National Yemen Issue 26 by National Yemen Newspaper

Independent journalism, objective insight

Subscribe to National Yemen and Advertise for Free

NationalYemen 01 251650

01 238070 01 238380 01 251651

The Facts As They Are

Gun Culture Challenges Yemeni State

Al-Qaeda in Shabwa: Rumor or Reality

Press Circles Anticipate New Phase of Violence

SUNDAY , Jan 2 , 2011 I PRICE : YER 30

ISSUE

WWW . NAT IONALYEMEN

. COM

Yemeni-American Relations in 2010: A Study in Awkwardness

Qatari Mediation Frees Hundreds of Houthi Prisoners National Yemen Staff

Sources in the Houthi Movement conﬁrmed on Thursday the release of 428 of their partisans from government jails in Sa’adah and the capital, Sana’a. The move follows talks earlier this week in Aden between a high-level diplomatic delegation from Qatar and the Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh and his top civilian and military advisers. Talks are said to have agreed on the eventual release of over one thousand Houthi prisoners from government jails, some of whom have allegedly been in state custody for over eight years. Described as a meeting

focusing on the progress of conﬁdence-building measures between the government and the Houthis, the gathering aimed at solidifying the tenuous peace that has largely held between the two sides since a truce was announced this February. The agreement had ended the sixth round of the conﬂict, which had been waged on and off since 2004, and had claimed thousands of lives in the Northern governorate of Sa’adah and its surroundings. Qatari Mediation in 2008 had led to a brief cessation of hostilities, which quickly broke down and led to renewed hostiliContinued on Page (3)

Opposition Leader Detained, Released for Alleged Support of Southern Movement Yemeni authorities on Wednesday released from custody one of the most prominent leaders of the parliamentary opposition, Mohammed Ghaleb Ahmed, a member of the socialist party. He had been detained four days earlier for allegedly supporting the southern movement in their alleged attempts to sabotage the Gulf 20 Football Tournament. Upon his release, Ahmed commented to a group of activists, members of his party, and journalists, “I was arrested and interrogated by the prosecutor's ofﬁce specializing in terrorism cases.” According to Ghaleb, he was taken last Sunday from his home to the Criminal Investigation Prison in Sana'a. According to ofﬁcial sources, he stands accused of

providing financial support to the southern movement, which is demanding secession from the Yemeni state, and of planning to attack facilities of the regional football championship hosted last month in the two southern governorates of Aden and Abyan. The Yemeni News Agency has also published news confirming that the attorney general summoned Mohammed Ghaleb based on the statements supposedly extracted by Taher Tammahm, whom he called “one of the outlaws and armed activists of the southern movement in Lahj” who stated that the Joint Meetings Party, of which the suspect’s party is an affiliate, had paid 50 thousand dollars to finance sabotage operations to disturb the successful conduct of Continued on Page (3)

Yemeni Gun Culture Threatens the State: exclusive interviews with arms dealers and sheikhs on the weapons trade, see page 4

Military Aircraft Seen Over Radfan By Abdulmalik Alassar “MiG-21” military aircrafts and helicopters were seen overﬂying the Southern city of Radfan several times between Wednesday and Friday last week, eyewitnesses told the National Yemen. They also stated that Radfan, along with the four other Lahj directorates characterized by Southern movementrelated violence – al-Habilayn, Halimayn, Habeel Jabar, and al-Malah – has been experiencing severe tensions during the last few months, which have increased last week due to the recent military build-up. Local residents say they expect military strikes on

locations that allegedly host those bearing arms against the state, but that army forces face substantial difﬁculties in reaching and pacifying these areas. Ofﬁcial statements have described the individuals pursued for arrest in the area as “those who have made citizens and army forces a target for assassination and murder.” A local source in al-Malah directorate, Lahj governorate, pointed out that army forces have tightened their control on the southern movement in the area, which had been carrying out acts of “sabotage and looting of public and private

property, and then ﬂee to the highlands and the surrounding mountains adjacent to the main road for more than two years now.” On Thursday morning, the southern movement held a peaceful protest, which is now a weekly event, and named it “the day of the detainee.” Southern separation ﬂags and pictures of the separatist leaders such as Ali Salem al-Beidh and Hassan Ba’um were raised, as well as pictures of activists who had been killed since the movement undertook a campaign of rebellion and civil disobedience against the government and the regime.

.Sources added to the NY that participants of the protest led by Naser al-Khabji and other southern leaders chanted slogans and songs calling for separation. Sources also pointed that the protest passed through the streets of al-Habilayn town and reached the “martyrs’ podium,” which is the venue of their events every Thursday. Speakers demanded secession and recited poems and speeches, while promising more peaceful protests. Relatedly, a southern leader was injured last Wednesday in Continued on Page (3)

US Objects to GPC Constitutional Amendments The United States State Department issued a statement on Friday cautioning the General People’s Congress, the ruling party aligned with the President, against a raft of constitutional amendments scheduled to be discussed on Saturday 1 January. A parliamentary boycott, characterized by repeated demonstrations and sit-ins, is currently being held by the parliamentary opposition in protest of the ruling party’s decision to hold elections this April, over their objections. Media outlets had suggested that the proposed changes would eliminate term limits on the presidency, and facilitate

President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s ability to remain in ofﬁce. However, a ruling party source told the GPC that such a measure would only be offered in terms of a popular referendum, which would be up to vote at the same time as parliamentary elections in April. The statement, published on the US Embassy in Sanaa’s website, stated, “The United States has seen reports regarding the apparent decision by Yemen’s ruling General People’s Conference to vote on a package of Constitutional Continued on Page (3)

Sunday, Jan. 2, 2011 Issue 26

www.nationalyemen.com

ADVERTISEMENTS

National Yemen

Al-Hodeida Epidemic Spreads Grini Performs for Movenpick’s

The number of victims of a mysterious disease spreading through the coastal provinces of al-Hodaida governorate increased to 14 people, in addition to the infection of thousands of people, al-Jazeera channel reported on Wednesday. Abdul Kareem Hazza, director of the health centre in al-Hodeida, clariﬁed that the viral disease is being transmitted through the air and not through mosquitoes. “The Patient feels a high fever, chills and quavering in the bones, and pain in the joints and legs which may completely impair natural movement.” Moreover, he added that the health centre receives about 90 cases diagnosed with the disease everyday. From his side, Samer Kairi accused the committee of the Health and Population in the House of Representatives of negligence. He declared that the committee has proven itself ineffective in combat-

ting an epidemic which is claiming citizens’ lives. Kairi demanded the officials of the committee assume their responsibilities, and send teams to assess the extent of the disease and provide the necessary support for patients. An official source at the office of Health in al-Hodeida governorate, speaking on condition of anonymity, denied the possibility of effectively containing the viral disease, popularly known as “al-Mukarfis.” While Asman al-Baizani, the Director General of public health, denied the unchecked spread of the disease in those areas and claimed that it was under control, and that the progress of medical authorities in combatting the epidemic is very reassuring. On the other hand, people of Zabid, al-Jerahi, al-Zaidya, Hayss, Bait al-Faqih, al-Kooka, and al-Draihimi are in a general state of

New Year Event

panic and fear that the disease would spread among students in schools if authorities do not intervene promptly. Dr. Zyad Memish , the agent of the Ministry of preventive medicine in Saudi Arabia, conﬁrmed that there are urgent instructions sent to all Directorates of Health Affairs, located on the southern border of the Kingdom, asking them to be careful and vigilant, pointing out that Saudi authorities have not yet reported any case of the illness. Medical sources afﬁrmed that the onset of the mysterious disease is characterized by extreme sensations of cold and hot, and proceeds toward paralysis and even death. Abdul Fattah Grini was the main event at this year’s New Year’s Eve celebration the Movenpick Hotel of Friday. At a press conference held the previous day co-sponsored by the National Yemen Newspaper, Grini was welcomed by fans and journalists, who asked him his thoughts on Yemen, among other things. “I’ve always been fond of Yemen and Yemeni people. I have several Yemeni friends and I’ve worked with a number of Yemeni musicians, so I’m very familiar of how with this country. I am well aware that this country is the birthplace of great

civilizations, and that the Yemeni people are distinct and famous for their generosity, kindness and hospitality.” The general manager of the Movenpick hotel, Osama Abaza, said that Grini was chosen for the event because of his ability to “mix moder-

nity and classical melodies” in his work, which would likely be greeted positively by a Yemeni audience. Grini expressed his desire to incorporate Yemeni music and musicians into his future songs, and even to film some of his upcoming music videos in the country.

