Armies of Liberation

This is a disaster! Postponed until November? Even the court says he was sentenced to jail for writing articles and having CD’s of photos of the war dead.

News Yemen:

The Court of Appeals, specialized in terrorism issues, delayed looking into a request by the defense lawyer of journalist Abdul-Karim al-Khaiwani to release him until November 2008.

The court took the decision in an appeal session on Tuesday on the case of 15 people, called Sana’a Second Cell, convicted by a primary court of forming an armed group to attack country’s interests and supporting rebels in Sa’ada, north of Yemen.

The first convict Jafar al-Marhabi was sentenced to death and other 13 were sentenced to different terms in jail. Al-Khaiwani was sentenced to six years term in jail over “writing articles against the president and possessing CDs supporting al-Houthi’s rebellion and threatening the country’s interests”. The court quitted one of the convicts after he died inside the detention unit.

In Tuesday’s session, the Prosecutor demanded that the court refuses appeals of convicts, but defense lawyers demanded the release of their clients and canceling charges against them “as there is no an adequate evidence that the convicts met to form an armed group and committed criminal acts.”

As the vacation of the judges in Yemen starts on the 1st of August, the court adjourned the sessions until November 9, 2008.

This is a good sign that the war is over.

HODEIDAH, NewsYemen

Soldiers differently injured during war in Sa’ada, north of Yemen, on Saturday staged a sit-in in a street in Hodeidah demanding that the government pay them their financial rights and compensations.

Two hundred soldiers blocked the Hodeidah-Sana’a highway and prevented vehicles, especially the government ones, from crossing.

NY’s reporter in Hodeidah reported that demonstrators wanted to meet the governor of Hodeidah and President Saleh. Reporter said that riot police were extensively deployed in front of government institutions in the area but did not try to break up the sit-in.

The military commander Mohammad Mujahid Nameran promised demonstrators their requests will be met, but they refused his promise and decided to go on their protest.

President Saleh last week announced the end of war in Sa’ada and many soldiers started to return from three-month confrontations with rebels that claimed hundreds of lives among forces and rebels and injured many others.

So, the mortars were al Wahishi’s group and achieved crucial goals, and these attacks on security posts and oil pipe lines were al Qaeti’s group and designed to uplift morale only?

News Yemen

Security sources that NewsYemen called for details talked about the al-Qaeda’s proclamation last April claiming its responsibility for throwing three bombs to the same compound. They said that Friday’s attack came after arresting “a dangerous wanted” in Hadramout….

A source close to al-Qaeda group in Yemen told Abwab magazine, the latest issue, that “all attacks that targeted police stations and oil companies last months were carried out by Hamza al-Qaeti’s group that he said is different from Qasem al-Raimi and Naser al-Wahishi. It said that “al-Qaeti is interested to carry out attacks just to keep his group’s element enthusiastic, but al-Raimi and al-Wahishi do not agree to carry out operations unless they obtain crucial goals.”

A senior security source said in a statement to Abwab that “al-Qaeda in Yemen is changing its mechanisms to carry out operations”.

Al-Qaeda claimed responsibility for two attacks with mortar rounds on the US Embassy and a housing compound for foreigners in the capital Sana’a last March and April.

In September 2006, explosive-loaded vehicles attacked two oil facilities in Hadramout and Mareb.

Sayoun’s attack was the first on a police station by an explosive vehicle.

In the aftermath of the attack, hundreds of people demonstrated outside the same compound and demanded that authorities withdraw police camps from cities and to compensate victims.

No no no, its a demand for five million dollars and cancel a concert or they will do more scary things, boo! They will annihilate those who attempt to harm (their version of) Islam. Surrender or die.

How sad the suicide bomber was a medical student, meaning he originally wanted to help and heal people but instead he turned into a mass murderer. Because of a concert. How imperialistic these al-Qaeda lunatics are, demanding all of society conform to their thinking and dictates- or die. They are dreamining of their own style of tyranny and everyone is Yemen has to pay the price for those violent and self-rightous dreams.

