Armies of Liberation

Without addressing corruption and misallocation of resources, economic reforms further impoverished the poor.

SANA’A, June 28 (UPI) - A policy of economic reforms adopted by Yemen has had the negative — and unintended — effect of further impoverishing the poorest of all Arab countries.

A study prepared by Dr. Abdo Ali Othman, a sociology professor at Sanaa University, Wednesday showed that the economic reforms programs, in place since 1995, have mainly harmed Yemen’s poor and middle classes.

Yemen is not expected to achieve its development objectives and aspirations in the first quarter of the current century under the existing conditions and in light of the reduction of assistance by international donors, which constituted the main financial support for the country’s development programs, the report said.

The study noted that the reforms programs did not achieve the aspired results as they failed to secure steady development, aimed at reducing poverty, and that sponsors of the programs had punished Yemeni society by reducing due assistance.

At the same time, the sponsors had failed to provide real solutions to the causes of the development crisis — financial and administrative corruption and the rampant waste of Yemen’s capacities and resources.

The study indicated that the sterile economic reforms policies resulted in weakening and reducing the middle class, which largely slipped into poverty as a result, further increasing the number of Yemeni’s living in abject poverty.

But the study did note a number of positive results stemming from the reforms programs, notably an improved image of the country in the eyes of investors, the restoration of confidence in the local currency, the encouragement of local savings and increased deposits in Yemeni banks.

But these positive features, coupled with a slow economy, failed to prevent an increase in poverty and unemployment and the descent of a significant portion of the middle class into poverty.

The study pointed out that 42 percent of Yemenis live below the poverty line, with the majority of those coming from rural areas.

More from News Yemen on the study.

Similarly, foreign aid without rule of law does little to enhance development as per this article.

At least the harassment has been named, even if it wasn’t included in the statement.

NY:

The last session of the Sana’a conference entitled “Democracy, Political Reforms and Freedom of Expression” was to change into a quarrel between some participants over points in the final statement of the conference.
Yemeni Civil Society Organizations could get a recommendation in the final statement urging the Yemeni government to “consider oppression against syndicates and civil society organizations and asking for more space of freedom and stopping interventions in their affairs.”
But the representatives of the government, ministers of foreign affairs and information protested the recommendation and said it should be omitted from the final communiqué.
Foreign minister Abu Bakr al-Qirbi said the recommendation includes an accusation against the government of practicing repression against civil society organizations, but situation is “totally different”, according to al-Qirbi.
Minister of information Hassan al-Lawzi interrupted and said that the recommendation based on “doubts and devil wills”.
“In this way, we will continue to rotate in a vacuum. We cannot come to good results,” said al-Lawzi.
The Tunisian repertoire of the conference Lutf Haji intervened to mitigate the Yemeni political tension over the point. He said the recommendation was not obligatory and that it was only for drawing the attention of the government over the situation of the civil society organizations.
Nevertheless, Haji intervention was refused as the Yemeni official side urged the recommendation should be omitted. Then the recommendation has been changed to be general and does not mean a specific country.

(Read on …)

I think maybe the plan was to kill him in court.

Two young bearded men threatened the defense lawyer of Yemen Observer in the court room that they would have killed him if they have power. Khalid Al-Anesi, who defends Mohammed Al-Asaadi, editor-in-chief of the Yemen Observer, in the south east of the capital, was alerted minutes before the death threat by a close friend, as he described him.

Abdullah Al-Farza’e, who was introduced later as an Imam of a mosque, attended the hearings on purpose which is just to alert Al-Anesi of plans to attack him by young radicals. “Al-Farza’e heard about the plan and moved to the court to warn me,” Al-Anesi said. “I trust him.”

The two young men, who failed to escape from the court, are detained for investigation. They came with a large group of long-bearded people who fill the small courtroom, where the judge looks into the case filed by the general prosecutor for press and publication against Yemen Observer and its editor for republishing fragments of the Danish cartoons with a huge X over them last February.

Read the rest.

Snagged by the Indians: ToI:

NEW DELHI: Keeping as it does a watchful eye on the rapidly-modernising Chinese Navy, the Indian Navy has detected, tracked and photographed three spanking new Chinese submarines in the Mediterranean region.

This is the second such instance of remarkable long-range maritime snooping by the Navy this year. Its TU-142M and IL-38 maritime surveillance aircraft had “spooked” a new Chinese destroyer off Yemen’s Socotra Island, almost 2,300-km away from the Indian mainland, as was reported by TOI in February.

This time, four of its warships — destroyer INS Mysore, guided missile frigates INS Brahmaputra and INS Betwa and tanker INS Aditya — came across the three submarines being transported on board two carrier “mother” ships transversing through the Suez Canal and Red Sea earlier this month.

“These three Kilo-class submarines, armed with the latest Klub-S cruise missiles, are the last batch of the eight contracted by China from Russia in a $2-billion deal in 2002,” said a top source.

same old, same old

Sanaa: The final communiqué of the Sanaa International Conference on Democracy, Political Reforms and Freedom of Expression fails to outline concrete steps for reforms in the region, participants complained.

Some participants of the two-day conference, opened by President Ali Abdullah Saleh, which concluded on Monday, also criticised the final statement of the conference as a “repeat” of previous conferences that were not implemented. They described the statement as a “governmental vision”.

“The final communiqué is a governmental vision and not the participants’ vision,” said Sadeq Al Mahdi, former Prime Minister of Sudan, and a participant.

Sa’ad Eddin Ebrahim, chairman of Cairo-based Bin Khaldun Centre for Human Rights Studies, said “the final statement is a carbon copy (of) … previous conferences that came out only with statements without any follow up mechanism”.

But Yemeni Foreign Minister Abu Bakr Al Querbi, who chaired the concluding session, defended by saying that the recommendations were more important than the statement.

“As there is a refusal (of) the dictatorship of governments, there should be also a refusal (of) the dictatorship of the civil society, so what should be done is to refuse the dictatorship of all sides,” Al Querbi said. The conference had some 500 participants from Arab and G8 countries, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan

Thats a good point about implementing demcoratic proceedures in civil society.

SANAA, 27 June (IRIN) - Calls for greater cooperation between state and non-state actors to boost democratic reforms in the Middle East were made at a two-day conference in Sana’a which ended on Monday.

About 400 government officials and civil society representatives, as well as media professionals from Arab and non-Arab countries, attended the event - entitled “Sana’a conference on democracy, political reforms and freedom of expression.”

“This is a very important conference which brings together the government and civil society to debate issues of common interest and work together to carry out democratic reforms,” said Eiz Eddin al-Asabahi, Director of Yemen’s Human Rights Information and Training Centre (HRITC).

The conference was organised under the G8-created programme of Democratic Assistance Dialogue (DAD) by Yemen’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, HRITC and Italy’s No Peace Without Justice (NPWJ).

Khalil Jubarah, Director of the Lebanese Transparency Society, said that change in the Middle East was inevitable but the question was how Arab countries coped with it. Jubarah also said that two major obstacles to political and economic development were a lack of information and corruption.

