Armies of Liberation

YT: After 11 years since that tragic showdown, no balance of power, no hope of political relief from a quasi totalitarian order, with a lot of lip service to democratic political ideals and even contempt for our long cherished values. The future has never been more uncertain than it is now, as we are unable to truly predict what is in store for the nation, when the government has no clear definitive ideas itself of where we are going and when will the interests of the people of Yemen take precedence above all interests?

A report from the Yemen Times, 2003, al Qaeda praises President Saleh and offer him a deal.

These were the conditions:
-withdraw from internatinal agreements re the WOT
-stop hunting al-Qaeda
-no foreign forces inYemen
-terminate military cooperation with the US
-don’t extradite Muslims
-”Quoranic” schools and charities left alone
-control the instiutions of moral and ethical pervesions
-foreigners must abide by customs and traditions

al-Qeada has taken “this strategic decision after deep study and to achieve legal goals represented by the conditions.” At the same time, it praised the stands of the president, describing him as the only Arab and Muslim leader who is not an agent for the West or the East

Then Hittar said some items were non-negotiable, but some were. The al-Qaeda activity against Western interests has calmed down since then, and the state sponsored jihad against the socialists, reformers, secularists, and Shiites has heated up.

Full article:

YT: Al-Qaeda organization branch in Yemen stipulated some major conditions to end up its military operations against foreign interests in Yemen, including the withdrawal of Yemen from the international coalition of the war on terrorism, stop hunting down for suspected al-Qaeda militants as well releasing their fellow colleagues in jails. It also puts the condition that Yemen should not permit any foreign military forces to come to Yemen and that it should also terminate its military cooperation with the US. Another condition is that the Yemeni government should not in any way extradite any Muslim citizen of any nationality to another country and that Quranic and other religious schools as well as charitable societies should not be put into trouble by the state. It also dictates there must be a control on the institutions of moral and ethical perversion and that foreigners coming into the country should be informed to abide by the laws, morality and traditions of the community.
In a press statement of which Yemen Times got a copy, al-Qaeda said “in a response to the call of President’s Ali Abdullah Saleh to repent and cease all acts against foreign interests, we are ready to accept the offer honestly and fairly.”
According to the statement, al-Qaeda stipulates for dialogue and negotiation with the government that one hundred persons of clerics, tribal Sheikhs, political and social dignitaries should be witness on such a move and agreement between the two sides. The statement strongly denied information on agreement between some of al-Qaeda militants in jail and the clerics committee set by president to convince prisoners to give up their extremist and fanatic attitudes and views. It described such information circulated by state media as “lies and nonsense talk that aim to tarnish the image of al-Qaeda in Yemen,” pointing out in a cynical manner that political regime in Yemen as trying to shrug off its shoulders, showing itself as victorious in the war on and being able to extend its experience in this regard to foreign countries, resisted the influence and interventions of the Americans in the internal and mainly more sensitive affairs posted by their embassy and ambassador in Sana’a. It clearly said that al-Qaeda has never conducted contacts or dialogues with the committee. The statement said these conditions are directed to the president in person and if the government abides by them and to avoid embroiling the country into the turmoil of turbulence and accordingly more losses and insecurity and instability, there will be an end to targeting foreign interests in the country. It warned against fallback on the part of the government to fulfill the minutes of the agreement or even falsity.
In addition, the statement stressed that this move is not at all a signal of setback or fallback to go on the right path but al-Qeada has taken “this strategic decision after deep study and to achieve legal goals represented by the conditions.” At the same time, it praised the stands of the president, describing him as the only Arab and Muslim leader who is not an agent for the West or the East but it reminds him that he should not be misled by his “bad cronies and coward clerics.”
The statement has recalled the attacks on the US, highly praising Osama Bin Laden and his fellow guys from many countries including Yemen who faced “the enemy” and were able to put down the US which, according to the statement was planning to do what it is doing now.
In his comment on the statement and conditions, Judge Hamoud al-Hitar, head of the committee conducting dialogues with extremists, said that some of these conditions can not be negotiated at all, mainly those calling for the withdrawal of Yemen from international coalition fighting terrorism and extradition of citizens in accordance with international treaties. He said that nothing has been done with regards to these conditions some of which, according to al-Hitar, are negotiable.

Since the issuance of this article by the Yemen Times, al-Wazeer has been released. The kidnappers have not been sought, much less apprehended, by Yemeni authorities.

