Armies of Liberation

Arab News

JEDDAH, 30 June 2007 — Yemeni criminal prosecution decided recently to extend the detention of Yemeni journalist and former editor in chief of the country’s Al-Shoura newspaper, Abdul Karim Al-Khiwani, for another month, according to the defendant’s lawyer Khaled Al-Aansi.

Al-Khiwani was detained last week from his home in Sanaa, dragged in his pajamas from his home by police. Although the state controlled media said at the time that his arrest was based on leaked information that linked him to what has been the terror cell of Hussain Al-Houthi, the editor told Arab News that authorities arrested him based on charges of having subversive material related to ongoing religious tensions in North Yemen.

Al-Khiwani said earlier to Arab News last week in a phone interview, “They (prosecution) told me I was arrested because of (some) CDs about the Saada war.” He was referring to the sectarian clashes in recent months that have resulted in dozens of deaths.

“During the investigation they did not charge him of being involved with Al-Houthi movement,” said Al-Aansi. “The only accusation they had against my client was that he met individuals from that cell who handed him pictures of the ongoing war in Saada. This is a normal thing for anyone who works in the media. He is a journalist and he receives all kinds of information. His connection to a terrorism cell is completely unfounded.”

Al-Aansi accuses Yemeni official of forging a decision to detain his client.

He says a Yemeni court must abide by certain protocols before a appeal to extend the detention of an accused person is approved, including the presence of the accused in this proceeding.

“In the detention extension order it was written that Al-Khiwani was present at court, but that never happened,” said Al-Aansi.

The lawyer objected at the court decision and submitted an objection memo to the General Deputy in Yemen, saying that his client detention is a forged one and thus illegal.

“All these investigations could be easily done with Al-Khiwani as a free man,” he said. “There is no legal need for him to be in prison during the course of investigation.”

Al-Aansi accused officials of playing a role in extending the detention for another month while they mull what to do. The decision was approved on Monday, which would keep Al-Khiwani in jail until at least till the end of July.

The Yemeni Journalist’s Union has strongly condemned Al-Khiwani’s arrest, saying that authorities entered his home without a warrant and confiscated papers and computer equipment, a clear violation of Yemen’s Constitution.

“’He didn’t respect the president’s pardon.’ That’s what the forces told my sister while arresting me,” said Al-Khiwani, referring to a previous incident where the government critic was detained and later pardoned for allegedly subversive criticism of the state.

Really they are quite an amazing bunch.

Yemen Times:

SANA’A, June 27 — Journalists, human rights activists, as well as partisans and women leaders held a sit-in for the seventh time in front of the cabinet in the ” freedom Square” within the frame of the sit-in activities organized by the civil society organizations, protesting against blocking the SMS news services, and calling for releasing the journalist Abdulkareem Al-Khaiwani.

At the commencement of the sit-in, lawyer Khalid Al-Ansi, the executive manager of Hood organization for defending rights and freedoms, requested the audience to make a respected stance for the symbol of freedom, Al-Khaiwani.” Our fresh news this time, in this sit-in, is that Al-Khaiwani is detained,” Al-Ansi declared.

He also said,” We are having victory and we will continue till we achieve our complete demands. Al-Eshteraki and Al-Shora web sites have been unblocked and we will continue holding our sit-ins till the release of the SMS news services of Without Chains and Nass Press, as well as allowing the Without Chains Newspaper to carry on.”

For her side, Tawakul Kurman, the chairwoman of Women Journalists Without Chains, delivered a speech in which she said,” It a pity to have this sit-in held in the freedom Square.” “To call for releasing media means and insure a wide bias for practicing freedom of expression without any violations coincide with abducting Abdulkareem Al-Khaiwani, who is still in the precaution prison without charging him of any accusations.” She added.

