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OIL PIPELINE KNOCKED OUT IN MAREB
MONDAY - JULY 01, 2013
GPC LEADERS SEEK TO OVERTHROW IKHWAN
BY MOHAMMED KALFOOD
The sources said that one of the tribal saboteurs was severely burnt in the process, and was taken to a hospital in Sana’a.
Yemen’s government says it loses $15 million every day the main pipeline stops pumping crude oil to the terminals.
FROM R TO L: YAHYA SALEH, FORMER CSF CHIEF OF STAFF AND YEMEN’S FORMER PRESIDENT’S NEPHEW - SALAH AL-SAYYADI, SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE GPC-ALLY HASHD PARTY - YASSER AL-YAMANI, GPC LEADING MEMBER FROM THE SOUTH. (PHOTOS POSTED ON THEIR FACEBOOK PAGES.)
BY ABDUL-AZIZ OUDAH
A number of leaders in the General People Congress party (GPC)
and its allied parties, have partici pated in the protests against the Egyptian President Mohammed
Morsi, Ikhwan-affiliated member. CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
EXPLOSIVES DISMANTLED, CID OFFICER KILLED IN CAPITAL guards, including his 27 year-old son, Waleed al-Dahab in the shoulder, and fled the scene.
BY ISCANDER AL-MAMARI
Gunmen in Security uniforms blocked Baghdad Street downtown of the capital Sana’a after the killing of a CID officer, Sam al-Absi, brother of the Deputy Director of the Police-industrial Complex. Eyewitnesses said that soldiers and armed men in civilian clothes cut off the main street of Baghdad with burning tires.
A security source said that Sam al-Absi entered into a verbal altercation with gunmen from Al Dahab Tribe, who shot him dead in front of a Qat market on Baghdad Street.
As a result, gunmen and soldiers cut off the street to demand that the killers be captured, according to the security source. Security reinforcements arrived after about an hour of cutting off the street, but it failed to open the street until late in the evening of the same day, said the source.
GCC INITIATIVE ABOVE CONSTITUTION, HADI President Abdu Rabo Mansour Hadi said the GCC initiative comes before the constitution. This came during Hadi’s meeting with the Members of Parliament (MPs) on the Presidency premises.
This bombing came two days after the main oil pipeline was repaired from an attack on June 27.
A while later, a security source in Sana’a confirmed that the tribal saboteur who sustained severe burns in the bombing process died.
JMP BACK TO PARLIAMENT
BY HANAN MANA’
Tribal saboteurs blew up the main oil pipeline located at a distance of 93 km in Sarwah area of Mareb province, east Yemen.
The source added that al-Dahab escorts chased the attackers, killing one of them while the other two managed to escape. PHOTOS OF THE EXPLOSIVE DEVICE PLANTED IN THE CAPITAL, TAKEN FROM THE CID LAB.
Sources close to Al Dahab said unidentified gunmen had attacked
the house of Sheikh Ahmed Nasser al-Dahab and wounded three
Yemen’s security services foiled an explosive device planted next to the General Authority for Civil Aviation and Meteorology and the CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
VOL. XVI - ISSUE 52
He refused the Islah party demands to hold elections to choose a Parliament presidency board, adding that the posts of the Parliament presidency board cannot be shared. He also cancelled the summons tabled by a number of the General People’s Congress party (GPC) MPs to some of the ministers belonging to the Joint Meeting Party (JMP). “We are undergoing exceptional situations, and what comes from
the Legal Affairs Minister is cancelled and what comes from the Parliament in this respect is also cancelled,” Hadi said, asking all to go ahead and close the pages of the past. The president warned that any fallback will make everyone pay dearly, ensuring the need for unity and joining efforts for achieving the desired results, asking all to live up to their national and historical responsibilities. The President pointed out that, “The reference in any differences in the Parliament, the Government or the Shora Council should go back to the President and what is
CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
BENOMAR BACK TO SANA’A FOR ANOTHER REPORT BY MOHAMMED KALFOOD
UN Special Envoy to Yemen Jamal Benomar arrived in Sana’a on Saturday to follow up the efforts undertaken by the United Nations in order to support the political process in the country. During this visit, he will prepare his report on the political process in Yemen, which will be presented to the Security Council in the coming weeks, as well as arrange for
the Friends of Yemen meeting that will be held in New York city on the sidelines of the General Assembly of the United Nations next September, Benomar said in a statement to the state-run news agency (SABA). He would meet the NDC Presidium members, taskforces and the Conciliation Committee to discuss the UN support for the Conference CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
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International Student Identity Card (ISIC) is the only globally recognized student identity card now available through Balfakih Computers in Yemen. ISIC card holders are members of a truly global club. It is endorsed and accepted by ministries, governments, student unions and non- governmental organizations such as UNESCO. Every year students throughout the world use their ISIC card to take advantage of offers at home and worldwide on travel, shopping, museums, food and much more. Now for the first time students and travelers are able to apply for their ISIC in Yemen. There are many businesses in Yemen. There are many businesses accept the card in Yemen. 41,000 discounts on offer worldwide and valid in 120 countries. It is the biggest globally
CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
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ACTING EDITOR IN CHIEF ABDUL - AZIZ OUDAH DEPUTY OF CHIEF EDITOR FOR ECONOMIC AFFAIRS
FAISAL DAREM
EDITORIAL ADVISOR ZAID AL-ALAYA’A AMINAH LEONARD HASNA ABDUL MAJID
EDITING SECRETARY ISCANDER S. AL-MAMARI FARES ANAM
SENIOR JOURNALISTS
Closer sources to Judith and security sources of the Huria establishment pondered on the likelihood of them being kidnapped from inside their residential area, in the first week of June at the hands of armed elements who belong to a prominent politician in Yemen. It explained that the kidnappers received logistic help which enabled them to take Judith and her husband from their residential area in Hadda city in the capital Sana’a which is considered one of the grand areas which are surrounded by high security measures.
JUDITH SPIEGEL AND HER HUSBAND.
Several diplomatic circles declined to disclose the details of what they reached on the kidnapping issue; however they told the Huria establishment that the kidnapping of Judith and her husband is politically motivated, under the cover of obtaining a ransom for releasing them. While the Huria establishment
strongly condemns the kidnapping, they demand the Yemeni security authorities to step up their efforts to release them and put an end to the journalists’ kidnapping, which sources revealed that hidden hands are playing the security paper to terrorize the journalists and restrict the press’ freedom.
FRIDAY, SATURDAY TO BE THE WEEKEND IN YEMEN
Presidential sources said the Reconciliation Government (RG) approved to adopt Friday and Saturday as weekend leave instead of vacation days Thursday and Friday, similar to other Muslim countries who adopted such a weekend. The sources indicated that the decision came after a deep study that had begun at the end of last
TH IS
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The Huria establishment for rights and press freedom deplored the continuation of the kidnapping of Dutch journalist Judith Spiegeland and her husband Bo who have been missing for more than three weeks now. The kidnapping is a mysterious operation as the time of their kidnapping from Sana’a is not known nor the person who is responsible. Their whereabouts is unknown as well.
R EA D
MISSION STATEMENT
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HURIA EST. DEPLORES CONTINUATION OF DUTCH JOURNALIST ABDUCTION
’T
FARIS SANABANI
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year 2012.
Economic circles considered the decision as a positive step that will benefit the banks and will reduce the gap between the Islamic and Western countries from four days to three days. The government, however, has not announced this Friday-Saturday weekend officially, according
to the sources, fearing that the decision will be seen merely an imitation of the neighboring countries.
The government has so far relied on media leaks, and the decision is expected to be formally issued and applied during the next few days, according to the sources.
