Ali Saleh, Global Negotiator, Statesman

Filed under: General, Yemen — by Jane Novak at 8:12 am on Wednesday, November 16, 2005

Update: Saleh lied, Bush Cried? The White House says they never got a letter or an message.

The UPI report is based on a story in the 26 September newspaper in Yemen, mouthpiece of the Defense Ministry.

News reports suggested Saleh carried a letter from Assad to U.S. President Bush during his visit to Washington Nov. 10, but U.S. officials denied receiving any message from Damascus.

Saudi daily Al-Sharq al-Awsat reported Thursday Bush and Saleh discussed regional issues, including the Syrian case and that Bush underscored the importance of Syria’s cooperation with the inquiry to uncover the truth about Hariri’s assassination.

It also would be nice to uncover the truth about Jarallah Omar’s assasination. That should be worthy of an international inquiry, the assasination of a top oppostion (YSP) political leader. Amnesty Internaional said there were indications that top regime figures may be involved and called for a wider investigation.

Original Post:

Yemeni President conveys a message from Assad to Bush

Yemeni President Ali Abdulla Salih said that he handed over a message to US President George Bush from his Syrian counterpart Bashar Al-Assad as regards Syria’s policy towards issues in Lebanon, Iraq and Palestine.

During a press conference he held in Paris, Salih said that his talks with French President Jacques Chirac dealt with Syrian and Lebanese topics….Yemeni President ,who is on an official to Paris, indicated that he discussed in the USA and in Paris how to solve the existing problems between Syria and the two said countries .

“I can not give details about the Syrian issue before my return to Yemen and holding talks with the Syrian officials”, Salih said.

Salih added that Al-Assad is currently under pressures. “Americans and French have expressed their understanding as regards achieving solutions “, Salih said.

“It is possible that in the near future ,the region will not be hit by evil as the region is still paying the price of what is happening in Iraq .So we do not want to experience other disasters in Syria and Palestine .We are looking for peaceful solutions”, Salih added.

Salih pointed out that he will continuously making consultations with the Syrian president. Al-Hayat sources said that Yemeni side has expressed their deep concern over the possibility of exposing the region to another crisis.

With all those jihaddis catching the AM shuttle from Sanaa to Damascus, no wonder Saleh is in such close contact with Assad.

19 Comments »

Comment by Concerned Citizen

11/18/2005 @ 6:54 am

Saleh did not lie — the source is unnamed; for all you know it could’ve been one of the Janitors or the Butlers or may be Jane Novak. Additionally, he may have delivered the message in their closed-door meeting. Or couldn’t the White House be lieing, after all, they do have a little bit of history (WMD, Monica)?

As far as JarAllah Omar, he joins a list of Yemeni leaders who died because of their ideologies (whether forward or backward). Don’t forget that almost every president up until Saleh died an unnatural death. It’s not fair to suspect the regime, because JarAllah wasn’t as vocal as some other more influencial people in the opposition are. JarAllah Omar was a secular forward thinker, and many people believe it is the reason he was assasinated. May God have mercy on his soul.

Comment by Concerned Citizen

11/18/2005 @ 6:55 am

Also, there is no shuttle from Sana’a to Damascus. By the way, Saleh and Assad aren’t as close as you think.

Comment by Jon

11/18/2005 @ 12:38 pm

Yemenia Fight IY 644, non-stop from Sanaa to Damascus.

Comment by Jane

11/18/2005 @ 12:54 pm

Hi Jon, I see you’ve met my new troll.

Comment by Jon

11/18/2005 @ 1:20 pm

My guess would be he is from the Ministry of Information, the ones who control the state media and attempt to control the independent media. You must have really rattled some chains back at the palace in Sanaa. No doubt, an attack editorial is headed into the papers. I have had a good laugh after reading some of his posts, makes me wonder if he has ever left Sanaa.

Comment by Jane

11/18/2005 @ 1:37 pm

He’s in the US (DC/VA), so I’m thinking the media guy at the Yemeni embassy. But this is a new tone for them. The last guys were so funny. This guy is dull. But you are right about the attack articles in the Yemeni governmental media, there’s several already that Im going to post on later but the funniest is one that attacks the blog itself as proof of an organized campagin. I cant wait for the bloggers to see that. Also they are saying I am a stooge of somebody but theres a wide range of specualtion as to who it is: the socialists, the JMP, the PFU. Then theres always the good old stand by: the Zionists. But its rather annoying, now that I was on TV and proved beyond the shadow of a doubt that I am not a Yemeni man in disguise, they still cant comprehend that I can do this on my own from published reports and that they are fighting with a blogger. I was talking to someone who said I should get some data mining software.

Comment by Jon

11/18/2005 @ 2:04 pm

You know you have to be one the right track if they attack you personally. The data mining software would be good. I wonder what his take on the latest political defector is? Seems to be the trendy thing to do, even the new poll in the Yemen Times is about it. I do remember reading that the Govt. arrested some cohort of the defector after Pres. Saleh arrived back in Yemen. How do they explain that?

Comment by Jane

11/18/2005 @ 2:19 pm

How do they explain a lot of things Jon: the journalist nearly beaten to death while Saleh was on his tour as a democrat, the attacks on the opposition parties in this “multi-party democracy,”
lying to the State Dept that a major terrorist was killed in a shoot out with the security forces to later admit that they released him and aren’t looking for him, or even the palaces while the children have no schools, no water, and no doctors. There’s no explanation, Jon, thats why they attack me. And we all know it. What is the explanation for all the talk from the regime about corruption but not one arrest. If there was to be some accountability, the upper level of leadership would be in jail, so no arrests. Just talk.