YT: The Popular Forces Unionist Party (PFUP), held the security authorities accountable for the release of Nabil al-Wazeer, one of the relatives of Ibrahim al-Wazeer, president of the party who has just returned from abroad. (Read on …)

Just laying the groundwork, the propaganda :

However, the establishment of Al-Haq and the Public Powers Union parties was against the constitution, which prohibits establishing any parties based on religious or sectarian ideologies. The two aforementioned parties proved they were established on discriminative regional and sectarian bases as all their founders and members restricted to certain families, and both parties’ policies are based on prohibited divisive ideologies. The latest events of Saada have proved the two parties have established military wings and have supported the rebel, Hussein Al-Hothi, and his father, Badr Al-Deen Al-Hothi.

This newspaper uncovered the two parties’ conspiracy six months before the authorities did, mentioning as well that the establishment of the two parties was contrary to the constitution. We believe it is time now to take firm action and disband these parties, along with any other parties that are based on religious or racist thought. The constitution decrees Yemeni a Muslim nation and no political party should be permitted to exploit its faith by claiming a religious identity.

Watch as these parties calling for democratic reform are soon attacked while the weapons supplier to Ansar al-Islam (bomber of US troops and Iraqi kids) and the main buddy of bin Laden, Zindani walks free and unmolested in Yemen as a leader in the Islah party. IFP The next step in the assault on the Zaidi people will use the law as a weapon against these parties.

2002: In 2002, when then the idea was circulated inYemen for “strikes against US interests” in retaliation for US support of Israel, the parties reacted: the al-Haq party opposed this slogan and the concept. Al-Haq and the PFU instead called for a boycott of American products. Islah, in a statement issued by Zindani, on the other hand, urged the prompt opening of training camps to train Yemenis to go fight in Palestine.

That Islah party really should split in two: the actual reformers and the al-Qaeda.

Rantburg:

Many people believe that Yemeni military officers bear responsibility for the distribution of weapons in the country. Arms can flow legally into Yemen for the legitimate purpose of supplying the army.

Yemen is noted by Israeli intelligence as one of the chief suppliers of weapons to Palestinian insurgents in Gaza. Additionally, Yemen, they contend, also supplies extra weapons and explosives to Palestinian Authority officers. “The weapons are smuggled by private gangs but with full knowledge of the authorities of these countries,” an Israeli military source said. “There’s no secret here.” Prince Mohammed bin Nasser bin Abdul-Aziz, said in 2003 that Saudi authorities captured Yemeni arms smugglers “on an hourly basis.” The Jamestown Organization reports, “Yemen will likely remain a potential supply source for weapons to interested parties for some time to come, including al-Qaeda.”

1994
With powerful bases in northern and southern Yemen, the Islamists are likely to become the major political force in Yemeni politics. This has prompted fear by Sa’udia and some Gulf states. The Islah party is known to have contacts with Usama Ben-Laden, the Sa’udi millionaire Islamist, now living in exile in Sudan.

Since achieving military victory, the Islamists are now poised to incorporate their agenda in the makeup of the post-war Yemen. The spiritual leader of the Al­Islah party (Islamist), Shaikh Abdul-Majid Zindani. is also a member of the Yemeni Presidential Council.

2002: Mr. Zindani also is a friend and mentor to another Bucailleism devotee of Yemeni descent: Osama bin Laden. The world’s most wanted man has regularly sought Mr. Zindani’s guidance on whether planned terrorist actions are in accord with Islam, says Yossef Bodansky, biographer of Mr. bin Laden and staff director of a U.S. congressional task force on terrorism. “Zindani is one of the people closest to bin Laden,” says Mr. Bodansky, who attributes the book’s findings to interviews with various intelligence agencies, current and former terrorists and others.

Mr. Zindani, who stepped down as secretary general of the Commission on Scientific Signs in 1995, is now a leading figure in a Yemeni opposition party that advocates an Islamic state.

2004: The Treasury Department today announced that Shaykh Abd-al-Majid AL-ZINDANI, a loyalist to Usama bin Laden and supporter of al-Qaeda, has been designated by the United States as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under the authority of Executive Order 13224 and the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. His name will be submitted to the UN Security Council’s 1267 Committee’s consolidated list because of his support to bin Laden and al-Qaeda.

“With this action, the international community’s drumbeat against terrorist financiers continues to grow louder and the financial noose around al-Qaeda continues to grow tighter,” said Juan Zarate, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing and Financial Crime.

The U.S. has credible evidence that AL-ZINDANI, a Yemeni national, supports designated terrorists and terrorist organizations.