HADI PAYS BLOOD MONEY FROM PUBLIC TREASURY
Several local media published pictures of a document addressed to the Cabinet and signed by the President ordering payment of blood money of the two martyrs Hassan Aman and Khalid al-Khatib. The document shows the transitional President Abdu Rabo Mansour Hadi’s directions to the Government to pay the blood money of the two martyrs Hassan Aman and Khalid al-Khatib, according to an official message issued and signed by the President, including a direction to Basundawh’s Government to pay YR 22 million, due to a ruling issued by the north Capital Secretariat’s court as blood money of the two deceased. The direction ordered the payment of the amounts from the blood money item at a rate of YR 5 million and 500 to the families of each of the dead. According to the official message the families of the two martyrs accepted the blood money of their two sons who were killed during their interception to a wedding procession of the leader in the Islah party Abdu Rabo al-Oadhi in the capital Sana’a. Lately an official source at the President’s office denied integrity of information
of media reports which alleged the presidential directions to the government to pay the blood money of the two martyrs. The source emphasized to Saba News Agency that what was reported in the media is unfounded and comes within the prejudiced leaks which have unfortunately recently increased and amounted to the extent of forging a document carrying the signature of the President, including the document with the fabricated information claiming the issuance of the president to directions to the government to pay the blood money of the dead Aman and al-Khatib, believing that the falsification of documents under the signature of the President will enable them to spread their lies to the largest possible public opinion. The killing of the two young men had caused a great shock to the Yemeni street, especially that Sheikh alOadhi is a key leader in the Islah party and a member of the National dialogue conference. It seems that a tribal arbitration led to resolving the question which shocked the Yemeni street and President Hadi burdened the public treasury with the blood money payment.
AKRAM AL-GAOLAHI
JOURNALISTS
MOHAMMED ALI KALFOOD HESHAM SAMI AL-KIBSI MOHAMMED SHARHAN
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CONTINUATION FROM FRONT PAGE GPC LEADERS SEEK TO OVERTHROW IKHWAN A number of them posted pictures on social network platforms, showing their participation in protests against Morsi. Amongst them are Brigadier Gen. Yehia Saleh, former chief of staff of Yemen’s Central Security Forces (CSF), nephew of former President Saleh, as well as several of the prominent (GPC) leaders, including Yaser al-Awadi, Yaser alYamani, General Secretary of Hashed Party, who is an ally of the GPC. They also include Salah al-Saidi and others who were in Cairo, the Egyptian capital for participation in the Egyptian change revolution, demanding the departure of President Morsi who belongs to the Muslim Brotherhood. Sources closer to the GPC said the participation of their leaders in the Egyptian protests come as an expression of the refusal of the GPC leadership to the Muslim Brotherhood whether they are in Yemen, Tunisia or Libya. Political analysts say the participation of these leaders expresses the opinion of all GPC leadership against the Muslim brotherhood and it is a strong message to the Yemeni Islah party so as to prepare for departure in the upcoming Presidential elections, which the GPC leadership believes that it is able to remove its opponents in the next stage after the end of the provisions of the GCC initiative. within this context, activists on the social network – face book site published pictures of the Yahia Saleh (former Central Security Chief of Staff,) participating in the Egyptian rally, demanding the Egyptian President Morsi’s to step down.
Meanwhile Yaser al-Awadi, member of the GPC permanent committee said he left from Istanbul to Cairo to support the Egyptian people, according to a twit of his on his twitter site. On the other hand, leaders in the Joint Meeting Party (JMP) said such movement doesn’t target the Yemeni Muslim brotherhood or the JMP, but will be directed against President Hadi aiming at
removing President Hadi and to rebel against the GCC initiative, the political settlement, and the Security Council’s decisions and to also rebel against the regional and international sponsors.
In the first reaction by the Islah party, the Muslim Brotherhood in Yemen, over the GPC participation in protests gainst Morsi, an activist in the Yemeni Islah party, the organization wing of the Yemeni Muslim brotherhood, threatened with ousting the consensual President Hadi who came to power through reconciliatory elections in February 2012. Activist Khalid al-Anisi, launched a call for refusing the continuation of marketing President Hadi as a frail President whose only job is to conciliate the corrupt in return of not overthrowing him.
The Saudi Middle East journal quoted al-Anisi as saying “we are not in need of a weak president and Hadi’s decision to appoint the corrupted, killers and thieves under subterfuge of sharing is call for us not to go out and overthrow him like his predecessors, as long as he is committing their same sins and leading their own path.” The revolution activists, called for a massive rally on Sunday, coinciding with the Egyptian opposition protests against President Morsi, so as to pressure President Hadi to stop his decisions which the revolutionaries consider as being contrary to the change orientation and the revolution’s goals. Meanwhile a number of the international Brotherhood leaders, including the Yemeni religious cleric Abdul-Majid al-Zindani, advised the Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi to step down, on the eve of the June 30 demonstrations, which was organized by the Egyptian Tamarod “rebellion” movement and was supported by opposing youth and political forces. The Egyptian researcher in Islamic movements, Abdul- Rahim Ali said (that night) in statements to the Egyptian CBC TV that a number of the International Brotherhood leaders “advised” the organization leaders to make concessions
so as to contain the “human” flood.
He said among these leaders is alZindani, the prominent Muslim Brotherhood leader in Yemen, pointing to the concern of the international brotherhood that the June 30 demonstrations in Egypt will impact the organization’s position, which was established by the Egyptian Hassan al-Bana in the twenties of last century. JMP BACK TO PARLIAMENT
GCC INITIATIVE ABOVE CONSTITUTION, HADI consensually agreed upon should be binding to all with the help of God.” He also said the Parliament should resume its sessions the next day, reiterating that there is no place for the partisan interests and all should not think of how they came to the parliament, but how to take Yemen to safety.
Following the meeting, a leader in JMP announced the return of their blocs to the Parliament, to attend the sessions, starting from Sunday, after resolving the crisis with the GPC parliamentary bloc which continued for more than two months. Head of the Islah bloc Zaid al-Shami announced the end of the JMP blocs boycott to the parliament sessions.
Al-Shami emphasized that the meeting which President Hadi held with the Cabinet and the Parliament discussed the Parliament crisis which led to the JMP and partners’ boycott to its sessions. The Islah’s bloc leader said it is agreed during the meeting to withdraw all questions and interrogations which were submitted during the last period and all should bear responsibility and abandon bickering.
The PGC bloc had dominated the Parliament during the last period after the JMP’s boycott, and due to al-Raie’s (Parliament Speaker) and his bloc attempts to lead the Parliament away from consensus, contrary to the GCC initiative and its operational mechanism.
EXPLOSIVES DISMANTLED, CID OFFICER KILLED IN CAPITAL
Maternal and Child Health Centre in the capital Sana’a early Saturday.
A security source said that citizens have discovered the explosive device on Saturday morning.
The bomb, which weighs about seven Kegs, was set to explode at 12:30 pm, but was dismantled by bomb disposal experts about one hour before start-off time.
BENOMAR BACK TO SANA’A FOR ANOTHER REPORT so that the dialogue’s outputs will come to serve the political process in Yemen, the UN Special Envoy pointed out in his statement. He also said that there is a consensus in the Security Council for obtaining substantial progress in Yemen’s political process and the experience of the peaceful transfer of power, noting that during its last session in late June the Council reviewed many of the security, political, economic and humanitarian challenges facing Yemen.