“While we are holding this sit-in for the sake of freedom of expression and the right of having its media means, we salute journalist, Abdulkareem Al-Khaiwani, and announce our solidarity with him, considering him one of the pioneers of freedom of expression,” Kurman added. “The good pressmen are being violated, imprisoned, abducted, beaten, and wiretapped all over Yemen.” she elaborated.

However, during the sit-in, Dr. Abdullah Al-Faqeeh, Professor of political science in Sana’a University, said, “The Yemeni regime is portraying the Yemenis to the world to be a people of explosive belts, who are ready to explode themselves, as well as the world, calling the civil society to collate.” Al-Faqeeh also called the civil society to nominate Al-Khaiwani for Nobel Prize in its next turn. He also suggested preparing a letter draft of nomination and contacting the human rights organizations to support the Yemeni nominee for the prize.

He went on to say,” The prevention of having media means in Yemen suggests depriving the Yemenis from taking creative actions and transforming them to consumers of behavior examples and virtues as well as values of others. He also questioned how his regime could allow its citizens to have broadcast channels while it fears from 70 –letters messages.

Its good the issue is being addressed, bad that it’s ten years late, and very bad that it’s still not being addressed sincerely. The heart of many problems in Yemen is nepotism in the military.

From the Yemen Times:

ADEN, June 27 — The Coordination Council of the 18-Civil and Military retirees Associations has declared objection to meet any committees send either by the ministry of Defense or by the interior ministry to discuss their demands. This statement comes after the government decision to dismiss many military employees from the service and forced them to early retirement.

Head of the Coordination Council, Mr. Nasser Al Noobah, has announced the Council’s rejection to discourse with the government represented in the ministries of Defense and Interior unless a presidential decree was issued to solve their problems; “As along as the retirement of those military persons was imposed by a republican decree, so we will not accept any negotiation with the state unless a similar decree was undertaken to solve the problem”. Al Noobah confirmed.

On the other hand, Mr. Al Noobah has renewed his call to the people of the eastern and southern governorates to exercise all possible pressure through their parties, NGOs, and the press to defend their Just cases of which is the forcible retirement decision which was imposed by a political decision.

“In case we agree to have dialogue with state, it will have to be sponsored by an international mediation body as the state proved to be deceitful and unreliable in all accounts, including the frequent presidential promises which also were found fictitious” Al Noobah claimed.

Officially, the harmed retirees demanded in a statement distributed to the press to be fully compensated for unpaid pension period since July, 1994 up to date. They reconfirmed their absolute refusal to any individual negotiation except if the government offers a collective and a just solution that satisfies all the retirees around the country.

The military retirees pledged in their declaration the escalation of their peaceful protest until they got their demands met. Further, they have announced their determination to stage an open sit-in, dressed in military uniforms, at the festival shows area of Khur Maksser in Aden on July 5th, 2007. The statement added that the Coordination Council for War Retirees presided by Al Noobah is the only authorized body for any negotiations. The Retirees’ concluded their statement in calling for the solidarity and support from all political parties and civic society organizations in order to get their rights which the government has denied.

On the other hand, while demonstrations and riots are witnessed in some southern and eastern governorates, one retired army officer, Saeed Shahtoor and his followers are still dwelling at Mahfad Mountains, Abyan governorate, announcing their commitment to their demands and denouncing the state policy towards their issue.

In addition, Al Wassat newspaper reporter located in the area reported that the an armed group of Shahttor aids headed to Jay-shan district to block roads in anticipation for a government attack and that the army car which was taken by them was finally released after tribal mediation took place.

It is worth to mention that since Sharttor resided in the mountains, his armed followers and allies are dramatically increasing in all over Abyan and the nearby areas. This indicates the extend of tension and outrage against the state in these areas especially because that most of Shahtoor supporters are military retirees who got retired during the war of 1994 or those who were deprived of joining the public employment.

Meanwhile, a bomb explosion took place in targeted governmental compounds in Ahwar district led to concrete damage to the buildings and was followed by fire-shooting exchanged between security officers and unknown armed gun men, no causalities reported.