National Yemen

LOCAL

Jobs for a Few Good Men

Finding and keeping a good job is a universal concern, and seeking out a higher position in one’s career is a natural part of the employment process. Recently, the President of Yemen, Ali Abdullah Saleh, announced the date and time for the upcoming parliamentary elections for April 27th, 2011. The announcement come as a challenge to the opposition parties who disagree strongly with electoral procedures as well as proposed changes to the constitution. They would have been quite satisfied with a powersharing agreement inked with the ruling party on July 17th, 2010, by which they would have been allotted 100 seats, and the ruling party the same, while the rest of the seats would have been contested by other parties. It was in pursuit of more gainful employment that 9 ministers resigned from the government of PM Ali al-Mujawir, in order to seek candidacy in the 2011 parliamentary elections. It has proven to be in the interest of

these men to stay in power and make sure they get even better jobs through this artifice, in case of any cabinet reshuffling after the elections endangered their prized positions. It’s clear from these events that officials of both the opposition and the ruling party know where the risks to their jobs lie, and will pursue any protest or exploit any trick to maintain their power. Some of the new candidates, mainly on the ruling party side, already have sons or brothers in the current parliament. Being a member of the government staff – as deputy minister, minister, or ambassador – is prestigious and profitable, but these ministers seem to think that a parliamentary seat would serve the same purpose, but might just afford them with more job security. The opposition is playing dirty too, and they are bent on controlling the next government – but is the opposition in a stable enough position to lead the country to a better future? If this is the mentality of decision-makers, what kind of example does this set for citizens to follow in their own lives and careers? Even if their actions flout their responsibilities, and the trust invested in them by their titles and by the Yemeni people, politicians in Yemen during this political season seem determined to act for their own gain.

Continued From Page (1) reforms at a parliamentary session on Saturday, January 1.” “We urgently call on all parties to delay parliamentary action and to return to the negotiating table to reach an agreement that will be welcomed by the Yemeni people as well as Yemen’s friends,” concluded the statement, issued by the State Department’s acting spokesman Mark Toner. Thousands of opposition activists rallied in front of parliament on Saturday, yelling “no to inheritance, no to renewal,”

referring to widespread fears that the president’s son will follow him in ofﬁce, or else he will prolong his own mandate as head of state. Sultan al-Atwani, a leader of the opposition Nasserite Unionist Party said at the protest, “We will not allow these new Imams to take our rights. You are standing on ground where the Yemeni people of old rejected the Imamate,” referring to the hereditary line of clerics which ruled Yemen before it became a republic.

Continued From Page (1) Gulf 20 events. The detention is expected to raise the tension between the government and the JMP, which is already simmering in the wake of an attack on an opposition leader of the Nasserite party two weeks ago, and the decision of the ruling party to proceed with elections despite an opposition boycott. The Interior Ministry threatened last week to subject the leaders of the JMP opposition

National Yemen

coalition to prosecution, if it is proved that it has provided support to the southern movement. An ofﬁcial source in the Ministry said that, were such cases uncovered by ofﬁcials, “the JMP will be subjected to legal accountability regarding their conspiracy to undermine security and stability, and their violation of the constitution and laws of this country.”

Fakhri Hassan Al-Arashi Publisher & Chief Editor

Tel : 01 238070 Tel : 01 238380

www.nationalyemen.com

Army Deploys in Ja’ar and Zinjibar to Confront “al-Qaeda” By : Shukri Hussein In Zinjibar and Ja’ar, two cities in the Southern Abyan governorate, residents reported a massive buildup in security forces during the last three days. Witnesses described the military as heavily deployed in the streets, and on the roads leading in and out of the two towns. The renewed armed presence is likely being deployed as reinforcements to the beleaguered and shortstaffed local forces in anticipation of a campaign to pursue and arrest militants believed to be based in the area, sources told the National Yemen news-

paper. The area had witnessed repeated attacks against army checkpoints and several assassinations of army personnel in the weeks following the Gulf 20 Football Tournament, which took place partly in Abyan as well as in neighboring Aden. Operations which have targeted and killed some soldiers in the entrances of the two cities and in their main thoroughfares had recurred suddenly, after a month-long lull which coincided with the hosting of the championship. Security forces have regularly sought out those believed to belong to al-Qaeda

from among the cities and villages in the governorate, especially Kafar and Zinjibar directorates – the scenes of the most frequent attacks recently. The victims of the last incident were seven soldiers from the Political Security bureau and in a separate attack, three civilians were killed on the road between Ja’ar and al-Hessen last Monday. Also, an assassination attempt was allegedly made on Deputy Abyan Governor Ahmed Ghaled al-Rahawi earlier this week, according to News Yemen. This follows a similar attempt on the official’s life in September – both instances he characterized as

al-Qaeda attacks. The spate of killings and government deployments has met with the general resentment of the area’s residents. In addition, the province has witnessed renewed rioting, as well as increased banditry and killing after the conclusion of the Gulf 20 Tournament. Many residents interviewed wondered why the security situation had again deteriorated so quickly after the football championship, and also why motorcycles have returned to the streets of Ja’ar and Zinjibar after they had been banned, after being used for a spate of attacks against government targets.

Continued From Page (1) an exchange of ﬁre with soldiers manning a checkpoint in the area located between the al-Habilayn and al-Malah directorates, after which violent clashes erupted between southern militants and military units stationed in the area and lasted for more than two hours. The four restive directorates and Radfan are experiencing a state of unprecedented security chaos and an increase of violent acts after clashes between the army and southern leader Abbas Tambah two weeks ago left the latter dead, along with six of his comrades.

In retaliation, solders and army ofﬁcers were kidnapped by gunmen led by southern militant Taher Tammah before tribal mediation succeeded in releasing them. A meeting was held last Tuesday among sheikhs from the four directorates and Radfan, representing different political parties, in which they declared their refusal to develop new agreements with the army, but afﬁrmed their commitment to previous understandings signed earlier with a presidential committee. The meeting adopted several security resolutions,

such as developing a mechanism to implement previous agreements on the security imbalances, as well as forming a coordination committee with the security services to ensure and maintain stability in the area. This meeting came a day after Lahj deputy governor Radfan Abdullah Nasser called all citizens to stand with the government “in solidifying security, imposing government authority, and eliminating security disturbances in the area,” while he reserved the military’s right to hunt down and strike "subversive

elements.” The governor also resolved to confront the current escalation of “violence, murder, and highway robbery” through the military build-up witnessed by Radfan province, and to discuss ways to defuse the tension and spare the region from sliding into violence and chaos. The ofﬁcial statement issued after the meeting also conﬁrmed the government’s rejection of all acts and practices "beyond the law and order, including acts of banditry, killings and kidnappings.”

Continued From Page (1) ties, in which neighboring Saudi Arabia intervened heavily for a period of several months. Neither Houthi nor official Yemeni spokespeople have issued official statements on the negotiation process, or on the timing of the prisoner release. But a spokesman speaking on behalf of the Houthi movement, Mohammed Abdel Salam, announced in a statement that his group had returned ten military vehicles in the Harf Sufyan region which had been captured during fighting earlier in the year, in exchange for the released prisoners. Local sources in Saada

confirmed that all detention facilities in Sa’adah city were now free of Houthi prisoners, and that government aircraft had conveyed some 270 Houthi partisans from Sana'a to Sa'adah, where they were released upon arrival. A correspondent for the al-Masdar newspaper reported that prisoners freed from the Political Security office in Sa’adah city were treated to an official celebration and luncheon at the Youth and Sports center in the town, after which their supporters launched fireworks in their honor. The total number of Houthi activists held in state jails

reportedly stands at three thousand, according to the Yemeni Organization for Defending Rights and Freedoms. For its part, the opposition Joint Meetings Party demanded the release of all those arrested during the war in Sa'adah province, in accordance with the agreements and the Qatari mediation in this regard. The spokesman for the Dialogue Committee of the JMP, Muhammed Sabri, conﬁrmed that the move is an essential step towards peace in Sa’adah, normalization the civilian life there, and resolving problems within the national framework.

He also appealed to continue the efforts that will rebuild what was destroyed by the war, to return displaced persons to their villages and homes, and to compensate them for their losses. Sabri said, “the time has come for us to compensate citizens in the governorates of Sa’ada, al-Jawf, and Amran, and to acknowledge their right to live in tranquility and stability away from conﬂicts and wars that wasted resources and national wealth, and which left behind blood, destruction and ruin,” calling for the parties to continue their efforts towards achieving peace and reconciliation.

