Armies of Liberation

Yemen Times

During their latest press conference, in response to questions about the shortage of drugs in several governorates, the greatest shortage being of insulin, the director of the Drug Fund indicated that limitations in drug availability are the product of a reduction of the Drug Fund’s budget from 3.5 billion Yemeni riyals to 1.45 billion Yemeni riyals.

One patient expressed their shock at the director’s revelation, stating, “As a patient my reaction is that I am horribly terrified by this news and a person like me is undoubtedly dead either influenced by those declarations in this respect or by actual lack of such indispensable drugs.”

At Thamar General Hospital, several diabetes patients came for their scheduled treatment, only to be turned away due to an insulin shortage. “For three days I came from Yarim and they told me it [insulin] was not available. Both I and my sister are infected and we do not have money to buy this medicine from a private pharmacy,” Nabil Nasser Al-Faqeeh stated, adding, “When I don’t use insulin it leaves very bad consequences on my health. Thus, the only alternative here is the private sector with its expensive prices, which are beyond my ability.” He implored concerned officials to have some mercy and provide enough insulin for health centers. Mr. Al-Faqeeh is just one of many patients who are suffering from a lack of required medicine to treat their illnesses.

Essam Al-Shami, a patient in Wesab province, told Yemen Times, “I came to the health center in the countryside to get myself cured. I got tablets that have no positive effect on me because I am still suffering from a very bad stomachache. Tablets are put in small plastic cases and this is not a good way to [package] medicine. Even the way of dealing with such drugs creates my distrust about their efficiency and maybe they are expired because of putting them in plastic cases.” He added, “This is, in my point of view, a result of the absence of supervision and following up by the concerned officials. Through your newspaper I invite and ask the minister of public health to make inspection campaigns and to pay frequent sudden visits to the public hospitals and such health centers. In this way he is going to discover several problems that could get solutions and lead to a better health change.”

Public Drugs Sold to Private Sector

Although there are adequate drugs, many are stolen and sold to the private sector, according to an official source in the Supreme Drugs Authority. The source states that birth control belonging to the Ministry of Health has been discovered being sold in private pharmacies at Al-Jumhori Hospital. There are many drugs belonging to the Ministry of Health being sold secretly to the private sector during distribution among governorates, the same source indicated. Currently, investigation of two suspects is underway. Secret investigation committees have also been formed in Sana’a, Taiz and Hodeidah in order to determine if drugs belonging to the Ministry are in fact being sold to the private sector.

The Problem of Centralization0

Dr. Najeeb Ghanim, ex-health minister and current chairman of the health committee in Parliament confirmed receiving several complaints regarding corruption in the health sector.

Centralization is one of the main causes of this problem, as imported drugs are stored in one central location and not distributed to public hospitals and health centers immediately. According to Dr. Ghanim, delayed distribution increases chances for the drugs to be stolen and then sold to the private sector. He added, “There is a big problem, from which the health sector suffers, [and that is the] sharp shortage of life-saving drugs such as kidneys drugs, drugs for incurable diseases like cancer and cirrhosis and drugs for chronic diseases such as saccharine, high blood pressure and so on.”

Dr. Ghanim has spoken out about the existence of expired drugs and drugs that do not meet property quality specifications. He also indicated that funding for drugs is inadequate, averaging $1.50 per patient. Funding needed amounts to around 6 billion Yemeni riyals whereas the current funding lags at one billion two hundred Yemeni riyals.

Struggle Between Ministry of Health & Medical Companies

During a July 4th demonstration, considered the first of its kind in Yemen, kidney patients demanded that the ministry stop importing “fake medicines,” accusing the ministry of buying uncertified medicine at low costs and then charging patients highly inflated prices.

Minister of Public Health Dr. Rasae accused major medical companies, blacklisted by the Ministry of Health, of devising a campaign against the ministry.

Such conflict between the ministry and medical companies does nothing to solve medication shortages. In the end, Yemeni citizens who rely on public access to such medicine are the ones who suffer.

Yemen Observer

The Parliament agreed Wednesday to form a 50-member committee to address political tensions and other problems throughout the country.
This committee will be formed as a result of suggestions from MP Hussein al -Ahmar, who said the country is passing through a difficult period these days, and citizens are living in difficult situations.

Many voices are speaking out in ways that threaten national unity, security, and stability, said Ahmar. These complaints about the country result from the poor conditions in which many people live.
Al-Aahmar called on the committee to visit all the provinces to meet important citizens in order to understand their concerns and problems, and to work to find solutions.

MP Nabil Basha, of the GPC,said that the GPC Bloc approved a small, seven-member committee to draft the agenda of the expanded 50-member committee and identify issues to be discussed and included in the agenda.
“We heard about the problems affecting the national unity of the country, so we formed an expanded committee of Parliamentarians to find facts about these events away from the exaggeration, reasonably, and objectively because the issue does not belong to the ruling party, but is an issue concerning the nation in general,” Basha said.

“It is necessary to accept these problems, because this recognition is the beginning of the right path to find solutions to these problems. “The majority parliamentary bloc, the GPC, does not have the arrogance not to recognize the problems and not to exaggerate, as it wouldn’t allow some people to use their fair rights for legal purposes,” Basha added.

MP Ali Ashaal, of the Islah party said that the idea is good, “although it came late, and I hope this committee is formed because of the responsibility towards what is going on in the country and not to achieve personals benefits.” Goals must be set and the issues clearly defined, so the committee will be able to give strong recommendations to the government.

MP Sakher al-Wajeeh, an Independent, supported his colleague Ashaal in setting the goals of the committee. Al- Wajeeh suggested that the committee also address the issues of military and civilian retirees, and the seizing of private land in the southern governorates and in al-Hodeida Governorate.