“Studies have proven that corruption and a lack of access to information are two faces of the same coin,” he said. “Political repression has caused the absence of information.” A number of speakers also mentioned the state monopoly over broadcast media as a good example of the absence of transparency and real democracy.

The DAD programme was established under the G8 initiative “Partnership for progress and a common future with the region of the broader Middle East and North Africa” at a 2004 summit. Countries of the Middle East and North African region are involved along with Afghanistan, Pakistan, Turkey and Italy.

Ah yes, the old “there’s no democratic development possible internally with out solving the problems of other countries first” routine. And then “the give me money” schtick. In the process, he insults the Iraqis.

News Yemen: The participants in the conference of “Democracy, Reform and Freedom of Expression” agreed that development, fighting violence and ensuring the culture of dialogue are priorities to maintain democracy, freedoms and human rights in the world in general and in the participating countries in particular.
At the opening speech, president Ali Abdullah Saleh called rich countries to help the poor.
“Poverty is a threat and if peoples remain unable to overcome poverty, we will be laughing at our peoples when say that democracy is going ahead,” said Saleh. “Before circulating for democracy in the region, we have to stop violence in Iraq and Somalia.”
How could we talk about freedoms, democracy and reforms while terror still surrounding us, right and left, and the Palestinians continue bleeding,” Saleh inquired.
Saleh defended the Palestinian resistance and said “that is Jihad and resistance against occupation.” He also described the situation in Iraq as “disgraceful”, calling occupation forces in Iraq to adopt a national dialogue between all Iraqi factions under the sponsorship of the United States.
“Teach us democracy and its advantages and while you teach us you have to feed us because we hate to get just theories,” said Saleh calling upon the greatest countries.
The US deputy assistant Secretary of State Scott Carpenter, who attended the conference, said in a brief press statement on the sidelines of the conference that many Iraqi participants in the conference “felt insulted for belittling democracy in Iraq”.
“What is the road map should the region adopt to obtain goals of democracy?” Carpenter inquired. “Do Yemenis believe that the Iraqi democracy is suitable for them? I think no.”
He said that the most important point in this conference is to specify the goal the region wants to attain. “This conference is important to identify the goal we want”, said Carpenter.
Carpenter said that every country in the region has its own democracy. “In Yemen, they want democracy to be Yemeni. In Egypt, they want it to be Egyptian and in Lebanon, they want it to be Lebanese. No similarity between those models,” said Carpenter. “United States did not impose specific model on the Arab region.”
Former Iraqi minister of human rights Bakhtyar Ameen strongly condemned those, he described as “some people”, who muck the democracy in Iraq.
“Belittling democracy in Iraq is an insult that we do not accept at all. Iraq has taken positive steps toward building up democracy in spite of big security challenges”, said Ameen.
He called Arabs to consider the current dialogue and political argument in Iraq and to help Iraq tackle security problems.
Foreign minister Abu Bakr al-Qirbi defended the view of president Saleh and said there has been misunderstanding over the points that president mentioned in his speech, particularly describing the situation in Iraq as “disgraceful” and asking the developed countries to help the least developing ones.
Al-Qirbi said president has the right to speak over issues that democracy faces. “Democracy has economic price so president asked for the help of the rich to improve living standards of peoples and enhancing development,” said al-Qirbi. He said that the Palestinian resistance is legal, condemning any kind of unjustified violence.
The UNDP representative in Sana’a Flavia Panasery called Arab leaders to respect “the necessity of sharing all in decision-making”.
“Democracy needs daily exercise so that people can live freely and in prosperity. The political development requires fit dialogue between different viewpoints and the multiparty is a crucial component of any democratic system,” said Panasery.
President Saleh’s political advisor, Abdul-Karim al-Iryani said in his speech to the conference “if we have a look to democracy in the region, we will find three kinds of systems: system of unborn democracy, system of immature democracy and system of developing democracy.”
Al-Iryani admitted that political systems in the region are not democratic. “If the political systems in the region are built up on democratic bases we will not need to hold such conferences and forums,” said al-Iryani.
The final session of the conference on Monday focused on “freedom of expression”. The speeches and interruptions dealt with freedom of press and expression and the right of all people to get access to information.
The participants asked for laws that prevent journalists’ imprisonment over publishing critical materials, provide more space for free media, particularly in the Arab countries and disallow the monopolization of the public visual and audiovisual media outlets.
The participants said that media control by regimes is a concrete evidence of their lack of transparency and real democracy as those regimes still have fears due to wrong security practices and political corruption.
The executive manager of the Lebanese Transparency Foundation, Khalil Jabarah, said the change is inevitable, but he said all should think how to benefit from that change.
“There is strong relationship between corruption and the lack of information and democracy. And this is the most important obstacle against the political and economic development,” said Jabarah. He said that the political repression for a long time caused a lack of access to information.
“You cannot often get information except when an official flee to another country or when a quarrel occurs between officials themselves. Then you can get secret information,” said Jabarah.
Director of Al-Jazeera Space Channel’s office in Lebanon, Ghasan bin Jiddu, disagreed with Jabarah. He confirmed that there was a remarkable development in getting access to information in the last ten years, comparing with the past.
“There is advancement in getting information due to efforts of information advocates. It is not a gift from anybody,” said bin Jiddu.
Bin Jiddu said there were three obstacles against the information access: accusation of conspiracy by the ruling systems; the disability of the authorities to differentiate between the necessity of reform, democracy and information and keeping sovereignty of the countries.
“We do not accept to lose sovereignty and we do not accept to lose information. There is no contradiction between sovereignty and getting information. This is just in mind of corrupts and autocrats,” said bin Jiddu.
After 11 September events, we found that European countries practice coercion against the press photo. They do allow only photos that serve their own interests. For example, the picture of a Palestinian child killed by Israeli forces is not as important issue as killing an Israeli child” bin Jiddu underscored.
The same happens in Iraq. What serves the occupation is allowed to be aired by media. But covering the Iraqi resistance is not allowed, bin Jiddu added
He concluded his speech as confirming that price of getting information has become very high.
The conference included 400 participants form Middle East countries, Africa, Asia, Europe and the United States of America in addition to intellectuals, journalists and human rights activists.

