Armies of Liberation

I think the stats are over 7% to about 1.5%. The healthcare situation is deplorable.

(YT/NY) The study carried out Dr. Nasser Al-Awlaqi of Sanaa University and published by Al-Thawabit magazine revealed that Yemen traced Oman and Jordan in the budget allocation for military equipment and arms, which received this year USD 885.5 million, while it allocated a much lower amount to other vital sectors such as health which gets less than 1.5% of the budget putting Yemen at the bottom of all Arab countries in health spending and in the sufficiency of doctors as it has a ratio of 22 medical doctors for every 100,000 Yemeni citizens.

The study said that the Yemeni government tripled its budget allocation for the military during 1998-2003 in an unprecedented move by an Arab country, while it ranked the second least Arab country in the UN Human Development Index after war-torn Somalia.

This IMF Report also documents the tripling of military expenditures, in you’re in the mood for a 65 page PDF file filled with charts.

If not there’s also this 2004 democracy assessment done for the US government. I’m starting to see where they get their impressions. That one’s about 85 pages PDF.

In keeping with our PDF theme, theres always Jamestowns 2004 Issue devoted to Yemen.

It sounds very good but I’m a little cynical having seen so many big reform plans announced that are not implemented. There’s still only one embassy closed after *that* big round of announcements. But if nothing else, this announcement will fuel the tide of rising expectations in Yemen.

YT/NY: The statement said the meeting tackled the mechanism to executing some drastic reform measures in ‘the democratic, regulatory, judicial, economic, financial, and administrative sectors’ and also in ‘combating corruptions plus strengthening press freedoms and adjusting the press and publication law’.

The cabinet, which has been holding daily meetings since the return of Saleh from his tour, announced yesterday that it has developed ‘a list of extensive reform measures’ that would be incorporated in the program of the upcoming General People’s Congress assembly meeting to take place in Aden mid December.

Among the major focal points raised in the statement was the concentration on real practical mechanisms to apply urgently needed reforms in various aspects and to activate apparatuses that would hold the government responsible and monitor its performance.

The meeting also approved the establishment of an independent national commission to combat terrorism that would be composed of governmental bodies along with some civil society organizations.

The meeting also resulted in the formation of a supreme independent technical committee to monitor bids and tenders and to improve transparency in the process of approving tender and bid operations. It will also help in ensuring neutrality in the phase of selecting the winning companies or contractors based on technical conditions and standards that would guarantee the most appropriate prices and highest quality ‘to save public wealth from unnecessary expenses’ and ‘to implement projects based on the highest of standards’.

The meeting also approved a number of amendments to laws of the judicial branch to help secure the financial and administrative independence of the judiciary based on the constitution and to eliminate potential manipulation or pressure by the executive branch and to cope with international standards particularly in commercial courts to secure the interests of investors by ensuring that court cases are dealt with in a swift, professional, and effective manner by honest, qualified and well-trained judges.

Update: Anti-corruption body to be set up. But once additional cases are identified, will any one be brought to trial, not the low level people but the real theives?

The Yemeni government wigged out after I was on al-Jazeera. Wigged. Out.

This article is not an attack article but it discusses the barrarge of Yemeni governmental media attacks on me. The title is A Front Called Novak:

After more than one week of the battle of the government and the govern party’s press that has launched a campaign against what they pretend is a foreign enemy who is going to root out the country; it is the American journalist Jane Novak.

It is normal that the speech of Jane Novak to Al-Jazeerah has cause all this outrage and reaction of the Yemeni regime, however the regime through it media was vulgar and not was aware of the fact that it gives more evidence and proofs to what was Jane saying .

They launched to attack Jane’s personal affairs and replaced the objectivism with swearing and cursing.

From the Thawrah, the government newspaper, to the Congress Party’s newspaper ( Al-Methaq) and between them, all the government and the websites newspapers even the small bulletins and independent journals which they use the public money all of them have nothing to say only talking about Jane Novak the describing her as a conspirator, Zionist, traitor, unemployed and the owner of a bad website and lying sources.

The governmental media insists that all the opposition’s parties and their newspapers are involved with this American Journalist at mobilising foreigner’s forces against Yemen aiming to destroy the legitimate regime.

Despite the fact that Jane is an independent Journalist they insist on describing her activities as an expression of the American and Zionism strategic and enmity policy.