MP Saleh al-Sanabani, of Islah, endorsed the functions proposed by al-Wajeeh, and added that the committee should also address the high prices of consumer goods, and the grievances of prisoners. Abdul-Wahab al-Aansi, Secretary-General of the Yemeni Islah party, preferred not to talk about the complaints of the military retirees, which he said harm national unity.

“We should turn the talk in this case to work seriously and sincerely to take away any opportunity to those who want to damage security and stability in Yemen, and to those who try to avert the claims of retirees to other tracks that are not real issues, there are people who want to benefit from this issue,” al-Aansi said.

Former Prime Minister Abu Bakr al-Attas has said that there should be a referendum on national unity. But al-Aansi said that there was already a referendum on unity when the constitution was formed in 1991.

“We in the Joint Meeting Parties are not with the wrong policies of the ruling party, which have produced such tensions, but we also are not with those who want to fan the fires to clarify their way to harm the unity,” al-Aansi said.

“We strongly support demands of military and civilian retirees, as they are lawful and legal,” he added. He said that the Parliament is one of the reasons for the problems and tensions in the state, because it has not fulfilled its duty as required.

Al-Aansi denied that there was a connection between the marginalization of the Yemeni Socialist Party and the existence of these problems.
He also said that the problems are not only in the southern governorates, but also in all of the country.

“But there may be some specific problems in southern provinces, because of the historical background to it, as some of the reasons and other factors,” he said. Civil society organizations in several governorates have expressed disapproval of people speaking against unity. People across the Lahj governorate have said that some people are being paid to create problems with national unity. But they have not said who would be paying these people.

“The sons of the Lahj governorate know the truth and the objectives of these elements, and we would not allow any conspiracy to harm the homeland and its unity, security, and stability,” said a statement issued by the political parties and organizations and civil society organizations.

Some people in the Abyan governorate expressed their total rejection of all attempts by people who are paid by those who want to encourage troublemaking for homeland and want to damage its unity, security, and stability.

“The continued escalation of the issue of retirees, in light of the procedures taken by the State to address the issues in the framework of the law, reveals the reality of good intentions on the part of the government. People who harm the unity exploit this issue and other issues for their own purposes and schemes,” said a statement issued by the political and cultural organizations in the governorate of Abyan.

A statement issued by the national, political, social, and cultural organizations in the province said that what they see as combining elements from outside the province is an abuse of the history and of the struggle of the people in this province.

On July 7, a large demonstration took place in Aden. It was attended by thousands of retired military personnel, who asked for their return to military service, and money owed them by the government. The demonstration included many people chanting slogans against unity.

Days before the demonstration, the president decided to return to work 1,000 officers who want to return to the military service, with the payment of all financial dues from 1994 on. This will be dealt with by field committees formed by the Ministries of Defense and Interior.

then they sell it cheap to “influential persons” who resell it at a huge profit or sometimes keep it.

ADEN, NewsYemen

The member of Parliament Abdul-Bari Doghaish could not complete narrating the story of people lost their lands and houses in Dar Daad in Aden at the Parliament’s session on Monday.

The bitter feeling of the situation of those people, some of them died and some others committed suicide due to injustice and deprivation of their rights forced Doghaish to stop finishing the story, which he could bring to the Parliament for the first time.

Doghaish’s colleagues Sakhr al-Wajeeh and Ensaf Mayo urged to hold back measures being taken by the Land and Estates Authority to hand over the Military Economic Corporation lands in Dar Saad and to hand over those lands to their legal owners. They also recommended to restore lands taken from their owners in the past and to obligate the Local Authority in Aden to compensate people whose houses were “unduly destroyed”.

The members attacked the Military Economic Corporation, which has confiscated lands in Aden.
The MP al-Wajeeh asked the Parliament to form an inspection committee to scrutinize the reality of the corporation, which has activities in different fields, according to al-Wajeeh. “We really do not know if it is military or economic!” said al-Wajeeh.

The member Mohammad al-Naqeeb said “the corporation has taken lands enough to be a republic”, while the member Mohsin Ba-Sora described the quandary as “timed bomb that may affect the national unity”.

The head of Lands and Estates Authority’s office in Aden Yahya Ba Dwaid admitted that some legal failures led to the crisis of lands in Aden that “affects the social peace”. He asked for amendments of legislations related to lands and estates.

The Parliament decided to send an order to the government to compel the minister of local administration and Adel local authority to achieve the Parliament’s recommendations regarding houses destroyed and lands confiscated by the Military Economic Corporation.

yay! that’s encouraging, no one wants Sa’ada War number 5 (well some do). There’s still 120,000 internally displaced persons though.

Almotamar.net - Almotamar.net learned Tuesday from reliable sources that the Qatari delegation taking part in the committee overseeing implementation of an agreement for ending the sedition in Saada is expected back in Yemen Tuesday.

The sources mentioned the Qatari delegation is scheduled to hold a meeting with the committee in Sana’a on Wednesday to discuss requirements for finalizing implementation of the agreement articles stipulating the rebels evacuation of positions still being used as strongholds and handing over their weapons to government authorities.

The sources disclosed to almotamar.net the Qatari delegation will remain in Sana’a and would ask al-Houthi for a time space not exceeding two weeks to complete carrying out the agreement; otherwise it would return to Qatar.

Qatar had last week recalled its delegation for consultation in the wake of facing hindrances in implementing the agreement by al-Houthi followers.

Meanwhile, last Saturday a republican decree was issued for establishment of a fund for the reconstruction of the areas in Saada affected due to sabotage and terror acts.

Some brave person appears to be fighting alone to implement the law on bringing in banned pesticides, and of course the persons bringing them in are powerful merchants and importers:

Almotamar.net - Official sources issued warning Tuesday that there are attempts of fraud by some importers and merchants of pesticides regarding the list of prohibited insecticides representing 349 active substances containing more than 800 trade marks of dangerous pesticides and most of them cause cancer.