Kuwait Times

Temptations, Resignations
By Badrya Darwish
It’s not a common practice amongst leaders in the Third World, especially in the Arab world, to resign. They serve their terms, which are usually indefinite - till God knows what happens…
So it was surprising when the Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh sometime last year announced that he would not be running again for office. On Saturday, Saleh reneged on his word and decided to run again. He justified this change by saying “As a loyal member of the Yemeni people, I bow to their request.” His speech came during a big demonstration in Sanaa, with more than 1 million people carrying placards reading “We want you back!”, “Save the nation!” and so on.
So upon the request of the nation, Saleh has decided to stay in power. This reminds me of Egyptian President Gamal Abdul Nasser when he resigned following the Arab defeat in the 1967 war with Israel. The day he announced his resignation, millions of Egyptians flocked to Cairo from all over the country demanding Nasser to stay. Nasser stayed. Don’t misunderstand me. I’m not doubting that there Yemenis who want Saleh to remain in the presidential palace. Neither do I doubt what took place in Cairo in 1967.
But I’m amazed that our leaders only answer to the nation’s request when we ask them to remain in power. But when we come up with demonstrations asking them to leave, the jails are suddenly overflowing and we the people are branded as traitors. I’m not saying they shouldn’t listen to us when we ask them to stay, but they should also listen to us rest of the time too. Isn’t that what democracy is all about?
I know Arab leaders can change. For instance, Ali Abdullah Saleh gave an order prohibiting the display of his photos in the capital after seeing the posters of Saddam trampled and degraded following his ouster in 2003. This is unprecedented in the Arab world. I hope he doesn’t go back on his decision regarding the exhibiting of his photos. To clear my conscience, it’s worth mentioning that the only Arab leader who resigned and stuck to his word was Lieutenant General Abd Al-Rahman Siwar Al-Dhahab, ex-leader of Sudan. Although he came to power in a military coup in April 1985, his regime legalised political parties, held elections and handed over power to a civilian government one year later.
I’ll close by saying ‘Good Luck’ to Saleh and ‘Hat’s Off’ to Siwar Al-Dhahab.

Eight.

YT: According to the study, early marriage for women has reached 52.1 percent, based on the stories of 1,495 couples, whereas men marrying at an early age comprised only 6.7 percent. The marriage age has increased over three generations from between ages 10 and 24 to between ages 14 and 70. The study also found variations in marriage age according to the geographical districts to which Yemenis belong.

In Hodeidah, Hadramout and Sayoun, girls marry at age 8, whereas they marry at age 10 in Mukalla. Moreover, marriage age varies between urban to rural areas. It’s found that the appropriate age for marriage is from 15 to 16.

al-Wahdawi as translated by the YT:

- Arbitrary punishments against employees who did not take part in Taiz demonstration in support of the president nomination

- For disclosing issues of corruption, Al-Wahdawi newspaper faces three new lawsuits

Ali Saleh wants to be taught democracy. Really all he has to do is listen to his own people, but then he only does that once every six years. But lets see

1- Withdraw the hideous press draft law, replace it with a normal one without fines ect that does not include insulting you as a crime

2- Open up the broadcast airwaves to private ownership

3- Put the military in civilian hands and fire all your relatives

4- Suspend everybody listed in the COCA reports until there is an investigation. Then if there is evidence, bring them to trial and normally those found guilty would get both jail and monetary fines. But much of the leadership positions of the ministries may be vacant. Fill those positions by merit not patronage.

5- Leave the unions alone, even if they have leadership that is in the opposition

6- Stop buying toys for Ahmed and your other relatives and put that money into healthcare and education and electricity.

7- Stop arresting comedians, human rights workers, oppositionists, journalists as free political speech is a bedrock of democracy.

I could go on and on.

Al-Attas, A golden opportunity missed

Haider Abu Bakr al-Attas, former leader in the southern Yemen and prime minister after unification, from 1990 to 1994, attacked the ruling party, the General Peoples’ Congress (GPC), for the way the GPC used to persuade Saleh to run again for presidency.
“Choosing the candidate of GPC by using this frail play paves the way for the opposition to work earnestly and responsibly along with people to make real democratic change and to run election with confidence and strong will” said al-Attas….We watched today the end of a play produced by GPC whose leaders used to mislead the poor the people over different issues,” said al-Attas.
he said what happened “contradicts with the democratic rules”. He said that GPC illegally used the state’s media means and resources to “persuade this number of people to behave unwillingly.”
Al-Attas said the president Saleh lost a golden chance to enter the history and to get the pardon of Yemenis for all evils they suffered from during the GPC’s rule for 28 years.
‘President Saleh was able to run again for presidency by satisfactory and democratic means, not by pressure. But, he was to be more esteemed locally, regionally and internationally if he kept his promise he made last July,” said al-Attas. “Promise is like thunder and man is a word”.
Other opposition leaders said that the GPC violated the constitution and “made elections before elections”.
The state-run space channels, TV and radio aired songs praising Saleh’s achievements from Saturday’s morning till midnight. Cars, carrying loudspeakers encouraging people to standby Saleh, continued touring the streets of the capital till night.
A-Attas warned GPC to stop exploit the people’s resources and media to serve its interests, otherwise, he said, the consequences might be horrible.

Ali Nasser Mohammed calls for national unity government.

Former president of the southern Yemen, before unity, Ali Naser Mohammad also criticized the GPC behaviors and called for dialogue between all political parties over forming “national unity government” including all political powers and national groups to prepare for carrying out free and just elections under Arab and international observation.
He said in a statement to NewsYemen that adopting such a mechanism would extend the scope of political participation and guarantee peaceful succession.
“Yemen needs serious and honest dialogue, apart from political maneuvers. The responsible and deep dialogue is the best way to reach common divisions between all parties to serve the super interests of the country,” said Mohammad.

Al-Ansi notes the inability of the GPC to handle the issue through normal mechanisms.

The assistant secretary-general of the Islamic Islah party, Abdul-Wahab al-Ansi called the General People’s Congress, which he said “determined to prevent Yemen from a democratic change when it persuaded president Saleh to draw his decision not to run presidential elections”, to extensively review the factors that forced president Saleh to decide in July 2005 that he would not run for presidency….Al-Ansi said that some GPC’s leaders turned down to discuss objectively the president first decision last year to abandon presidency. “They preferred to change the issue into “roar”” said al-Ansi.
“GPC would have performed well if it has agreed with a national dialogue to ensure Yemenis’ respect for president Saleh’s stand and make solutions for problems that Yemen faces to establish peaceful succession. That would have raised the local and international reputation of president Saleh and his history that he said to be very important for him. That also would have made Saleh an advanced Arab model,” said al-Ansi.

Hamid says what? Give us two years, then leave and take your sons with you.

MP Hamid al-Ahmar, member of the Islah consultative council, called upon president, GPC and JMPs to make a political agreement on delaying the presidential elections for two years to have time to form “national unity government” and to make constitutional amendments that meet aspirations of all political powers and guarantee more competitive atmosphere and extend the democratic scope under the supervision of the president who should a part of such an agreement.
Al-Ahmar called president of the republic, vice president, prime minister, the parliament speaker and their sons and brothers “to leave their posts and give young people chance to compete.”
A number of opposition leaders considered the speech of president Saleh at the exceptional conference of the GPC that “Yemen should experience peaceful succession” as a chance for dialogue over the looming challenges.
Many personalities suggested the delay of elections and extending the period of Saleh.

Considering the deployment of state resources over the last two days to support Saleh’s stage production, a fair election in September seems a remote possibility, but Im happy the US is paying attention.