In Lahj governorate, security forces have arrested two people holding large quantities of explosives they were hiding in their car. However, the official response of the state through the defense minister described the retirees as rebels and separatists who are trying to provoke a national disturbance under the so-called demands of retirees which based on unhidden political motivations, according to official media.

“The retirement rule was applied on both civil and military sectors fairly according to the law unlike the baseless accusations of those separatists and sick-hearted people” Defense minister declared according to the military forces website.

Photos here, they are 14 years old. Its infuriating that Ali Mohsen sent little boys to fight his dirty war.

Yemen Times: For the first time since the fourth war erupted in mid-January, Yemeni government authorities allowed a group of representatives from local, Arab and foreign media outlets to visit war-afflicted areas in Sa’ada following an approximate five-month complete media blackout.

I was hoping to visit Sa’ada to see firsthand what has happened there and to what extent the war has affected citizens and the environment there. Certain images ran through my mind and I thought differently about the visit. In fact, I had a different picture of Sa’ada and I thought that Sa’ada locals are happy about the signed peace agreement with Houthis and the halting of military operations.

My dreams began to vanish as soon as we boarded the bus. Despite the fact that I was among my colleagues and therefore, wasn’t lonely, I felt something strange within me, but I didn’t know what it was. There was something dubious, beginning with taking different routes than those decided upon before the trip. At that point, I sensed the mistrust that still exists between both warring sides, despite the formal truce.

As soon as we reached the borders of Sa’ada, the war’s effects were everywhere, as wreckage and ruin were evident wherever one directed his gaze in nearly all of the governorate’s districts. Everything beautiful had lost its beauty and the region’s fruit farms, which used to produce the sweetest fruit, were no exception.

Contrary to my expectations, Sa’ada locals weren’t happy and sadness was evident on their faces, especially those of children and the elderly. Their looks seemed uninviting and somewhat aggressive; however, I told myself that this could be the residue of their bad and catastrophic experiences from the war, which now had stopped.

Shivering and trembling with fear, a young soldier began narrating his story and the scenes of blood and torment he had seen, something his immature mind was unable to understand.

He added that he still feels insecure and he can’t forget the bloody scenes constantly churning in his mind. He remembers his friends’ last calls for help, as well as their blood and their bodies, maintaining that such images will never depart his mind.

Another young soldier, whom I think was just 14 years old, said the Sa’ada war was catastrophic and although he was lucky enough to escape death, he too is unable to forget the scenes of war he experienced when he faced possible death with every passing moment.

He went on to say that Houthis used to take them by surprise and that most of the young soldiers were the victims because they were inexperienced and not trained sufficiently for such battles.

Furthermore, he complained about the toughness of land and the hot sun, as well as the longing for home and family, indicating that local residents received them with an unwelcoming attitude. “They wouldn’t give you a cup of water, even if you were on the verge of death,” he said, describing the attitude of locals toward them.

However, such an attitude can be excused when we consider that the Sa’ada war has destroyed their homes, halted education in their schools – which became barracks for both Houthis and the army – disrupted and ruined their businesses and generally turned their lives into a living hell.

This on the other hand is excellent news:

Finger Print and photo identification system launched in Ibb

Yemen Times: IBB, June 26 — Minister of Civil Service and Social Insurances Khalid Hamoud al-Sufi launched on Monday biological finger print and photo identification system which targets over 45,000 public servants in the governorate within 29 units of public and mixed sectors.

Al-Sufi told media outlets the implementation of finger prints and photo system aims to improve the performance of the general administration in Yemen as well as creating a capable administrative system.

He added his ministry’s priorities include terminating the existing randomness, job duality, and other wrong acts.

This statement really says alot. Theres a lot not said. But the bottom line, as before is no food, no medicine, no shelter for tens of thousands of Yemenis in Sa’ada. The Yemeni Red Cresent is not exactly impartial I read somewhere, but food for anybody is good.