One Killed, Three Injured in Tribal Vendetta

Local Council Minister Killed, Civic Buildings Closed in Shabwa Town Three others were injured in wounds in Ibn Sina hospital. One person was killed yesterBesides, two persons got day in Ataaq, the capital of the coastal directorate of Rodom injured from the Aal Bamabad Shabwa governorate, in a tribal due to a separate vendetta. The violent clashes between tribe, who are are local council feud. According to local sources, two tribes Aal Salman and Aal members in the province, an armed group from Huban Bambada in Rodom resulted in Ahmad Ba Mabad and Hani directorate in Shabwa had killed three injuries, one of them from al-Wabar. They were hospitalthe individual in daylight hours, Aal Salman, 33-year old Moham- ized in Baseheb hospital in in the center of Ataq city in a med Mahdi, who is now seeking Aden. The clashes interrupted treatment for multiple bullet case of tribal revenge. Mohammed Al-Asaadi Editorial Consultant

Fuad Al-Qadhi Business Editor

administrative activity in the region, and caused the closure of local schools. Sources afﬁrmed that a group of tribal leaders was holding mediation between the two tribes in hopes of signing an agreement while their partisans remain deployed in Radfan bearing weapons and threaten to further irritate the situation.

Shukri Hussein Jihan Anwar Amel Al-Ariqi Aden - Abyan Correspondent Staff Journalist Social Editor

The Facts As They Are

Tel : 01 251650 Contact us at :

Will Carter Managing Editor

Sunday, Jan. 2, 2011 Issue 26

Mohammed Abdul ghani Shabwah Correspondent e-mail: info@nationalyemen.com website:www.nationalyemen.com address:al-qiada st.

Fax: 01 251651

Newspaper

Noah Browning Deputy Editor

Anatoly Kurmanaev Int’l Journalist Intern

Bushra Ashreef Translator

Saddam Alashmury News Journalist

SeniorTranslator

Akram Almosbahi Technical Director

Wardah Al-shawesh Graphic Designer

Hind Al-Eryani P.R & Marketing

Mohammed Anees & Salah Othman

Sunday, Jan. 2, 2011 Issue 26

COMMUNITY

www.nationalyemen.com

National Yemen

Gun Culture Challenges Yemeni State By : Mohammed al-Qiri The Yemeni government has recently been attempting to prevent weapons and arms trading, especially in cities, by interdicting the ﬂow of arms into urban centers, banning arms traders from importing them into the country, and ordering the investigation of incidents which took place as a result of carrying illegal weapons. Yemen is facing signiﬁcant international pressure in this regard, because of the volume of smuggled arms entering Yemen from neigboring Saudi Arabia on the one hand, and by the U.S. criticism of the widespread availability of weapons on the other hand. Also, armed groups, including al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, the southern movement, and tribal elements typically exploit Yemen’s gun culture in their repeated clashes with state authorities. The National Yemen had the following conversations with arms traders in Yemen. An arms merchant in Sana’a said, “the arms trade is like any other trade – you buy it from merchants and suppliers of the weapons, who then bring them to the shop.” “According to the sale, we sell them secretly for people who are well known, and purchases of this kinds range from heavy weapons to light Kalashnikovs, pistols, and ammunition. An guns trader in the Jihana arms suq in Khawlan, North of

Sana’a, said, “I’ve practiced the arms trade for a long time, since I inherited the job from my parents, and we sell various arms, from smaller pieces up to anti-aircraft weapons – but I have not seen heavy weapons recently. “Authorities tried to keep us away from the sale of such weapons, so we transferred the heavy weapons in our supplies to our homes. Q: Who supplies you with arms? A: Of course, we buy them from the traders and those traders are senior to us. They supplied us with arms and we bought them, as well as by some people who sell their weapons then we buy them. For most of the munitions, we buy them from soldiers who sell them when they need funds.

Tribesmen in al-Baidha take over a government building two weeks ago, and display contraband weapons in a demonstration of force Q: Are there any other sources for the availability of weapons in Yemeni markets? A: You know that Yemen went through several wars since the Revolution started, from the Revolutionary War, which lasted for more than ten years, and then a war of secession in 1994, which is the biggest reason for the presence of weapons in the Yemeni market.

‘‘

”From the beginning of the time, revenge has always existed, but it has disappeared in some Arab countries as a result of the law and the judiciary”. Q: The government prohibited dealers from importing arms. Where do you buy it now? What is forbidden is desirable, is it not? A: If known merchants refrained from dealing in such goods, there are other dealers

who are not known to the government authorities, and these people have their own ways of importing their products. National Yemen also met with Sheikh Mulataf Abdul Wali al-Qiri and had a dialogue with him: Q: Since you are one of the Khawlan region’s Sheikhs and you have a large quantity of arms, do you have an idea where the arms in the market are coming from? A: There are senior traders importing from abroad, and the State is well aware of this -they sell them to the retailers. Also, the wars that took place in Yemen since the revolution of September 26 continued the ﬂow of weapons. The geographical location of Yemen, and its several ports connecting it to neighboring countries makes it a market for importing and exporting weapons.

‘‘

The State has a hand in whatever revenge killing persist among the people, since it has an interest in making the citizen seek revenge rather than demanding of the State their legitimate rights and basic services, such as health, education, electricity.

In addition, there was the1994 civil war, which left behind a huge amount of weapons, considered the largest supply of its kind in the Middle East, as the South was a major base of the former Soviet Union before its disintegration. This was adding to what British colonialism had left behind from the arsenal in the South of the country, and do not forget the recent events which took place in Saada province – more than six wars left behind an enormous amount of weapons that had been sent to Yemen, whether to support the government or to support the Houthis, and all this was through land and marine ports. Q: Does the presence of weapons lead to deaths? A: As a result of illiteracy and lack of knowledge among some citizens in the use of weapons, the presence of so many guns can lead to the death of even the best user of

weapons, as accidents.

result

Q: But does the presence of weapons encourage cases of tribal revenge killings? A: From the beginning of the time, revenge has always existed, but it has disappeared in some Arab countries as a result of the law and the judiciary. But in Yemen, because of the lack of independence in judiciary, revenge killing is rampant, and any person takes his revenge into his own hands, even inside the capital. As everyone knows, weapons are available to every citizen, and every citizen of Yemen at least has a Kalashnikov. Q: What do you think of the new rules on carrying firearms these days? A: The ban on carrying weapons enforced by the security authorities have reduced crime, murder, and

Guns on display at the al-Jihana market in Khawlan, north of Sana’a

revenge in the capital Sana’a significantly. Before, any person who had a grievance followed his enemies into the capital and shot him in the market, and he may not even hit his target, but some local innocent civilians. The State has a hand in whatever revenge killing persist among the people, since it has an interest in making the citizen seek revenge rather than demanding of the State their legitimate rights and basic services, such as health, education, electricity. Q: Are you a proponent of banning weapons? Yes, I am one of the leading people who hopes to live in a society of security, prosperity, and stability. I aspire to a fair system that respects the rights and freedoms of every citizen and respects the social customs, not to the providing arms and licensing them to illiterate people and children, which will disrupt peace.

FEATURE National Yemen Regions of Unrest in South Yemen

Sunday, Jan. 2, 2011 Issue 26

www.nationalyemen.com

In the heart of restive South, tribes deny the existence of Al-Qaeda and the “al-Sahawat” fail to pursue them Arafat Modabesh Special to National Yemen Recently, there has been a lot of talk on the presence of Anwar Al-Awlaqi, a YemeniAmerican hard-line cleric, in the mountains of Shabwa province and his taking refuge from the pursuit of security forces among the al-Awaleq tribes. This is a fact conﬁrmed by his father, the former minister Dr. Naser Al-Awlaqi, on many occasions. However, this journalist’s ability to interview the third most wanted man on terror issues in the world, Fahd Al-Qasa, in the mountains of Shabwa, undermines common views about the hideout of Anwar Al-Awlaqi. The interview with Fahd Al-Qasa was not an easy thing, as some people think. It had been considered an impossible task; however, it is a reality now. The interview has refuted the claims about his death in an airstrike in the Waziristan region in Pakistan. He seemed, when we met him, an ordinary man, like any citizen in any Yemeni region where males wear weapons almost all the time. The only thing that we noticed is that he appeared homeless and adrift in those harsh mountains. In addition, he is a man of few words and very selective in everything he uttered. It was difﬁcult to imagine that he was being pursued, given that he was among his own people, but, of course, he can’t go to his home in the region of Rafadh, although the Yemeni government cannot get to him easily even there. And were the security services to carry out a security campaign to capture him, he and those with him would likely be able to leave their hiding place before the tanks and armored military vehicles could get to them. On the other hand, there is Anwar Al-Awlaqi, who is also wanted dead or alive by Washington. News has it that he might be hiding in the directorate of Al-Sa’eed in Shabwa province, as well. If you want to visit this region, you must take a vehicle capable of driving in those mountainous areas, and must also leave Ataq city, the capital of Shabwa, to the west on the road leading to Abyan province, then Aden and after you go a few kilometers on this

Sheikh Lahmar Lasood road, you will come to a crossroads, which on the right takes you to the center of Al-Sa’eed directorate where the wellknown Al-Awaleq tribes live. Not only do Fahd Al-Qasa and Anwar Al-Awlaqi and others who have been accused of belonging to Al-Qaeda and of conducting terrorism belong to these tribes, but also many Yemeni leaders and icons were born among those tribes, occupying various high political, military and commercial positions.