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ISSN 23065958
Malnutrition is dangerous to the health of children in Yemen, it decreased the body's immunity and makes them more susceptible to serious and deadly diseases. 9
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$4-MILLION PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN QATAR & YEMEN BY OBSERVER STAFF
Within his direction to the concerned authorities to construct a Dialysis’s project, the Minster of Health and Population, Dr. Ahmed Alansi signed an agreement to establish a center for Dialysis at Ibn Khaldoon’s Public hospital, Lahj province. Dr. Alansi, in a press statement said, “The agreement was authorized within the cooperation of Qatar and the Republic of Yemen meeting the requirements in this medical section in which both the
public and private Hospitals have suffered since a number of patients have horribly worsened. Similarly, Yemen was represented by The Minister of Health, Dr. Alansi and Head of the Medical and charitable Association whereas Qatar was represented by the General Secretary of the Qatar Red Crescent, Dr. Saleh Almuhanadi . In this regard, the project will be financed by Qatar and implemented by the Yemeni-Qatari charitable and Medical Association under the supervision of the Ministry Of Health and Population.
TURKISH EMBASSY DONATES MOBILE HOSPITAL TO YEMEN
YEMENI COMMUNITY TEAM IN RIYADH WINS YEMEN’S CHILDREN WILL COMMUNITIES CUP
BE VACCINATED AGAINST POLIO THIS WEEK
BY HESHAM SAMI AL-KIBSI
The Saudi capital Riyadh witnessed on Saturday June 29 the crowning of the Riyadh Yemeni community football team as champions of the Riyadh Arab, African and Asian communities eleventh cup. This came after defeating the Egyptian community team in the final match of the tournament in penalty kicks of 6-5 after the match and the two extra halves ended with three goals for both teams.
The first half ended with a 1-1 draw as the Egyptian team scored the first goal but were soon equalized by the Yemenis moments after the Egyptian team’s first goal thus ending the events of the first half with a 1-1 draw. The second half witnessed new tactics by the Egyptian team and both teams scored one goal each extending the match to extra time. A final penalty shootout started after having finished extra time with a 1-1 draw at the stadium of the University of Imam Muhammad bin Saud. The Yemeni team provided the Yemeni community and spectators with outstanding performance that was received with cheers, and encouraging chants from the Yemeni community crowds in Riyadh
MOHAMMED KALFOOD
The National Program Director for Polio said that an immunization campaign against polio began in all Yemeni provinces on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday of this week. This vaccination campaign will be utilizing nearly 5,692,000 doses as implemented by 40,424 aid workers, said Dr. Ghada alHaboub, the National Program Director. who attended before the match’s kick-off to cheer their team in the match, as the Yemeni team promised them to win the cup. The Yemeni community in Riyadh team, has clear imprints in the history of Saudi community football, as it was crowned as last year’s champion of the Arab, Asian and African communities cup in its tenth version after beating the Eritrean team 3-1. The Yemeni community in Riyadh team wore jerseys bearing the logo of the National Dialogue Conference (NDC), which in turn gave a special impression
IBB: FIRST AID TRAINING SESSION FOR FEMALE MARGANLIZED CONCLUDEDIN ACRAM MOTHANA HAIDER
A Mobile Field Hospital, worth of 2.3 million dollars with all its equipments, was delivered to the Yemeni Government today in Zinjabar, Abyan. The Embassy announced that a Turkish technical team came to Yemen last week to set up the mobile hospital in Zinjabar and to train the Yemeni personnel who will operate the hospital. The mobile hospital was handed over on Saturday, June 29, 2013 in Zinjabar with the participation of H.E. Ahmed Al-Anesi, Minister of Public Health, H.E. Jamal Al-Agel,
Governor of Abyan and H.E. Fazlı Çorman, Ambassador of Turkey.
The mobile hospital is a fullfledged hospital with a capacity of 80 beds, including policlinics, intensive care, operation and mother and child care units, laboratories for conducting all necessary tests and analysis including x-ray. The Embassy also mentioned that by this Turkey and Yemen have taken another practical step to move further on fortification of brotherly ties between the two countries and peoples especially in the field of health.
Under the slogan «Health For All», al-Nuhoodh›s Foundation for Development and Defending Rights and Freedom conducted a training Session at the Cultural Center, Ibb city for First Aid, targeting 20 female marginalized participants during 22-27/6/2013. Once the training session was concluded, Miss. Fadya Abdullah Musleh, a Program coordinator, welcomed the attendants and the Foundation in particular, « alNuhoodh›s Foundation is so careful that it devotes to target the marginalized class, the most deprived one
وظائف �شاغرة
مطلوب م�سوقات ل�سحيفة �إعالنية خربة التقل عن �سنتني .يف جمال �لت�سويق �الإعالين :يرجى اإر�صال ال�صرية الذاتية على الإمييل اأو التوا�صل على الرقم 770591837 E: mukhtar20052000@yahoo.com
within the society», said Fadya;» « The foundation will go on targeting this class in all various fields in the upcoming future», she asserted. Further, Miss. Aslalah Ali Sulaiman delivered a speech in which she expressed the significance of the training session conducted along with the knowledge and experiences obtained by the female marginalized participants, «We have actually learned what could help qualify us», said Aslalah. In addition, on behalf of the participants, she expressed her appreciation and gratitude to the foundation due to its efforts exerted so far as to have the sessions succeed. At the end of the training session, appreciation›s certificates were handed over to the targeted participants.
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on how much Yemeni expatriates love their country. Attending the final match were Saleh al-Sha’er; Acting Yemeni ambassador at the Yemeni Embassy in Riyadh, Dr. Omar Ibrahim; Consul General of the Embassy and Maqbool Ameen al-Rifa’ee; adviser to the Minister of Expatriates, Secretary General of the Yemeni communities around the world and head of the Yemeni communities Sports Federation. Also attending were the heads of the Arab, Asian and Ethiopian communities, academics, journalists, intellectuals, and a large gathering of the Yemeni community.
She said - according to a press release - that during the vaccination campaign, vitamin A will be given to approximately 3,846,180 children whose age ranges from one year to five years in addition to nearly 4,448 capsules that will enhance the children’s immunity at such ages. Al-Haboub also indicated a strategic campaign for the teams to sweep targeted areas house by house. “There are 4,836 supervisors, each one will oversee 4 or 5 teams and each province will have about 20 teams to be run by 4 supervisors,” she said.
TAIZ: WORKSHOP ON INTERNATIONAL FEDERALISM BY HESHAM SAMI AL-KIBSI
Governor of Taiz and head of the local council Shawki Ahmed Hayel, along with the non-resident Ambassador of Canada to Yemen, Mr. Thomas Macdonald, inaugurated on Saturday June 30, a workshop on capacity building for Democratic Development (international experiences on federalism). The two-day workshop was organized by the Canadian federations forum in coordination with the Development and human rights activists organization with the participation of 40 representatives of civil society organizations, political parties and the media.
At the opening ceremony, Hayel valued the efforts by the Canadian friends in supporting such initiatives that promote the development of democracy and the concepts of good governance. He stressed that the province of Taiz will continue to be the source of all national transformations as it is considered the revolution maker and the leader of change and will remain an incubator for all efforts aimed at the success of the National Dialogue Conference (NDC). He noted that federalism will give a strong boost to build a new Yemen and overcome the disadvantages of the past in all its forms. For his part, the non-resident Ambassador of Canada to Yemen ex-
pressed his delight for attending this specific event. Macdonald reviewed Canada’s experience in the federal system and expressed hope that the NDC comes out with results and insights that serve the aspirations and hopes of the Yemeni people in making a better future.