Islamic Jihad Group claim responsibility for Sayun blast
Sunday 27 July 2008 00ouSun, 27 Jul 2008 00:15:57 +0300 12 AM / Mareb Press

The Organization of Islamic Jihad in Yemen claimed on Friday responsibility for the attack that targeted the Central Security in Say’un city, in Hadramout province.

In the suicide attack, one policeman was killed and 17 people were injured in the suicide attack and about 366 neighbouring houses were affected by the blast.

The organization said in a statement that the attack came to protect Islam from these festivals and concerts performed by some Arab singers in Yemeni cities.

The statement said, “We, the Organization of Islamic Jihad in Yemen, claim responsibility for the martyr attack in Hadramut… this is a lesson to those who might be tempted to harm the religion of Islam,” threatening of annihilate them.

The organization said its next operation would be in Sana’a to annihilate those who are trying to corrupt the minds of the youth through singing and the mixing of sexes.

The statement demanded to cancel the concert of an Egyptian singer, Ihab Tawfeeq, within 48 hours, otherwise the concert “will be turned into crying and wailing.”

The organization demanded the government in the statement to pay five million dollars within 48 hours in return for stopping the terrorist attack which are “terrifying the people.”

On the other hand, a security source said that the investigation could identify the perpetrator of the suicide attack. The sources said the perpetrator of the suicide attack was a former student in medial college in Hadramout Science and Technology University and he is called Ahmed Saeed Omar al-Mashjari.

Al Jund? (Next AAIA…)

July 26 (Reuters) - An al Qaeda-linked group has claimed responsibility for an attack on a police station that killed two people and injured 18 others in Yemen’s Hadramout province.

The attack on Friday was in retaliation for the killing of al Qaeda militants in Yemen, the Yemen Soldiers Brigades said in a statement on a Web site often used by al Qaeda.

In Friday’s attack, a car tried to enter the police complex but exploded after it was stopped at the gate, killing the attacker and a police guard.

Earlier this year, gunmen killed two Belgian tourists in the Hadramout region in an attack the government said was believed to have been the work of al Qaeda.

Ok so thats three missing mortar attacks (Sana’a- US embassy, housing compound, Italian embassy), three exploding car attacks (Hadramout, Marib- thwarted attacks on oil facilities 2006, tourists at the temple Marib 2007 and police station in Hadramout 2008,), and several non-lethal, sometimes off-hour, bombings of buildings, oil lines and security patrols. Ok I’m getting the fractured feeling.

Update: YO: skepticism over claims of responsibility,

Al-Tawheed battalions affiliated to the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization announced accountability of launching the terrorist attack that targeted the central security camp and security complex in Sayoun city in Hadramout governorate in the south east of Yemen at the early hours of last Friday.

News Yemen website stated it received a statement issued by the al-Tawheed battalions claiming they have launched the terrorist attack to announce their rejection for the carnivals and festivals, threatening they would launch another attack in Sana’a if the Sana’a Summer tourist festival would not be cancelled.

The statement released on Saturday expressed rejection for such festivals which the statement said have been spoiling Yemeni female kids through involving them in singing and dancing activities and mixing them with males. The statement added that this operation came within the frame of defending Islam.

The death toll of the terrorist attack has risen to five persons killed and 15 others injured. Two of the critically injured were rushed to Sana’a on Saturday. The Yemeni security authorities believed the attacker was killed in the blast and that the attack was launched by a suicide car bomb.

According to News Yemen website the persons from al-Jihad organization that sent the statement have also demanded US$ five millions to stop launching similar attacks.

Some analysts when read the statement and the demands dismissed that al-Qaeda or al-Jihad organizations were behind the attack or was the one that sent the statement.

The analysts stated that al-Qaeda never asks for ransoms or money and that it has been always focusing on the political oratory rather than such art and tourism festivals.