‘‘

Among the notable features in Al-Sa’eed is the diversity of people’s loyalties despite the small size of the town and the fact that all the people there belong to one tribe and live under the umbrella of that tribe.

To these tribes belong the present Prime Minister, Dr. Ali Mohammed Mujawar and other State and community ﬁgures. Therefore, there is a kind of indignation among the citizens of charging these historicallyrich tribes with terrorism, just because some of their members belong to Al-Qaeda. People believe that the generalization is unfair. Al-Sa’eed directorate has as its center and capital a city by the same name, which has a long history, along with its

A library for the “Call to Islam” in the Directorate of Al-Sa’eed

many multi-story buildings. It is divided into two halves, as is the case with the Al-Awaleq regions and the Yemeni mountainous regions in general. When a visit was paid to this directorate-city, we found a ﬁerce unprecedented reservation towards the issue of terrorism, Al-Qaeda, and Anwar Al-Awlaqi. When we visited the most reputed sheikh of the tribes of Al-Awaleq, Sheikh Fareed Ben Abu Bakr, we found him in his home with a number of his followers, escorts and eminent men of the tribe. The man was skeptical of the presence of a pressman in his territory and in his home. His son, Abu Bakr, the directorate’s chief, had received us rudely before he knew why we were there, what our press agenda was, and what questions we had. Among the notable features in Al-Sa’eed is the diversity of people’s loyalties despite the small size of the town and the fact that all the people there belong to one tribe and live under the umbrella of that tribe. In Al-Sa’eed, you will ﬁnd people who belong to the southern movement; other people belong to the opposition Joint Meeting Parties and still others belong to the ruling party. There are also people who have extreme religious tendencies and some other people do not belong to any of these. People here refuse to even talk about Anwar Al-Awlaqi, as if he was a freak whose curse might bring bad luck to those who talk about him. The people of the region deny the presence of terrorists wanted by the US and the Yemeni authorities. Others just deny the existence of Al-Qaeda there, as Ali Mujawar has. The leader of the southern movement in Al-Sa’eed directorate, said, “al-Qaeda was sent to us from Sana’a in order to strike the southern movement.” He said that Anwar Al-Awlaqi “is not wanted by us at all, and he has never had the protection of his tribe and we do not know where he is.” Mujawar believes that the rumor about the presence of Al-Awlaqi in the mountains of Shabwa is “a rumor with the purpose of hurting the people of Al-Awaleq,” adding that Anwar Al-Awlaqi “is hiding, but the authorities know

exactly where he is.” The Yemeni authorities have resorted to a new method for confronting Al-Qaeda in Shabwa province and created public forces with the name “Al-Sahawat” or “Awakening,” similar to that in Iraq. The al-Sahawat were created from many hundreds of fighters from the sons of Shabwa tribes in order to pursue Al-Qaeda elements. However, a few months later, ever since these forces were formed, no real pursuit operation has been announced. Some people from Shabwa say that these militias have made field operations in some regions for only several hours in search of wanted Al-Qaeda elements. Member of the local council, Ali Abdullah AbdulSalam, also known as Mullah Zabarah, is sarcastic about that operation and says that the Al-Awaleq district is hard to inspect in a period of years, let alone for a few hours. He adds that the creation of the al-Sahawat was just “to obtain funds from President Ali Abdullah Saleh, whom we are confident is against Al-Qaeda. However, those who are below him make a game of the country,” he says. Zabarah denies that the Al-Awaleq tribes provide protection for wanted al-Qaeda operatives, saying “No one is protecting them, and the State has not come to pursue them; if forces come to the region, the people would not prevent them.”

‘‘

Anyone who investigates the issue of the presence or non-presence of Al-Qaeda in Shabwa could come to the conclusion that AlQaeda does not really exist there at all.

He adds that because the State has not carried out any projects in those regions, the people are not cooperative.” Sheikh Lahmar Lasood, an eminent social ﬁgure in the Al-Awaleq district, does not acknowledge the presence of al-Sahawat in reality, saying “There is no such thing as al-Sahawat or coordination between the authorities and the tribes.” He describes such an entity as “a charade by some persons and it ended with time.” Continuous attempts have been made to communicate with Aref Al-Zooka, member of the General Secretariat (political bureau) of the General People’s Congress and one of the residents of the

region responsible for the ﬁle of Al-Sahawat, in order to hear his view on the arguments about the entity he has formed – but in vain. Sheikh Lahmar agrees with Mullah Zabarah’s argument that the tribes do not provide protection for wanted Al-Qaeda elements and considers this “impossible”. He believes that anyone who blames others is the one who failed to take responsibility in the ﬁrst place; accordingly, the tribes are being blamed. Sheikh Lahmar Lasood adds, “We have gotten used to law and order in Shabwa and the rest of the southern provinces and we are not protectors of Al-Qaeda. Al-Qaeda is not welcome here and people believe that Al-Qaeda is part of the State and operates by remote control.”

obtain accurate details about the leaders and elements of al-Qaeda and their movements and consequently it facilitated their targeting later on. “At the same time, the Yemeni tribes realize that the Sahawat of Iraq remained targets for assassination and reprisals over the last few years. As a result, it doesn’t seem that the Shabwa tribes or other tribes will be ready to enter into an open war with the Al-Qaeda elements, some of whom belong to these tribes themselves.” Al-Ahmadi emphasizes that the Yemeni government “might succeed in winning over hundreds of the people of the tribes to support it against al-Qaeda elements. However, this will not ensure its capacity of rooting out the organization from these regions.

Gateway to the directorate of Al-Sa’eed He denies the presence of Anwar Al-Awlaqi, saying, “This is not true and we wish a military force would come to the region – we will not confront it.” Mohammed Al-Ahmadi, a journalist specializing in the al-Qaeda affairs in Yemen, believes that creating tribal armed militias to confront al-Qaeda elements in Shabwa province in the South East of the country is part of an official policy of combatting other problems, which complicates matters most of the time.” Al-Ahmadi says that the so-called “Sahawat Al-Yemen” is “an attempt to adopt the Iraqi experience. However, in my opinion, it is a failed attempt because the conditions and geography are totally different. “For example, the tribes that fought al-Qaeda in Iraq were some day part of the insurgent movements themselves, which gave it the chance to

“It is possible that these tribes might beneﬁt handsomely from the government support and privileges they will get, but at the same time they may agree with the Al-Qaeda elements on certain things, while those armed people leave their positions in those regions and do not to reappear.” Anyone who investigates the issue of the presence or non-presence of Al-Qaeda in Shabwa could come to the conclusion that Al-Qaeda does not really exist there at all. However, there is something suspicious and ambiguous to the situation, both in the tribes’ denial of the presence of the wanted elements who are originally from there, and also in the government’s holding the tribesmen responsible for the presence of the Al-Qaeda in principle. It may well be that these events are being affected by the political conﬂict that is taking place in south Yemen.

Leader of the southern movement in Al-Sa’eed

National Yemen President Announces Campaign, Opposition Promises Demonstrations

Sunday, Jan. 2, 2011 Issue 26

President Ali Abdullah Saleh announced from the southern city of Aden the inauguration of the campaign for parliamentary elections scheduled for late April. Saleh said, “here in Aden we inaugurate the campaign as we inaugurated 2011; from here a lot of important events happened in the history of the Yemeni people.” During an extended meeting for the supporters of the GPC, the ruling party, and the allied National Democratic Parties, he pointed out that the campaign will include all Yemeni provinces, calling on the opposition JMP coalition to participate in the elections effectively and to “overcome pettiness,

www.nationalyemen.com

and to rise to the level of the homeland of May 22, 1990.” The reference was to the day on which he declared unity between the Yemeni North and South. The Yemeni president also appealed to local, Arab, and international organizations to oversee the electoral process, and stated that the government had no reservations on their monitoring. Opposition parties condemned the ruling party for proceeding with elections despite their continued objections over procedure and oversight. Abdul Rahman Ba Fazel, the chairman of the parliamentary bloc for the Islah party, threatened the ruling party with “dire consequences” for their unilateral

LOCAL

actions, pointing out what he called “the error” of holding elections in the current circumstances. Ruling Party intransigence will “irritate problems, exacerbate poverty, and plunge the country into further crisis,” in his words. Sultan al-Atawani, the

Secretary General of the Nasserite Unionist party said of the president’s speech, “the ruling party’s holding of elections puts tremendous pressure on the opposition parties.” The JMP and Independent blocs have disagreed strongly with the ruling party

in recent months, and continue to boycott parliamentary sessions. They carried out a demonstration and sit-in outside the parliamentary building in protest of official actions, and threatened to expand the demonstrations to include all the Yemeni cities. The chairman of the independent parliamentary bloc, Ali Aubu Rabbu al-Kadi said that the Parliament will adhere to a peaceful struggle, and that it is committed to holding ongoing demonstrations until the ruling party retracts its unilateral measures. From his part, the chairman of the parliamentary socialist bloc, Aidaros al-Nakib, considered the authorities’ threat to

suppress demonstrations as part of broader plan to intimidate and frighten citizens. “But what the JMP has called for is not a violation; it is devotion to the law,” he said. Meanwhile, the Higher Committee for Elections and Referenda called for those who wish to pursue candidacy to the parliament and who occupy high position in the government to officially relinquish their posts and officially nominate themselves. Accordingly, a number of prominent ministers announced their resignations as a prelude to their candidacy, including the Deputy Prime Minister for Defense, and the Minister of Civil Service and Insurance.

