local tribal sultanates. When the British established their strategic colony at Aden in 1838, they found it expedient and necessary to work through the traditional tribal leaders already endowed with authority to maintain stability. The fiercely independent tribes who often ignored their leaders still proved a challenge for the British with tribal rebellions a constant worry. One successful British political agent in the 1930s, Harold Ingrams,stated: Sultans were generally disregarded not only by their tribes but even by other local rulers and peace could not have been secured in any other way than personal intervention and the help of men of influence. There were in fact not two governments to deal with but nearly 2,000. Shortly after South Yemen independence was declared in 1967 following a four year armed struggle against the British crown, a Marxist faction took power, and a Communist state was formed, modelled on and backed by the Soviet Union. Many of the traditional tribal leadership, whose lands were confiscated and authority attacked by the ruthless government, fled South Yemen, including al-Fadhli and his family. Like al-Fadhli, a number of these Yemeni tribesmen would go on to fight with the mujahidin in Afghanistan in order to take revenge against both communism and the Soviet Union. South Yemen was unified with North Yemen in 1990. When a civil war erupted in 1994 when the former communist leaders had second thoughts about the union, al-Fadhli, who had by now returned from Afghanistan, supported the Yemeni government under President Ali Abdullah Saleh along with his allied tribes, retaking Aden and sending communist leaders fleeing the country. He would be rewarded with a top government posting. This happy union would not last long. The south, beset by supply shortages, would grow disillusioned from the wealthier north as they would come to perceive the union as a northern victory. A key source of friction for the south was the seizure of land by northerners. A military commander from the north, according to the managing editor of the Aden-based Al Ayyam newspaper, “had helped himself” to a tract of land in the south “nearly the size of Bahrain”. His newspaper was later closed for encouraging “separatism”. Al-Fadhli stated that the unified Yemeni state was “born deformed, grew up disabled and now is thankfully buried” and would even welcome British colonial rule. Al-Fadhli’s father, the last British-backed Sultan, recollected, “In British times there was the rule of law; no one could be imprisoned for more than forty-eight hours without charge.” Breaking with Saleh’s USbacked government in 2009 to fight for an independent South Yemen, al-Fadhli quickly became one of the nation’s most wanted men. When my sons saw what happened to me and their country and the creation of Ansar al-Sharia, they joined Ansar al-Sharia and fought with them, and I’m proud of that... Tariq al-Fadhli ‘War on terror’ Al-Fadhli, who currently sits under house arrest in Aden with an uncertain future, would come to support of Ansar al-Sharia, the name adopted by al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) in 2011. After a military
attack on his home, in which his sons were present, he stated: When my sons saw what happened to me and their country and the creation of Ansar al-Sharia, they joined Ansar al-Sharia and fought with them, and I’m proud of that... if I had one thousand sons I wouldn’t choose for them any other way but this path. AQAP was founded in 2009 by Yemeni tribesmen fleeing the Asir province in southwestern Saudi Arabia who found refuge among the tribes of southern Yemen. The newly christened Ansar al-Sharia made headlines with its many daring strikes. In March 2012, the group attacked a military base just south of Zinjibar, blowing the base’s gates with suicide bombers. They stormed inside, seized artillery, rifles, rockets and armoured vehicles, and turned them on the troops inside, killing 185 and wounding a further 150. In May of the same year, a suicide bomber detonated his explosives at a military parade rehearsal commemorating the 1990 union between north and south Yemen. Around 100 soldiers were killed with 300 injured. It was announced that this strike was in “revenge” for the military operations in Abyan province. Supported by American military aid, the Yemeni government resorted to military intervention against the tribes. Yemen’s military efforts were bolstered further by the direct intervention of US drones and cruise missiles targeting the southern tribes. The US needs to understand the local history and tribal dynamics, as their actions are otherwise alienating potential supporters and allies in the region. The failure of the US to reach out to al-Fadhli demonstrates the failure of our current paradigm for fighting the “war on terror”. Instead, the US needs to return to the vision of its Founding Fathers, a vision rooted in justice and the rule of law. The US, instead of funding military operations, should be promoting education and development projects. The central government, with support from the US, needs to establish a neutral and fair political administration for the people of the periphery in order to more effectively deal with men of violence rather than breeding new enemies and creating more violence. This article is based on research for Akbar Ahmed’s book The Thistle and the Drone: How America’s War on Terror Became a War on Tribal Islam, published by Brookings Institution Press. Ambassador Akbar Ahmed is the Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies at American University in Washington, DC and the former Pakistani High Commissioner to the United Kingdom. Harrison Akins is the Ibn Khaldun Chair Research Fellow at American University’s School of International Service and assisted Ambassador Ahmed on his new study, The Thistle and the Drone: How America’s War on Terror Became a Global War on Tribal Islam, published by Brookings Press. The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial policy.