In a related issue some security sources revealed that a truck loaded with explosives was detained in al-Alam area located in the road linking between Abyan and Aden governorates while trying to get to Aden city yesterday.

In response to the threat for cancelling the activities of Sana’a Summer Tourism Festival, Fathia Hameedaldeen principal of al-Nizari girls school in the capital Sana’a said her school girls have been contributing in the festival, displaying 25 folkloric female dresses representing all the 22 governorates of Yemen. “We strongly condemn such threats that we believe were issued by people who have been trying to curb any development or tourism campaigns that aim at boosting tourism and improving the economic situations in the country, “said Hameedaldeen. However she said she and her school girls don’t care about such threats and would continue displaying their folkloric dresses according to the festival’s schedule.

“I don’t believe that Islam prohibits 10 years old girls to display dresses or show their faces publicly,” she added. She affirmed that all the participating girls were chosen carefully making sure their ages are young. “We know our religion and our traditions well so we have never and would never ever violate our religion or tradition rules,” said Hameedaldeen.

The ten year old girls will stand up to them if no one else will.

M&C:
Sana’a, Yemen - A powerful car bomb tore through a police compound in south-eastern Yemen Friday, leaving at least two people dead and eight injured, police and witnesses said. The bombing destroyed the main police centre in Sayoun city of Hadharmout province, 900 kilometres south-east of the capital Sana’a, witnesses said. Police sources told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa that a suicide attacker rammed an explosives-laden car into the building early in the morning. Medics said eight people were injured in the explosion.

The same police station was targeted April 22 with three bombs placed along the perimeter walls in the early morning. There were no injuries in that attack. In June, authorities arrested “most wanted” al-Qaeda Haithem bin Saad in Hadramout.

So what is it? Not reprisal for the arrest, since the first attack occurred months before. Not “battle hardened Iraq returnees” trying to take down Saleh, no.

Its some localized issue, probably revenge or a form of negotiation that is related to someone at the police station, which BTW houses a variety of government offices, or did anyway. Its possible the bomber was expecting to get away or was one of these 19 year old brainwashed kids who died to exert pressure on the regime for a specific demand by one of the senior operatives.

Update: Same pattern as the oil installations, did the gunfire explode this car too?

SANA’A, July 25 (Saba)- Hadramout governor Saleh al-Khanbashi described the attack which targeted on Friday a camp of the Central Security in Sayo’un city as a criminal terrorist act, threatening those who are behind this coward act that they will be tracked down and brought to justice.

In a statement to Saba, al-Khanbashi noted that security systems recognized, through the investigations in the attack during the past few hours, identity of the attacker but refused to mention his name to secure privacy of investigations.

He added that the executor of the attack was driving a booby-trapped car model KIA 2003, white colored, at high speed towards the camp gates the thing which made the guard start fire on him.

Update 2: Hadramout governor blames al-Qaeda

Al-Qaida behind the Suicide Car Bomb in Yemen” governor of Hadramout says
YemenOnline-July 26,2008- The governor of Hadramout governorate Salim Al- Kunbshi declared that all evidence indicates the involvement of Al Qaeda . Terrorists of Al-Qaida behind the incident which resulted in the death of Nabil Muthanna Jaita the soldier who has killed at the incident and wounding another 11 soldiers and seven women, Al-Kunbshi explained in a statement to the official news site 26 Spettmber. the investigations conducted on the incident concluded that the style and method of attack, blast, which targeted a camp of the Central Security Forces and public security as well as materials used in the bombing, mechanisms and technical implementation process similar to the terrorist operations previously carried out by elements of Al Qaeda, the investigations revealed important information on the operation mastermind, who bought them the car had been booby-trapping and executed by the terrorist attack, in addition to other information is being verified now” the governor said.On the other hand ,Al- Qaeda did not declare its responsibility so far as usual.

The GPC created an “opposition” coalition (including the Baath party which is headed by the President’s nephew*) in an effort to undermine the JMP. (The JMP although partially co-opted is partially not). However the new opposition are all regime allies who have come together under the lovely name “National Democratic Coalition”. Do we think the international community and western press will fall for this latest slight of hand? Maybe.