A source close to the committee registering pesticides at the ministry of agriculture said some importers and merchants of insecticides were trying to enter large quantities of them, which are prohibited from circulation, on the list of allowed types of pesticides.

The source appealed to all concerned government institutions for activation of the list of banned materials and toehold accountable anyone who tries to trade with those pesticides with only aim of profit at the expense of the public health of the citizens, soil and plants.

Funny how the drug trafficers and other criminals never escape.

Almotamar.net - Specialised Criminal Court condemned Tuesday a person for drug trafficking and sentenced him to 25 years in prison.

In its session today chaired by Judge Radqwan al-Nimr the court announced its judgment against defendant Saleh Saleh Jlaidan who was captured at Al-Qafla checkpoint, the entrance of Amran governorate 5 May 2007 and inn his possession 285 kg of drugs. The serving of his sentence begins from the date of arresting him.

Jamil al-Jadabi Almotamar.net - Reliable sources at the ministry of interior have affirmed Tuesday the closure last week of one of the largest market for selling and buying weapons in Yemen.

In a statement to almotamar.net the sources made it clear that a security campaign has closed down Jahana market, 40km to the east of the capital Sana’a weeks after the government announcement of defining 6 months for the plan of gathering weapons in implementation of the cabinet decision in late April of this year stipulating closure of shops selling weapons, ammunition and explosives.

Sana’a is trying to collect specifically heavy and medium weapons in dependence on a strategy based on compensating their owners with sums of money for a period of six months after which there will be imposing ban on them and confiscating them in case they are found after termination of the period. The government has allocated for this file billions of riyals in a bid to end the phenomenon of weapons trade and limit the phenomenon of carrying weapons that is much spread among Yemeni citizens particularly at the areas of tribes.

The interior ministries of defence and interior have recently displayed stores of heavy and medium weapons collected from citizens as part of the government campaign in this regard. The interior ministry plan for collecting weapons is aimed at collecting heavy and medium weapons and it has drawn up a plan for regulating the process of owning and carrying personal weapons.

Nice of him to spread around the fruits of corruption to loyalists at Sana’a University

Almotamar.net - President of Sana’a University Dr Khalid Tumaim said Sunday that President Ali Abdullah Saleh gave the university 300 laptop computers as a gift to be distributed among members of the teaching staff.

President of the university told almotamar.net the tender for purchasing the computers was concluded and that the computers would be distributed next week among the teaching staff.

The president’s gift for the University of Sana’a is the second one. In 2004 the president presented 1000 computers t the university.

On the other hand the University of Sana’a is holding moray morning a graduation ceremony for its student graduates for 2006 and scheduled to be attended by president of the republic. President of the university told almotamar.net that president Saleh would honour top students of departments and faculties of the university.

Kinda late in the game, isn’t it?

Daily Times, PK

WASHINGTON: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defence Secretary Robert Gates leave Monday (today) on a vital Middle East mission to seek Arab support to bolster Iraq and to discuss weapons sales with allies.

Amid growing calls at home to withdraw US forces in Iraq, the duo are also expected to reaffirm US commitment to regional security against possible threats from Iran and its nuclear programme.

In addition, Washington is expected to underline concerns that some Sunni Arab nations are offering financial aid to foreign fighters fuelling the insurgency against the fragile Shiite-led, US-backed government in Baghdad.

Rice and Gates will make rare joint visits to Egypt and Saudi Arabia before separate trips to other parts of the region. In Egypt, they are scheduled to meet ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries - Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman - as well as Jordan and Egypt in the Red Sea resort of Sharm El Sheikh.

They will “discuss the ways in which Iraq’s neighbours can help advance the cause of security and stability in that country,” State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said.

Washington is particularly concerned that its most powerful Sunni Arab ally, Saudi Arabia, is bankrolling Sunni militants and serving as a conduit for them to stoke the insurgency in Iraq.

Aside from Saudi Arabia, foreign fighters flowing into Iraq via US arch-enemy Syria come from Qatar and Yemen, among other Middle East allies, US officials said.

still

SA’ADA, July 29 — Media and tribal sources revealed that the ceasefire committee met for the first time with Houthi leader Abdulmalik Al-Houthi. The committee spokesman Yasser Al-Awadhi declined to mention the meeting location.

The meeting took place the middle of last week after a secret agreement. Committee members accompanied by 150 of their bodyguards left Sa’ada and met Al-Houthi who was unarmed.

Al-Shar’e newspaper mentioned in its Saturday issue that Houthi loyalists were distributed throughout the area surrounding the meeting place in order to prevent the occurrence of any firing incident, especially when the committee was targeted earlier in Al-Ghubair.

Moreover, Al-Houthi hosted the committee members for lunch, after which they returned to Sa’ada around 8 p.m.

Al-Awadhi revealed that the meeting was positive as both parties agreed to proceed in the peace process and work for ending the war. He further hinted there was no agreement made, however, a contact channel was opened for further meetings.

(Read on …)

Primarily Hashid, GPC

News Yemen

SANA’A, NewsYemen

Almost 1000 tribal sheikhs participated in a constructive meeting on Sunday for forming the first “National Solidarity Council”.

The participants elected sheikh Abdullah bin Hussein al-Ahmar the head of the
council and Mohammad Hassan Damaj the secretary-general.

Sheikh al-Ahmar confirmed the council would encounter corruption and corrupts in the country what ever their ranks and posts.

(Read on …)

Because its the ‘influential people” who are stealing the land

Yemen Times

SANA’A, July 26 — The Yemeni Parliament admitted failing to oblige the government to ensure the specific mechanism for handling the pending investment issues. It brought this issue in a Parliamentarian session on third week of July on investment stating that it couldn’t pressure on the government to develop a strategy to protect investors from the frequent aggressions on their properties, especially, in Aden’s Free Zone.