Yemen: ICRC activities January to May 2007
In the Sa’ada region of North Yemen, confrontations between government forces and the Believing Youth resumed in January 2007. The fighting often takes place near inhabited areas. As a result, thousands of families were forced to leave their homes in search of safe haven.

An ICRC team is based in Sa’ada, and works in partnership with the newly established Sa’ada branch of the Yemeni Red Crescent Society (YRCS). The ICRC/YRCS teams aim to ensure that the most urgent needs of those affected by the fighting are provided through distribution of emergency supplies.

Humanitarian consequences of the armed confrontations in the North

One of the major consequences of the confrontations in the North has been the large number of persons driven from their homes in order to flee the fighting. Approximately 3,500 to 5,000 families are staying either in Sa’ada city and its surroundings or in areas to the North close to the Saudi border. Others have taken the difficult decision to stay in their villages in order to safeguard their homes and property and are left fearing for their lives.

The population of the Sa’ada region depends mainly on crops, herds and commerce for their living. As a result of the confrontations, these essential activities have been seriously disrupted, mainly due to restrictions on movement that leave internally displaced persons (IDPs) with limited means to cope with their current situation.

The ICRC in partnership with the YRCS is addressing the most urgent needs of the displaced and the residents who are giving them shelter.

Access to medical care has also been disturbed due to the confrontations. Medical personnel fearing for their lives were not able to reach health centres in areas where the fighting took place. In addition, exposure to wind, rain and heat further complicates the precarious living conditions of the displaced people, both for those staying with host families and for those grouped in different locations where they stay in tents provided by the ICRC/YRCS teams.

Access to food is becoming a problem in areas where movement is restricted as a result of the fighting. In urban areas, the increasing cost of basic materials such as food and fuel makes it even more difficult for the population to cope with the current situation. Many families have left their homes with just a few belongings that could help them in the short run. Given the enduring nature of the confrontations, those families will be dependent on humanitarian assistance to ensure acceptable living conditions.

The ICRC, through its dialogue with the parties on both sides, underlined its concern about civilians affected by the fighting, in particular by looting of their personal belongings, restrictions on movement and difficult access to medical services. Under international humanitarian law (IHL), people not or no longer taking direct part in hostilities must be protected and respected. The law also prohibits the destruction of water supplies, foodstuff and other items essential for the survival of the population.

Due to security constraints, the ICRC had limited access to the region, restricted to Sa’ada town and surrounding areas, including some IDP groupings. However, the YRCS had larger access to the affected areas.

Assistance

Emergency assistance in favour of displaced persons in the North

From February to April 2007, the ICRC and YRCS provided emergency assistance to over 23,400 displaced people.

15,960 displaced people staying in Sa’ada city and surroundings areas received 699 tents, 1,447 tarpaulins, 16,533 mattresses, 17,916 blankets, jerry cans, washing soap and hand soap;
7,490 displaced people in Mahjar Achmas, Al Masaiba, Al Daira, Al Nawaz, Al Daquaeq, Al Ammar, Al Mahadir, Al Salem, Akwan, Bani Oer, Damaj, Mandaba and Al Asghool received 266 tents, 330 tarpaulins, 7,674 mattresses, 7,674 blankets, jerry cans, washing soap and hand soap.

Emergency medical care
At the outset of the fighting, the ICRC supplied first aid kits to six health centres located in the fighting zones, and wherever needed the ICRC/YRCS provided medical personnel to help treat the wounded. Three of these health centres treated a total of 140 wounded in February. This figure is in addition to the treatment of sick IDPs who were not able to reach other medical facilities due to restrictions on movement.

Addressing medical needs of sick IDPs

For the population, access to medical care was hampered by the ongoing armed confrontations in the North. The ICRC/YRCS team provided medical care in locations such as Al Anad, Mahjar Akhmas and Al Ammar, where over 5,200 displaced people had gathered.