YO A report from the US State Department called on Yemen to take more serious steps in the crackdown on corruption. The report also praised Yemen’s achievements in this regard. “America is hopeful of carrying out fair and free elections in Yemen”.

Assistant Deputy Secretary of State for the Near East, Scott Carpenter said. He added that his country and the G-8 member states would commit assistance to Yemen to make its forthcoming elections a success. He said that the US administration welcomes democratic dialogue and steps taken towards political openness and hopes for fair and free elections in Yemen. Carpenter is scheduled to participate in the upcoming Sana’a conference on democracy and political reform and freedom of expression, which is part of the G-8 initiative aimed to promote democracy in the region.

US State Department had earlier emphasized that Yemen’s government needs to prosecute senior government officials for engaging in the trafficking of women for sexual exploitation. The annual report considered Yemen one of the sources of child trafficking to Saudi Arabia to earn money begging and working as unqualified labor such as street vendors. It also called for suing government officials involved in the trafficking of children for labor as a form of corruption.

Another democracy conference in Yemen, that’s funny. It’s better to talk about democracy than not, but that’s no indication of it’s existance.

It was all a ploy, how predictable and tiresome. In response to a crowd of military and public employees holding pre-printed signs, Salah said something like this: “I am responding to this crowd of people, I am responding to the tears of kids, old men and women. I do not want any advantages from the authority, but I respond to my nation’s desire, who came to this place,” Saleh said.

He added, “We are all on the ark, to go to the rescue, safe, stable, freedom, and democracy beach. ..I trust you to stay behind me as well as you did in the past. The future is not spread of flowers. I’ll be a honest soldier for you ”

Pathetic, just pathetic.

The last time there were wide spread public demonstrations in Yemen was in July of 2005 when millions across the impoverished nation took to the streets to plead with Saleh to reinstate oil subsidies. At that time, Saleh unleashed tanks, guns, and soldiers against them. Dozens of Yemeni citizens were killed, hundreds injured, and hundreds arrested including young children.

More on Saleh’s acceptance>

YO

IBB- The waters in the wells of Wadi Maitama region, in the heart of Ibb, are too polluted to be safe for drinking according to a recent environmental study.

The new study found that the mixture of the sewage waste with the underground water makes the latter unsafe for humans to drink. Planning Ministry experts analyzing samples of the water said “copper is in excess, much more than is suitable for irrigating” let alone drinking.

As the sample was analyzed, nitrogen compounds and high levels of nitrates were found to be in very high levels rendering it “never safe” to drink or irrigate plants. In one well, the nitrogen compounds were found to be 130 milligrams per liter, which is double the maximum quantity tolerable in safe drinking water. The study concludes that the rain waters seeping down to the ground must have been “contaminated with sanitation waste.”

He is reportedly to be the candidate of the JMP. What is his relationship to the JMP? Is he in a party? Or is he one candidate that they all respect? What’s the story, anybody know?

On Ali Abdullah Saleh’s website it says (something close to), “In 1978, no one wanted to be president of North Yemen.” I see some things have not changed.

YM: The General Peoples’ Congress (GPC) failed to persuade President Saleh to accept candidacy for the presidential elections on the second day of the extraordinary conference.

President Saleh told the conference today that he is not a taxi to be hired by the GPC or any party. “I am not a taxi to hire for a ride,” he said. “I have been taking care of the supreme interests of the nation including the unity, democracy, freedom of expression, women participation and so on.”

Huge numbers of people from different backgrounds rushed to main cities’ streets appealing to the president to give in to the national demands. Thousands protested today in the cities of Sana’a, Dhamar, Marib, Amran and Shabwa. They all share one slogan “Complete the mission”.

Political analyst Dr. Abdullah Al-Faqeeh said yesterday that President Saleh and PM Abdul-Qader Bajammal are two of the best international actors. He thinks they are playing a game.

Masters of power in the ruling party put maximum pressure on the president to change his mind. Though the president rejected and opposed the demonstrations, they encouraged and funded demonstrations nationwide. The president showed respect to the desires of the people, but said he doesn’t like to be an umbrella of corruption.

“I am not an umbrella of corruption and corrupts of any political force or party,” he said. “I have been working days and nights throughout the years. I don’t want corrupt to use my name for their interests. I don’t want anything to spoil my reputation. History, reputation and honor are great values. My personal interests are not important.”

A group of senior businessmen threatened to retaliate to Saleh’s persistence by withdrawing their money from the local banks.

Some tribes in some areas of Marib, according to the Yemen Observer, intercepted oil tankers in the highway in reaction to yesterday’s speech of the president. Military units were immediately sent to those areas to facilitate the traffic.
At another level, some opposition leaders called upon Saleh to accept his party’s nomination claiming there is a major necessity for him to remain in power.

“Yes, some opposition figures say it is very necessary to accept nomination for there’s no alternative,” Saleh addressed the crowds of GPC supporters today. “Why there are not alternatives.”

GPC General Committee Threatens to Resign
Although activities of the exceptional meeting are postponed to Saturday, mediations and various forms of pressure on the president are underway nationwide.

The general committee of the GPC announced that they will submit a collective resignation in the event efforts to persuade Saleh fail on Saturday.

Yasser Al-Awadhi, senior official in the GPC, said the situation very complex than ever. He blames the general committee, to which he is a member, for the failure to manage the crisis of the president’s decision when it was first made last year.
“We are tenaciously working with maximum pressure in order to correct the situation,” Al-Awadhi said. “Choices almost don’t exist.”

Though the recent developments are taken too seriously by all people, there was a room for humor. People exchange different cell phones’ text messages. One of the funniest messages says, “All members of the general committee of the GPC will commit suicide in front of the opposition parties’ headquarters in case Saleh keeps up his mind.”

He is right his legacy depends on his decision, and continued association with a corrupt administration denigrates his reputation and diminishes his prior achievements.

from the award winning Yemen Times

In order to achieve the aforementioned vision we, in my opinion, have to do the following. First, we have to leave the ruler to decompose out of his obstinacy and arrogance. His power is responsible for the forging of elections. His power has brought about different economical, social, political, and to some extent, factional problems. When the JMP does not present a candidate, the ruler will be compelled to beg the JMP for national and political consensus or resort to picking a weak candidate from his entourage.

Second, we have to leave Saleh to stand alone as a candidate for the presidency, wearing his megalomaniac attire. Recalling Al-Hamidi’s murder in a secondhand market on 45 Meter Street, the nature of the regime’s detestable fanaticism has gone far beyond the constitution and the law. The crime plays a part in unveiling the illegitimacy of power since the Law of Penalty states in the Article 23 that an accomplice to a crime is one who provides assistance to some party who intends to commit a crime.

This crime, and similar mayhem, will be a rich issue for uncovering the regime’s corruption that aims to exploit power for another seven years. Each Sanhani working in the Special Forces, the Republican Guard, and National Security will be able to walk on the dignity of the people after such a continuation of Saleh’s rule.