The general coordinator of the Federal forum in Yemen, Muammar Bataweel, showcased the programs and objectives of the Forum. He pointed out that several similar workshops will be held in a number of Yemeni provinces to provide an overview of the federal regulations and the experiences of some countries that have adopted this approach.
The governor of Taiz also met with the non-resident Canadian Ambassador, and reviewed the investment and tourism opportunities and benefits enjoyed by the promising province of Taiz. Hayel stressed the keenness of the local authority in developing friendly relations with the friendly country of Canada in order to enhance the prospects of mutual cooperation. For his part, the ambassador expressed his happiness to visit Taiz province which he deemed famous for its wonderful tourism and historic heritage and stressed his commitment to support all initiatives aimed at the development of democracy and human rights.
Continuation of malnutrition in Yemen deteriorated more and hinders more than ever on the path of economic development.
Monday - July 01, 2013 Vol. XVI - Issue 52
LEARNING ENGLISH
with Teacher Aminah you are you’re your 4.
all of the above 5 He __________ to the banquet with Naomi and __________. gone / I gone / me went / I
The Five-Paragraph Essay (continues) What follows is explanation patterns 3-5 with examples from real magazine articles to illustrate the explanations. 3. Surprising statement: A surprising statement is a favorite introductory technique of professional writers. There are many ways a statement can surprise a reader. Sometimes the statement is surprising because it is disgusting. Sometimes it is joyful. Sometimes it is shocking. Sometimes it is surprising because of who said it. Sometimes it is surprising because it includes profanity. Professional writers have honed this technique to a fine edge. It is not used as much as the first two patterns, but it is used. from “60 Seconds That Could Save Your Child” by Cathy Perlmutter with Maureen Sangiorgio in Prevention, September, 1993. Have a minute? Good. Because that may be all it takes to save the life of a child—your child. Accidents kill nearly 8000 children under age 15 each year. And for every fatality, 42 more children are admitted to hospitals for treatment. Yet such deaths and injuries can be avoided through these easy steps parents can take right now. You don’t have a minute to lose. [This article begins with a surprising, even shocking, statistic, 8000 children die each year from accidents. The article then lists seven easy actions a person can take to help guard a child against accidents. These range from turning down the water heater to 120 degrees Fahrenheit to putting firearms under lock and key.] 4. Famous person: People like to know what celebrities say and do. Dropping the name of a famous person at the beginning of a paper usually gets the reader’s attention. It may be something that person said or something he or she did that can be presented as an interest grabber. You may just mention the famous person’s name to get the reader’s interest. The famous person may be dead or alive. The famous person may be a good person like the Pope, or he or she may be a bad person like John Wilkes Booth. Of course, bringing up this person’s name must be relevant to the topic. Even though the statement or action may not be readily relevant, a clever writer can convince the reader that it is relevant. from “Dear Taxpayer” by Will Manley in Booklist, May 1, 1993. The most widely read writer in America today is not Stephen King, Michael Chrichton or John Grisham. It’s Margaret Milner Richardson, the Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service, whose name appears on the “1040 Forms and Instructions” booklet. I doubt that Margaret wrote the entire 1040 pamphlet, but the annual introductory letter, “A Note from the Commissioner,” bears her signature. [This is the first paragraph of an article about the lady named above. The author used the names of three famous, modern American writers to get a reader’s interest. Notice that the first name on his list is a name that is probably more widely known than the other two. Stephen King has been around for some time now, and everyone, from teenagers to grandparents, know his name whether they have read his books or not.] 5. Declarative: This technique is quite commonly used, but it must be carefully used or the writer defeats his whole purpose of using one of these patterns, to get the reader’s interest. In this pattern, the writer simply states straight out what the topic of his paper is going to be about. It is the technique that most student writers use with only modest success most of the time, but good professional writers use it too. from “The Tuition Tap” by Tim Lindemuth in K-Stater, February, 1994. In the College of Veterinary Medicine and Engineering, for example, nearly one-third of the teaching faculty may retire by the year 2004. In the College of Education, more than a third of the professors are 55 years old and older. The largest turnover for a single department is projected to be in geology. More than half of its faculty this year are in the age group that will retire at the millennium, says Ron Downey of K-State’s Office of Institutional Research and Analysis. The graying of K-State’s faculty is not unique. A Regents’ report shows approximately 27 percent of the faculty at the six state universities will retire by the end of this decade, creating a shortage of senior faculty. [This is a straight forward introduction that gets right down to the topic of the aging of the faculty of Kansas State University. There are no historical reviews, no surprising statements, no anecdotes, no quotations from or about famous people. This is a discussion that leads to further discussion about the topic. The biggest difficulty about this type of introduction is that it can get boring. It is not likely to get the interest of anyone except those who are already interested in this subject. Use this pattern with caution.] These patterns can give a “lift” to your writing. Practice them. Try using two or three different patterns for your introductory paragraph and see which introductory paragraph is best; it’s often a delicate matter of tone and of knowing who your audience is. Do not forget, though, that your introductory paragraph should also include a thesis statement to let your reader know what your topic is and what you are going to say about that topic.
5.
went / me 6 __________ and __________ left at seven o’clock. Her / I
Phrasal Verbs Quiz: Mixed 2 Try this fun quiz to check your understanding of English phrasal verbs. 1. belong to These books belong to the college library, so you can a. b. c.
keep them forever own them for a while borrow them for a while
d. e. f.
getting a promotion getting a raise getting fired
Her / me She / I 6.
It’s
2. end up If Maria keeps coming to work late, she’ll end up
3. face up to Ashley faced up to the fact that she had to deal with her drug problem and g. h. i.
went out to buy more drugs promised to stop one day went to rehab for treatment
j. k. l.
seats passengers drinks
m. n. o.
moved it to the front went back to get it took someone else’s
Its Either a or b 7.
Their / they’re There / their 8.
Clair Grace Granny
7. rely on A newspaper relies on the honesty and accuracy of s. t. u.
its customers its reporters its news
8. show off Mark loves to show off. He’s always trying to v. w. x.
impress people avoid people annoy people
y. z. aa.
selling something buying something saving something
ab. ac. ad.
heard about the fire seen the fire reviewed his notes on the fire
There / they’re 9 They finished before __________ time limit expired. his or her their
6. name after Clair and Ben named their daughter after Clair’s grandmother Grace, so they are both called p. q. r.
Neither a nor b 8 __________ were 50 questions on __________ tests. Their / there
4. hand out After we’d boarded the plane, the stewardess handed out
5. leave behind Sandra realized she’d left her passport behind, so she
She / me 7 __________ impolite to stare.
there 9.
they’re 10 However, __________ smarter __________ you think. their / than their / then they’re / than they’re / then
9. talk into If you meet a salesman, they’ll try to talk you into
10. write up The accident investigator wrote up his final report on the fire after he had
Answers: c, c, c, c, b, b, b, a, b, c
The Commonly Confused Words Test This test is entirely fill-in-the-blank. Please choose the BEST answer 1. The knot she tied was very __________. loose lose Either a or b 1.
Neither a nor b 2 Take a deep __________. breath breathe Either a or b
2.
Neither a nor b 3 She has a __________ appetite. hardy hearty Either a or b
3.
Neither a nor b 4 I wish you would study for __________ test.
Weird Stories About Famous People Charles Dickens Charles Dickens was probably one of the most famous writers of the Victorian era, and anything that resembles his work has now been granted the honorable title “Dickensian”. Although his stories usually have happy endings, his own story most certainly did not start happily. Dickens’ early life was spent mostly in debtor’s prison because his poor dad couldn’t pay off his debts so the whole family had to join him in the slammer, a fairly typical practice in Victorian England. He eventually worked in a factory to help pay off the debts, and the terrible working conditions were a major inspiration to his writing. As an adult, he appeared to be a more lighthearted guy, often pulling practical jokes. He had a fake bookcase with books that were hilariously titled, including Noah’s Arkitechture and a nine-volume set titled Cat’s Lives.