AL-ZINDANI has a long history of working with bin Laden, notably serving as one of his spiritual leaders. In this leadership capacity, he has been able to influence and support many terrorist causes, including actively recruiting for al-Qaeda training camps. Most recently, he played a key role in the purchase of weapons on behalf of al-Qaeda and other terrorists.

AL-ZINDANI also served as a contact for Ansar al-Islam (Al), a Kurdish-based terrorist organization linked to al-Qaeda, which is included in the UN 1267 sanctions Committee list.

AL-ZINDANI is the founder and leader of the Al Iman University in Sanaa, Yemen, which has over 5,000 enrollees. Al Iman students are suspected of being responsible, and were arrested, for recent terrorist attacks, including the assassination of three American missionaries and the assassination of the number two leader for the Yemeni Socialist party, Jarallah Omar. Notably, John Walker Lindh was also a student at Al Iman University before he joined the Taliban.

2005: remains a prominent business man and political leader in Yemen

Update: Kohlman: In the aftermath of the Soviet-Afghan jihad, Zindani encouraged refugee Arab-Afghan fighters loyal to al Qaeda to resettle and continue their training in the mountainous regions of Yemen. There he started his own religious university, the very same institution where future American Taliban John Walker Lindh was to study before traveling on to Pakistan. Moreover, in 1994, according to a Jordanian criminal indictment, Shaykh az-Zindani gave $10,000 on behalf of Osama bin Laden to help finance a radical Islamic terrorist cell in Jordan that committed several fatal bombings.

Per Stefania
The Student Movement Coordination Committee for Democracy in Iran ( SMCCDI ) website is back online SMCCDI.

Good job Stefania.

MCN: Yemeni tribesmen seized six drug traffickers as they tried to smuggle four tons of drugs into Saudi Arabia, reports said Thursday. (Read on …)

I never thought I would agree with an Iranian Mullah but I have to agree with this:

Montazeri, one of Iran’s highest ranking theologians, believes “the new wave of attacks against the Shiite minority in Yemen is a consequence of the increased presence of Wahabis in the leadership of the country.” ——— The (Yemeni) Shiite rebels are not linked to al-Qaeda however, as they are reported to detest al-Qaeda more than they hate the Yemeni state.

It sounds more legit coming from Sistani: ‘brutal massacres’ by the (Yemeni) Government and a ‘sort of genocide of the Shia’a’.

(Yemen 11) Ayatollah Sistani and the War in Yemen at World Press. org

Now if I recall correctly, when we had that picture posted here, Gordon won the caption contest with: “Your client is guilty, can’t you see, he’s in jail!”

attack the opposition and reform minded, democracy advocates like the jounalist/reformer Abdul Mohsin.

17/5/2005 PFU blames authorities for assault on its premises:

AL-Sahwa net-The popular Forces’ Union (PFU) party blamed Yemeni authorities for trespassing on its headquarters and robbing the computer sets belonging to its mouthpiece, “Al-Shoura” newspaper (al-Khaiwani’s paper). A statement, issued by the PFU and a copy of which was obtained by Al-Sahwa net, said that the assault coincided with President Saleh’s strong-worded attack on the party.

It also recalled the adduction of Nabeel Al-Wazeer, member of the party’s secretariat general, and the threats of outlawing the party.

The PFU statement urged the political parties and the non-governmental organizations to “firmly stand against such violations, and to support the democratic option as a precondition for building the country’s future and maintaining its security and stability”. During his meeting with Yemeni clerics last Saturday, President Saleh accused the PFU and Al-Haq parties of plotting to lead a coup d` `etat against what he termed as “the revolution and the republican system”.

All the reformers and opposition are getting harrassed, threatened and arrested in advance of the election.
Did I mention that Salah won 96% of the vote in 1999?

(Read on …)

A reference on the officially sanctioned and thriving gun running trade in Yemen:

MENLIsraeli military intelligence sources said Egypt, Libya and Yemen have become the leading suppliers of weapons to insurgency groups in the Gaza Strip. The sources said the three Arab League states also supply Palestinian Authority officers with extra weapons and explosives.

“The weapons are smuggled by private gangs but with full knowledge of the authorities of these countries,” a military source said. “There’s no secret here.”

The sources said arms dealers purchase AK-47 assault rifles, rocket-propelled grenades, rocket and missile components, ammunition and explosives in Egypt, Libya and Yemen. From these countries, the supplies are shipped to Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula and then smuggled over the border into the Gaza Strip or Israel.