It seems that this speech is not a boyish speech and not all those auditors write with personal motives or because of the lack of professionalism but it is the official policy and method of the president Saleh at dealing with his oppositionists inside and outside the country.

The personal press consultant of the president Saleh (Fares Alsanabani) who used this method by attacking Jane’s private affairs (on the al-Jazeera show) is an example. All these mentioned newspapers used the same method even that Al-Methaq (the ruling General Congress Party’s newspaper) has invented a personal accusation that Jane has romantic relationship with one of the Yemeni oppositionist .

Novak also has written surprisingly at her website about the regime media ways of attacking even her personal website.

Vulgar? Personal Attacks? Swearing and Cursing? A Romatic Relationship? bwahahahaha The very best is “owner of a bad website.” I can’t stop laughing.

Maybe its the woman thing, but they just can’t wrap their heads around the idea that no one is directing me, not for love or money. For a long time, the accusation was that I was a Yemeni man in disguise. That’s been pretty well debunked. Maybe its better if they think I have some organization behind me, but I’d love to see the Yemeni officials’ faces the day the reality sinks in that its one woman, all by herself (well, with a blogosphere and a solid editor), who is bringing them so much grief by speaking the (well-documented) truth.

I think I’ll set the time on this post to 3 AM so they can continue to say that I work all night. Aw screw it, I’m gonna ‘lanch myself from the Boyz and Girls instead. I get by with a little help from my blogfriends.

Update: HI!!!! What a sleezy regime huh? But this is nothing compared to what they do internally to the Yemeni people who speak out- the reformers, the political opposition, and the journalists who are facing an unprecedented wave of violence and repression. Its brutal.

Also I failed to note this article is at al-Shoura’s website, where al-Khaiwani is the editor. Its very ironic that after we made the petition for his release from jail, its turning around that the guy winds up defending me, like in his article Stop Atacking the American Journalist (written before the al-Jazeera show and this new onslaught). Like he doesn’t have enough headaches.

This Thanksgiving I am grateful for:

My family

My friends (including my blog friends and my Yemeni friends)

My RIGHTS

(NYT) Two United States oil companies, taking an unusual tack, filed arbitration proceedings this week against the government of Yemen for expropriating an oil-producing block with output worth more than $1 billion a year.

A venture owned by the Hunt Oil Company and Exxon Mobil sought arbitration before the International Chamber of Commerce in Paris, a rare instance of oil companies taking action in an international forum against a sovereign nation.

Last week, the Yemeni government said that a government-owned company would replace the American companies’ venture, the Yemen Exploration and Production Company, or Y.E.P.C., as the operator of the area, known as Block 18….

“Since 2004, Y.E.P.C. has invested millions of dollars at the direction of the Yemeni government,” said Michael Goldberg, a partner in the Houston law firm of Baker Botts, which is representing the venture. “Up until Nov. 15, we fully expected that they would honor the contract. The government of Yemen had no right to take over this operation, and although we did not want to file an arbitration, they gave us no choice.”

The Yemeni decision to replace the Hunt venture with a government-owned company may be linked to the recent surge in oil prices. With production averaging over 75,000 barrels a day, revenues from Block 18 would total $1.6 billion a year, at $58.71 a barrel, Wednesday’s closing price on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

More here and also here.

With this new big source of revenue to divert, it seems less likely Saleh will stand down for the presidential elections.

Consolidating the Voter Registration and Verification Committees in the hands of the Ruling Party:

(YT)Politicians hold the view that such a stance of the HCER leads to crisis with the opposition parties which had originally formulated 5620 field committees as per the law. Therefore, the HCER declaration has shocked the opposition parties that are planning to take a unanimous decision and confront it.

But the existance of 400,000 minors who are registered voters is not rectified:

On another front, The HCER acknowledged the existence of 400 thousand minors who have been enlisted on the election registers. However, it has not undertaken any rectifying measures to delete minors from the list despite claims by the opposition parties to modify the elections register as early as possible.

Then theres always the tactic of making the press law yet more repressive:

(YT) Mr. Al-Bukari indicated that the main reason behind his resignation is upcoming endorsement of a draft media law that will eventually destroy the freedom of the press which is currently at its infancy. Mr. Al-bukari believes that the new media law will make journalist’s rights more vulnerable, and will not protect journalists of any violations of their professional, human and constitutional rights.