It was confirmed that the Parliament has granted Abdulqader Helal, Minister of the Local Administration, along with the local authorities in Eden the opportunity to coordinate with the Services Committee in the parliament to find solutions for the problems resulted from removing and destroying citizens’ and investors’ establishments in Dar Sa’ad, Aden.

The Parliament’s decision was due because of a demand, from the Minister of Local Administration, who was attending the Parliament’s session for discussing the concerned matter, to find practical solutions for these problems and present them to the Parliament on the coming Saturday.

On the other hand, Ansaf Mayo, the reformation representative, criticized the Services Committee for hiding some of the facts in its report and considered the Committee deliberate for doing that.

Mayo added that the recommendations of the Committee didn’t scale the level of the notices which reach its claim with reference the court. He also called for shouldering the responsibility to bring justice for citizens, compensating them well and fixing their rights in land-ownerships.

Mayo emphasized the necessity of the Parliament’s stand against the documented lands in Eden, which became a source of corrupted people’s trading inside and outside the government.

Similarly, Sakhr Al-Wajeeh, the independent representative from the Congress Party, criticized the Committee’s report for not uncovering the names of the 26 individuals to whom the governor of Eden gave lands, as well as those people, that Al-Wajeeh thought, are responsible and powerful in the governorate.

The Committee’s report confirmed that the process of destruction, which controlled by the local authority in the conflict area, is wrong and a rash action which is contrary to the President’s orders, that included handling the establishments according to the law of the lands and the real estates of the country. Additionally, the report considered this process as a negative spot on the side of the governorate, which is supposed to attract the internal and external investment.

The report also indicated that the land problems, in Aden, go back to the political events which happened in the governorate before the unification. That is like, the nationalization of lands and the disposal of lands, which were owned by the government, throughout releasing beneficial contracts under several names.

The parliamentary report criticized the government’s policy in this respect as well as not submitting the presidential decision, 1999, to the court to be put into action.

Furthermore, the report accused Aden’s authorities of not bringing a complete report to the President about the current situation of land disputes in the governorate. For instance, a governor (without mentioning his name) got benefits from agricultural contracts that were released for the 26 persons who got their prescribed lands.

Affirming other studies

Yemen Times

Yemeni individuals and groups, including civil society organizations and political parties, agree that bribery is rampant within Yemen’s various governmental institutions, however, there is disagreement regarding its volume, reasons and consequences.

The Yemeni Polling Center conducted a study on bribery in 2006 and included responses of 699 informants from Sana’a, Taiz, Aden, Al-Hodeidah and Sa’ada.

Volume

The overwhelming majority of study participants believed that the rate of bribery within government is high. Around 78 percent declared that bribery is rampant in all governmental institutions, while 16 percent declared that bribery is only existent in some governmental institutions. A little over three percent mentioned it being existent in very few governmental institutions, while less than one percent believed it to be non-existent. Less than one percent either declined to answer or answered, “I don’t know.”

(Read on …)

SANA’A, July 29 — A number of women journalists and civil society organization activists staged a sit-in on Wednesday before the Parliament in protest of discrimination against them.

Women Journalists Without Chains chairman Tawkel Karman noted that she came with other women to denounce the discrimination exercised by the government as it unblocked all news services provided through GSM companies with the exception of Women Journalists Without Chains news service because it is released by women.

Karman further hinted that it is time to support women especially when a woman is capable of possessing media means and has the ability to make the news, however, the government works against this wish.

She viewed the non-response of the government to the Parliament resolution calling for unblocking Without Chains news services to be evidence that we live in a uncontrolled state, where there is no meaning for the parliament’s unanimity or its resolutions.

In a copy of a released statement, Women Journalists Without Chains expressed its disappointment over the government not unblocking its news services, considering the non-acceptance of the government to give it the license to have a paper and the block of its news service as a loathsome discrimination, particularly when it deprives women from serving the society and raising the awareness of its members.

The statement also called on Parliament to work for the implementation of its resolution issued on July 16, which dictated lifting the block imposed on Without Chains news service.

Meanwhile, the organization called all women activists to participate in the women’s demonstration due to be staged before the Parliament next Sunday. They also called on media outlets to participate in covering the demonstration in defense of women’s rights. They further urged Yemeni Journalists Syndicate to work in removing the block imposed on their news service.

The sit-in scheduled for Sunday before the Parliament will include women sending letters to the members of Parliament demanding them to take a serious stand on the continued censorship of Without Chains. The women will then head to Freedom Square, before the Cabinet building, requesting implementation of Parliament’s resolution.

Regime blames al-Qaeda.

Incidents like these raise insurance rates and dampen enthusiasm for investment.

Yemen Times
MARIB, July 29 – Media sources revealed, last Wednesday, that an armed gang blew up an oil tanker in Marib. Al-Ishtiraki.net reported that a big oil tanker was seen aflame in Al-Irqeen area located between Safer and the government complex in Marib city.

The source quoted an eye witness as saying that a group of armed men fired an RPJ shell at the tanker causing its explosion; however, no fire brigade came to set off the fire until the tanker was completely destroyed.

Such a terrorist act, which is, according to the authorities, is blamed to Al-Qaeda, came just in few weeks after the terrorist operation that targeted and killed eight Spanish tourists in Marib.

Meanwhile, a tribal group from Al-Awaleq tribe, residing between Abyan and Shabwa governorates, in the south of Yemen, seized 12 oil and gas tankers and distributed their content among the area’s gas stations; however, they were reconciled through a tribal mediation.

The tribe expropriated the tankers in an effort to force the authorities to free some of its sons jailed in Aden’s Al-Mansourah Prison or shift them to Abyan so that their families can visit them.