Two YRCS medical assistants were able to treat up to 380 cases of sick IDPs, an average of 20-30 cases per week. For urgent emergency cases, the ICRC referred sick IDPs to the republican hospital in Sa’ada town and covered the cost of the medication.

Water trucking and sanitation

Since February 2007, the ICRC addressed the IDPs’ urgent needs for clean drinking water.

In Al-Anad, where 1,500 displaced persons are present, the ICRC/YRCS installed four water tanks to cover their daily needs. These tanks are filled three times a day. In addition, 24 latrines have been constructed to serve the sanitation needs of the population, 12 of these are reserved for women only.
In Al Salim over 400 displaced persons did not have access to clean drinking water. The nearest water points were located 5-10 km away. Accordingly, the ICRC/YRCS organized water trucking to this area.
In Mahjar Akhmas in Al Saifi area, four water tanks were installed to the benefit of 550 displaced people.
Assessments and evaluations of the water situation in other areas where displaced people are present such as Al Sahn and Mandabah were carried out with the aim of addressing their needs if any.
Restoring family links

ICRC tracing services help asylum seekers and refugees in Yemen to locate and restore contact with family members in their home countries, mostly in the Horn of Africa. They also enable Yemeni families to restore and maintain ties with relatives held in U.S. detention facilities in Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Significant numbers of Yemeni families and Iraqis living in Yemen have been able to locate and re-establish contact with relatives in Iraq through ICRC tracing services.

35 tracing requests were filed during the period under review; among them 11 persons were located and 77 are still being sought;
1,449 Red Cross messages (RCM) were exchanged between refugees in Yemen and family members in their home countries;
315 RCM were exchanged between Guantanamo internees and their families in Yemen;
67 RCM were exchanged between families and persons detained in relation to the conflict in Iraq and 17 RCM between families and persons detained in relation to the conflict in Afghanistan.

Detainees

In many countries and with the specific mandate given to the ICRC, its delegates are visiting prisoners of war and other detainees. In Yemen, the ICRC aspires to visit detainees according to ICRC standard modalities. A dialogue is currently taking place with the Yemeni authorities regarding access to all places of detention in Yemen.

six detainees were visited by the ICRC after their transfer from Guantanamo Bay to the Political Security detention centre in Sana’a.
Vocational training for women in six central prisons continued to be successfully implemented in partnership with the YRCS. The project aims to build the capacities of detained women in the fields of literacy, sewing, weaving and needlework in Mahaweet, Hodeida, Dhmar, Amran, Aden and Hajji central prisons.

ICRC/YRCS activities in Sa’ada 2005-2006

3,500 people were assisted in 2006 following an assessment in the area. A joint team consisting of three ICRC staff members and 14 YRCS volunteers provided IDPs with 2,000 blankets, 2000 mattresses, 500 tarpaulins, kitchen utensils, cooking stoves, gas cylinders and soap.
Five health centres in areas that were affected by the fighting were provided with first aid material.
The ICRC and the YRCS assisted the inhabitants of the Marran area in Sa’ada governorate in June 2005 when a joint team distributed water filters and provided construction material for the repair of 84 ponds that were damaged during the fighting in 2004.

Sana’a, NewsYemen:

The Yemeni security could arrest two persons suspected of kidnapping the son of the financial officer of the Libyan embassy in Sana’a, a security source told NewsYemen.

The source told NewsYemen that investigations have revealed that the kidnappers have relationship with the Libyan financial officer, his son and some officials of the embassy. It said that the kidnappers used to contact officials at the embassy to favor the latest get some information.

The kidnappers have admitted they had kidnapped the son of the financial officer of the Libyan embassy after a disputed occurred between them.

The source said the search is ongoing to place the son and arrest other kidnappers.

Tribes performing unexplained services for Libya.