But the imprisonment of vocal opponents is a standard tactic:

(YT) I personally express concern over what is happening to my brother who is a prisoner of opinion, and I request all international organizations to take quick action against the illegal and arbitrary practices against humanity and human rights taking place in Yemen”.

Cleric Yahya Al-Dailami demanded that the legal authorities stop harassing Zaidi people because of their belonging to the Zaidi sect, he also claimed that was subject to assault by the authorities in the Sana’a Central Prison.

(Judge Luqman is still in prison as well as others who spoke out against the regime’s targeting of the Zaidis.)

Then there’s the dismissal of the oversight role of Parliament (its not completely co-opted by the ruling party’s determination to hinder accountability):

(YO) He (Jubari) said that MPs had little information, and that the Minister of Oil’s reluctance to respond to Parliament had weakened the council’s role…Jubari also claimed that oil prices had reached $60 a barrel, not $23 as the government had stated….

He (Al-Ansi) also questioned the government’s violation of Parliament concerning the sale of LNG without ensuring that domestic reserves were secure….

Other MPs demanded that the reports from specialized committees concerning violations committed by the government be included. They include reports on salary and wage law, the sale of liquid natural gas (LNG) and sales tax.

YT: Haidan district in Saada witnessed sever fighting with Alhouthi insurgents and the government forces, resulting in polluting the area with mines, explosive and other hazardous materials. Social personalities in the area which witnessed the conflict demanded a formation of a specialized committee to collect the mine and other explosives left over by the army. These are left scattered in mountains and valleys, endangering the lives of many people and children in the area.

M&C: Yemen after Saleh By Mark N. Katz

WASHINGTON, DC, United States (UPI) — Ali Abdallah Saleh, Yemen`s long-serving president, recently met with President Bush at the White House.

Saleh ruled North Yemen from 1978 to 1990, and then united Yemen from 1990 to now. Now 63 years of age, he could rule Yemen for many years to come. He has said, however, he will not seek re-election next year. But even if he changes his mind (as many think he will), his long rule obviously cannot last forever. (Read on …)

Update: Conflicting reports of whether they are free or not, but its moving in that direction. If not already, hopefully soon they will have been safely recovered. “My brother is 30km away and being brought over to us now by authorities. As soon as he is here, I will personally hand over the tourists,” al-Dhaman said by telephone.

Original Post:
Why? Tribal justice is better than no justice at all. I am not condoning kidnapping at all but when the civil justice system is a tool of repression, personal retribution, and intimidation, there is no law except the law of power.

There’s a 12 year old kid in jail for a month as a result of a dispute between adults. His relatives say he was jailed as retribution and have offered money and to exchange his father for him. (12, remember we are talking 12 years old.)

Two Swiss tourists (Bruno and Katrina Bayer) were kidnapped today in Mareb and are being held until the child is released from jail. In a cell phone call, they say they are well treated. Pray for their safety and that the regime doesnt try to rescue them like in 1998. (various news websites including News Yemen and al-Sahwa)

Other children recently kidnapped by the regime included Ibrahim Mohammed Al-Mutawakkil , the 13 year old little brother of a human rights worker- this kid was imprisoned for three weeks as retribution against his brother, and the 14 year old little brother of Intisar al-Siani. This boy is brain damaged and very ill, still in jail I think. He’s unable to dress himself without the help of his family- the regime labels him a terrorist.

All the publicity comes when Western tourists are kidnapped in the tribal regions but not when Yemeni children are kidnapped by the regime.

Also recall the report in the YT that noted that many of the adults in prison are there as hostages of influential people. That’s no less disgusting.

no one will notice:

The public budget for 2006 was declared last Wednesday to be one trillion and 180 billion Yemeni rials, which resembles an increase of about 41% compared to last year. It will still remain a draft budget until approved by the parliament by the end of this year.

Also: Smuggled drugs, costly.

The Central Bank, lots of dirty stuff going on there.

US classified Major Terrorist, once a spiritual advisor to bin Laden and currently spiritual advisor to Ali Mohsen, Zindani (who recently fatwa-ed Nabil al-Soufi and who developed the theory of the legitimacy of targeting civilians for Zarchawi) is now trashing Mohammed Qahtan (recently of the death threats) because Qahtan said that it was possible a woman could rule better than Zindani. Qahtan was speaking theoretically but Zindani is insulted. (Read on …)

Well, back to work. Yemen is not anything close to a democracy without an independent judiciary and a free press and a healthy opposition. These are what define democracy and prevent an abuse of power and holds officials to account.

