Armies of Liberation

Talking to young people about terrorism. Kudos to HOOD. It kind of reminds me of the gang prevention programs in the US. Or the DARE classes in US middle schools (Drug Use Resistance Education) which teach life skills, critical thinking and tactics kids can take to avoid using drugs. Its an important discussion that has to take place way before anyone is incarerated. Rehabilitation is important, but helping young people avoid a destructive lifestyle is a critical issue as well.

YO: How do you envision a terrorist? Such was the question posed by Khaled al-Ansi, the executive manager of the Hood organization for freedom and liberty, to his young students, members of a new committee of young people dedicated to fighting terrorism and extremism. A terrorist is a man who abuses his children, offered Abdul-Wahab Fadhel, one of the students. Anyone in authority who persecutes his people is a terrorist, added Jalal al-Baddai.

Saleem al-Ghailani, 23, a student in the Sana’a University law school, said that he cannot draw an image of a terrorist, but he has one in his mind. “If I was a painter, I would draw a picture of an ordinary person, whose mind and heart has been changed and snakes came out of his mouth.”

Alaa’ al-Aghbari, 24, also imagined an ordinary person, but with a gun. All of these definitions are correct, said al-Ansi, because terrorism is the act of frightening people with acts of violence. One student asked, “But why do they blame us for killing people if their countries invade ours?” Al-Ansi replied that it is illegal according to Islam to kill any person. “Why are we happy when we see a train in America destroyed and not when the same thing occurs in Egypt,” al-Ansi asked. “The ones who revealed the scandal of Abu Ghraib prison were free Americans.”

These seven youths are part of a committee dedicated to fighting terrorism and extremism; they will be responsible for raising awareness among the youth in the future. The committee was organized by the Democracy School, which trains youths to serve in various committees. The training course started by identifying terrorism on etymological and ideological grounds. Al-Ansi hopes that simply making his students aware of the issue of terrorism, and what motivates terrorists, can help prevent the spread of terrorism. (Read on …)

Again. How retarded. At one point, the regime stooge media was saying opposition journalists are “a third sex.” Funny but not. Its nice the western media is giving Yemen more publicity. To western people, outrageous allegations against Yemeni journalists just prove how repressive the regime is and how much it has to hide, which is a lot.

New York, November 28, 2006—Yemen’s leading state-run newspaper Al-Thawra attacked independent editor Jamal Amer upon his return from the United States where he received the Committee to Protect Journalists 2006 International Press Freedom Award.

The daily ran a front-page article on November 26 suggesting that he was a U.S. agent and warning of possible legal action in response to his critical coverage of neighboring Saudi Arabia.

The article accused Amer and his independent weekly Al-Wasat of harming Yemen’s ties with Saudi Arabia and accused him of collaborating with U.S. intelligence. The attack appeared to be in response to Al-Wasat’s republication earlier this month of an article by former CIA case officer Robert Baer in Atlantic Monthly. Baer wrote that the ruling House of Saud was in danger of collapse.

The Al-Thawra article, titled “In whose interest the targeting of Yemeni-Saudi relations?” said that “The bad intention behind the publication of such an article and who is likely to benefit from it are no secret to anybody; particularly when we know that the editor of Al Wasat is currently visiting the USA and enjoying the care of …some Americans known for their closeness to the intelligence services.” (Read on …)

Libyan socialite funds the re-organization of Baath Party in Yemen.

In 2006, the Yemeni Baath party split from the opposition coalition and supported President Saleh’s re-election bid. As the following article notes, Yemen recruited Iraqi military personnel in 2003. Later former Iraqi generals were noted particpating in offensives in the Saddah region alongside General Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, paid tribesmen, Aden Abyan Islamic Army members and some Afghan Arabs. Reports last year indicated that subverted elements of Yemeni security forces had established training camps for Baathist insurgents. Saddam’s nephew, Omar Sabawi Ibrahim Hasan Al-Tikriti, is wanted by interpol for funding and directing the Iraqi insurgency in Mosul from Yemen. There’s a regular flow of Yemeni youth to Iraq. Some family members of suicide bombers report that they were trained with the assistance of high ranking Yemeni military and that there are safe houses are in Sanaa, which they listed.

SANNA: Libya is seemingly trying to build up momentum in Yemen after decades of “cold” relations. After the failed Nasserite coup against Saleh in 1978, said to be backed by Gaddafi, Libyan-Yemeni relations soured. Libya was also always on the side of ex- South Yemen in its series of wars with Saleh’s north.

President Saleh visited Libya just before elections and news reports indicated that Libya provided a million or two million dollars for his presidential campaigns. Libya was also reported to be supporting Hussein Al-Ahmar, the younger son of Parliament speaker Sheikh Abdullah , to form an opposition party in Yemen after quitting the GPC.

According to the official 26 of September, Said-el-Islam Al-Gaddafi, the son of the Libyan leader is in Sana’a to meet with President Saleh’s son, head of Yemen’s special forces including the anti-terrorism unit, Col. Ahmed Ali Abdullah Saleh to discuss “cooperation in the field of charity between the NGOs that they preside in their countries”.

Ahmed Ali Abdullah Saleh leads the Al-Saleh Welfare society, while Saif-el-Islam heads “Gaddafi Global corporation for Welfare Societies”. However Mareb press, Naba News and others reported Libyan mediation between authorities and Al-Houthi rebels of Sa’da. Reportedly Gaddadfi is carrying a letter regarding the topic from his father to the Yemeni president.