HAVE QUESTIONS?
WANT ANSWERS? Need help?
Want to submit articles, stories, poems, etc? sharon.umibrahim@gmail.com
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Monday - July 01, 2013 Vol. XVI - Issue 52
POLL
HALF OF YEMENIS OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE FUTURE, 30% DON’T KNOW
H
alf (49.6%) of Yemenis were optimistic about the future of Yemen and expected in March 2013 that the next months of 2013 would be better than the previous months, compared to 30% of Yemenis who were cautious and unsure about the future. Another 12% think that the future would remain unchanged while 8% have shown negative expectations about the future, saying it would be worse than the status quo. The question was given to 1,000 respondents, half of them women, aged 15 years and over in 19 provinces, who were selected according to the multi-phase random sampling methodology. The men and women made similar expectations about the future in general, but they obviously varied from one province to another. Some 50.4% of the men and 48.8% of the women expected the next time period to be better than what the situation looked like in March 2013, the time when the interviews were conducted. The future looked uncertain for 27.6% of the men and 31.6% of the women, compared to 12.4% of the men and 11.6% of women who said the situation wouldn’t change. Expectations about the future have varied from one province to another across the provinces covered by the questionnaire. The following diagram shows the percentages of optimistic and undecided respondents in each province. Dhamar was the most optimistic province in March 2013 with 87% [of the province’s respondents being optimistic], followed by Hodeida with 72%, the capital city with 65%, al-Mahweet with 63%,
al-Jawf with 55% and Taiz with 54%. Half of the populations of Ad’dale province were optimistic about the future of Yemen. The percentage of optimistic respondents has gradually declined in the rest of the provinces, becoming lowest in Shabwa. The Shabwa province topped the list in terms of the percentage of undecided respondents as 70% of the respondents said they didn’t know whether the coming months of 2013 would be better or worse. Marib has demonstrated the same percentage of undecided respondents, followed by Abyan, Hadramout, Lahj and then Raima. Women were more optimistic
T
he income-based indicator revealed that the poor people were more optimistic, while the penultimate three income groups (from 141,000 YER to 200,000 YER ) which form less than 1% of the sample, explain the degree of deviation between the related results. And therefore, those results give unclear indication.
than men in the provinces of Mahweet, Aden, Dhamar, Taiz and Ibb, but more undecided than men in the provinces of Raima, Amran, Ad’dale, Marib, Lahj, Sana’a, Shabwa, Abyan and slightly in Ibb. The difference between women and men positions could be noticed in the following table: Those who feel that the future would be worse constitute 25% in the provinces of Marib and Lahj, approximately 20% in Abyan, less than 10% in Hadramout, and 10% in Raima. In Hajjah and Aden provinces, those who feel that the future would be worse constitute 12-14%, and in al-Jawf, those who have the
same [pessimistic] feeling constitute 15% of the respondents. It is noted that the poorest and most remote provinces were most undecided about the future, but such indicator couldn’t be disassociated from all other factors like the economic conditions and the education level. Despite that, there are other provinces, which are mostly classified as rural such as alJawf and Ad’dale showed high optimistic opinions. According the results of the survey, it was clearly that most of whose don’t know about future belonging to lower-income groups.
The income-based indicator revealed that the poor people were more optimistic, while the penultimate three income groups (from 141,000 YER to 200,000 YER ) which form less than 1% of the sample, explain the degree of deviation between the related results. And therefore, those results give unclear indication. For most of
the groups, high income has been, to some extent, offset by a decrease in the degree of optimism. The attitudes of Yemenis haven’t remarkably changed, by the level of education. Those who were optimistic about the future and the undecided ones were roughly evenly divided (nearly 50%) through most of the levels of education. Such a percentage, however, increased among the group of university degree holders (more than 74.6%), but declined to less than 40% among those who hold higher degrees, which could be attributed to the small size of the group of higher degree respondents in the sample. The most prominent change by the educational level in the diagram regarding the undecided respondents, and those who said they didn’t know what the next months of 2013 would look like, has been remarkably observed among those with completed and uncompleted university education. The “don’t know” response frequency was lowest among university degree holders, but it increased a little bet among higher [MA/PH.D] degree holders. Methodology The findings of this survey are based on face-to-face interviews conducted over the period March 2013. The survey targeted 1000 respondents who were randomly selected from Yemeni people aged 15+, from 100 villages and Haras in 98 PSUs from 19 provinces. Based on the number of population aged 15+, the confidence interval for this survey was 95% and the margin of error was ± 3.1. The sample was equally divided between males and females and 70% of interviews were administered in rural areas while 30% were administered in urban areas. The interviews were divided among the targeted provinces based on their population weights. Multi-stage stratified sampling was followed in all stages of sample design using the recent census by the central statistics office conducted in 2004 and the population projects for the period 2005- 2025. - See more at: http://www.percentyemen.org/index.php?it_ id=54#sthash.4hAFkmQT.dpuf
MEDIA BRIEFING CID OFFICER AND POLICEMAN KILLED IN SHABWAH, ANOTHER INJURED Al - Oula - 26.06.2013 A local source in Shabwah province told al-Oula that a Crime Investigation Department (CID) officer was killed along with a policeman and another policeman injured on Tuesday morning after unknown gunmen attacked their car. The source said that the CID officer was accompanied by two policemen before being ambushed in a main road in Ataq city, Shabwah province.
HAJJAH: ONE KILLED IN LAND DISPUTE
Al - Oula - 29.06.2013 - One person was killed in downtown Hajjah, Hajjah province on Friday after a land dispute escalated into a gunfight. A local source told al-Oula that Mejali and Bani Qaban
families had a land dispute and that it escalated into clashes in the land which is located in al-Haswy Mountain neighborhood. The Source added that the clashes spread panic among
locals.
A security source told alOula that security apparatuses in the city were able to arrest the suspects and that investigations are underway.
BY HESHAM SAMI AL-KIBSI
YEMEN TO PARTAKE IN THE 13TH ARAB-AFRICAN PARLIAMENTARY CONFERENCE Saba net - 25.06.2013 Yemen is to partake in the 13th Arab – African Parliamentary Conference to be held in Rabat, Morocco, during (June 25 -27) by a parliamentary delegation led by Deputy Speaker of the Parliament Himyar al-Ahmar. In a statement to Saba up on departing Sana’a on Monday, al-Ahmar said that participation came at the invitation of the Moroccan Parliament’s Speaker Karim Ghallab. He pointed that the conference will discuss a number of topics and issues that concern the Arab and African nations, including the strengthening of Arab-African cooperation to support the economies of the African and Arab countries and the role of the African and Arab parliaments in protecting and respecting religions and holy places. Al-Ahmar said that he will deliver Yemen’s speech, which will touch on the situations and the big challenges facing the Arab and African countries and the countries of the world as a whole, including the challenges of economic and social conditions. He noted that he will meet heads and members of the parliaments participating in the conference to discuss the bilateral cooperation relations.
WASHINGTON ALLOCATES $10.4 MLN TO YEMEN NDC
Saba net - 29.06.2013 - The United States has decided to allocate US$10.4 million to support the national dialogue conference, US Department of State said on Friday in a statement. The statement was issued following a meeting that gathered deputy Foreign Minister Ali Mothana and Secretary-General of the national dialogue Ahmed Awad with US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf. During the meeting, they discussed the bilateral cooperation relations between Yemen and the US in various fields and reviewed the achievements of the national dialogue during its first stage.