13
Monday - May 20, 2013 Vol. XVI - Issue 40
MEDIA BRIEFING
BY HESHAM SAMI AL-KIBSI
LIGHT AND MEDIUM WEAPONS USED IN AN ATTACK ON A SECURITY CENTER IN SHABWAH PROVINCE YEMEN, WB DISCUSS ENHANCING WATER AND AGRICULTURE COOPERATION Saba net- 16.05.2013Yemen and the World Bank (WB) discussed on Wednesday the possible means to enhance the mutual cooperation in the water and agriculture sector. During a meeting held in Sana’a, Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Mohammed alSa’adi and WB Director of water and agriculture sector in the Middle East and North Africa discussed the avail-
ing from the WB expertise in the development of water and agriculture fields in the country. The Minister praised the WB contributions to support the government’s efforts aiming to improve water and agriculture sectors in Yemen, affirming Yemen’s keenness to benefit from the WB experience in these vital fields. The WB official accented the Bank’s keenness to provide all aspects of technical and logistical assistances to the development of agriculture and water sectors in Yemen.
LAHJ HIRAK LEADER INJURED IN TAWR AL-BAAHAH
Al-Oula-18.05.2013Southern Hirak (Movement) leader in Lahj province, Ahmed Salem al-Mahwaly, was injured after soldiers on a military pickup shot him in
the leg, as he was on his way to Aden. A local source in Lahj said that a military pickup opened fire last Thursday at al-Mahwaly’s car and that his car was severly damaged. The source said this comes within attempts to target Southern leaders. Al-Mahwaly, who is a former (Retired) military commander, is currently in al-Naqeeb hospital in Aden for medical treatment.
A L O u l a 16.05.2013- Locals from Azzan city, Shabwah province told al-Oula that a security center was subject on Wednesday dawn to an
assault with medium and light weapons. The locals noted that there is fear from the return of al-Qaeda to control the city. The locals added that clashes broke out after the assault
between security forces and the assailants but the information from Shabwah did not confirm any casualties due to the assault and the clashes that followed.
PRESIDENT HADI MEETS CHINESE AMBASSADOR Saba net – 18.05.2013- President Abdo Rabbo Mansour Hadi met on Thursday Chinese ambassador to Yemen Chang Hua to discuss areas of
cooperation relations between the two countries. During the meeting, the ambassador handed over president Hadi a letter from his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, in which he expressed the strength
Al-Yemen al-Youm-18.05.2013A senior Political Security (PS) officer was assassinated Friday night in Mukalla city, Hadhramwat province by unknown gunmen.
Local Sources said that PS Col. Abdullah al-Rabaki was shot at by unknown gunmen onboard a motorcycle in Bajam’an, Badais area, Mukalla city. The sources said that the perpetrators fled the scene while al-Rabaky died of his wounds in the chest.
SOLDIER SUSPECTED OF PLANTING EXPLOSIVES IN ANAD AIRBASE ARRESTED
Al-Masdar-18.05.2013- A military source in al-Anad Airbase, Lahj province disclosed that an Airbase soldier was arrested on the backdrop of the explosion of a number of fuel tankers at the Airbase. The source said that the suspect is a soldier working for the Air Force and that investigations are still underway in al-Anad Airbase and that he will be referred to specialized authorities after the investigations.
4 CHILDREN KILLED AFTER A WALL CRUMBLED OVER THEM IN HODEIDAH
YOUNGMAN KILLED BY DAMMAJ GUNMEN
Al-Share’-18.05.2013A Youngman was killed on Thursday in al-Watan, Dammaj area in Sa’adah province by gunmen from the Wahhabi (Salafi) center. A tribal source from Bani Owair tribe in Sa’adah province,
Al-Masdar-18.05.2013Four children were killed on Thursday morning in al-Jarahi district, Hodiedah province after their room wall fell over them while sleeping. Local sources said that Quick-
sand surrounded the house of al-Mahraqi family prompting them to call for a bulldozer to remove the sands from the houses outer wall. During the process the wall fell on four little girls while sleeping in their bedroom killing them.