Yemen Times

Official studies carried out by ministry of social affairs showed that 292.000 children who work in the agricultural sector. A study prepared by the same ministry which covered only three governorates (Sana’a, Albitha and Dhamar) exposed that yemeni children who are working in the agricultural sector, are undergoing many infections and diseases, adding that that 45% of the children are suffering of dermatitis, 30% of ophthalmia that may develop to become blindness, 20% are suffering of intestinal disease and 5% have epilepsy

The study attributed the reasons of such diseases to the misuse of herbicides and insecticides. Many children, according to the study, don’t use any kind of protection means during spraying the plants with insecticides. Unconsciously they confuse these poisons with water without looking at the instructions that are written on the containers. The direct and constant exposure to dust also makes the children an easy object to respiratory diseases such as asthma, allergy, etc.

Most children who work in the fields tend to work quickly, paying no attention to close the spray and thus some of the herbicides get to their neck and shoulders. They get inflammations in a form of burns.

According to the study 90% of the children from those regions chew Qat that is polluted by herbicides. 56% of the children who spray those poisons are between 8-10 years old.

Lacking a monopoly on the use of force can be tricky in a country as heavily armed as Yemen.

So what are they going to do now, negotiate?

Yemen Times

al-Sahwa via YT

Hundreds of gunmen stream into Damt streets following murder of three policemen

The weekly newspaper reported that more than two hundred armed men from Al-Beidha governorate have streamed into streets of the tourist city of Damt, one day after a citizen shot dead three policemen during their attempt to confiscate his gun. The newspaper correspondent confirmed that the gunmen came to Damt aboard 20 cars, pointing out that gunmen are positioning with their heavy and light arms at the city entrances. This aroused fear among the city inhabitants.

The weekly quoted local sources as saying that gunmen have come from Qaifa area, one of the Yemeni tribes known for the possession of different types of heavy and light arms in Al-Beidha governorate, seeking revenge for the murder of their tribesman, Ahmad Qara’a, who was an officer working in the city security department. Qara’a and another two policemen were shot dead on Tuesday as they tried to force a citizen lay down his gun.

Are they socialists now?

Its a poverty reduction mechanism.

Yemen Times, HADRAMOUT, July 25 - In an unprecedented incident, the authorities in Hadramout are preparing for a project through which fertile land is to be distributed to poor young men and families in order to provide them with a source of income through farming these lands.

Led by Hadramout governor Taha Abdullah Hajer and representatives from Ministries of Agriculture and General Works, the project was finalized earlier this week. Worth-noting, the preparation phase of the project included field visits to the various districts in Hadramout in order to identify suitable public land.

According to local source, the project team, which consists of two committees, designated 600 hectares so far and more land will be identified in the few weeks to come. The source added that the land selection includes testing soil for salts and minerals and, therefore, decide on the fertility of the land, as well as creating a central spray irrigation system which had proved economic and effective in the local area. Furthermore, it added that the Agriculture Promoting Fund is also contributing to this project through providing 500 thousand palm tree seedlings, 20,000 of which had already been distributed through the governor’s office.

But first a little on laws that relate to Yemeni women from the Yemen Times in an interview with “Shatha Nasir, one of Yemen’s most prominent human and women’s rights advocates. Nasir is particularly concerned with the defense of women who have been wrongfully accused of a crime.”

How do you find the Yemeni laws toward women?

Yemeni laws are enacted according to Shari’a (Islamic Law). The parliament works to issue these laws. They are good and suitable but violated by those in charge of their implementation.

For instance, Islamically there is no law that deprives women from inheritance. [Yet] male family members such as fathers, brothers and uncles refuse to give up the woman’s share. There is also a problem over the blood money of women. It must be equal to the men’s share. A woman’s loss cannot be compensated. The parliament must review some laws, including the law of women’s inheritance as well as that of blood money. Civil society organizations must work together and have united efforts to change and correct laws violating women’s rights, such as article 15 in the personal status law that encourages early marriage.

Women’s political participation committee meets

Almotamar.net - Participants in the campaign for supporting political participation of women in preparation for the upcoming parliamentary elections in Yemen in 2009 agreed Sunday to address a message of gentle blame to the president of the republic owning to continuous exclusion of women from any of the committees he forms, the latest of which the unofficial committee for following up his electoral program despite that his platform contains confirmation on the woman participation in the political, economic and social life and its necessity.

The Forum of Arab Sisters for Human Rights inaugurated Sunday at its headquarters in Sana’a a campaign of support for the woman political participation in preparation for the upcoming parliamentary elections. Chairman of the forum Amal al-Basha reviewed during the campaign the programme the forum carried out since 2000 in this regard and then mentioned the plans and programmes proposed for starting a campaign of support and empowerment of the woman in the political participation for the coming period.

Participants in the meeting demanded the political parties in power and opposition to adopt a mechanism for supporting and empowering the woman for taking part in the elections away from accounts of powers and criteria of gain and loss. The meeting also criticised the religious address inside and outside the parties that denies and rejects the woman participation in the political process.

The following is a letter to Yemen Observer:

Female circumcision is part of the Islamic teachings. This is a fact, which does not have a space in your Newspaper, or perhaps in your mind. Another fact, which is rejected by people like you and it cannot be a piece of journalism, is that women can not be selected as a leader or a judge. Why? Because Muhammad said that she cannot be selected. This is a basic fact. Another fact is shaking hands with men and women is not OK as presented by your newspaper. Those are facts in our religion. Do you see them as facts? The definition of facts by secular nations is what is proved by science.

Did seculars prove the existence of God scientifically? NO. That is why God is not a fact. Egypt is not the Kingdom of Islam and Muslims and it is not the reference of our law [YO: so the teachings of Egyptian Islamic clerics should not be regarded as authoritative]. Egypt was and still is the target of missionaries and other Westernizing organizations as Yemen now is. I already informed one of the religious counselors in Yemen about published religious issues in your newspaper like fighting circumcision, shaking hands with men and women and similar issues and I was asked to write to your newspaper and see if you will cooperate and publish facts about Islam not personal opinions. Facts that are described by Islam, not by others. The good news is that we can stop you.