ARMED TRIBESMEN TAKE OVER A CERAMICS FACTORY IN LAHJ Akhbar al - Youm 29.06.2013 - Tribal gunmen from al-Zubairah tribe, Lahj province managed on Friday dawn to take over the Yemeni Ceramic company located in Dar Haitham, Tebn district.
The tribesmen took over the factory against the backdrop of the killing of a fellow tribesman by two gunmen while performing his duties as a guard at the factory’s front gate. The tribesmen said that the factory won’t operate until the murderer is found.
TWO GUNMEN KILLED OVER LAND DISPUTE IN SANA’A Mareb Press-29.06.2013Two persons were killed and two others injured on Friday afternoon in clashes over a land dispute in Attan village near Sitteen street west of Sana’a, before security forces interfered to end the clashes. Sources told Mareb Press that the two dead persons and the two injured were from Aal Ta’aiman. Both sides claim ownership of land that’s that locals said was a cemetery.
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Monday - July 01, 2013 Vol. XVI - Issue 52
FOUR KILLED IN CLASHES IN RADA’ Al - Share’ - 29.06.2013 - Four persons were killed including two Special Security Forces (SSF) personnel and at least three injured in clashes between gunmen and SSF forces in Downtown Rada’, al-Baidha’ province.
A local source told alShare’ that clashes broke out after Gunmen attacked a SSF checkpoint resulting in the deaths of four persons and the injury of a SSF staffer. The source added that
tens of gunmen attacked the checkpoint against the
backdrop of impoudning their pickup truck.
SHEIKH AL-MEGDAD AND AL-QANES KILLED IN AN AMBUSH IN ANIS, DHAMAR Al-Share’ - 26.06.2013 - Two persons were killed including a Sheikh and another injured in an ambush set by unknown gunmen on Monday night in Habab area near alSharq city, Anis, Dhamar district. Local sources said that Sheikh Majid al-Megdad and Abdulaziz al-Qanes son of Sheikh al-Qanes, were killed by unknown gunmen as they were on their way back from the al-Sharq city to al-Megdad’s house.
THREE PROTESTERS INJURED IN SANA’A BY 1ST ARMORED DIVISION GUNFIRE Al - Yemen al - Youm 29.06.2013 - Three protesters were injured after a Ansarullah (AKA Houthi) protest was shot at by former 1st Armored Division soldiers in a checkpoint. A source told al-Yemen al-Youm that a mass protest started from the “Change Square” in front of the Sana’a University. The source said that the protesters chanted against
the murderers who committed the “Blooday Sunday” massacre in front of the
National Security Bureau (NSB) and demanded that it becomes dissolved.
Announcement of Public Tender No. (1) Of ( 2013 ), for Extension for opening of envelops the second time from Yemen Public Radio & TV Corp.
on Bid No. (3) 2010
Yemen Public Radio & TV Corp. announces its desire to re-announce the public tender No. 1 for the year 2013 for the second time, and to invite specialized, eligible manufacturers and suppliers for the following:Supplying, delivery, installment, testing, commissioning, hand-over and guarantee (of a turnkey) TV microwave connecting switches with accessories to sites of (Sana’a- Aiban- Masar –al-Darb)- the first stage. (Source of Funding: Government • Suppliers and Manufacturers who are willing to participate in this Tender shall submit their written applications during the official working hours to the following address: Yemen Public Radio & TV Corp. Head Quarter of Project Department, Yemen Public Radio & TV Corp. Al-Hasaba Area, next to the Ministry of Public Health & Population, P.O. Box: (2182) fax: (009671230761) , Phone (009671231184)- ( 009671230752 ) • To receive Bidding Documents for a nonrefundable amount of [$ 100]. The deadline for selling Bidding Documents will be onTuesday [23/ 7 /2013]. Bids shall be submitted in envelopes sealed with red wax, addressed to the tender Secretariat at the Yemen Public Radio & TV Corp indicating the party, the project, the Tender number, the bidder’s name and including the following documents:1. An unconditional and irrevocable Bank Guarantee for a lump sum amount of (Euro 8,000) eight thousand Euro, or a bank guarantee valid for 120 days from of the date of opening the envelops, taking into account that the wording of the bank guarantee provided is in accordance with the formula contained in the tender, and any bid contradicting this will not be accepted.) 2. A copy of valid registration and classification. 3. A copy of valid sales tax certificate. 4. A copy of valid tax card. 5. A copy of valid insurance card. 6. A copy of valid Zakat Registration Card. 7. A copy of valid Trade Registration Card. 8. A copy of valid Profession License. • (Foreign businesses are exempted from the above mentioned and they may provide a copy of the appropriate VAT registration document from their home countries.) • Deadline for bid submission and envelops opening is on Sunday 28/ 7/ 2013. Bids arriving after this date will not be accepted and will be returned to owners in the way they are received. • Envelops will be opened at the above mentioned corporation’s headquarters at the chairman’s office – on the third floor, in presence of the bidders or their representatives, carrying signed and sealed authorization. • Prospective bidders may inspect Bidding Documents before purchasing during the working hours within (20) days from the date of first announcement.
Yemen Public Radio & TV Corp. has extended the opening of envelopes for General bid no. (3) for importing, delivery, and handing over as well the guarantee of a TV transmission vehicle with all its accessories to 11:00 a.m on Tuesday July 27, 2010.