Read it all, it’s very interesting.

Also this one is interesting:

One should not reduce the significance of the dialogue sponsored by Saleh. All Yemenis know that the Parliament and the Shoura Council are facades that have no relation to legislation. Neither institution has the authority to monitor the executive branch nor force it to account for its actions. Therefore, both bodies lack efficiency and independence.

Agreements between the government and the Opposition have shortcomings as they do not provide cures for our crisis. This raises the question: “Do the requirements for real competition exist?”

The government and the Opposition agree on partial solutions associated with reforming electoral mechanisms. Both sides have agreed on the revision of voter registration lists; however, the most urgent issues are those related to the construction of a modern state based on law and order.

As the government and the Opposition have agreed on methods of monitoring the polls, the ball is now in the Opposition’s court. Will the Opposition nominate its own presidential candidate? Will it recommend an independent candidate? Or will the Opposition sell itself out in a bargain with Saleh over the upcoming elections?

My take exactly:

GCC’s volte-face supports Saleh’s re-election

According to the NewsYemen website, American and British diplomatic sources have revealed that the two countries have advised the Saudis and the GCC states to “shoulder their responsibility in protecting Yemen against verified imminent failure.” The same sources mentioned that there were estimates pointing out that the “assistance of Arab countries did not achieve mentionable success in protecting Yemen against deep components of failure in the government of President Saleh.” The site indicated that the Yemeni Ministry of Planning said that Britain will double its assistance to Yemen next year. The website also mentioned that the British ambassador to Yemen appeared more “welcoming of the Saudi Arabia kingdom participation at the donors’ conference to be held late this year.”

This is the first time for donors to meet with Saudi Arabia in an international gathering to discuss political and economic reforms in Yemen. NewsYemen has also mentioned that the “escape of the 23 al-Qaeda linked prisoners last February has led to [a rise in] fears of the international community” about Yemen’s situation.

The GCC secretary general said in press statements published previously that Yemen already qualifies to enter the council based on its level of press freedoms. The GCC’s conditions for Yemeni accession do not differ markedly from those drawn up by the Millennium Challenge Fund, financed by the American government, for the qualification of Yemen for aid. To date, Yemen has failed to meet its terms and American officials informed President Saleh last year in Washington that Yemen would not benefit from the Fund.

Thus, it seems that the real reasons for the GCC’s u-turn towards Yemeni entry are completely different from those mentioned by senior Yemeni officials. Recently, Yemeni officials began to whisper in the ears of media officials that the GCC’s terms include imposition of restraints on democratic practices and the limitation of political pluralism.

Of course, there is no proof that such demands are to be taken at face value. Rather, these purported demands seem to b fabrications of the Yemeni government.

Read it all.

YT

The World Bank’s board of directors announced the new 2006-2009 four-year country assistance strategy for Yemen. The strategy has been revised on the basis of Yemen’s steady progress in implementing economic, financial, and administration reforms over the past three years.

The strategy indicates that important steps have been taken in laying the groundwork for civil service reform and in setting up decentralized fiscal entities, in addition to successfully restoring and maintaining macroeconomic stability. The new Country Assistance Strategy gives focus to enhancing harmonization with the poverty reduction strategy paper in order to achieve the required growth needed to reach the Millennium Development Goals.

The new strategy keeps in mind that Yemen is still heavily dependent on oil as a foreign currency earner (83 percent of total exports), coupled with declining production and limited reserves.

Mustafa Rouis, Yemen Country Manager for the World Bank, said that “governance will be a key focus for Yemen in the short term to ensure long-term development effectiveness.”

What does this mean: “setting up decentralized fiscal entities, in addition to successfully restoring and maintaining macroeconomic stability.”

More: The World Bank approved the 2006-2009 Country Assistance Strategy for Yemen. The strategy will provide assistance to Yemen by increasing non-oil growth, improving human development outcomes, improving fiscal sustainability, and addressing the natural resource sustainability crisis. The strategy will provide about $400 million (USD) in IDA (International Development Association) credits to Yemen through a selective program of lending operations as well as a strategic program of analytical and learning services.

Who is this and why did they take him, I have no idea. From the YT:

The National Foundation for Defending Rights and Freedoms (HOOD) sent messages to the chairman of the Central Apparatus of Political Security, Brigadier Ghalib Al-Qamash, and Attorney General Abdullah Al-Ulfi asking them to intervene and gain the release of Mohamed Abdulkhaliq Al-Mudani if no charges are to be leveled against him.

The organization considers Al-Mudani’s arrest as a violation of the constitution, which prohibits arbitrary arrest unrelated to criminal action. HOOD officials state that Yemeni law punishes officials who arbitrarily arrest innocent citizens with a term of five years imprisonment.

Press sources noted that members of Political Security kidnapped Al-Mudani—a fresh graduate of the faculty of medicine at Sana’a University—for unknown reasons. Four males—operating out of a blue Suzuki Vitara and a Toyota Hilux—seized Al-Mudani on Qiyadah Street in the afternoon of June13 while he was with two of his brothers. His two brothers reported that four security personnel had tied him up, forced him into a car, and drove off to an unknown location.

Al-Mudani’s family appealed to the government to allow them to visit him and to be informed with reasons for his arrest. They demanded that he be sent for trial in court if the Political Security has evidence incriminating him.

The family has also appealed to media organizations to intervene with the government to obtain the release of their son. Al-Dastour, a government-financed newspaper, accused Al-Mudani being a backer of the Houthi rebellion. Al-Mudani’s father, an officer of the Interior ministry, refused to accuse any party of kidnapping his son. “I have no enmities with any party,” he said.

And they try to sell it to the west as clamping down on extremism.

SANA’A, June 21 — Member of Parliament Yahya Al-Houthi has accused the Sana’a regime of endeavoring to impose Salafi mosque preachers on Sa’ada governorate residents by distributing such preachers in area mosques.

In a June 19 message to President Ali Abdullah Saleh, a copy of which the Yemen Times received, Al-Houthi stated, “The war being waged these days on Al-Awasijah in Haidan in Sa’ada is the reason Al-Awasijah refused to listen to speeches of those accusing others of infidelity,” according to his account.

From his residence in Germany, Al-Houthi said the chases, confiscations and arrests still are continuing in Sa’ada and there are prisoners from Al-Jawf and Amran. He added that the authority is seeking by force of arms to compel Sa’ada inhabitants to discard their religious sect and embrace the Salafi sect. He considers the Sa’ada War a racist and sectarian one against the Zaidi sect and its followers and attributes its continuation to an influx of money.

The parliamentarian also said President Saleh promised to handle the Sa’ada War himself, saying that he didn’t need the governorate’s governor or any others and that he wants military termination.

Al-Houthi mentioned that armed forces units on June 19 actually attacked “our people in Farn Bin Zaid by using army tanks, armored vehicles and troops in the south of Haidan city, but our people there managed to repel the attack and destroy a military group, inflicting direct hits on the attacking soldiers, despite what the official media has propagated that the Sa’ada War ended and prisoners were released.” He said this was just a cover to avoid international pressure.