And not just to the Palestinians either.

related: bin Laden linked al-Qaeda in Gaza

Misc Links: PBS, MIPT, North Korean scuds, khat , drugs, honey

A visit from the North Korean Foreign Trade Minister? I thought the only thing North Korea had to trade was illegal weapons.

Consider the source: Saleh, the king of propaganda.

What follows is pure specuation, unlike everything else I’ve written is well documented, but I have to say I’m highly skeptical of this story: Yemeni Officials on Terrorist Hit List and Yemen says Qaeda suspects planned to kill officials. IFPBS?

If Saleh want to crack down on Terrorism, he could arrest Zandani and close the 143 known al-Qaeda bank account as requested by the UN. (see post immediately below.)

al-sahwa, 16/5/2005 : For this part, Abdul Aziz Al-Samawi, a lawyer for the prime suspect, Anwar Jilani, denied all such charges brought against his client . “ Those ( the charges) are only security obsessions usually fabricated by Arab security services,” he argued. “The suspects’ age and the size of their bodies are enough to disprove the prosecution’s allegations,” remarked.

Its great PR for Saleh though, round up a few teen-agers just as he’s about to make his next move against the Zaidis. Make the West think he’s helping in the WOT just as he starts targeting the Zaidi parties and papers. Once I do more research, I’ll update this post. But I dont see why the grown ups in al-Qaeda would target their very good buddies in the Yemeni govt and disrupt the web of money and corruption that is functioning so well for them unless its a few low level stooges meant to deflect attention.

Update: Cao got it two days ago: The timing of this seems extremely bizarre. Is the corrupt Yemeni government putting on a show for the sake of Americans….

Update: again I forgot to say this article was also published in Yemen in Arabic by that editor al-Khaiwani we made the petition for. For the regular readers this is a/k/a Yemen 12. (also at BNNand Townhall in the foreign policy section and the national security section. Also at Middle East Transparent, Front Page Magazine, Religion Journal. Then again at Townhall, this time in the email alert. It was fun getting myown article . Also at World Press.org This is why its good not to get paid: better distribution. )

Yemen: al-Qaeda in Broad Daylight

So did you hear the one about Yemen? They are “reforming” the press law. The proposed law now includes the death penalty for journalists. How about this one? To unify the country, the government is confiscating Shia religious material. How about this? This ally in the War on Terror is perpetuating an al-Qaeda jihad.

Recent public statements about Yemen paint a dire picture. Ayatollah al-Sistani and the religious establishment in Najaf, Iraq said there is a “brutal massacre” of Shiites going on. The defecting Yemeni Ambassador has stated that high ranking members of the Yemeni government and military are affiliated with al-Qaeda. Putting together the massacre with the al-Qaeda, it’s like another 9/11 unfolding slowly in the mountains and cities of Yemen.

The Yemeni Ambassador to Syria, Ahmed Abdullah al-Hasani, is attempting to defect to the UK. He says that members of Al-Qaeda are in the highest ranks of Yemen’s military and security forces. Al-Hasani says that it is very likely that President Ali Abdullah Saleh “knew in advance of the Cole explosion” which killed 17 US servicemen. Indeed, Freedom House in 2003 reported that Saleh refused to even investigate the Cole bombing until the US threatened military action. Also in 2003, al-Qaeda praised President Saleh as the only Arab and Muslim leader who is not an agent for the West or the East.
(Read on …)

House of David:

Yemen is divided between the self-styled “normative” sort of Muslim – i.e. radicalising Sunnis – and a faction of the other sort who are usually first to die when the former sort take charge. Yemen’s minority Muslims, as far as I can tell, are a remnant from the early days of Shi’ism: the Jarudiyya sect of Zaydis….

Zaydi law shares with the Hanafi branch of Sunnism a high respect for al-Baqir and adherence to the legal precepts of Kufa as of the late Umayyad era. Also, their support for rebellion, if domesticated, would allow for a more democratic form of politics than is traditional to more monarchical forms of Shi’ism such as, e.g., the ‘Abbasids (if you count them) and Fatimids.

The Zaydis ended up in Yemen and there ran an Imamate, a sort of caliphate, until a revolution upended their rule in the 1960s. Apparently the Zaydis are now considered “un-Islamic” and slated for destruction.

This would be a shame for those who prefer their Islam pluralistic. It would be tragic for historians; because the Zaydis probably have an extensive and ancient literature, mostly independent of other Shi’a and Sunni movements, and I doubt it’s all been published yet.