áeÉ©dG á°übÉæª∏d ∞jQɶŸG íàa óYƒe ójó“ ¿ÓYG Ω2010 (3) ºbQ
øY ¿ƒjõØ∏àdGh áYGPEÓd á«æª«dG áeÉ©dG á°ù°SDƒŸG ø∏©J (3) ºbQ áeÉ©dG á°übÉæŸG ∞jQɶe íàa óYƒe ójó“ ¿Éª°Vh º«∏°ùJh IRÉLEGh ¢üëah Ö«côJh ójQƒJ ¿CÉ°ûH AÉKÓãdG Ωƒj ¤G ..É¡JÉ≤ë∏e ™«ªL ™e ʃjõØ∏J π≤f áHôY Ω2010/7/27 kGô¡X öûY ájOÉ◊G áYÉ°ùdG
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Monday - July 01, 2013 Vol. XVI - Issue 52
IN YEMEN, MOST AL QAEDA CAN BE CAPTURED, BUT KILLING IS EASIER BY ANN WRIGHT
Extensive interviews with families of drone victims and human rights organizations in Yemen indicate that the governments of the United States and Yemen are choosing to kill rather than attempting to capture suspected al Qaeda members in Yemen. Civilians who have no connection with Al Qaeda are killed when the U.S. uses drones to target Al Qaeda members who travel freely throughout the country. High unemployment and feelings of injustice for the killing of people in their area by drones and Yemeni air strikes provide a fertile recruiting ground for al Qaeda in Yemen. Yemen prisons in which young people have been detained and imprisoned for months and years without trial by the Government of Yemen is a key place where radicalization for armed groups, including al Qaeda, occurs. I have been in Yemen for the past week with a CODEPINK: Women for Peace delegation that included Medea Benjamin and Jodie Evans, co-founders of CODEPINK, Terry Rockefeller, whose sister was killed in 9/11 attacks and represents 9/11 Families for Peaceful Tomorrows, Robert Naiman, policy director of Just Foreign Policy, Pam Bailey, writer and human rights activist and Tighe Barry, CODEPINK art director. We have spoken with families of drone victims in Yemen, local and international human rights organizations based in Yemen, as well as families of prisoners in Guantanamo. Two families of victims of drone strikes in the Jaar area in south Yemen said that many al Qaeda members pass freely through government checkpoints each day. The ability to go through checkpoints was underscored by a human rights activist in the Marib area. Entsar Ali Al-Qadhi, Chair of the Marib Youth Council, said al Qaeda in her region are known to the government. They travel freely in the region and could be stopped at any of the 35 checkpoints between Marib and Sanaa, the capital of Yemen, if the government wishes. Several who have been killed by US drone attacks had been released from prison and had been reporting to a government office each month. Their locations were well-known to government officials. Entsar said that once a person is labeled as an al Qaeda member, there is nothing that person can do to erase the label, including renouncing violence, serving time in prison and reporting back to eh government on a regular basis. Once labeled as al Qaeda by the U.S. government one remains on an assassination list no matter what one does, according to Al-Qadhi. ‘Sympathy increases for al Qaeda and other armed groups after a drone strike.’The Yemen government imprisons and then releases former al Qaeda members and then assists in the targeting and killing of those who have served their sentences for al Qaeda affiliation. The community knows that the released prisoners have to report frequently to the government as a part of their release. In Yemeni tribal customs, once a person is “cleansed” of their previous affiliations, they are allowed back into the community. When those who have been “cleansed” are then killed by U.S. drones, the recruitment for armed groups including al Qaeda increases. Entsar said that some women in her community have told her that while they disagree with violent acts committed
by some al Qaeda members, that at least they can talk with them in the community, whereas they can’t communicate with a drone operator who is also committing violent acts. Sympathy increases for al Qaeda and other armed groups after a drone strike. Al-Qadhi said that in January, 2013, there were five drone strikes in one day in the area where she lives around Marib. The first drone killed 3 brothers in the al Jaradh family. The eldest brother had been a member of al Qaeda, but had turned himself in to Yemeni authorities. He had been imprisoned, but had recently been released by the government. The other brothers were not known to be members of al Qaeda. The brothers had been driving in a car, spotted the drone, left their car and went into a garden where the drone attacked them. All three were killed. Three hours later as the bodies of the al Jaradh brothers were taken for burial, a car carrying 5 people to their funeral was hit in a drone strike. The driver of the car was known to be an al Qaeda member, but the others in the car were not. Two hours later, another car in the Marib area was blown up by a drone strike. 4 young men ages 1618 were killed. One human rights activist called al Qaeda the ATM for the Yemen government. When the government needs more money, officials pass the names of some al Qaeda member or a member of an armed group that the government is having difficulty with on to U.S. intelligence services. Many contend that these al Qaeda could be captured, but the Government of Yemen gets funding for counter-terrorism programs when the U.S. can kill rather than the Government of Yemen capture suspected al Qaeda. Once the courts are used to adjudicate evidence for criminal acts, the need for assassin drones goes down and the U.S. bank roll for military programs is reduced. So, from the Government of Yemen’s viewpoint, capture of suspected criminals clogs up the judicial and prison systems and becomes a burden on government resources while the killing of suspected criminals is easy and financially rewarding Mohamed Akmadi, the Yemen investigator for the Geneva based international human rights organization Al Karama “Dignity,” has investigated U.S. drone strikes throughout Yemen. Reports of Al Karama’s investigations are sent to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions in Geneva. The Al Karama investigation of a September 2, 2012 drone attack between the villages of Radaa and Dhamar in Al Bayda governorate revealed that a U.S. drone had attacked a Toyota Land Cruiser pickup carrying 12 people. 8 farmers in the pickup, one woman and two children were killed instantly and one person died later. 3 were seriously wounded. The Yemen government initially said a Yememi military aircraft had
fired on the truck and stated that the target was a senior regional al-Qaeda leader, Abdelrauf al-Dahab. Later, Yemeni officials acknowledged that all those killed were civilians and that it was an American drone that had killed them. In December, 2012, the U.S. government acknowledged its involvement but no U.S. official has been disciplined in the deaths of 13 innocent civilians. The Al Karama group investigated another drone attack that occurred on April 17, 2013 in Wussab village, Dhamar district, 150 km south of Sanaa in which four persons were killed in the course of two drone strikes on their vehicle. The government of Yemen initially claimed an alleged leader of an armed group called Najm Al-Din Ali Abdallah Al-Ra’I had been killed in the drone attack. That claim proved untrue. One of the persons killed was Hamid Muhamad Radman Al-Hadadi Al Radami, a fomer member of the Yemeni army, who had been imprisoned in 2005 for having “illegally fought in Iraq.” He was released from jail in 2011, two years after he was scheduled for release. According to the al Karama investigation, Al-Radami was well known in his village of Wussab for efforts in mediation and negotiations since his release. The Al Karama report states that “if Mr. AlRadami represented a serious threat, he was well-known in the community and it would have been easy for security forces to arrest him. Three other men from Wussab were killed in the attack, Ismaili Ahmed Muhamad Al-Muqdishi, age 29; Mukram Ahmed Hamud Al-Haj Al-Da’ar, age 20; and Ghazi Hamud Ahmed Saad Al-Imad, age 28. In a June 10, 2013 letter, Al Karama requested that the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions intervene with the United States and Yemen governments to “open a prompt, impartial, independent and effective inquiry on the chain of command and the procedures that allowed for the targeting, tracking and killing of four unarmed civilians, and that individuals responsible for the attack, whether they are American or Yemeni, are impartially judged for their acts.” Al Karama also asks that “the U.S. government immediately reconsider its policy of targeted killings by unmanned aircraft systems, and to provide the families of those killed with proper and adequate redress.” The United States has not disciplined in of those involved in the targeting and assassination of 41 civilians in the December 17, 2009 airstrike in the al-Majalah region in southwestern Yemen. The strike killed a reported 41 people, including at least 21 children. The Yemeni government initially claimed that it had carried out the strike, but leaked US government cables later revealed that Yemen had covered up the United States’ responsibility for the strike. --------------------------Ann Wright is a 29 year US Army/Army Reserves veteran who retired as a Colonel and a former US diplomat who resigned in March, 2003 in opposition to the war on Iraq. She served in Nicaragua, Grenada, Somalia, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Sierra Leone, Micronesia and Mongolia. In December, 2001 she was on the small team that reopened the US Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan. She is the co-author of the book “Dissent: Voices of Conscience.” (www.voicesofconscience.com)
Y E M E N O N T H E I N T E R N AT I O N A L M E D I A
THE MYTH OF THE “YEMEN MODEL” ATIAF ZAID ALWAZIR WRITER AND ACTIVIST BASED IN SANA’A, YEMEN