The non-governmental journalists are under siege by the security forces (who kidnap them, steal their computers, occupy their offices, beat them up until they’re hospitalized, and then run the numbers on their cell phones) and the judicary which fines them, closes their papers, hauls them into court, and threatens them with imprisonment. The targeting of journalists is escalating and severe. Other methods of censorship include refusing to print the papers and issuing clone papers (newspapers that closely resemble other papers) in an effort to misinform the Yemeni public.

One conclusion we can draw from this is the regime has a lot to hide from the people.

The latest target is al-Thoury, the paper of the Socialist party. The paper has been fined and its journalists suspended from writing for defamation of public officials. (Meanwhile one function of the media is to act as a watchdog on public officials. Another is to present the peoples grievences in an open forum to society.)

Sawt al-Shoura wrote an article about how our friend al-Khaiwani was targeted in prison by the prison officials. Remember he was beaten several times. So it has been suspended (this is after they stole the computers which also happened to Sami Ghaleb as well as numerous other non-governmental newspapers.)

Meanwhile as we have seen, the governmental media performs the function of launching personal attacks against individuals in an effort to deflect the conversation from legitimate issues and discredit its opponents.

[19/11/2005] (NewsYemen ) Nov 19, Sanaa – A first Instance court in Sanaa issued a verdict today to fine the opposition newspaper Al-Thowri about YR one million (about USD 5,500) and ban two of its journalists from writing for six months.

The verdict also said that the newspaper will have to issue an apology on the last page for three successive editions to two government officials based on defamation charges. The two journalists who received a suspended sentence of banning from writing, Fikri Qassim and Salahaddin Al-Dakkak, expressed outrage at the sentence, calling it a violation of their human rights.

Meanwhile, another weekly newspaper Sawt Al-Shoura’s Editor-in-Chief Abdullah Ali Sabri also stood trial today in a case filed by the Deputy Minister of Interior Mohamed Al-Qawsi, who insisted on trying Sabri again after he was acquitted from the same charges filed by the Ministry of Interior in June. Al-Qawsi pressed charges for ‘personal damage’ caused by articles published by the newspaper.

Sawt Al-Shoura, which is currently suspended after its equipment were stolen earlier this year, had published a news story saying that Al-Qawsi issued written orders to prison staffers to intimidate journalist Abdulkareem Al-Khaiwani while in prison for a verdict in another defamation lawsuit filed by the government against him.

There are several lawsuits against opposition newspapers still pending and are looked at by different courts in Sanaa. Among them is a case raised by journalist Mohamed Al-Maqaleh for an article he wrote for Al-Thowri urging President Saleh to give away some of his authority. His case will be looked into next Saturday. The newspaper also expects hearings in four more cases next Wednesday.

Opposition newspapers have been the target of various lawsuits by government officials or bodies in the last few years. In some cases, verdicts were issued to fine or even close down newspapers and ban journalists from writing. In a few cases, journalists were ultimately imprisoned for their writings criticizing the head of the state or the regime.

Journalists and international pro-press freedom organizations have complained of the lack of independence in the judiciary, whose highest supreme council is headed by the president. This had consequently resulted in verdicts in favor of the government in the majority of cases filed against journalists.

Related: this is some examples of how the “reforming” regime of Ali Abdullah Saleh attempts to discredit its opposition, journalists, reformers, and anyone articulating a legitimate grievance: it calls them unpatriotic, working against the national interest, creating strife, and agents of foreign powers.

Note the article in the government paper outright calls the opposition stupid. One of the few things the regime is good at (besides smuggling and stealing) is hurling insults. (Read on …)

Amazing, just amazing. The Yemeni governmental media is trashing my blog.

So I wrote an article (Y20) entitled Yemen’s Criminal Enterprise detailing the crimes of the Yemeni regime. (And the Yemeni newspaper, al-Thoury, was suspended for a week for publishing it in Arabic.)

Then I was on al-Jazeera and spoke in my normal forthright manner about the situation in Yemen. (See Jane Novak Slams President Saleh’s Regime on al-Jazeera.)

