Armies of Liberation

OK stop laughing. Yemen is on the internatinal committee with the UK and Canada that is charged with providing technical assistance and support for Iraqis elections. Iraqs in Yemen though will not be able to vote in the election.

“This is Yemen’s award for its success in democracy,” according to Abdu Al-Janadi, head of the media sector of the Yemen Supreme Commission for Election and Referendum. And yes, Yemen is one of the most “reform minded” of the Arab states, in that it holds a lot of conferences on “reform.”

America’s premier election monitor extrodinair, Jimmy Carter, is MIA regarding this election that will greatly impact US national security and the fate of millions in Iraq, in the region and in the world. Instead we get Yemen. (Read on …)

Death of Free Speech
Death of a Free Press

September: Editor Abdulkareem al-Khaiwani imprisoned for a year at hard labor for insulting President Saleh.

October: Three papers closed: Al-Shurra as a punitive measure, Al Hurriye’s liscence was suspended for an indefinite period on the official grounds that it had changed its logo without permission, and the third because it was a day late with an application.

Editor Sadiq Al-Jarrash of Al-Zajil independent newspaper attacked and beaten Oct 20th.

Mohammed Salem Al-Sagheer, editor and owner of the printing press in Yemen murdered Dec 6.

Four journalists convicted of criticising the Saudi regime and given suspended sentences Dec 27th.

Now January 6, two more journalists imprisoned and sentenced to two years at hard labor:

Yemen’s press freedom has slipped again by the latest judicial court verdict against two journalists, the Editor-in-Chief of Al-Hurriya newspaper Abdulkareem Sabra and one of the newspaper’s reporters Abdulqawi Al-Qubati. They both got two-year jail sentences with hard labor…

While some countries never really started reforms, in Yemen its like an abortion of a democracy fetus, because they were so far along and now its gone back to zero, the baby dead on the ground, because without free speech, its all just window dressing. Son of a bitch.

In Sunni majority Yemen, many Shiites live in the largely ungoverned tribal region. They are heavily armed and anti-US and anti-Israel. A few months ago, there was a limited rebellion against the Yemeni government.

The government brutally put it down. In addition to sending troops, President Saleh bombed his own country for many days. Official estimates are 400 civilians were killed. Rumors are several thousands of civilians were killed. There was a widespread popular outcry in Yemen about these tactics.

Adbulkarim Al-Khaiwani’s newspaper al-Shoura published an oped reflecting the popular sentiment. It was harshly critical of the government and its handling of the rebellion. This is al-Khaiwanis crime: publishing an oped criticizing the death of civilians. (Read on …)