He goes into a lot more detail at his full post. (Read on …)

Now its a coup attempt? Man, can this guy spin murder and turn around the whole jihad to blame it on the victims. Yemeni President Saleh:

He said those involved in the rebellion were “militias,” the “armed wing of the Al-Haq and Union of Popular Forces parties,” a reference to two Zaidi-led Islamist opposition parties.

It was a few hundred guys and an old man in the mountains. Now its the parties????????? Did I tell you? I told you targeting the civic leaders was coming next after the slaughter of the villagers, trashing the libraries, closing the schools, dragging the burnt bodies through the streets, the mass arrests, and so one. (Read on …)

There’s a whole thing also with the students:

On the other hand, the National Authority for Defending Human Rights and Freedoms (HOOD) denounced such illegal practices by security forces, which hindered the pace of the demonstration and prevented different media means from covering the event. It also strongly denounced beating and attacking students who are struggling for their rights.

HOOD condemned the arbitrary procedures imposed on Abdurrahman al-Mauz’e (aka the dental student) concerning his 1-year suspension for writing journalistic articles one year ago.

Norwegian Diplomat Kidnapped and Killed This is from the year 2000, and I’m throwing it here for future reference: (Read on …)

Update: Ok Now it makes sense. He’s a reformer.

Two Yemeni writers yesterday announced they have established a pro-democratic reform movement called “Leave” that calls for a peaceful change of government.

A security official said one of the founders had been arrested on drunk driving charges. Abdul Rahim Mohammed Seif Mohsen and Rashad Salem Ali described “Leave” as a peaceful, nonpartisan, independent popular movement.

“It’s a movement that calls for comprehensive political reforms in the country through a peaceful change of the existing regime,” they said in a statement. They said the movement asks the government to: “Leave power for the sake of the people’s best interests.”

The statement urged Yemenis to demand constitutional changes that guarantee democracy and freedom, saying the changes should be realized through local and presidential elections planned for next year.

A security official said Mohsen was arrested on Wednesday after being stopped on a Sana’a street for a traffic violation. The policeman discovered that Mohsen was drunk and arrested him, the official said on condition of anonymity. Ali said the charges had been “fabricated.”

Original Post:

There’s lots of Houdinis in Yemen.

Al-Sahwa net, 5/12/05 The Political Security Organization (PSO) on Thursday denied its elements had arrested Abdul Rahim Mohsen, a press writer, who mysteriously disappeared (poof) on Wednesday.

“We didn’t detain Mohsen and the PSO has nothing to do with his disappearance,” a PSO security source told Al-Sahwa net.

On the other hand, Hamadi Al-Bukari, member of the Yemeni Journalists’ Syndicate’s (YJS) board, unveiled Mohsen was still being held at the Criminal Investigation Department’s (CID) prison without any charges being leveled against him.

Bukari, who visited Mohsen in captivity, affirmed elements working for the CID Wednesday rounded up the writer while strolling in Al-Adl street. He quoted security at that department as confirming Mohsen’s arrest had nothing to do with his opinion pieces.

If not insulting the president, what then, he had pamphlets? Did he chant something? Denounce the violence?

And how long is he going to be in jail before they even fabricate some charges against him?

Did I mention that the new proposed “reformed” press law falls under the penal code, thus can include the death penalty for journalists?

Update: He speaks to the YT:

“While I was driving my car at 5 pm last Thursday in al-Asbahi zone to take part in a condolence service at the house of a friend of mine, three armed men came suddenly and took me to the Criminal Investigation Bureau’s prison with no reason except that they are given instructions to capture me.”

He added that his captors attempted to invent charges that are groundless and far from reality against him, and they threw a wine bottle into his car and accused him of being a drunkard.

related: American Journalism Review

Saleh Pardons al-Houthi (Who is going to pardon Saleh?)

Can’t find him, can’t kill him, so pardon him. There’s no actual charges on al-Houthi beyond chanting slogans. Maybe it was the interview al-Houthi gave where he said the army was using gas against the people in Sa’ada and running over their bodies with tanks. Maybe it was Sistani and the Ambassador making a racket in the press.

So what does this mean:
Stop bombing peoples houses?
Release the thousands of people who were rounded up arbitrarily and are held without charges?
Reopen the religious schools?
Restock the religous libraries that were trashed?
Stop threatening sermon speakers in mosques?
Is this another its officially over but not really over ploy?
And the big question: for how long?

SANAA, May 12 (al-Reuters) – Yemen’s president has pardoned a leader of a rebellion in which more than 170 people (?) have been killed in the past two months, a state run Web site said on Thursday. (Read on …)