At the end of his message Al-Houthi said, “I call on the president to stop the war because it’s just destruction for the people and increases their suffering. I also call on him for genuine peace.”

The drama continues.

The GPC is apparently a paper tiger without Saleh. If Saleh sticks to his decision, it will envigorate the party system which was nearly dead, as is demonstrated by their immature reaction. They are acting like a cult of personality not a party.

The GPC could find one honest person I’m sure, one person who all along has been working in the public interest, maybe somebody who objected to that monsterous budget, and make him their candidate.

Yemen Mirror

Thousands of Yemeni people were pushed to protest against the decision of the president Saleh appealing accept the GPC nomination for the upcoming elections in September.

Abu Suhaib, an accountant in a drug company, told The Mirror that the administration of the company forced all the staff to protest in Al-Tahreer Square where thousands of people gathered from different ministries and institutions. “I don’t care if he run or not,” he said. “I had a lot of work to do.”

The majority of people surveyed by The Mirror after the speech of the president Saleh during the GPC exceptional conference said they felt the seriousness of his decision. However, some political analysts believe it is mere acting.

Dr. Abdullah Al-Faqeeh, Professor of Political Science at Sana’a University, told NewsYemen that the speech of the president was not serious enough. “I think President Saleh and Prime Minister Bajammal are of the most skilful movie stars in the world,” he said.

Al-Faqeeh added, “In the event President Saleh insisted on his rejection to the candidacy - which I do exclude at the same time - the country will be pushed into cataclysm, because it was built on this political system and the whole country was established accordingly.

“On the second hand, the friends of the President, officials of his party and relatives will not agree on another person. Everybody feels he is the rightful replacement for the monarchy.”

According to the professor, the opposition in obliged to nominate a strong candidate to seriously and strongly compete for several reasons, including that the GPC was summed up in the character of the President and there is no attempt to find alternatives.

WPH: Informed sources told United Press International that Saleh is determined not to reconsider his decision to stay away from elections, and that the extraordinary meeting was aimed at nominating the ruling party’s candidate for president.
The sources said Saleh issued firm instructions to Prime Minister Abdel Kader Bajamal to ban demonstrations and marches to press him to submit his candidature for another seven-year term. They also noted that Saleh rejected a request by a committee of Yemeni businessmen to meet with him in order to press for renewing his presidential candidature.
A member of the Popular Congress Party leadership said Saleh will conduct an open dialogue with senior party members to clarify the motives for his decision not to run for reelection and will defend his viewpoint, but the final decision remains in the hands of the party leadership.

Update: it was all political theatre, he’s “running” in the elections. Seemed too good to be true, a dictator who voluntarily relinquishes power, and it was.

Original Post:
But Ba Jammal says he has to agree.

Official Saba news agency reported from the GPC extraordinary congress that President Saleh asked the party to hold a closed session to to nominate its candidate for the coming presidential elections. He said in the address “I told the general secretary that I reject any political shows and theatre plays”.. let Yemeni people bear their historic responsibility..

“I’m not unable to carry on with this responsibility” Saleh said, but “my achievement of unity and comprehensive development is urging me to preserve such achievement by handing over power peacefully to Yemeni people”..

“Yemeni people are full of loyal and honest men, the country is stable and secure.. no fears are there for unity , democracy, and development”..

He added that he’ll keep his constitutional tasks until Yemeni people elect a president.” we have state institutions that would lead the country ..” , Saleh resumed. He told his party members “Do not claim that you or the people were surprised by my decision, I already told you 11 months and 4 days ago that I am giving up power”..

Ba Jammal, also talking to the congress and the president said that the 7th congress shad already nominated you, and this one comes to complete the steps.. “your candidacy is not a matter of personal will, but rather of country wide national demand”..

Gee, he sounds…serious.

Mirror: President Ali Abdullah Saleh announced that nominating him for the elections is not the right thing. “It is not a play,” he stressed. “It is not a political game.”

He confirmed that he wants to hand over power to the people of Yemen in a peaceful and democratic manner. The President made the announcement during the extraordinary general meeting being held now in the capital Sana’a for the General People’s Congress (GPC) nominee.

“I put the responsibility today to the General People’s Congress and all political parties and organizations and all groups of people,” he said. “We believe the GPC is a great party.”

The President confirmed that he announced that he will not rerun for a second term before 11 months and four days. He warns the Secretary-General of the CPG of any play or game.
“I will not nominate myself for the coming presidential elections and relinquish power voluntarily today. The responsibility is on the people of Yemen to choose a new President of the country,” he asserted.

The President went on saying “I am not sick or unable to assume responsibility. “I served to 28 years if it was success it is a good thing but if it was failure I ask forgiveness from the people of Yemen.”

More

News Yemen: As the General Peoples’ Congress (GPC) started its exceptional conference on Wednesday recalling president Ali Abdullah Saleh to run the coming presidential election.
The secretary-general of GPC Abdul-Qader Ba-jammal delivered a speech in which he appealed president Saleh to run presidency elections “for the sake of Yemen and to complete the development process he has stared”.
“We are here to tell you that Yemeni people, all syndicates, civil society organizations, scholars, intellectuals and writers appeal you to run for more term not in favor of the country but because you have proved in the past period that you are able to lead the country efficiently, said Ba-jammal.
“So we call you on behalf of all to hear the calls and to run the country in the coming democratic era,” said Ba-jammal.
However, president Saleh addressed nearly 5000 attendants confirming that his decision in July 2005 “was not a play, but a chance for all to practice peaceful power succession”.
“Thanks for Yemeni people and all who trusted me before and trust me now. I am not unable to lead the country according to the constitution that gives me that right, but we called for this exceptional conference not to discuss the future of Ali Abdullah Saleh but to discuss the future of Yemen,” said Saleh.
” I do not agree with those who say that if there is one able to lead the country we will elect him, but I say that Yemen is full of honest individuals who can powerfully lead the country to get to a safe shore,” Saleh said.
If I could perform well in the 28 years of power so that was good, but if I failed to reach some achievements, I seek the Yemeni people pardon,” Saleh added.
When the attendants were embarrassed for the speech of Saleh, he called the GPC to a close session “to choose the GPC candidate for presidency and discussing issues related to the future of the country in this democratic change”.

More: businessmen threaten to withdraw money and tribes take trucks hostage.

from the YO:

President Ali Abdullah Saleh addressed his supporters last Wednesday and sincerely reaffirmed that he has no intention in participating in the upcoming elections. “I want to hand over power peacefully and democratically,” the President said.

He also addressed rumors that his refusal to run is merely political posturing. “It is not a theatrical performance, nor is it a political game.” Saleh said that he wants to pass on the responsibility to the Yemeni people starting with the GPC (General People’s Congress), the other political parties, and other sectors of the Yemen population that is the representation of all parties.