Opposition Leaders Discuss Broken Calm in al-Dalea Saleh al-Mansub, a member of the branch of Nasserite Unionist Party Organization in al-Dalea governorate commented, “instability and rioting after the hosting of the Gulf 20 in the Southern provinces mainly resulted from the death sentence of Fares Abudallah, who was accused of bombing the al-Wahda stadium,

and the killing of Abbas Tambah – it’s a product of the government’s arrogance after the success of the Tournament.” “While it is a national event and we are a part of that success, it is not an event for the government alone. And what’s happening in terms of repression, assaults and demonstrations in the Southern provinces

is in reaction to previous ofﬁcial decrees, which had prevented any unauthorized demonstrations and peace marches. “So what is happening these days is a representation of the citizens’ despair toward the government, which neither recognizes nor addresses their grievances.

“I think the purpose of the assaults were just to frighten, curtail freedoms and weaken the political forces in the South – and in the North – just to forge the results of the upcoming elections and to send its message to people. What happened to the leader, Sultan al-Atwani, Secretary General of the Nasserite Unionist Party Group, in front of many witnesses and in the center of the capital, reﬂects the security imbalance and the authorities’ attempts to restrain efﬁcient political action,” he said. Al-Atwani was beaten and hospitalized by unknown assailants in the capital two weeks ago – sources from his party blamed the government for the incident. Dr Audu al-Matari, a leader in the Southern governorate, stated, “in the view of the peace-

Seiyun Conference Honors Native Son Symposium Held on Hadrami Author Ali Ahmed Ba-kathir. By :Ahmed Saeed Bazal

Coinciding with Tarim’s final week as the capital of Islamic culture for 2010, a Scientific Symposium on the late author Ali Ba-kathir (“Biography – Exploration –Creativity 1991-2010”) was held from 22-23 in Seiyun, the author’s hometown. The conference was organized by Aden University and sponsored by its board of trustees, and it featured academics, writers and researchers from Yemen, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Bangladesh. The International Scientific symposium analyzed the

political and historical works of Ba-Kathir, and discussed the signiﬁcance of his political setting, along with his portrayal of human emotions as well as many other themes which were represented in the life, art and heritage of the author. The symposium also treated Ba-kathir’s contribution to Yemeni and Arabic poetry. The poet Abdullah Ba-Harthah recited a poem of praise for the late Ba-Kathir which was admired by audiences who participated in the symposium discussions. Some resolutions were adopted at the end of the forum to promote and preserve the memory of the Hadrami author and his work. It was resolved that more encouragement would be givern to teaching the work of Ali Ahmed Ba-Kathir in the education curricula of Yemen in stages of primary and secondary education as well as universities. The conference envisioned

development of a national prize for literary and intellectual creativity with his name. Erecting a historical landmark or a street in Seiyun by the author’s name was also mulled by the attendees. Commitment was made to increase the printing of his work and to distribute them to centers and libraries in the Republic, as well as printing of research studies about him, particularly in the realm of scientiﬁc work, biographies and memories that had not been previously published. Work was begun on publishing the ﬁndings of the Symposium in a book named “In Memory of Ba- kathir,” as well as establishing a center of literary studies bearing BaKathir’s name, as part of a group of research centers at the University of Aden. Participants of the symposium submitted a letter of thanks in the closing day to the president for his sponsorship of

this symposium session, which came along with the celebrations of Yemeni national holidays and weeks after the success of the Gulf 20. The letter also included Aden’s committee decision aimed at holding a centennial for the birth of every person who dedicated himself to lasting works of literature and creativity. The University at Aden is the pioneer Arabic institution to hold a scientiﬁc symposium on such a distinguished national author. The concluding statement also pointed to the importance of the ancient city of Seiyun, which hosted the symposium and was the location of his writings. Symposium members also thanked all VIPs who contributed to the success of the gathering and honored them in the closing day, which was attended by Hadhramawt governor, Salem Alkhanbashy, among many others.

ful southern movement, “al-Hirak,” what’s happening today is something that has happened before; the Authority wants to apply the same strict security processes which were undertaken in the Gulf 20 Tournament. “It’s obvious that the authorities want to forge the parliamentary elections and we have a clear position, seen in the Gulf 20, in terms of peaceful operations and a plan – since the opening day until it’s end. We wanted to exploit the Gulf 20 Tournament to publicize our cause. “Peaceful demonstrations, marches and festivals were held. We are against repression, but we were against the holding of the Gulf 20 Tournament because it occurs in a situation of occupation undertaken by the authorities, tight security members, as well as campaigns

of arrests and assassinations. Despite all these, we held a festival on 30 November in Aden and in other different Southern provinces,” he said. Khaled al-Hadi from the Media wing of GPC party in al-Dalea countered, “The southern movement failed in carrying out demonstrations in the Gulf 20 Tournament because of tight security and divisions among the Southern movement leaders. “It was to such an extent that they had hand-to-hand ﬁghting between al-Shallal and al-Khabji supporters on the charge that these festivals would affect them politically with neighboring countries. “After the Gulf 20 Tournament, they tried to again demonstrate their presence after they had gained a bad reputation after the al-Wahda bombing conviction and the killing of Southern activist Tambah.”

MEDIA National Yemen Radio Shabab Net Aims at Developing Yemen

Sunday, Jan. 2, 2011 Issue 26

www.nationalyemen.com

By Jihan Anwar and Dan Driscoll Radio in Yemen is a small industry despite its relevance as an important means of communication throughout the rest of the Arab world. However, one group of young Yemenis at Radio Shabab Net radio station hope to expand radio throughout the country in an effort not only to provide entertainment for youth, but to educate and unite them. Radio Shabab Net was started in 2008 with the help of the Equal Access Organization; an international NGO which believes in the right of information and its broader out reach as a necessary tool for development.Despite the low use of radio in the country, the young team of twenty individuals are creating and airing several radio programs in an effort to expand its use through-

out the country. So far, the response to Radio Shabab Net has been positive, especially from the expat communities in Yemen as well as neighboring Arab countries. Many are surprised at the professional way it is managed, especially when people learn it is run by a group of people in their 20s. For the small team of the station’s directors, they ﬁnd that the success of their work serves as a vital role for the development of Yemen. “We feel that through radio, we are able to freely address any situation we see in our community” said Feiruz Ali, a Program host at ShababNet. The radio seeks to not only comment on the every day life of Yemen, but also to inﬂuence the more important, pressing

Detained Journalist Demands Wikileaks Documents In the State Security Court, the journalist Abdul Elah Haidar demanded the annex of the Wikileaks document related to his case and the judge, Rudowan al-Namer, refused to give his lawyers a copy. Musa al-Namer, a member of Hood organization also demanded the Wikileaks documents – which are primarily related to the US’s war against terrorism, but also contains discussions of the in Haider case file – being conducted by the State Security Court, which is in its penultimate session. The judge refused to hand over the copy of the files to any of Haider’s relatives or to his lawyer, who refused previously to contest the charges brought against Haider before investigating the defendant’s alleged abduction and detention for more than a month, in addition to the theft of his laptop computer, submitted later by the prosecution later as evidence. Haidar said that everything being reviewed by prosecutors as part of its so-called indictment, including its list of evidence and seizures, are nothing more than press available at global news sites and local media that consist of interviews or materials prepared for press work, but which are not yet completed. These include a documentary project for al-Jazeera about al-Qaeda in Yemen and its hypothesis that American authorities used al-Qaeda as a mean to blackmail the Gulf States. The “West Within” project contained film clips of unknown security barriers and of security forces deployed in some streets of Sana'a. Haider has said of the case, “we cannot deal with the Court, except in one of two cases: whether to release me immediately or to reveal the leaders of the gang who savagely

abducted me,” expressing his persistent decision to boycott the trial. His lawyer, Abdel Karim al-Shami, has expressed that he does not understand the charges against his client. The State Security Prosecution has accused him of undertaking surveillance for operations by al-Qaeda. The judge Radwan al-Namer has delayed the session to 18th of January for a verdict, he also rejected the request of Haider’s family for the case ﬁle to be handed to his attorney. A Hood organization spokesperson condemned the State Security Court for its role in pursuing similar cases against others besides Haider, which the group calls part of an organized effort to intimidate the freedom of expression and to curtail the rights of society. The spokesman added on behalf of the Hood organization his condemnation of all the unconstitutional actions that have been undertaken against the journalist Abdul Elah Haidar and the citizen Abdul Karim al-Shami, since the abduction of Haider for the ﬁrst time on 11 July, 2010 and until his arrest at his home on 16 August 16, 2010, while he is still detained today along with his colleague Al-Shami. The spokesman appealed on behalf of al-Hood for organizations defending media freedoms and the independence of the judiciary around the world to condemn these violations of the law and to put the pressure on the Yemeni authorities to stop the political trials which lack the most basic standards of judicial fair practice. The Union of Journalists has expressed its concern about the trial of Shyea in exceptional circumstances, as well as past abuses of his rights, while calling for journalists and human rights groups to stand in solidarity with their colleague.