SECURITY FORCES CRACKDOWN ON PROTESTERS IN ADEN Al-Share’-19.05.2013Southern Hirak (movement) partisans carried out Saturday morning in Aden province a civil disobedience were many commercial stores, private and international institutions were closed while no streets were blocked. Security forces accused the Wahhabi group in Dammaj of killing a Youngman named, Ahmed Saleh Jalafah, from al-Darb area which belongs to Bani Owair tribe. The source said that Jalafah was killed as he was on his way to the province’s center.
political transition and economic reconstruction, expressing China’s willingness to strengthen cooperation with Yemen in all fields. He also invited President Hadi to visit China.
POLITICAL SECURITY OFFICER ASSASSINATED IN HADHRAMAWT PROVINCE
1 PERSON KILLED IN AL-MARAWE’AH AREA, HODEIDAH OVER LAND DISPUTE
Mareb Press-18.05.2013- A man in his twenties was killed on Friday in al-Marawe’ah district, Hodeidah province over a land dispute. Local sources told Mareb Press that Mohammed al-Manaly was shot by A.A.G while guarding a land which an influential figure was trying to sell to others tribes by force. The same source added that the perpetrator escaped justice to Sa’adah province while security apparatuses are still searching for him.
of the Yemeni-Chinese friendship and the two countries’ diplomatic relations which established 57 years ago. In his letter, the Chinese president stressed his country’s full support for Yemen’s
opened fire into the air to disperse the protesters and reopened the Arwa Street along with streets close to alMaydan and Abbaan streets that were blocked by activists who were also chased in the Crater streets. No casualties were reported as some reports pointed that activist Mansour Abdulfattah Zaher was arrested.
DEMINING TEAM LEADER KILLED, 3 OTHERS INJURED IN SA’ADAH Akhbar al - Youm 18.05.2013 - Local sources in al-Odain said that lightening caused the death a Far’ al-Odain local in Ibb province. The Sources clarified that Abdulqader Lutf was struck by lightning on Friday afternoon along with a child who sur-
vived the lightning. The locals failed to save AbdulQader Luft due to his serious injury that proved to be lethal.
The locals said that Lutf dug a grave for his father who died of a severe illness but God’s will meant that he dug his own grave.
FIVE TERRORISTS KILLED BY A US RAID ON ABYAN Al-Yemen al - Youm 19.05.2013 - A US drone struck on Friday night a truck transporting alleged al-Qaeda elements in al-Homarah area, al-Mahfad district, Abyan province, killing at least 5 persons. A local source told al-Yemen al-Youm that a drone targeted an explosives and ammunition laden truck transporting al-Qaeda elements and that 3 of the casualties were Yemeni nationals while the two others were Saudis. Tribal sources told alYemen al-Youm that alQaeda leader, Jalal Bal’eed AKA Abo Hamzah, was killed in the strike, but we haven’t been able to verify this independently.
14
Monday - May 20, 2013 Vol. XVI - Issue 40
REACTIONS TO THE MURDER OF TWO YOUNG MEN
D
ays after the killing of the two young men al-Khatib and Aman in Sana’a, and identifying the perpetrators as well as issuing presidential directives to arrest the perpetrators, why are the authorities still delaying the process and what are the measures that should be taken in your view?
Dr. Yousif al-Hadhiri AAA
Minister of the Interior, unfortunately, does not receive directives from the presidency nor even from his own professional conscience; rather he receives directives from the administration that put him in this position. Because the killers belong to that political organization,
Ahmed Aulaiah The issue of the two young men, Aman and Al Khatib, will decide the desired form of the Yemeni state more than the national dialogue conference would do.