Amid interrupting shouts for him to change his mind, the President said, “I warned the Secretary General of the GPC of any theatrics or games. I declared 11 months and four days ago, that I wouldn’t run for the upcoming Presidential elections, and I will transfer power over peacefully.”

The President went on to say: “I am neither sick nor incapable to take the responsibility. I ruled for 28 years. If I have been successful that is a good thing, but if I have failed in some aspects, I beg the pardon of the Yemeni people.”

As the roar grew louder, Saleh said: “I am speaking to you quietly, confidently, and without agitation. I want my achievements to be crowned with the transition of power following the country’s unification, securing of borders, and development of the country. The one thing remaining is to hand over the power to the people. Let them decide the future of Yemen but not the future of the President.”

Following his address was a closed session of GPC leaders. It was held to address their opinions amid expectancies that Saleh will apologize for not bowing to the demands of the people. He is expected to renew his insistence on establishing a democratic model in Yemen and to suggest possible names for standing in the elections on behalf of the party.

Well-informed sources said the President issued tight orders to the Prime Minister Abdul-Qader Ba-Jammal to ban any demonstrations calling for his re-election. Yesterday, Saleh refused for the second time in a row to attend a special session that was held by a committee of Yemen’s businessmen demanding the President seek re-election. The attendants of the conference are 6,850 members and 600 women.

Really it would be a historical move that would settle his legacy.

News Yemen:

The capital Sana’a witnessed on Tuesday rallies of citizens asking president Saleh to run the coming presidential elections, he decided not to run last July, 2005.
The demonstrations come a day before the General Peoples’ Congress (GPC) holds its exceptional conference to declare its candidate for presidency.
On the other hand, the Joint Meeting Parties (JMPs) condemned an appeal raised to president Saleh on behalf of all participants in the 4th conference of the Local Councils held in Sana’a early this week.
JMPs said it was not the right of the conference leadership to raise the appeal on behalf of all participants as the conference included leaders and members of opposition parties which till now refuse Saleh’s nomination for more term.
“We did not discuss the appeal and it has never been included in the conference’s agenda,” said a statement by JMPs.
The statement disparaged such behavior that it described as “indecent”, confirming that a conference held to discuss the future of decentralization should not be interested in internal problems of the ruling party.
The statement also criticized the final communiqué of the conference that it said did not meet aspirations.
“The report of the minister of local administration ignored many issues and obstacles that have faced local councils in the past period and it did not point to the level of implementing recommendations of previous conferences,” said JMPs.
It also said that the work paper related to enhancing decentralization experience overlooked the request of most members of the conference to directly and freely elect governors and managers of administrative units.
The JMPs also condemned the liquidation of the local council in Marib since it has been elected till now and preventing the council to distribute its statement at the conference hall, considering that as “black point in the decentralization experience”.
“The local councils could achieve some achievements by efforts of their members, but what we have achieved is not sufficient due to many obstacles such as lack of financial and administrative authorities,” said JMPs.

Via the Yemen Observer:

Tariq al-Shami, head of General-Secretariat of the GPC said that the decision reached at this exceptional conference will going to be binding on all GPC members including President Saleh. The decision will confirm the recommendation of the seventh conference held in Aden last year. He confirmed that President Saleh remains the sole candidate for the GPC in spite of his frequent refusal to stand for re-election. Abdullah A. Ghanim, the head of the political constituency of the GPC, assured that this unique round of the conference will treat one subject only, and that is to name the candidate of the GPC for the upcoming elections. Again he confirmed that the decisions of the round will be obligatory on the person that will be selected by members.

The general trend is going to be a confirmation of what was decided in Aden at last November’s conference: to name President Saleh as a candidate for the GPC. He affirmed that all members of GPC all over Yemen stand firm by their insistence on Saleh running in the upcoming presidential elections.

In a leak, the first of its kind, informed sources inside the Joint Meeting Parties state that there is a unanimous agreement inside the parties to select the independent Faisel Bin Shamlan, former Oil minister as the candidate of the JMP in the upcoming presidential elections of September 2006.

Despite the confidentiality that the JMP have around the name of its candidate, Abdul-Wahab Al-Aansi, Assistant-Secretary-General of the Islah Party in a statement to the Yemen Observer didn’t deny the naming of Bin Shamalan as the candidate of the JMP. He said, “The identity of the candidate is not important but I assure you that the JMP has agreed on one candidate.”

Yasin Saeed Noman, Secretary-General of the Socialist party refused to comment on Bin Shamlan’s presumed nomination as the candidate of the JMP and said there is no evidence of that, indicating that the parties are still fielding candidates. Media sources reported that anonymous leaders of the opposition in the JMP-Islah, Socialist, Union Nasserite, Peoples Forces, and Al-Huq parties agreed to name Bin Shamlan as their candidate to ease the deadlock that was threatening to destroy the main body of the JMP due to the sometimes sharply contrasting ideologies held by the parties of the JMP.

If nominated, I will not run; if elected, I will not serve.
William T. Sherman

This is such a shame, an electrical project shut down due to security concerns. Gee, maybe Ali Abdullah Saleh’s relatives *don’t* have some special hereditary talents bestowed at birth enabling them alone to run the security forces, because they are doing a very bad job.

UPI:

Security hazards and widespread arms possession among the population is preventing poor Yemen from going ahead with development and investment projects.

The latest casualty of this insecurity was South Korean giant Hyundai, which announced the suspension of an electricity project worth $64 million for supplying power to Sanaa and other provinces following attacks on its workers and an attempt to kidnap its director in Yemen, a Korean national.

Independent daily al-Nidaa said Monday that the “deterioration of security conditions and the dangerous and recurring attacks that targeted Hyundai led to the suspension of a strategic and vital project and resulted in power cuts in Sanaa and other large cities.

“Hyundai was forced to freeze its work lately until further notice due to security hazards, blackmail, robbery and kidnapping incidents, the latest of which was the aborted attempt to abduct the company director, Mt. Chin,” the paper said.

The company was in the process of building 600 high-voltage power poles from Maarab to Haziz, in Sanaa, which were supposed to be completed in two years at the cost of $64 million as part of a bigger project for operating a gas power plant in a joint venture with Germany’s Siemens and Iran’s Neesan.

The paper noted that Hyundai was forced to suspend work for two weeks in March, but was exposed to more violence after it agreed to hire 75 workers from the province of Sanaa. Attacks included office raids and firing on company workers.

The minister of electricity was informed of the harassment, al-Nidaa said, and he presented a memorandum to Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Rashad Alimi “complaining that such incidents would force investments out of Yemen.”

Now this doesn’t inspire much confidence: Project Manager Urgently Needed Yemen

Our client, a general trading and construction company have recently been awarded a large EPC project, building a Crude Oil Tank Farm (approx. USD25 million) north of Hodeidah, in Yemen. The project will be sub-contracted to a major international Engineering and Construction Contractor. This tank farm project is part of a new refinery development. The contractor will also sub-contract as well the construction of the buildings (EPC worth about 5 millions USD). They urgently require an experienced Project Manager, having managed construction of crude oil and petroleum products tank farms, on the contractor ’s side, not as a consultant.