aspects of Yemeni culture, such as early marriage. It is not uncommon to find the team trolling the streets, seeking out the opinions of the everyday Yemeni people to reflect the current attitudes and ideas of Yemen. The Manager of Shabab, Mohammed Al-Selwi, explained that they hoped to provide a direct means for youth to participate in the shaping of Yemeni society “cutting out the necessity to wait for long bureaucratic or governmental action that is usually inefficient or tardy anyway,” Al Selwi continued, “we hope that these programs will incite youth to collaborate together in order to solve today’s problems.” “I find it thrilling that the radio has give the normal

teenager the opportunity to broadcast and express his or her thoughts,” said Shereen Al-Aghbari, assistant manager and program representative for Al-Shabab. Shabab net has gone beyond just traditional programming and also offers training from leading experts in presentation skills, drama-writing as well as technical consultations. This includes a drama show every Thursday that is open to the public, generally composed of Sana’a University students. Through this, Shabab net has not only served as tool for the development ofYemen, but of the staff themselves. Feiruz Ali, a program host, admitted that the radio program has completely changed her personality, particularly in

terms of her self-conﬁdence. “I am not longer afraid to stand in front of the public and deliver a speech. I now strongly believe in my ability to achieve my goals.” Despite their success, unfortunately it has gone largely unheard of. Many youth claim they have never heard of the radio station or any of its programs. The staff points out that it is because at the moment they are only able to stream the radio online, as opposed to the more traditional means of FM radio waves. With its online only presence, the staff expressed that it is unlikely to be used frequently because “people use slow connections at cafes which would slow their connection if their original purpose was to research or chat for example,”

said Al-Selwi. However, there are positives of online streaming, it does give the radio access to people in different parts of the country, or even outside of Yemen, and not just Sana’a. In the near future, Al-Shabab will start services on FM radio, which will greatly expand its reach to people who are not just internet users, but people in their homes, shops, and cars. They also expect to be in a better condition to gain inﬂuence and popularity with Yemeni Youth. Yet to do this, the staff acknowledges a lot of hard work remains, but they are more than ready for the task. Feiruz added emphatically, “It’s not as simple as one might think, but we enjoy it!”

Sunday, Jan. 2, 2011 Issue 26

BUSINESS

www.nationalyemen.com

President Saleh:

National Yemen

We Try to Imitate the Rich Neighboring Countries

The president delivered a speech on Monday morning during the closing session of the tenth annual conference for the leaders of navy and coastal defence. The president’s speech focused on the poor state of the economy, the lack of ofﬁcial funds, and Yemen’s “imitation of neighbouring countries.” President Ali Abdullah Saleh talked about the scarcity of potential and the weakness of the national economy which mainly depends on oil, saying “as you know, our income is largely dependent on oil which is found in small amounts, while we have responsibility to education, the military, security, infrastructure, and development in general”. Saleh urged tax collection bodies to account for paymentdodgers on time, and not to let back taxes owed to the state accumulate. “Citizenship should be

linked to pay taxes; tax evasion means that you are not a Yemeni citizen, but a visitor or someone just passing through,” he said. The president responded to concerns over the country’s energy sector: “our production of oil is 370 thousand barrels per day, divided equally between the state and foreign companies, and as you can see the possibilities are scarce compared to our commitments,” he said. He added “When you hear the media fuss when irresponsible commentators talk about the division of wealth; they totally forget about Aden, it was a village and now is today a large city – and how was al-Mukalla and how it is today? “And the two provinces are just an example – what about the rest of the cities in the other governorates?” He also pointed to recent arms purchases of marine and

air weapons, along with the requirements of education, culture, public health, roads, and water in addition to the salaries of more than a million and a half employees. The ﬁnancial requirements of the security forces, he indicated, are based on oil revenues as well as the small amount of revenue from customs and taxes, which is further reduced by the widespread defaulting on payment”. The president committed to the equitable distribution of resources, which, he said, ultimately depends on improved

hopes that the value of the new models will turn a proﬁt, even if only a small number are sold. Mr. Aidrous Bazara, Managing Director of Toyota’s operations, noted that certain signature Toyota models had become a distinctive part of Yemeni culture, and had become ubiquitous in major cities and, especially, in the countryside. “Our cars, especially the Land Cruiser and the Hilux, reﬂect the image of Yemeni lifestyle, and have even come to be regarded as a status symbol.” Noting that these models conveniently matched Yemeni needs for rural transportation, as well as conveying large amounts of livestock, goods, as well as people, he said of the Hilux, “on the road, it runs as smoothly as a Camry; off-road, it’s as durable as the Land Cruiser.” Between 400 and 450 Hilux’s are sold each day in Yemen. Still, some confusion, as part

"now there is a phone in every home to the extent that everyone has an individual mobile phone. If there are ten family members, we ﬁnd that they have ten phones; this is an imitation of rich countries, and there is no reason for this spending. “The State is rational in its spending on some projects while the citizen is not.” By way of example he said, "an employee’s salary is twenty thousand riyals, and he chews qat every day for three thousand riyals, which means 90 thousand riyals a month – a large sum. Where will he get all this?”

“There is fraud and corruption, and we should rationalize spending within the family, as well as organize and supply the requirements for children's education, rather than neglecting children. “This doesn’t mean we are against reproduction, but the family should have between two to four children so we can raise them and guarantee education for them as well”. "It makes no sense to have between seven to ten children and go to work without knowing anything about their needs for food, drink, education and health,” he concluded.

Yemen Mulls IMF Demands

Najar: “our country has fulfilled most of the demands but still some are expected to be issued during the next few days” A round table meeting set for next month between officials of the International Trading Organization and the Yemeni Government in Geneva is to be the last of a series of talks on Yemen’s accession to the organization. Dr. Hammod al-Najar, the chief of the coordinating office with the ITO, clarified in an exclusive statement to the National Yemen newspaper that Yemeni negotiators were pursuing the ratification of new legislation issuance in the Parliament, and the amendment of some laws related to the country’s accession to the organization. “Our country has its entire

Toyota in the Yemeni Market

The luxury Lexus RX 350 Sport Utility Vehicle was unveiled on Tuesday for the first time in Yemen, during a ceremony at the main show room of Toyota’s Automotive and Machinery Training Center in Sana’a. Toyota, a fixture of the Yemeni automotive scene since its first sale in Aden in 1954, is seeking to break into the luxury market, which had previously been cornered, in Yemen at least, by competitors. Representing a seemingly unassailable seventy percent of market share in Yemen, Toyota maintains the highest sales of any car company both in the country and in the broader Middle East. While the bulk of the company’s sales have been in more modest and affordable models, especially in the four-wheel drive Land Cruiser 7 series and the omnipresent Hilux pickup (the best-sellers of 2008 and 2010, respectively), Toyota

oil and mineral discoveries, which will quicken the pace of development. “As long as we have money we will use it for building the nation and improving people's lives," he added, stressing that if the state had money it would be spent on people to reach the living standard of citizen in rich countries. “Our problem is money, and because of our location in the south of the Arabian peninsula, we try to imitate the rich neighbouring countries. He criticized Yemenis’ supposed imitation, and the lack of rational spending, saying

of the recent world-wide recall of a certain Toyota model last year, was acknowledged by Toyota. “Many of our customers misinterpreted the recall. This is especially since the difference between “recall” and “withdrawal” is difﬁcult to convey in translation. “In any event, the move should not be interpreted as negative, or as a sign that we have an inferior product, but rather that we are a responsible company dedicated to quality control and delivering the best possible product.” While noting the existence of low-cost Chinese, Malaysian, and Indian cars in the global market, and the recent activity of competitors like Hyundai in Yemen, Mr. Bazara remained conﬁdent that low prices did not conform to high quality, and that Toyota’s reputation and sales strategy would ensure that its share of the market would remain at current, high levels.

political and legislative components committed to amend procedures and laws in order to be compatible with the organization’s convention by the end of this year. The member states of the Organization are advising the Yemeni government on how to meet the organization’s demands and accede within the next few months. Al-Najar added, “our country has fulﬁlled most of the demands and is still awaiting some legislation to join the organization. “Hopefully, in the next few days Yemen will have fulﬁlled its obligations in terms of legislation.”