Shortly following the internationally funded uncontested election in Yemen, a high-ranking western diplomat berated me for not voting. When I asked him, “would people in your country be happy with a one-person election?” He responded: “people in my country are not trying to kill each other!” While not all diplomats think this way, unfortunately, that simplistic and ignorant statement is what drives much of western policy on Yemen -- if there is a policy -- and it is also why it is expected that Yemenis should accept half solutions -- should in fact celebrate them! Maybe misconceptions of Arabs as apolitical, who were just “awakened” by the “Arab Spring,” leads to the belief that anything is a step forward. These misconceptions, if internalized, lead to flawed analysis, and worse they can become disastrous policies. This is egregiously exemplified by Thomas Friedman’s recent New York Times op-ed (on May 11) where, for example, he states that “the good news is that -- for now -- a lot of Yemenis really want to give politics a chance.” Friedman is referring to the internationally backed National Dialogue Conference (NDC) in Yemen. The NDC began in March 2013 and is to last for six months, with 565 delegates tasked with providing recommendations and culminating in writing of a new constitution. Friedman’s statement attempts to celebrate Yemenis, while in fact downplaying an entire history of political participation and ignores Yemen’s cultural tradition of dialogue and political pluralism. Yemen has had dialogues before and has operated in a relatively diverse political sphere. The movement for change in 2011 is a culmination of years of activities in the south and north. Neglecting all of that
naturally does not present a thought-out article. While the NDC helped bring new political actors to the forefront creating new social transformations, and while the threat of war has been delayed on the short term; nevertheless, it is too soon to make a grand statement about the success or failure of this process, and definitely too early to announce that the NDC and the overall transitional process is a model to emulate, as Friedman suggests. Renowned Yemeni journalist Sami Ghaleb critiqued Friedman’s piece saying: “Friedman’s analysis is the perfect example of the way the US makes premature political assessment on changes in the Arab world. It’s the fast food assessment.” This fast food assessment is one that ignores long-term impact and also historic factors that influence current reality. Friedman is not the first to make a grand statement about the NDC. In fact, his piece echoes the statements made by U.S. ambassador to Yemen Gerald M. Feierstein on March 29, 2013 and by Yemen’s President later in early May. “Today, we are so close to make a complete success and awaiting the dialogue’s results, which will forge the new future of Yemen,” said President Hadi during his meeting with UN envoy to Yemen Jamal Benomar. These statements of success or failure lack depth and fail to define success. For the international community, success might be defined by the fact that a diverse group of Yemenis are in the same room debating (not a first in Yemen, although media likes to propose it as such). For others, success might be defined by the national input in writing a new constitution, or the solving of deep-rooted conflicts in the north and south of the country. This of course, has lead to conflicting ideas on what is expected of the dialogue and hence will most likely lead to disappointment regardless of the output. Ideally, the
NDC should be a process to build a new social contract between the people and the governing power centers. Yet, the majority of citizens feel disconnected from this process. The average person has not felt the impact of the dialogue, and many outside the cities have not even heard about it. If Friedman had spoken to “some of the most interesting journalists, social activists and politicians [he] met in the Arab world” whom he mentioned in his 2010 op-ed, a long list of concerns about the transitional process would have been highlighted. Just a week before the heavily advertised and financed NDC, I asked a woman in a village near the city of Hodeida “What do you think of the National Dialogue?” A blank stare shaped her face, followed by: “What? What’s that?” I proceeded to tell her about the NDC, and then asked her which priorities she hopes would be discussed in the dialogue. “Our stomach,” she responded! “We are hungry and we need jobs,” she added. She is not the only one who is unfamiliar with the dialogue. While the recent field visits by members of the NDC to various cities are a positive step, they nevertheless remain closed to certain groups of people. In addition, the attempts so far to engage the general population, have failed, partly due to the emphasis on using online medium for marketing in a country where 86 percent of the population does not have access to the internet. The conference location at the expensive and secluded Movenpick hotel with high security adds to the alienation of conference participants from the general society. As lawyer Haykal Bafana said on twitter, “in just over 2 months, Yemen’s National Dialogue has spent US$9,282,000 - no tangible benefit so far.” In addition, each NDC participant receives $100 or $180 (for those coming from outside the capital) per day, in a country where 40 per-
PART 1
cent of the population lives under $2 a day. A participant told me “I don’t believe this [NDC] will bring about any change, but I can’t find a job either, so why not participate?” This not only destroys any sense of civic duty but it is also in contrast to the two years of civic engagement felt during the uprising. The wide range of volunteer activities by revolutionaries was an important stop in promoting civic engagement. Yet, the way the NDC is organized is also reminiscent of Saleh’s patronage system. It creates what writer Ibrahim Mothana calls, “Per-diocracy” rather than democracy. These challenges have made the NDC the butt of new nicknames: “the market of illusion”, “national sleep hypnosis conference”, and “the foreign national dialogue”. The role of external players in Yemen is perceived negatively for a number of reasons. First, the way the international community, and precisely the Group of 10 Ambassadors, have divided tasks related to the transitional process amongst themselves, in their capacity as “facilitators of the GCC Initiative” feels like an imposition to many. For example, the United States is in charge of military restructuring, France the Constitution, the United Kingdom policing, and the United Nations the NDC (with partnership and support from the other countries). This created the perception that the international community is imposing its agenda rather than cooperating or aiding in the transformation.
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Yemen’s Most Informed, Professional & Widely Circulated
MONDAY - JULY 01, 2013 VOL. XVI - ISSUE 52
TURKEY, A WORLD CLASS SYMPHONY There are Two types of ambassadors in Yemen. The Sleeping Ambassador who reminds me of our own, and Active Ambassadors. , some are active at making enemies and the other active at making friends and improving their country’s relations with the government as well as the people. Of those I can name a few. One ambassador who stands out among the rest is the Turkish Ambassador to Yemen, HE Fazli Corman. A European ambassador told me that he is envious of the flexibilities and privileges at the disposal of the Turkish ambassador. I have been observing the ambassador and his interaction with the youth, politicians and media from afar. Despite the fact that he does not live in a mansion or has an open budget, he has gained the love and the respect of many through his open heart, generosity with what he does have, and his love for his country. Not a day goes by without him explaining policies, finding ways to discover what we have in common, and utilizing the means available to him to show people what Turkey is all about. Dozens of journalists are invited to Turkey monthly to experience the new Turkey firsthand. This time, I was invited to what I thought was Turkey’s plans to extend south. I must admit that I was impressed with Turkish Airlines. The manager in Yemen and his professional team were very helpful. Once in Turkey, I discovered that they were not only extending south, they were going in all directions. While in Turkey, I was introduced yet to another man who loves his country, Agaoglu. Agaoglu represents himself very well in his innovative vision for Turkey. Since its inception in 1981, Agaoglu Kurumsal Group of Companies has completed over 30,000 luxury homes in various projects and his
company has been overwhelmed with demand. Their modern urban lifestyle concepts are changing the landscape of Turkey, trying to meet the demands of a country with one of the fastest growing economies in the world. Agaoglu shows his love for his country by creating jobs, attracting investment and selling Turkey and his projects as the best investment for years to come. He reminded me of actors and politicians by the way he carries himself and the way he handles his team. But when I asked him about pursuing that direction, he expressed no interest in politics at all. Even though Turkey is currently experiencing challenges with the dent to their reputation at Takseem Square, I believe that as a nation they will soon overcome this hurdle because of their collective hard work and their unparalleled love for their country.
BY MOHAMMED SHARHAN
Media technical delegation from the Jordanian channel Mahbooba for children held art celebrations in Sana'a and Taiz provinces where a number of children participated, among them the were talented children Amna Al-Samey, Ayman Ramadan, Yazan Nus-
seibeh, Hatem Khairi and other talented children.
This celebration was held in Sana'a on June 27. 2013 sponsored by the Deputy Secretary of Sana'a Abdel-Qader Helal. The seconded celebration was held in Taiz on june 29, 2013 sponsored by the Governor of Taiz Shawki Ha'al.
The delegation of Mahbooba channel arrived in Sana'a on 26 June under the chairmanship of Mr. Osama Manna - President of Mahbooba channel, accompanied by a crew of channel directors, engineers and technicians to organize these celebrations. Mr. Abdulaziz Zahra- Deputy
secretary of Sana'a, Abdullah Al-Faig - Director of the Office of Information in Sana'a received the delegation of Mahbooba channel. The talent child Amna Al-Samey declared that she signed a contract with Mahbooba channel during the competition.
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MAHBOOBA CHILDREN’S CHANNEL IN YEMEN MARKS ITS FIRST CELEBRATIONS