Al-Awadhi has always been saying: “We are with the civil state and our perception of the state of civil means progress and civilization, order, supremacy of the constitu-
the process of arresting the perpetrators and bringing them to justice would take the other way around… If Interior Minister has a tiny responsibility and is aware that he had been sworn in he should have at least have the guts to submit his resignation. But the self-interests are what transcend human lives for awhile!
tion, law and justice as well as equality, freedom, democracy and peaceful transfer of power, security and stability and welfare, education, faith, morality; a state that has no place for the unjust, the oppressive or the corrupt If it [state] comes otherwise, then it’s not a civil state that we seek;..” [Sheikh Ali Abed Rabbo Awadhi Sheikh of Al Awadhi Tribes
Secretary-General of the National Forum of Baidha Tribes An excerpt from an interview with the Sheikh
Lana Luqman The issue of the two young men al-Khatib and Aman has become “an issue of the public opinion”. It represents one example of the unscrupulous violations of a bunch of the Yemeni people in order to spread terror in the entire society by carrying weapons everywhere and every time. This crime is not but a proof of the inability of the state to impose its supremacy being unable to apply laws against
carrying the weapons. People want the application of civil law and ordinances by the concerned authorities so that the State can prove its credibility in front of the public who made the decision for change. The modern civil state of Yemen will not accept less than the investigation into the case, which knows who are the perpetrators (it was the alAwadhi’s wedding). Everyone involved has to be investigat-
ed and the actual perpetrators should be referred to the prosecution. The state should not wait until the criminals turn themselves in for it is responsible for arresting them immediately…. We, in Yemen, are not at war; we always say “No to arms” and “Yes to civil law” and “No to tribal arbitration” as tribal arbitration always oppresses the weak when practiced by the strong. The Yemeni free will not accept but the implementation of laws on one and all.
Akhbar al-Youm Newspaper, Monday, December 26, 2011]
During a recent phone call with the anchor of Sohail TV channel, al-Awadhi, the NDC member now, said that the perpetrators will be trialed and then changed his mind saying that the authorities will search for and then hand them over- hinting that the killers are already known. He also said that any kind of pressure will not be exerted on the families of the martyrs and that justice must be achieved! We hope that he will stick to what he said, and bring the perpetrators to justice..!
Micke Massriya They call it a new state! Where is justice and equality among the people? Everyone who has money and weapon, shall own the horse? The blood of millions gets shed and wasted because there is no law?
Reetaj Albaz The perpetrators of this crime are al-Awadhi’s son and nephew; and certainly Sheikh al-Awadhi is not an ordinary member of Isah Party: he is a senior leader and has held several positions in the party. And for his own sake, truth will be hidden the supplies and alternative perpetrators will be delivered - this is what will happen!
THE TWO YOUNG MEN, AL-KHATIB (RIGHT) AND AMAN (LEFT), WHO WERE MURDERED IN ADEN LAST WEEK.
Qais Joy
We are in a country that has a law and this law must be applied to all members of our society; every one must be banned from carrying weapons including Sheikhs and governmental official, and [law] must be applied on the perpetrators in the first place.
Dr.Mohammed Thabet Aladimi
Stalling in such situations means that influence is behind the whole issue. As for the procedures: the killer is already identified especially when a special unit of the presidency -not the Interior Ministry- arrested today the first defendant.
Yousif al-Ma’mari
As a matter of fact, other security services can arrest the other defendant in case if no intervention or influence; but, in the case the defendant disappeared, security services can arrested one relative of the defendant until he turns himself in.
If we want to prove the success of the February Revolution, the issue of Aman Al Khatib is an opportunity to do so. Their blood is expensive and dear to those who have love for Yemen and its blooming youth; the Interior Ministry is exercising its political rituals within the interim government away from any national destination; so, we will take the right of the martyr’s blood with word and not weapons, as Uncle Helmi Aman put it: “The right word is the word of the right person.”
Mohammed Al-Ameri If there is a little conscience and dedication to work in them, things will be fine! The interior minister was installed to resolve such issues, and the President of the Republic was elected to solve the problems of the country and the people, but it seems that both are wandering in their own worlds as the citizen looks for someone to answer him/her.
Such a delay (from the interior ministry concerning the murder of two young men) is nothing more than an evidence on the government’s weakness.
Hadel Saleh
Unfortunately this is a problemthat destroys our country- lies in that the law of the tribes and selfinterests has become above the law of the State, where the only affected by that is the poor citizen!