Saba News

PGC, opposition parties sign political coalition document

SANA’A, July 23 (Saba)- Ruling party People General Congress (PGC), Parties of National Council for Opposition, al-Ba’ath Arab Socialist National Party, Yemeni Association Party and Democratic September System signed on Wednesday a strategic political coalition document.

Vice President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi, who signed the coalition document, called the National Democratic Coalition, for PGC part, expressed his great pleasure for holding this meeting that represents strategic political trend for serving national aims and Yemeni two revolutions’ goals.

The coalition document’s items included a number of public norms that stipulate on grasping Islam as a faith and legislation, protecting national bases toped by republican system, revolution and unity, and implementing law and constitution.

The document also affirms facing calls for separatism, sectarianism, regionalism and tribalism, and fighting all forms of false political and intellectual mobilizations harming national unity as well as fighting violence, extremism, terrorism, organized crime, all forms of hatred and seditions among Yemeni citizens and working on keeping social security and peace.

The document stipulates on activating role and activities of cultural, thinking, educational and information institutions in stabilizing unity, democracy and social justices as well hating violence, separation and hatred for improving national enlightenment among the people.

In addition to a number of mentioned conditions above and others, the parties have agreed on regulating parties law, especially committees, financial resources and bases of distributing government support among them.

*Yahya Mohammed Abdullah Saleh, head of the Central Security Forces, is president Saleh’s nephew. He is also the secretary general of the Yemeni Baath Party, according to the Yemen Observer, and hosted a condolences service after Saddam Hussain’s execution. Yahya Saleh heads an organization dedicated to supporting the Lebanese and Palestinian causes with charitable contributions, the Yemeni Public Committee to Support the Resistance. A symposium at Sanaa University organized by the Yemeni Popular Committee to Support Palestinian, Lebanon, Iraqi Resistance featured Sheikh Harith al-Dhari, head of the Iraqi Muslim Scholars Association, who is wanted in Iraq for colluding with insurgents, At the symposium in December 2006, Yahya Mohammed Abdullah Saleh, “praised the Iraqi resistance that could prove itself and cause loses to the occupation forces. He considered the siege imposed by the US on Iraq as a clear example of the hostility of the US and its allies,” al-Motamar, website of the GPC reported. Yahya Mohammed Abdullah Saleh is also chairman of the Yemeni Society of Tourism and Travel Agencies. And he’s head of the Progress and Advancement Forum.

From the Times Online, via Weasel Zippers:

Dr Williams said: “The Anbar Awakening (in Iraq) really broke the hearts of a lot of al-Qaeda followers who saw the jihad in Iraq in black-and-white terms. Sunni Arab al-Qaeda were pushed out by fellow Sunni Arabs.

“Iraq is seen as a defeat. The image of Afghanistan is seen as a more pristine jihad.”

The Times has learnt from several insurgency sources that Abu Yusuf Saleh al-Yemeni, an emissary for al-Qaeda, met the leadership of Hizb-e-Islami, the Afghan insurgent group, in Nuristan province on the eastern border in autumn 2007. The two sides agreed to work together. Al-Yemeni now leads a band of al-Qaeda fighters alongside Hizb-e-Islami fighters, as well as Taleban and Pakistani militants from bases in Nuristan.

The US financial assessment team found efforts to counter money laundering are in their infancy, or non-existent. Parliament is stalling the bill because it will restrict the transfer of charity funds and/or to “legitimate resistance” like Hamas.

SANA’A, July 23 (Saba) - Plans the Yemeni government has taken to fight money laundering and terrorism finance and preventing the establishment of unlicensed currency exchange companies helped revive the currency exchange during the last ten years, a report has said.

The report issued by the Yemen Central Bank noted that the exchange companies number has more than doubled in a decade. This number increased from 210 to 528. The improvement came as the government introduced a new law for combating money laundering and terrorist finance that is yet to be approved by the parliament.