This is what I did not know. The counselor told me freedom of speech in Yemen is not like the USA. Freedom in Yemen does not mean to fight religious practices. One of the Arabic newspapers stopped publishing similar issues because we did not let them corrupt people’s minds. It was easier to write to them, of course, because we did not face the English writing problems. I am really struggling to find time for all this. But I think I should, or I must. Anyways, I hope we will not find in your newspaper soon a call of equality for homosexuals to get married!

And he deserves it.

Yemen Observer

The Parliament earlier this week said that the ministry has no right to shut down SMS news services. So these providers are now free to send out SMS news briefs. Then, he criticized the government. “This unjust government has two options—whether to let the people all alone do what they want, or let the people look for other government,” said Dahabah. “It is not enough what people suffer—they are poor. People do not find food to eat. It is not enough the jails of the Political Security, National Security, the immigration office, sheikhs. “Thanks to the female protesters who defend me from the attackers, or I would be one of the victims in this square,” he said.

“Those protesters ask you [the president] and the Prime Minster to punish the attackers. We [the protesters] and you [the president] will stand in front of God,” said Dahabah. The head of Women Journalists Without Chains, Tawkel Karman, who launched the demonstrations, said that they will continue until the General People’s Congress fulfills its electoral program that allows for pluralism in media, print, broadcast and television. She thanked the Parliament for making the government release the suspended websites, and for releasing the news services of Al-Sahwa Mobile and Nass Mobile. She also called on the Ministry of Information to fix the shortfalls in its law that justifies the ways they deal with free press.

The injured protesters stepped up to speak about their experiences in the last protest. “What had happened last week is an obvious infringement to the Constitution,” said Saleem Allawo, a member of Hood, who was beaten up during the last protest. Allawo stood up on one low wall in front of the Cabinet building. “Many people were beating me up when they saw a camera with me, and they also try to drag me into a car. They are from the political security, I assume,” said Abdul-Salam al-Mawary, a member in WJWC. The Ministry of the Interior has denied that people from security bodies were involved in the attacks on protestors.

“My son asked me ‘why you are beaten up dad?’ and I replied ‘I am beaten up today, to prevent you from being hit tomorrow,” said Fouad al-Himyari, a lawyer, who was also beaten up by the attackers last week. The announcer at the protest, Najeeb al-Yafei’ei, mocked the national Yemeni television channel. “It is ironical that the national TV went to cover the celebration next to us. But Allah with us, al-Jazeera, and al-Arabya channels are with us,” he said. “But, unfortunately, we don’t have visual media.

Fortune tellers have satellite channels and we cannot.” People from a variety of political parties were in attendance. “I wondered when I heard that you hold these protests peacefully. But when the acts of the last week took place, I say to myself ‘the government comes to its usual nature,” said Jawhara Hamoud, a member in the Yemeni Socialist Party. “I cheer all those protesters who stand in front of those hypocrites, who support the government that only support suppression.”

Then Abdul-Karim al-Khaiwani, the journalist who was put in jail on the suspicion of the ‘spreading the views of al-Houthis, and who stayed in prison for 31 days, was recently released on bail. When he first showed up, many hurried to greet him, and also there was a warm applause. “This place makes a real proof that we are, despite of all the frustrating environment, walking through the real democracy,” said al-Khaiwani. “The peaceful struggle is the only way to achieve this.”

IOL

Sanaa - Six men condemned to death in Yemen for murder and banditry were executed on Sunday in the central prison in the capital Sanaa, a judicial source said.

The six were executed by firing squad in the presence of some relatives, the source said.

They were part of a group of 42 people tried for “banditry and murder of more than 16 people” in Ibb province, 190km south of Sanaa, the source added.

A state security court handling the case since 2002 condemned 11 members of the gang to death. The others were given prison sentences ranging from 15 to 20 years.

The rulings were upheld by an appeal court, but the supreme court confirmed the death penalty for only six defendants convicted of the “premeditated murder of nine people.”

The supreme court put off a decision on the five others condemned to death.

Yemen’s penal code is based on sharia, or Islamic law, like most other Arabian peninsula countries, including Saudi Arabia where the death penalty is meted out for murder, rape, armed robbery, drug trafficking and apostasy. - Sapa-AFP

Yemen Observer

Yemen’s dependence on oil revenue to balance the demand and supply of hard currency in the market poses a grave danger to the Yemeni riyal, say economic experts. This dependence could destroy the value of the riyal against foreign currencies. The policy of the Central Bank of Yemen to protect the value of Yemeni riyal, which involves selling oil revenue to the market, is the only way the government has to defend Yemen’s currency, which is very hazardous, said the experts.

“It is a big error if the government depends on the reserves of oil to protect the value of the riyal, especially when we know that Yemen’s oil production declines from day to day, as officials have said,” said Professor, Taha al-Fosail, an economist at Sana’a University. “The bank pumped more than $200 million into the market to save the riyal’s value against other hard currencies during the last two months,” said Dr. Mohammed al-Maitami, the Executive Director of General Union of Chamber of Commerce.

(Read on …)

trip to Egypt

Saba

SANA’A, July 28(Saba)- Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Rashad Mohammad al-Alimi confirmed that “Yemen has adopted
clear strategies to face terrorism and that great successes have been achieved.

Terrorism is considered as a global phenomenon and all international efforts must be unified to face it, al-Alimi told reporters in Cairo
on Friday.

He added also that Yemen had agreed to enhance security cooperation lines with all brotherly and friendly countries in order to fight
terrorism and organized crimes.