Ashwack Omar Loyalty to pockets and parties has dimed the loyalty to the homeland... there is no greater injustice than the killing of these two innocent young men, we have become like Palestine. Loayei Abdulkarim There is no solution other than retribution from the killers and al-Awadhi must be stripped from his immunity in the first place. Interior Minister must act immediately along with all concerned authorities to carry on the investigation process.
Killing of the two young men (in Aden) requires Presidential orders and directives from the Interior Minister.. So far nothing has been done at all.. Is this the desired Yemen? We want a state without sheikhs and oxen slaughter (part of tribal mediation rituals) and without bullying and barbarism... Do the Yemeni people recognize this reality? How long we will continue to live in the middle ages?
Ahmed Aghbari
ur e Pleas able taste G á© ¥GòŸ àe
Yemen’s Most Informed, Professional & Widely Circulated
MONDAY - MAY 20, 2013 VOL. XVI - ISSUE 40
YEMENIA AIRWAYS LAUNCHES WEEKLY FLIGHTS BETWEEN HODEIDAH AND QUEEN ALIA AIRPORTS BY HESHAM SAMI AL-KIBSI
Yemenia Airways launched on Saturday the first direct flight from Hodeidah International Airport to Queen Alia International Airport in Amman, Jordan. Yemenia announced that there will be a flight every week. The Director of the Department of Commercial Planning at Yemenia Airways, Motee’ al-Qubati pointed that this launch of direct flights from Hodeidah to Amman comes in light of Yemenia Airways’ targets to expand air transport to include Yemeni airports equipped with the latest technology. Al-Qubati stated that other flights will follow and that these
decisions display the company's eagerness to provide the best services and various facilitations for travelers. The inauguration ceremony was attended by Director of the Department of supervision and inspection
Adel al-Attas, Regional Director of Yemenia Airways in Saudi Arabia Othman Hameedou and Hodeidah Yemenia Airways Office Director Sameer Abu Bakr along with a group of journalists.
EGYPTIAN ARTIST EXHIBITS RELIGIOUS IMPACT ON YEMENI ARCHITECTURE
AHMAD CISO VOWS TO END ALI RAYMI WINNING STREAK!
Many boxers come across as cocky individuals, so it is no surprise to hear Ali Raymi, 5-0 (5 KO), insisting that no boxer can stand up to his ring aggression. He claims that his main challenges are outside the ring. Personified by the bureaucratic practices of the Yemen Boxing Commission, which delayed recognizing his fights by Fight Fax official records & the popular Boxrec website.
with last minute excuses to pick an easy fight.
Ali Raymi 5-0 (5 KOs) all ended with one round KOs - 25 January 2011 vs Hasan Wesabi (KO Round 1) - 5 March 2011 vs Hamdan Jaber (KO Round 1) - 31 March 2011 vs Sabin Juma
(KO Round 1) - 11 April 2011 vs Rashad Horun (KO Round 1) - 4 May 2013 vs Amad Al-Gadsi (KO Round 1)
Ahmad Ciso 1-0 (0 KOs) only 1 fight, a 4 round decision win - 22 April 2011 vs Sameeh Arasi (UD 4 Rounds)
All this is irrelevant to Ahmad Ciso, an undefeated 1-0 boxer of Somali origins, who reminds everybody that he is a 2 year pro & knows how to withstand the predictable body attack of Ali Raymi. He wants to keep this on record as he is worried Ali Raymi manager will come up ASMAA ELDESSOUKY BY ISCANDER AL-MAMARI
Socotra Press Tel: 01 - 505 430
Egyptian artists, Asmaa Eldessouky, who has a PhD from the University of Science of & Technology, exhibited her art in Sana’a on Saturday the 18th in which she displayed religious “Christian and freemasonry” aspects, showing onlooker a broader perspective. Eldessouky’s art varies from houses to doors as she shows observers diverse works of art. The Egyptian Ambassador to Sana’a, Mr. Ashraf Aql inaugurated the exhibition on Saturday with the attendance of Pro. Dr. Mansour Elnobi, Cultural Chancellor of Egypt & Director of Egyptian Cultural Center at Sana’a and Dr. Hamed Aqlaan, Director of the University of Science of & Technology. The exhibition was held on Saturday at 18 11:pm and will continue until May 30th every day, except for Friday.