Comment by Jane

11/18/2005 @ 2:20 pm

The defector must be embarassing. Soon they will start calling him insane, immoral, or a political operative.

Comment by Jon

11/18/2005 @ 2:31 pm

Called wahid matanoun. Hope I spelled it right. But the troll knows what it means. Also mofi moq.

Comment by Jane

11/18/2005 @ 2:49 pm

heh

He might find his new job a little harder than first expected.

That thing with the flight was nice Jon.

Comment by Jon

11/18/2005 @ 3:23 pm

What is surprising, is that yemenia is the national airline and he ” supposedly ” didn’t know about this flight. It’s even on the side of Pres. Saleh 747 that he travels around in playing mediator for Assad, but they are not that close. I take it ” Concerned Citizen ” does read the official state newspapers, Saba, to see what all the not so close countries, Yemen and Syria, are doing with each other. Sort of like a couple of years ago, the front page of the Yemen Times has an article printed in bold headlines that there was no AQ in Yemen according to the PM. Then on page 7, there was a list of AQ members hiding in Yemen. I still have that paper, I thought it was so funny.

Comment by Jane

11/18/2005 @ 3:41 pm

That is funny.

Which close relative runs Yemenia, the half brother, another nephew? What do you think of that YT article that is confusing me about the Aden Ayban Army? Is the guy saying the government uses them (AAA) to physically fight its political opponenents (which would be a familiar pattern.)

Comment by Concerned Citizen

11/18/2005 @ 9:32 pm

Seriously, this is Sad, I don’t know where to start; but I’ll try to keep it short, I don’t wanna ruin the romance here.

First, I mean no AM shuttle, and it’s only a once a week flight, btw. Jane, the truth is always dull to people in denial. I hope you’re not heading towards grief:
http://www.counselingforloss.com/article8.htm

Secondly, stop emphasizing that you were on TV, so what, no one was star struck; it must’ve been your very first time. In fact, I heard some rather awful comments I didn’t wanna bring up — like you need to use your spare time exercising, so you can get rid of that double-chin instead of surfing the net, and lay off the bacon, and dye your hair a dark color to appear more credible; you have to be in shape just in case CNN decides to call up on you.

Thirdly, the secessionist defector came to the United States through shady means, and is not really a prominent politician. However, he came to the United States to work in a supermarket, seeking political asylum — the details of the story have been published: http://www.almotamar.net/news/25832.htm

Fourthly, I don’t know why you’re so concerned about who I might be working for, or where I might be, I’m merely commenting on your post. I thought that’s how blogs worked, or is this a special one?

Anyway, I just talked about this in another post — I assure you I’m not, although I would love to work for my government; I just don’t have the time.

Finally, Jon I have no idea what you just said, it might be Somali or something, but “right back at ya”.

Comment by Jon

11/18/2005 @ 10:27 pm

Not Somali, it is Arabic.

And you stated no shuttle to Damascus, I was just stating the obvious. Doesn’t matter if it is once a week or daily. And whom you work for is of no concern to me. But working for the Yemeni govt can be very lucrative I hear.

From your words, you must not like your southern brethren and to come here to work in a supermarket says a lot about what his prospects where there. So explain the arrest of Saleh Ali Bin Ali, if Muqbil was such a lowly placed politician.

Comment by Albasha Mohammed

11/18/2005 @ 11:19 pm

Jane
“He’s in the US (DC/VA), so I’m thinking the media guy at the Yemeni embassy. But this is a new tone for them. The last guys were so funny. This guy is dull”.
Journalism 101, there is a thin line between being a journalist and an activist. Your Blog is no doubt a vast database about Yemen, some are credible and some are simply not. What bothers “and Iam SO not going to attack your personality” are your personal attacks on every single employee of our government! Defamation and Smearing are not professional Madam.
If you are a journalist then please remember “we deliver information and it’s up to people to formulate their own thoughts and comments. And if you are an activist, then please respect your opposition. Iam a big believer in Karma “ What goes around … comes around”. I would appreciate your acknowledgment of my duties and position. I will also appreciate your elimination of “name calling” (includes me and the Embassy staff).
Good luck & Farwell

Mohammed Albasha
Press Officer

Comment by Jon

11/19/2005 @ 2:13 am

Mr. Albasha - Yemen likes to proclaim to all that will listen that it is the model of Middle eastern democracy, and this a part of democracy, the right to voice ones opinion without fear of persecution or reprisals. If Mrs. Novak wasn’t considered aprofessional journalist, she would have never been invited on Al Jazeera.

You have a beautiful country with many assets going in its favor, but with the current political situation that exists there, this potential will never be fully realized. Having to hire body guards is not a way to advertise your many archeological tourists attractions.

I can understand the frustrations felt by the embassy having to defend the sometimes indefensible. But attempting to personalize a forum just because someone is attempting to bring the truth into the open for your citizens to hear or read is unethical. Knowledge is power, and those who suppress knowledge and information, suppresses a nation.

Comment by Jane

11/19/2005 @ 4:18 am

Ay Jon, the sock puppet thing is funny.

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11/19/2005 @ 5:11 am

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