Al-Alimi said the brotherly cooperation between Yemen and Egypt is constantly developing in all terms including security.

Al-Alimi started his visit to Egypt last week for talks with Egyptian officials and the secretary-general of the Arab League
Amr Mousa on mutual cooperation ties.

The Ruling Party

Almotamar.net - The people of Abyan governorate expressed Saturday their full refusal of attempts by some dubious elements who intend to instigate a new sedition against the homeland and harm its unity and security, affirming their rejection of making the governorate of Abyan, the defender of unity, a place for their mean acts and goals.

Almotamar.net received a copy of a statement issued by the political and cultural activities in the governorate mentioned continuation of escalating the issue of the retired persons despite the measures taken by the government to tackle it in the framework of the law disclose the reality of motives and goals of those elements that take advantage of this issue and others for their goals and schemes and of those behind them. They stressed according to the statement that the people of Abyan will remain unitary strugglers against all those who promote seditions.

The YSP

al-Sahwa:
YSP Secretary General carries government responsibility for failure

July 28, 2007- The secretary general of the Yemeni Socialist Party, Dr Yassin Saeed Noaman appealed the authorities and the Yemeni political leaders to work in favor of ” resuming the spirit of unity”, considering that the only option for Yemenis.

He further criticized in his comments to ” Quds Press ” authorities’ failure in addressing 1994 war impacts .

Moreover , he pointed out that Yemeni unification is a great achievement, affirming that unification spirit would only be resorted through tow axes: The first to relinquish power project power and corruption practiced by the authorities, and the second to prevent YSP dissidents from employing the authorities failure for their own tiny businesses which never work .

TAJ

The Southern Democratic Assembly “TAJ” follows with great interest the developments of the situation in the South Arabia and the growing political movement that is supported by numbers of evidences and political events, which have held since 22nd May 2007 . These events and activities are heading towards escalation and forming a Southern political project, which calls for the independency from the Yemeni occupation. That occupation wears the gown of the unity and have been oppressing our people and occupying our country since July 1994 when it was exposed to the invasion of the Yemeni troops.

It seems that the big southern awakening has raised panic and fear amongst the Yemeni occupying authorities, which failed and is unable to confronts or stop it. Suffer of the hysterical reactions, the Yemeni authorities have launched to send threats and intimidations to the Southern people through their newspapers and other media tools including the presidents speeches. The governors have made the day of sizing the power by Saleh 29 years ago as a big celebration lasted for more than one week and have turned it to an opportunity to mobilize and launch sirens’ war against the South Arabia people accusing them in secessionism, treason and with loyalty to the West

The train of the Southern revelation has already moved, and no one can defuse or hinder its movement. It is fact that The South Arabia people has announced publicly before the local, regional and international media that the so called unity has already died and what is existed only the occupation. They asserted on striving to eliminate it from the South by all means and ways. They have declared that with courage and decided to head towards restoring their freedom and their second independency.

The influential, tribal and military gangs of the Yemeni occupiers are working today vigorously to stop the train of the South’s revaluation or turn it of its right way through treachery, rumours, threats or by splitting the Southern unity. The occupiers trying vainly to make fictional political project, which offloaded the Southern real project of its content and thus finish off this movement.

After they have exhausted their tools, means plots the Yemeni occupiers have failed to stop the Southern political movement, they have lost the control over the grown and the massive southern mood and activities against the Yemeni occupation so they have to leave voluntarily or compulsory.

Amongst all these elements and circumstances, the Southern Democratic Assembly “TAJ” has presented its political project before the South Arabia’s people and all it political groups and declared explicitly that the issues of the future’s shape and the fate of the country are the rights of the people only to decide. It is illegitimately to be determined by the negotiation between the Yemeni occupiers and any Southern political group.

“TAJ” asserts on this principle and promises the South’s people that it will oppose strictly and attempts of the Yemeni authorities or their agents in confiscating the public rights. There is no doubt that any of such attempts only doomed to failure.

“TAJ” promise our people to continue struggling for our full right to self-determination and to achieve its second victorious independence.

Ok a fourth view, the JMP

al-Sahwa

July 26,2007- The spokesman of the Joint Meeting parties, Mohammad al-Sabri warned the government and its ruling party of ignoring the people’s legal rights and avoiding non-national options .

He further called in the seminar organized by al-Asima paper, titled “challenges and dangers” to avoid arrogance and stubbornness.

“1994 war has created a political vacuum and made hundred thousands of the southerners flowed to streets as jobless” he added.

“The south was considered as booty for powerful figures, military leaders and the authorities loyalists” said he.

He warned of the usual attacks practiced by the authorities against the Yemeni Social Party, urging to deal appropriately and address the southern military retirees’ troubles”

“We are not extinguishers for the authority’s fires and should be alternatives to it”

The prominent parliamentarian Ali Ashal said that there is a setback in people’s life as a result of absence of equal citizenships, monopolizing power and wealth and lack to equal chances.

For his part, the senior leader of the ruling party, Tariq al-Shami confessed that thanks to both Ali Abdullah Saleh and Ali Salem al-Bidh for achieving the Yemeni unification, pointing out, in the mean time to what labeled achievements of the Yemeni unification.

And another demonstration

Al-DHALE’, July 25 — Raising photos of Ali Salim Al-Biydh, former president of the now defunct People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen, thousands of Al-Dhale’ residents took part in a festival organized by the governorate’s pensioners this past Tuesday. The festival was conducted in front of the Civil and Military Pensioners Association headquarters and was attended by representatives of satellite channels and media outlets.

In their speeches, military pensioners demanded a radical solution to problems faced by pensioners across the republic, hinting that the government turned a deaf ear to their legitimate demands.

(Read on …)

The Hindu

Bangalore, July. 26 (PTI): About 40 foreign students from countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh studying in various colleges in Karnataka have reportedly gone missing, a senior police official said today.