The convening of officials in Geneva next month is expected to be the final meeting of the accession talks. The findings are going be presented to the General Council of the organization in its next meeting. Al Najar related his view that Yemeni accession to the organization would play a big role on the domestic and international level in the commercial field and to exploit its strategic location and resources to catch up with countries that have preceded Yemen in accession. “Our country held the final bilateral negotiations this month in Geneva with the

Dr. Hammod al-Najar United States, which resulted in the final signature on the bilateral agreement for access to markets for goods and services markets,” he added. Unofficial discussions were held with members of the team on Yemeni accession to the Organization, which has achieved a significant progress in revising the draft report of the work team.

REPORT National Yemen Press Circles Anticipate New Phase of Violence

Sunday, Jan. 2, 2011 Issue 26

www.nationalyemen.com

Troubled Political Situation Leads to Fears of Renewed Crack-downs By: Saddam Al-Ashmouri

According to the Committee of Rights and Freedoms in the Yemen Journalists Syndicate (YJS), 2010 has been the most violent for journalists – a year in which the first case of murder was witnessed, against Ahmad Al-Rabu’ee, who worked as a correspondent for Al-Sahwa newspaper in Hajja province. Renewed incidence of kidnapping has also been recorded. Ashraf Al-Raisi, Member of the Committee of Rights and Freedoms in the YJS, has expressed his concern about recent growing violations in a recent study of press repression. According to the report, the new measures come as a result of crises in the country and the complex political situation to which journalists have fallen victim. “Violent incidents may escalate against journalists. Crises have consequences on journalists and the most popular court case is that of journalist Abdul-Ilah Haider Shaye’, who is a victim of terrorism in the country, and also the closing Al-Ayyam newspaper, which is a victim to the South crisis,” stated al-Raisi. “There are categories of violations against journalists, such as detention, imprisonment and trial. These categories were the same as in previous years. However, the assaults and detentions in 2010 are far more than those in 2009. Some incidents have recorded a rise in comparison with past years.” The study found that ninety percent of these violations were committed by security forces, though certain statistics and figures remain tentative until the syndicate’s report is finalized at the end of the month. Observers believe that the tense internal situation, represented in the Ruling Party holding unilateral elections, in addition to the implementation of economic austerity measures, thus worsening citizens’ suffering, will double the crises, and put the country at risk of political conflicts that reflect negatively on journalists. Especially vulnerable are outlets which bitterly criticize the government, causing it to silence those voices in various ways, legal or otherwise, which often involve the abuse of journalists. According to the ruling party’s media spokesman, Tariq Al-Shami, “If there was a violation of the law and practices punishable by law, then it is up to the judiciary, which is the arbiter in these matters.” He pointed to the next stage, particularly to elections, saying that they will be dealt with as a national matter governed by laws and rules. Certain members of political parties believe that when tension increases, it inevitably turns into violence in the absence a bare minimum of democratic freedoms. According to the deputy in the parliament, Abdul-Rahman Ba Fadhl, the situation is contradictory. “The more you lower the ceiling of freedoms, the worse the tension and violence. In my

Hasan Al-Hajjaji point of view, the only and real way out of the tensions is by providing the right of expression to the people.” “This is a critical time for the country, otherwise people would not resort to violent means to express themselves, which does not serve the civil peace or the country's security and stability.” Hasan Al-Hajjaji, the Managing Editor of Al-Shumu’ newspaper, said that in light of the political crises facing the State in recent years, part of the Yemeni press have shown a strong sense of obligation to criticize the Authority while praising the positive role of newspapers and journalists in uncovering many issues of ﬁnancial corruption. “At a time when the press situation in Yemen suffered severely ,a few years ago, especially with the outbreak of the Houthi rebellion in the north in 2004 and the return of separatism in the south of Yemen, including the so-called ‘southern movement,’ the Authority did not hesitate to resort to physical and armed violence against any journalist who dared condemn corruption or embezzlements. Arbitrary arrests outside any legal framework has become common practice.” Al-Hajjaji described how the space available for press activity began to narrow during 2010, and it became increasingly difﬁcult to obtain information. But he noted that there is still a small margin available, and journalists can still move freely most of the time. The Authority dropped proceedings against 33 journalists at the beginning of this year on the occasion of the 20th

Tariq Al-Shami anniversary of the reuniﬁcation of the country last May. Out of eight independent newspapers that had been closed, seven were re-opened.

‘‘

“The more you lower the ceiling of freedoms, the worse the tension and violence. In my point of view, the only and real way out of the tensions is by providing the right of expression to the people.” Still, the Al-Ayyam newspaper, based in Aden, has been banned from publication since the beginning of May after the security authorities banned its distribution, and officially confiscated its issues, under the accusation of violating an article of the Press Law that prohibits press exposure of the unity of Yemen. The Government has also decided to create a special court in Sana'a for issues relating to publishing. Lawyer and human rights activist, Khaled Al-Anisi, considered the establishment of courts and prosecutors specializing in journalists one of the most important violations against press freedom in Yemen, and he affirmed that there is a state of

Marwan Damaj alert on the part of the Yemeni authorities to confront and overcome the freedom of the press. “This is evident from the non-recognition of journalism as a profession in the ﬁrst place. The constitutional provision in the article on freedom of the press left the door wide open for the Parliament to enact whatever conditions it wants for exercising restricting the freedom of this profession.

EU Mission Chief Demands Free Press The Head of the European Union Mission in Sana'a, Mikelih Servouna Dorjsu, demanded the empowerment and protection of independent media in light of the general media scene in Yemen He encouraged the Yemeni government to fulﬁll its obligations in the ﬁeld of freedoms, expressing his concern about the draft press law in Yemen, to which the Yemen Journalist Syndicate, has been subjected. He stressed, "it is something that Yemen does not need." He pointed to the European Union’s intention to work more broadly with civil society and maintain contact with defenders of human rights, while expressing his hope that the European Union would support the Yemeni media in the future to contribute to supporting the future of Yemen. He referred to facts indicating the deterioration of the freedom of the press in Yemen during a

seminar held by the organization of Women Journalists Without Chains (WJWC) and the European Commission Delegation in Sana'a last week under the title “Press freedoms in Yemen: guarantees, responsibilities and protection mechanisms.” Tawakol Karman, president of WJWC, stated, “the government’s attempt to coopt media outlets, as well as internet services and electronic transmission, is one of the most heinous violations of freedom of the press. Press freedom is an inherent right - without a ceiling or limitations, preventing the ﬂow of knowledge and circulation of information among individuals, peoples and nations."

‘‘

“A journalist must not publish information that is not reliable or distort correct information or make quotes without verifying those quotes and who they were made by.”

In his paper entitled "Journalists between legal and moral responsibility” Dr. Mohammed Al-Mikhlaﬁ, founder of the Yemeni Observatory for Human Rights, said, "The profession of journalism requires the journalist to be courageous, diligent and knowledgeable and to practice a high level of honesty and dignity. "This means that a journalist must be independent, not seeking any activity that affects or seems to affect his dignity and honesty. A journalist must consciously avoid the intersection of conﬂicting interests,” he said, stressing that under the circumstances existing in Yemen at the present time, independence of the press and of journalists themselves are hemmed in by legal measures, which threaten criminal and civil penalties, and the loss of physical, economic and social protection, in addition to a loss of

maintaining the standards of professional ethics. Al-Mikhlafi pointed out that the Yemeni journalists face a number of Yemeni strictures, particularly the Penal Code, the Press and Publications Act, as well as criminal penalties, which proscribe their possible imprisonment, civil penalties, represented in financial fines as well as additional punishments such as prevention from practicing the profession. He added, “All that came in the Crimes and Penalty Act restrict journalists and are contrary to the requirement of freedom of opinion and expression and disrupt this right ensured under Article 19 of the International Declaration of Human Rights in 1948 and Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights of 1966, and is contrary to the requirement of Article 42 of the Yemeni Constitution, which reads, ‘the state guarantees freedom of thought and expression of opinion.’” Al-Mikhlafi stressed the importance of journalists developing rules of journalistic ethics on their own, so that the ethics of the profession of journalism do not restrict journalists and their profession. He pointed out that the most common of these rules are those developed by the US journalists (the ethics of the American Society of Professional Journalists) and the “Statement of Chiefeditors of US Professional Newspapers on the principles and ethics of journalism.” Lawyer and human rights activist, Khalid Al-Anisi, said in his paper entitled “violations of freedom of the press and the protection mechanisms” that freedom of the press, guaranteed by the Yemeni Constitution, requires the existence of mechanisms to protect it. He said that these mechanisms can only be achieved by ensuring independence of the press from all tools of prior censorship, and to guarantee journalists’ freedom to ensure their right to refrain from adopting ideas against their journalistic beliefs, opinions, and convictions. “The freedom of the press also prohibits dismissal or transference of a journalist to a non-journalistic job. It also prohibits prevention from writing or suspending a journalist from his work or holding him accountable for practicing his profession. He added, “a journalist is obliged to respect the dignity and reputation of individuals, families and details of personal life in everything he/she publishes and to refrain from using his career for personal and illegal purposes or blackmailing others. “He/she is obliged to obtain information and facts from reliable sources and convey it truthfully, honestly, and quickly, and not to block it. A journalist must not publish information that is not reliable or distort correct information or make quotes without verifying those quotes and who they were made by.”