So now, every paper in Yemen is discussing the show. The governmental papers have the same normal spin: I’m an paid political operative but they cant decide for who for, so each paper says a different political party: the socialists, the PFU, the JMP. But its funny- since I’m talking about reform, now they are saying that anyone who is talking about reform is coordinating with me.

(Our friend the Yemeni editor Abdulkarim al-Khawani wrote an article recently about me called Stop Attacking the American Journalist, because the Yemeni governmental media was trashing me in response to my articles, and that was before the show, so you can imagine how bad they are trashing me now. )

The May 22 newspaper related to the ruling party says I’m a Zionist (ho hum, boring) and the blog is proof that I’m affiliated with an unknown political entity, and I’m a stooge, blah blah, blah. So now that their prior accusation (I’m a Yemeni man in disguise) has been debunked, they still refuse to accept I’m competent of doing this all by myself.

This article by Aws Al-Eryani at al-Motamar, the paper of the GPC (ruling party), says I have a blog not a website. He is a relative of the political advisor to the president and the head of the GPC who was previously a PM.

The author of the piece is a technical expert on websites. He designed the website of al-Motamar for $75,000 (US). Take a look and see how good he did. (BTW The al-Moamar website has 299 errors. Thanks Jeff! And take a look at his own website and try not to spit your coffee on the monitor. Seriously, click his links. ) How much website design normally, less than a thousand? The corruption is everywhere inYemen. This guy also designed the SABA news site. Beautiful isnt it?

Also he says I should write about Bush or Iraq (anything but Yemen). Then he calls me a Hashimite as if it is an insult (there’s lots of Hashimites in Yemen) because (referring to the articles on the civilian slaughter in Saada) I have lived with them for 40 days. Then he talks about my source (see) and says something insulting.

But my favorite newspaper headline is from Al-hurreia : Armies of Liberation Leads the War Against Yemen.
(LMAO)

I have to find out from Michael Totten in Lebanon if his blog has ever been attacked by name on the front page of a newspaper, if not, this is a first for the blogosphere and the VRWC. I’m used to them attacking me but this is the first time they went for the blog. (Thats really funny, and its good. )

Also I have a new troll doing a sock puppet thing with the media guy at the Yemeni Embassy who says in the comments: what goes around comes around. (See the comments here. I don’t play with trolls, but Jon nailed him.) But dang, spam karma is a good program: after the first 12 comments from Concerned Citizen, it diverted the next thirty into my spam folder so I dont even have to see them.

So that was my week.

PS: When the president’s press secretary (who turns out to be Faris bwahahaha) was attacking me on air, he said I work all night. So the Yemeni government must even be checking the times of my posts, so I think I’ll make the time on this one 3AM, just to make them feel good.

To keep it in context, these are a sample of the hundreds of emails I recieved from normal Yemeni citizens after the al Jazeera show:

1) I want to write this letter to you in spite of I can’t write English very well. First, I didn’t know you just two days ago through Al-Jazeera channel and I thank you for your frankness.
You are very good Journalist because you know write the fact and you know what’s mean of freedom, democracy and human rights those we haven’t in Yemen.
You have written little of information from more and more but it was good. We have 27 years old under army control without democracy and public wealth has gone to ruler familys accounts out side the country.
We don’t know, who General Ali sallh in spite of his stupidity to satisfy president w Bush and how president w bush in spite of his experience to believe Gen sallh.
Dear, I sure you that Yemeni government will try to give you money to stop writing but we are the Yemeni people pleas you to continue.
From today I will read all your articles because we need you and we need every clean sound everywhere.
Finally, we need your help and sympathize with us to have democracy, human rights and remove the army president before his son receive the presidential chair.

2) At first i would like to send you my best regards. i would like to take this oppurtunity to tell you about all the love and appreciaition we have for your support and fight against democracy and freedom, i would like to thank you for all your brave hummanitarian in supporting our nation especially your opinion and announcements you made in Al-Jazeera whom we all watched , we are really proud of you and with anyone following your steps.

3) from aden thank yo novak we looks when yo sbeking from agazira tv yo argood wamn we hop vist and se yo our contry is bad

4) I take this opportunity to express our thanks and appreciations for the remarkable efforts to explain to the West to what extent we -the Yemenis- are suffering.

5) I can only commend you on your excellent work on Al-Jazeera yesterday. You proved a true defender of the vulnerable and weak in this country.