“About 40 foreign students who sought admission in various colleges in the state, including professional colleges mainly in Bangalore, Mysore and Gulbarga, were reported to be missing recently,” the official told PTI on condition of anonymity.

The students hailed from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Iraq, Iran, Bahrain, Afghanistan, Jordan, Indonesia and Yemen, he said.

The official, however, said the students had not been reported missing after the botched terror plot in Britain. “They have been missing before that, for sometime now,” he said.

Ten Pakistanis, who came to Bangalore during the Indo-Pakistan cricket series during December 2005, were also reported to be missing.

Police have a list of foreign students and those from Jammu and Kashmir who have enrolled in colleges in the state and are maintaining “surveillance on them”, the official said.

Yemen Observer

As Yemenis continue to suffer from the relentless increase of prices for many consumer goods, they are struggling figure out how to manage their life needs within their low budget. Thus, many Yemeni people are turning away from expensive, high-quality goods to much cheaper Chinese products. The souks of Sana’a are awash with these Chinese products, which include clothes, shoes, handbags, and many other consumer goods.

Civil society objects to practice of takfirism.

Almotamar.net - A large number of journalists and members of civil society organisation Tuesday gathered at Democracy Square in front the cabinet building in the capital staging a strike in solidarity with 14 October Newspaper. The newspaper and its staff are presently facing a campaign accusing it with infidelity launched by some mosque preachers and extremists.

The strikers chanted slogans calling for the freedom of the press, the right to expression and prevention of charging others with infidelity. The gathering also demanded for not politicizing worshipping places and respecting opinion and other opinion.

Many speeches were delivered at the gathering in solidarity with 14 October newspaper and its editor in chief Ahmed al-Habeedshi and all of them affirmed standing as one rank against all that would impinge a basic right guaranteed in the constitution and the law, i.e. the freedom of expression and the right of the media to criticise wrong phenomena.

The sit-in strikers called on the ministries of information and endowments to take deterrent measures in this regard and to guarantee the freedom of the word and they also demanded the ministry of interior to shoulder its responsibility for protection of journalists and keeping security and stability.

Source: Al-Thawra.net

(previous post)

al-Motamar

NewsYemen - While the HitsUNiTEL company is preparing to launch the GSM service as the third operator in Yemen, under the sponsorship of Ministry of Telecommunications and Information Technology, the Yemeni UNiTEL company says such behavior is a belittlement of laws and judicial orders.

Deputy chairman of UNiTEL Salman al-Mashdali said that determination of HiTsUnitel to violate the Trade Court’s orders to stop any measures until the Trade Court totally solves the cause.

Salman urged the government to prevent “such behaviors as the first responsible for enacting laws and courts’ orders.

The Trade Court of the capital Sana’a ordered last week the Ministry of Telecommunications and Information Technology to stop transferring the license of UNiTEL to any other party until a further notice.

The court’s decision came after UNiTEL filed a suit against the ministry of telecommunications claiming the ministry had transferred its license as third operator of GSM service in Yemen to HitsUNiTEL.

Meanwhile, the board chairman of HiTs Unitel Nader al-Qalei denied at a press conference held in Sana’a Wednesday any difference with UNiTEL and said that there is no judicial verdict against HiTsUnitel up to now.

But he declared that Salman al-Mashdali, the owner of UNiTEL, “is a key partner in HiTsUnitel and has right.”

Al-Qalei confirmed that HitsUNiTEL in Yemen was established according to a legal decision by the Yemeni cabinet and that it had paid charges of the license, 140 million Yemeni rials.

He said that the shareholders in HiTsUnitel are 26, Gulf and Syrians have the lion share, 75 percent. He said a Kuwaiti company has 15%, the United Corporation for Trade 18.5% and the Yemeni Mohammad al-Kore, deputy chairman of HitsUnitel, has 6%.

The company has announced its market name would be “Y” and its numbers for subscribers would start with (700).

According to HiTsUnitel website, the company has become the third GSM provider in Yemen, along with 2 local companies.

It said that it had been awarded the third GSM license in Yemen on 18 July 2006.

The Telecom market in Yemen is mushrooming and has one of the fastest growth market in the region, with a population of 21 million and a penetration rate of only 10%, it said.

It said that its ambition is to become the new leader of the telecom sector in the country by fueling in new ideas and technology into the market. It said it would launch its service in Yemen in the few coming months.

Yemen Observer

HiTs-Unitel for GSM mobile coverage has promised to offer Yemenis competitive services that include new technological developments, Nader Kalai, the Chairman Board Director of the company, said during press conference held at the Movenpick Hotel last Thursday.
“HiTs-Unitel launched its media campaign with this press conference as the third operator for GSM system,” he said. “The company is working on finalizing the construction of station operators and other requirements for the network of the company, which will start to work during the next three months, as the first stage.”

HiTs-Unitel was established last year, using Yemeni, Saudi, Kuwaiti, and Emirates capital, which is estimated to be $500 million. It will offer a good coverage with high quality, Kalai said.
“My partners and I trust Yemeni justice in terms of the case in the court between HiTs-Unitel and Unitel company,” he said. “We have come to Yemen to set up a good investment to make use of the good environment of investment, which is supported by the president of Yemen and his government.”

“The company depends on a good network of distributors who have enough experience to offer the best sales service to its clients,” said Kalai, “We selected many international companies under the supervision European and Arab experts to follow the latest technological developments in order to serve our consumers.”

“HiTs-Unitel is to serve Yemeni society by offering many job opportunities for graduated students,” said Imad Hamed, Chief Executive Officer. “Until now the company has 300 employees, 90 percent of them are Yemenis.”
At the end of press conference, Imad Hamed gave a presentation about the company’s plan to cover urban both urban and rural areas their plan to cover almost all of Yemen in one year.