Exiled ex-parliamentarian Yahya Al-Houthi on Sunday accused Yemeni authorities of provoking more fighting and ignoring the prospect of a “Libyan mediation”. Al-Houthi told the indepndent Mareb Press in a phone interview that Gaddafi’s proposal included release of all prisoners and commitment to President’s amnesty”. Today the opposition and other media announced that all Houthi partisans imprisoned in Sa’da and Hodeida were suddenly released, although numerous amnesty declarations had previously failed to bring about this result.

Arab and Gulf media, and some Yemeni media, recently reported that Aisha Al-Gaddafi, the daughter of the Libyan veteran is funding the re-organization of Iraqi Baath party in Yemen with millions of dollars. Aisha, like her brother, is heading a welfare society of an unknown budget, but said to be immense.The new Baath is formed of those who left Iraq after the fall of Saddam, many of which were granted facilities in Yemen. It is said that the ex-head of Iraq women union (in Saddam’s time) who obtained political asylum in Sana’a, visited Libya twice for this issue. The new organization is reportedly confined to Sunni sect, and not even ex-Baathist Shi’as are allowed in. An unofficial report by Naba news said that Iraqis who entered Yemen in the past two or three years are around 26,000. News by Asharq Al-awsat Arabic London daily said that Yemen is trying to convince the Americans to allow the Baath party a role in Iraq after re-organization. Aisha is a very strong advocate of Saddam Hussein, and had visited him once. She also visited his daughter in Amman recently.

Some media sources said that Saudi Arabia had circulated to its friendly intelligence services in the region a list of names of “significant personalities” paid by Libya including Yemeni tribal figures who visited Libya more than once recently “to disturb security of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf.” A foothold in Yemen may be a way for Libya to confront Saudi Arabia.

five killed

almotamar.net – SANAA-Five persons were killed, among them three security men in clashes took place Tuesday morning in Sana’a between bodyguards of MP Mithhij Al-Ahmar son of sheikh Abdullah bi Hussein al-Ahmar speaker of the parliament and policemen.

A security source told almotamar.net that the clash took place while the police were on their duty inspecting and searching for weapons in the capital. The MP Mithhij Al-Ahmar refused to respond to those in charge with the search campaign and his bodyguards started shooting at the police patrol which led to killing three of them and two of the bodyguards and another police was wounded and was taken to hospital. The source said the security members seized two of the bodyguards of (al-Ahmar).

More

Demonstration

this is a letter to the editor at the YT:

We have a complaint regarding our building in Mukalla which was handed over to Yemen Economic Corporation without any legal judgment. Therefore, we appeal through your esteemed newspaper to President Ali Abdullah Saleh to compact the corruption with the terms of London Donors Conference and to return our building after the law said its word, but Yemen Economic Corporation does not recognize with the law. (Read on …)

if they write anything critical and specific

Abdulhamid al-Sharabi, a reporter at Saba News Agency, filed a complaint with the Yemen Journalist Syndicate after he recieved a death threat by phone. The caller referenced an article al-Sharabi had published in the official al-Thawra newspaper. Al-Sharabi said “on Sunday I received a phone call from unknown person who intimidated me bluntly to be killed due to publishing an article.” According to al-Sharabi, “he threatened me saying, ‘you who wrote about people, you will be killed and dumped in the street like a dog.’ ”

Al-Sharabi’s article addressed citizens’ complaints regarding violations and irregularities at Sharab al-Rouna court. The article was entitled “From the Hallways of One of the Courts.” Al-Sharabi demanded YJS to act quickly on his case in order to protect his life.

17 YSP members reported detained

SANA’A, Nov. 29 — The Yemeni Socialist Party’s General Secretariat denounced illegal practices against its members who staged a sit-in Sunday in Aden governorate protesting an attempt to destroy the party’s premises in Al-Qallowa district of Aden governorate.

In a statement issued Tuesday, the YSP stated such arbitrary practices are continuation of practices by the state’s influential figures to target leaders and activists in the party, with attempts to control the party’s properties and documents.

On Monday, security forces in Aden governorate attacked a number of YSP members and activists who staged a sit-in with their backdrop their party’s premises under destruction. More than 17 people were reportedly detained and beaten at the site.

“Security forces hit and detained members of the party, including three people who are members in the party’s central committee,” said the YSP statement. Security forces beat protestors with the gun butts and cudgels, and then brought them to a local police station. (Read on …)

Yemeni media sources report that security authorities thwarted an attempt to blast the Drug factory located in Madhbah (north of Sana’a). The opposition RAY News reprted late Sunday that a group of 6 men tried plant explosives but escaped after being noticed by security troops.

It quoted sources saying that specialized teams of counter terror forces managed to dismantle the bombs, saying that Qaeda connection is a possibility, and that the group is being pursued. The news service attributed the failure of the attempt to the extensive security measures around vital installations following Qaeda threats last month.

Akhbar Al-Yom daily gave more details saying that the attempt was made Friday morning and that explosives were placed by the internal side of factory’s wall . The explosives were about 60 Kg of high explosive TNT . They were noted by the factory’s military guards who shot at them which forced them to escape with a waiting Mercedes. As security troops arrived, they found a bag and a tape recorder left behind by the groups, but securities sources declined to tell the paper what was inside that bag or where investigations are leading.

The factory is of the Yemeni Drugs Company, affiliated to the Yemeni economic corporation. No official comment was published until this moment.