SANAA, Yemen: Armed Yemeni tribesmen have kidnapped the son of a Libyan diplomat in Sanaa, and demanded a $4mn ransom for his release, security officials said yesterday. The officials said a group of tribesmen belonging to the Bani Dhabian tribe snatched Hafidh Jebreel al-Awami, 23, from outside his home in Sana’a and took him to a mountain hideout in the Khawlan area, about 100kms east of Sanaa.
The kidnappers called the embassy and demanded that $4mn should be paid as a ransom for the release of the son of the embassy’s financial officer, Jebreel al-Awami, according to the officials, who asked not to be identified.
They said the abduction took place on June 16. A dispute between the tribesmen and the embassy on payments for unexplained services for the embassy they had allegedly carried out was behind the kidnapping, they said. – DPA

480 candidates were originally submitted, the Shura council threw out most of them. JMP walks out.

Sana’a, NewsYemen

The Parliament members, 158 out of 301 members, elected on Monday the members of the National Anti-Corruption Authority after suspending election for weeks.

According to the vote of the Parliament, majority of which affiliate with the General People’s Congress, the results were as follows:
Ahmad al-Anisi, Bilquis Abu Esba, Mohammad al-Matari, Abd Rabu Jarada, Yasin Abdu Saeed, Sadaddin bin Taleb, Ahmad Qerhash, Ezaddin al-Asbahi, Mohammad Sanhob, Obeid al-Hamar and Khalid Abdul-Aziz. All of them belong to the ruling General People’s Congress Party.

Parliamentary blocs of opposition parties withdrew from the vote protesting to the vote measures, which they described as “illegal”.

Head of Islah bloc Zaid al-Shami, who read the joint statement of Joint Meeting Parties before leaving the session, said that the committee in charge of checking out documents of candidates for the authority membership has found that some documents have been incomplete as those candidates have not given a good conduct recommendations from their employing offices to prove their candidacy. “This was the most important condition of nomination,” he said.

He added that this condition is meaningless for some candidates “because they are either undersecretaries of some ministries or deputy governors”. “It is normal that they get testimonies of good conduct from their employing offices”, said al-Shami.

Al-Shami advised the Parliament leadership that persons who are supposed to fight corruption must have full desire to do so.

“We know some of these candidates have not desire to fight corruption simply because they do not believe they is corruption to fight and they have statements in this regard,” said al-Shami.

He said the options before the Parliament have become very limited after the Shoura Council abandoned personalities known for their honesty and power to face corruption.
Yemen has hundreds of personalities who can really fight corruption, not only tens, said al-Shami.

According to al-Shami, the candidates whom the Parliament voted for were only 24 and that 22 of them have complete documents.

Al-Shami concluded reading the statement as saying “we, opposition parties regret for being unable to choose the anti-corruption authority members”.

“The way of voting reflects carelessness about fighting corruption which kills Yemenis everyday. In this way, we lose five-year-ahead chance to fight corruption threat,” said al-Shami.

The deputy chairman of Yemeni Socialist Party’s parliamentary bloc Mohammad Saleh said the Joint Meeting Parties blocs decided to leave the vote session after they had found some violations in the way of choosing the candidates.

“We have boycotted the vote due to our believe in the great role the anti-corruption authority must play,” he said.

The MP Abdul-Karim Shaiban has ruled out that the authority could do fight corruption and said that it would only burden the state’s budget more expenses.

“The Parliament members who burden the state’s budget four billion rials could not present even one corrupt to justice and the reports of the Central Organization of Controlling and Auditing are always neglected by the Parliament”, said Shaiban.

Shaiban said that 480 candidates have submitted their files to the Shoura Council which supervises the anti-corruption authority, but the Shoura threw out important and well-known personalities and kept personalities of one affiliation.

The article (9) of the Anti-Corruption Law stipulates that the Anti-Corruption Authority should have representatives of Yemeni NGOs, private sector and women organizations. The same article gives the Shoura council the right to raise the Parliament a list of 30 candidates who have met the conditions of nomination.

According to law, the elected anti-corruption authority continues for five years before electing a new one.