Many people I met were amazed at the courage and the numbers you provided. They all believed you were speaking on their behalf and conveyed to millions what they had in mind for such a long time.

You can now sleep with peace of mind that you have done something that millions of Yemenis will thank you for. You brought a voice for the voiceless, hope for the hopeless, and courage for the fearful.

6) Dear friend and sister DR. jane novack
Please accept the admiration of the yemeni people becacuse you are concerned with lifting up their SUFFERING from the lunatic dictator

7) The fact that al-Sanabani could not negate anything you said was evident that you were effective and measured in your criticism. You struck a sensitive subject, that being Ali Saleh and his cohorts who have misused and abused the Yemeni citizens, the Yemeni economy, and the Yemeni future

Also the Foreign Minister of Yemen invited me on air to come and see Yemen for myself, but unfortunately its not a good time for me.

The criteria for qualification to recieve funding from the Millennium Challenge Account are 1) Ruling Justly 2) Investing in People 3) Economic Freedom. Its quite a shame that the hundreds of millions of dollars available in develoment aid for the Yemeni people were not enough of an enticement to the regime to rule justly.

Yemen has not qualified for funds in 2006 and experienced deep slippages over the last years demonstrating that the leadership is regressing. CGD: In the FY 2006 round, Yemen failed all six “ruling justly” indicators. It failed three of the four indicators in the “investing in people” category.

So wouldn’t you know, there’s an MCA blog: (Read on …)

No justice for Jamal, the kidnapped editor. The government has dropped the inquiry without resolution. This is unsurprising considering it was the government that kidnapped him in a military vehicle.

Journalist Khalid Dallaq arrested at the request of the editor of the 26 September newspaper.

The Iraqis are talking about current support of terrorists. He is leading and financing terrorist operations in Northern Iraq, causing death and destruction.

BAGHDAD, Nov. 17 (Xinhuanet) — Iraqi Attorney General Chathanfar Hmod Al-Jasim presented Interpol with an extradition request to bring Saddam Hussein’s nephew from Yemen back to Baghdad to standtrial for “committing acts of terror,” the US military said in a statement on Thursday.

Omar Sabawi Ibrahim Hasan Al-Tikriti, the son of Saddam Hussein’s half brother, has been sought by Iraqi officials for his leading role and financial support to “terrorist organizations”,the military said in a statement.

Omar, 35, “focused much of his financial support and leadership on terrorist activities throughout northern and central Iraq,including Mosul,” the statement said.

“His efforts resulted in many deaths, injuries and destruction of property,” it added.

Omar’s father, Sabawi Ibrahim Hasan Al-Tikriti, former director of the Iraqi Intelligence Service, is a waiting trial for committing crimes against humanity. Enditem

Many of Iraq’s upper generals who fled Iraq as the regime fell were recruited by the Yemeni military. (That’s like recruiting French generals, what’s the point?)

Lets put this together with the published report a few months ago by an anonymous official of “subersive” (al-Qaeda) elements in Yemen’s military and security forces that have established training camps for the Baathists.

Also recall the top Zaidi scholar said that the Iraqi generals in the Yemeni military urged Saleh to slaughter the Shiites like Saddam, at the same time as the reports of targeting civilians in Saada began to emerge and Sistani called it a jihad. Do we remember all this: dragging the burnt bodies behind the military vehicles, trashing the libraries, arresting doctors who were caring for the wounded, mass arrests without trial of whole villages including young boys. Currently the region is still closed of to everyone, and the jails are still filled.

Wasn’t there just a highly publicized trial of some Iraqi “terrorists” (that were in jail for two years) who were said to be in possessionof some handgranades. There was less publicity when they were acquited by a judge who said there wasnt a shred of evidence against the four teachers who insisted all along they were tortured into confessions.

But Saddam’s Nephew, son of the Iraqi Chief of Intelligence, is running terrorist operatations out of Yemen where there’s military checkpoints every ten feet, and Saleh doesn’t know and there’s no support for al-Tikritis operations from the Yemeni military, our important Partners in the WOT with whom we do mil-to-mil. Either Saleh is completely incompetant or he’s knowingly permitting big terrorists to operate from Yemen. My guess is both.

More from ADNKI: Last month, one of Omar’s brothers, Yassir Sabawi Ibrahim, was captured in Baghdad, accused of being one of the main financiers for the insurgency activities. Following his arrest, the Iraqi interior minister Bayan Jabr said Yassir had told interrogators he had been receiving money from someone “from the family of Saddam” living in “other Arab countries” to deliver to insurgents in Iraq.