A committee unlike any other, no more monitoring, more releases, freedom to travel inside and outside Yemen, al-Qaeda escapees may be in Iraq or Afghanistan already, attacks within Yemen unlikely,

Gulf News:

Sanaa: The Yemeni government has formed a committee to work for the rehabilitation of Al Qaida suspects if they pledge to renounce violence and extremism, a member of the committee said on Sunday.

The committee was formed after a group of former Al Qaida prisoners met President Ali Abdullah Saleh to discus the rehabilitation issue.

“We met President Saleh on June 15 to discuss the conditions of the prisoners and also those who are already released but still under surveillance or house arrest,” Rashad Mohammad Saeed, who attended the meeting, said in an exclusive interview with Gulf News. “The committee was made up of six people - we chose three from among us and three from the governmental concerned bodies,” said Saeed, who is also known as Abu Al Feda.

The 32-year-old Abu Al Feda went to Afghanistan in 1989 for Jihad against the former Soviet Union, stayed until 1992 and then returned to Yemen. In 1998, he went back to Afghanistan to fight with Taliban and Al Qaida until days before the September 11 attacks and came back to Yemen where he was arrested on September 26, 2001, and kept in prison for nearly two years and four months. bu Al Feda, who says he is still under surveillance since he was released in early 2004, said this committee is different from all previous ones.

“The difference now is that this committee was formed from both sides not only from the government side,” Abu Al Feda said. “Hopefully, during the coming days all those who are not sentenced will be released and those who are sentenced and have served two-thirds of their period, will be released by the president.

“Keeping these young people in prison is not in the interests of Yemen. I think they were put in prison only under international circumstances and American pressure,” he said. He pointed out to promises from authorities to solve the problems facing him and his colleagues after their release.

So far, the Yemeni authorities say they have released about 315 Al Qaida suspects for lack of evidence against them. “It was also agreed to cancel measures imposed on those who are released, like house arrest, the monthly signing of official register and taking permission if you wish to go another province in Yemen,” he said.

“The youth should be allowed to travel wherever they wish in the country and outside the country if they get visas like normal citizens.” He also said those who lost their jobs because of imprisonment would be returned to their jobs.

“I and my brotherly youth will be committed not to do anything that may undermine the security or damage the public interests of society,” he said. Answering a question as to what extent these promises can be realised, he said, “I do not look at them as promises. It is a duty of those responsible for the homeland and its sons, to solve their problems.”

“I expect that all these points discussed in the meeting will be implemented because of the seriousness of the President of the Republic and chairman of the Political Security Organisation. They are very interested in solving our problems.”

About those 14 prisoners still at large after the February escape of 23 Al Qaida suspects, he said, “If they went to Iraq or Afghanistan, then they have arrived at a place where they can do as they wish,” adding, that he is not worried about them.

He said, if they are still in the country, “I do not expect them to do anything against the country and it will only be a matter of time for them to go back.”

Rehabilitation and re-integration are very important issues, appeasement is another. How many appeasements does it take to equal support? Meanwhile, the US and the Brits are training the Yemeni Coast Guard. And Abizaid visits Saleh:

Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh met with General John Abizaid, the senior U.S. commander in the Middle East, in Sanaa Sunday. Saba news agency reported on June 18 that during their meeting the pair focused on combating regional terrorism and the ongoing U.S. training of Yemeni coast guard personnel. They also discussed events in Iraq, Somalia and the horn of Africa. Abizaid told Saleh that the U.S. government was deeply appreciative of Yemen’s cooperation in the fight against terrorism. Abizaid also praised Yemen’s efforts to sponsor a dialogue in Somalia to restore peace there, following the Union of Islamic Courts claims of having captured the capital Mogadishu.

And lot of other countries while cracking down on the opposition in Ethiopia becomes less of a concern:

Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi held talks on Monday with Commander of the U.S. Central Command, General John Abuzaid, on bilateral, regional and international issues. Meles exchanged views with the visiting U.S. commander on ongoing efforts in fighting terrorism, according to a Foreign Ministry official, who declined to be named. The two sides also discussed issues related to the bilateral cooperation between the two countries, said the official. The United States considers Ethiopia, the Horn of Africa’s top military power, a key counter-terrorism ally in the area.

The United States has said it will not follow other donors in withholding aid to Ethiopia over a government crackdown on opposition supporters, and will not cut the 600 million U.S. dollars it is giving for development and fighting HIV/AIDS.

General Abuzaid is here on a working visit. Before his visit to Ethiopia, he held discussions with the leaders and senior officers of the Netherlands, Qatar, Iraq, Kuwait, Jordan, Kenya, and Yemen, a U.S. military officer said.

One has the sinking feeling the right hand is not only unaware but actually opposes the left.

There’s five or six known al-Qaeda in Somalia according to the US, “individuals suspected of participating in the bombing of the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998.” Meanwhile the US doesn’t seem to care a twit that the Cole bombers, their co-conspirators and suppliers have almost all been released, rehabilitated, twice escaped or otherwise nicely accomidated by the Yemeni regime. What is that?

Update from the Arab Times: Claiming the Kuwaiti Public Investment Authority has been paying $137,000 to President of Yemen Ali Abdullah Saleh, he said “Saleh usually spends this money to buy qatt, which he chews. As he has recently quit chewing qatt under doctors’ instructions Saleh has started using this money to buy alcohol.”

Original Post: The irony, the absurdity, the double standard: The Yemeni governmental media and associated attack rags are dedicated to insulting, villifying and threatening critics, intellectuals and oppositionists in the most outragous terms imaginable. Now the wegimes paw widdle feewings are hurt by insulting writers in Kuwait, awwww, paw widdle wegime.

They seem to have the impression that free and unfettered speech about Yemen is allowed no where on the planet, not in Kuwait, not in the US and certainly not in Yemen.

MC

Yemen officially protested to the Kuwaiti government on Saturday over what it called ‘frequent insults’ towards Yemeni political leaders by prominent Kuwaiti figures, Yemen’s state news agency Saba reported.

Yemeni Foreign Minister Abu-Bakr al-Qerbi, in a meeting with Kuwait’s Ambassador to Sana’a Abdul-Rahman al-Utaibi, informed him of his government’s ‘discomfort over the frequent insults to the leadership, government and people of Yemen by some Kuwaiti figures,’ the agency said.

Saba gave no details about the nature of the insults or the people involved. But the Yemeni government has voiced its anger in recent years over public criticism of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh by Kuwaiti journalists and opposition members of parliament.

Yemen has yet to restore its once warm ties with Kuwait that were damaged by Yemen’s opposition to the international military action against Iraq after it invaded the oil-rich Gulf state in 1990.

‘Such insults aim at damaging the distinguished ties between Yemen and Kuwait,’ the agency quoted al-Qerbi as saying at the meeting w