Sunday, Jan. 2, 2011 Issue 26

POLITICS

www.nationalyemen.com

National Yemen

The Diplomatic Tug-of-War

Misgivings, Awkwardness Characterize Yemeni-American Relations in 2010 By Noah Browning By the beginning of 2010, no country had registered the kind of frantic media and policy attention in the United States as much as Yemen. The bumbling attempt of 23-year old Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdul Muttalib to down a US-bound flight with explosives lodged in his underpants galvanized the focus of American officialdom on the country. What followed was a yearlong spectacle of cajoling, mutual-recriminations, and attacks – verbal and otherwise. The mistrust between the two countries is the basis of what might rightly be called the most awkward bilateral relationship in the world this past year. Immediately after the incident, Senator Joseph Lieberman set the standard in hawkish rhetoric for the coming months, telling Fox News Sunday, “Somebody in our government said to me in Sana’a, the capital of Yemen, [that] Iraq was yesterday’s war. Afghanistan is today’s war. If we don’t act preemptively, Yemen will be tomorrow’s war. That’s the danger we face.” Yemen had been a source of anguish for US government officials for the last decade, since the bombing of the USS Cole in 2000 and repeated attacks on the embassy here. But the Christmas attack launched a new scramble to influence the Yemeni situation. A somewhat patronizingly named “Friends of Yemen” conference was hastily convened with British sponsorship in late January, and Western frustrations were voiced with little hesitation. Secretary of State Clinton declared, “I personally believe that now is the moment for the Yemeni government to really step up and do what it has said it will do. “You can’t just continue to make promises in the face of very tough challenges like the ones Yemen is facing without being expected to actually manage and resolve some of those problems.” While Yemeni officials urged Clinton and then UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband, as well as the 18 other national delegations present, to appreciate the complexity of Yemen’s domestic situation, the American side urged the country’s urgent ratification of an International Monetary Fund economic adjustment package, and the enactment of a 10-point domestic reform plan. Nor was the U.S. executive branch alone in its newfound fixation with

Yemen’s governance. Senators Kerry, Feingold, and Feinstein drafted a resolution “urging the implementation of a comprehensive strategy to address the instability in Yemen,” which cited the threat by al-Qaeda as an impetus for America to help set Yemeni domestic affairs in order. Yemeni officials predictably chafed under the demands and accusations, citing Abdul Mutallab’s foreign nationality and the prominently Saudi profile of the “Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula” organization. In a March interview with CNN, Clinton again criticized Yemen, and characterized treatment of women in the country as a national security threat to the United States: “when you have a population of a country denied the fundamental rights we stand for… when you look across conflict zones where we spend a lot of our time worrying, from Afghanistan, to the Democratic Republic of Congo, to Somalia, to Yemen, every place we worry about is a place where women are denied their rights.” Amid the diplomatic skirmishes, the US Department of State issued its yearly report card for Yemen’s human rights record for 2009 in March.

killed Mareb Deputy Governor Sheikh Jaber al-Shabwani, a major local player and government ally. Media accounts cited Yemeni officials’ rage and disbelief at the strike, which had apparently targeted a wanted al-Qaeda leader. American sources remained tight-lipped about the incident, while alShabwani’s tribe attacked oil pipelines and threatened to seek satisfaction in the capital itself. Intense government negotiation and a generous payment of restitution finally defused the tensions wrought by the US attack.

President Obama discusses the parcel bombs affair with his top advisers on terrorism

‘‘

The mistrust between the two countries is the basis of what might rightly be called the most awkward bilateral relationship in the world this past year.

John Brennan and well-connected member of the Yemeni government, who insist that the death warrant put out against al-Awlaki, a US citizen, is unconstitutional. "He's up there -- one, two, three, four. I don't know. He's on the list of people that worry me the most. It is one of the things that keeps me up at night. You didn't worry about this even two years ago -- about individuals, about Americans, to the extent that we now do. We want to neutralize him,” Holder said in a press conference last week.

‘‘

The document was a long, withering blast, which criticizing government policy ranging from alleged mistreatment of religious minorities, repression of journalists, military excesses, torture, corruption, and immigrant abuse. But in June, a longanticipated Amnesty International report implicating America in the missile strikes on a village in Abyan governorate the previous December. US conduct of the attack, which had claimed dozens of innocent lives, was long an open secret among Yemeni officials and the general public. Confirmation by the rights group, however, renewed ire among opposition and dissident groups. The revelations stoked tensions unleashed by abotched US airstrike the previous month which had

Meanwhile, Washingtonbased think tanks, a major source of US policy information, had been producing a series of frighteningly-titled, if repetitive, reports on Yemen. “Don’t Take Your Eyes off Yemen,” “Yemen on a Knife’s Edge,” “Yemen on the Brink,” and “Yemen’s Forever War” articulated the general inside-the-beltway sentiment on the country. America’s highest legal organs also tired their hands at describing the Yemeni situation. In the height of hyperbole, the New York Police Department’s intelligence division labeled Anwar al-Awlaki “the most dangerous man in the world.” Attorney General Eric Holder and the Justice Department have rebuffed the lawsuits brought about by rights groups and the radical cleric’s father, an influential

US conduct of the attack, which had claimed dozens of innocent lives, was long an open secret among Yemeni officials and the general public. Confirmation by the rights group, however, renewed ire among opposition and dissident groups.

Nor did the American media stray far from this discourse. A long profile of the country which appeared in the New York Times magazine in July asked, quite rhetorically, “Is Yemen the

Next Afghanistan?” The words and deeds of the Americans toward Yemen this year seem to provide a resounding, “yes.” Military aid and training assistance was raised to unprecedented sum of $155 million. Though Yemeni officials alleged request for $6 billion was rebuffed, the United States Central Command, according to anonymous sources, has proposed a $1.2 billion military and training aid package to Yemen over the course of the next six years. Also, career diplomat Gerald Feierstein, one of the major diplomatic players in America’s “Af-Pak” war effort, was transferred from his post in Islamabad to Sana’a. The parcel bomb plot in late October, claimed by the Yemen-based al-Qaeda, brought the immediate concern and comment of President Obama and his top advisors on Yemen. But, of course, the embarrassment and finger-pointing associated with the disclosure of classified US diplomatic cables in late November was the low-point of YemeniAmerican relations, at least in terms of diplomacy. The minutes of conversations between high Yemeni and American officials were related in all their excruciating and revealing detail. Everything from the airstrikes affair, Yemen’s much maligned efforts against al-Qaeda, as well as the Saudi and Yemeni war against the Houthis was exposed, uncensored. State and Defense department officials confessed that the leaks were regrettable and embarrassing, but strongly denied the revelation of any wrongdoing. Halting and defiant on the matter, their Yemeni counterparts, among them Foreign Minister Abdul Kareem al-Iryani, assured the media that the documents were more harmful to the United States than to Yemen. Still, prominent news outlets in America maintain

that State Department spokesman PJ Crowley lied about US military aid to the conflict against Houthi rebels and in the airstrikes, telling reporters last December that America had no military involvement in the country. And this is only after 22 documents on Yemen have been released; Wikileaks founder Julian Assange confirmed that over 1500 documents on Yemen, from the embassy in Sana’a and from US embassies around the world, are yet to be disclosed.

‘‘

Prominent news outlets in America maintain that State Department spokesman PJ Crowley lied about US military aid to the conflict against Houthi rebels. As if to provide a convenient bookend to a year of controversy, President Obama’s top counterterrorism advisor John Brennan admitted last week a “strong frustration” by Americans with Yemeni officials, but in the context of “healthy tension.” Yet he strongly suggested that US and foreign intervention into Yemen’s affairs would continue: “Now, no nation could address this range of challenges alone, and Yemen is no different; it needs partners, it needs assistance, and it needs to know that the international community won’t stand idly by as Yemen falls victim to al-Qaeda’s murderous agenda.” This commitment likely means the coming years will witness yet more arm-twisting and accusations between the two countries.

National Yemen