YT/NY Islamist Ahmed Haidrah Abubakr, also known as Abulashaath, said that the latest wave of arrests of Mujahideen in various parts of the country were only to satisfy US demands delivered to President Saleh during his latest visit to Washington DC last week, Al-Ashaath told Al-Wasat newspaper.

Abualashaath himself was arrested a few days ago by security forces after his house was besieged, giving him the only option of submitting himself or detaining his father as hostage.

In a phone conversation from his cell in Abyan, Abulashaath said that the government had failed to deliver many of its promises given to Aden Abyan Army members based on a dialogue arranged by prominent Islamic scholar Hamud Al-Hitar. He said the authorities refused to ‘remedy’ the situation of Mujahideen, and instead arrested them without any clear justifications or accusations.

Asked about whether the Aden Abyan Army would reorganize itself to return to its militant nature, Abulashaath said that “Mujahideen are a problem whether they are in or out of the Army”, denying reports that authorities provided new and specific demands to free the detained Mujahideen. He said “we know that we were imprisoned again only to be used against those opposing the regime.”

This development comes after 16 members of the former Aden Abyan Army were arrested a few months ago. So far none of the detainees is formally accused or tried.

The same story at the YO.

Wow, this is very couragous of anyone who runs against Saleh. There’s a trail of dead bodies behind him already.

UPI: Former Yemeni Deputy President Abdel Rahman Bayadi has announced he will run for president at the next elections in September.

Bayadi said in a statement carried Wednesday on the “Rai News” Web site of the opposition al-Rabita Party he decided to enter the race after President Ali Abdullah Saleh announced his intention not to seek a new mandate.

Bayadi called on the Yemeni people to back him “in order to work together to alleviate the sufferings of the people and start real economic development and renaissance.” (Read on …)

The regime people were not happy with me being on the al-Jazeera program, tried to get me pulled, and then insulted me on air. (the al-Jazeera host objected to the insults.) So now the governmental newspapers get their turn to try to trash me. This should be funny.

The first, Momma Novak and the Alfajr Praying by Jamil AlJo’adobi at the website of the ruling party. I think the thrust of this article is mocking me that I care about the Yemen people like their mother and stay up all night working, like the people praying the Alfajr prayer during the night during Ramadan. So now what exactly is the point here? That the people are not worth caring about? That I’m stupid to work hard for the Yemeni people? This is coming from their own government. They are trying to insult me by comparing me to praying people. This regime cannot do anything well, not even insult me.

This one is called The Expert on Yemeni Affairs by Abdullah Al-nnowaira in al-Thoura, another governmental paper. It says I cannot be an expert on Yemen because I never visited there, that I’m unknown in the US, and that I’m working for money-ie, some one is paying me to write in a hostile manner about the Yemeni regime. Isn’t that what one of the last anti-Jane articles said? Isn’t that what Faris said on air? It was stupid then and its stupid now.

Gee, you know, I really hope they call me a Mason again, considering they are now recycling their insults. That was one of my favorites (once I figured out it wasn’t a bricklayer.) But nothing tops “Jane Novak, the Docile Pupil of a Monkey Monk.”

Update: this is an abstract of what I said on al-Jazeera in Arabic in Elaph by Amani Alsofi. It just summaries and doesnt lean either way. Elaf is a very big website.

Update on the update: So the title of the Elaph article is “American Expert Describes Dialog with Detainees as a Game.” (Actually Usama bin Laden’s driver said Hittar’s dialog was just a ruse to get out them quicker and they only had to promise no attacks in Yemen, per the BBC. So I said he said that.)

Personally I think dialog is a great thing, so lets have it in the newspapers and communities. Censorship is anti-dialog. Why is the only place in Yemen you can have a dialog is in prison?

But the funny word is the word expert. This is what Faris was ranting and raving about, that I’m no expert because I’ve never been to Yemen. And now I recall the host on al-Jazeera called me an expert twice in his closing and this article has it as the title.

Also it just occurs to me to wonder if any one I know in the Middle East outside Yemen saw the interview, like the many editors in the other Arab countries (or their readers especially Saudi Arabia and Kuwait) or any of the hundreds of Arab business people I knew in the 90’s. How funky is that?

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.