According to the report, the Yemen Central Bank makes it compulsory for exchange companies to present detailed information about their banking services. The bank increased these companies capital to YR 20 million to increase their annual fees to YR 1 million and the individual institutions to YR 150.000.

The JMP, which is the actual political opposition not like that new fangled creation, must get on the ball. The Parliamentary election is in April and the SCER isn’t formed yet.

Yemen Online

Yemen Elections : JMP shouldn’t hold the elections hostage ” El-Erayni says

Dr.Abdul karim El-Eryani, Political Advisor of the Yemeni president and Second Vice-President of General People Congress (Ruling party) declared to YemenOnline that the elections and formation of the Supreme Commission For Elections & Referendum (SCER)are completely independent process . Joint Meeting Parties (JMP) shouldn’t hold the elections hostage because they have political problems with the government.Dr.El-Eryani has left the dialogue on the formation of SCER with JMP because they were insisted on linking elections to other issues not related to elections .

There are thousands of political prisoners, preventative detentions or arbitrary arrests relating to the Sa’ada war. Witness Testimony, Click Here Today IRIN reported, “Abdul-Rashid al-Faqih, head of Hiwar Forum, a local non-governmental organisation (NGO), said about 3,000 people had been arrested by the authorities for supporting al-Houthi. Of these, 500 detainees are known. The rest are unidentified because their families are scared of reporting their fate. Their whereabouts are unknown, he told IRIN.”

About 3000 sounds right and then there are the southern political prisoners, Al-Sahwa:

Sahwa Net-Several activists have stressed the importance of opposing the arbitrary arrests, affirming the illegality of what is named the State Security Court in which southern leaders and activists are trying.

Mohammad al-Mikhlafi , head of the Yemeni Observatory for Human Rights, said that the political prisoners number amounted 864 from March up to-date, pointing out that all of them are from the southern provinces except the comedian Fahad al-Qarni.

He added in a seminar organized by YOHR on Wednesday in Sana’a that such trials ignite hatred against the unification particularly when many political figures are among those who are being prosecuted. Al-Mikhlafi said that the judiciary became an opponent of journalists, indicating that journalists are prevented from attending public hearings and prosecuted.

Yemen Observer

Bait al-Faqih court acquitted Sheikh Shuaib al-Fashiq of charges of raping a citizen Hamdan al-Dersi and restricted the freedom given to him in the indictment. The victim’s complaint was presented to the General Attorney by Allawo Foundation for Advocate.

Al-Dersi, the Hodeidah worker who filed the suit against Sheikh al-Fashiq allegedly for sodomizing and torturing him, was represented by his lawyer Khaled al-Raimi, who demanded YR 10 million as compensation for his client.

The court convicted al-Fashiq with private prison with a minimum penalty, which is considered an inherited social need to the objective address of relevant stakeholders, as stated in the operative provision:

“we do not absolve of the judgment to condemn the accused in this regard under the Article No. 246 sanctions.”

The provision said that al-Fashiq has the right to demand compensation to confront what the case caused, as the public prosecutor is entitled to refer Mohammed al-Dersi and others to trail for perjury in accordance with the law. “There is no intention to publish the judgment through the press, which has followed the case as a kind of reconsideration for the accused al-Fashiq,” the judgment read.

The court session presided over by Judge Jalal al-Maqtari ordered to arrest al-Dersi after the sentence was read and to put him in jail.

Lawyer Mohammed Naji Allawo, General Coordinator of the National Authority for the Defense of Rights and Freedoms (HOOD), expressed the judgment as a blow up of the constitutional provisions for customs and bad social inheritance. “Al-Fashiq attacked our client al-Dersi by force and prepared a special prison for seizing the freedom of people and torturing them,” he said.

“We do not expect from the weak judiciary system caught up in corruption and subservience to authority over such provisions to be effective; in the end the system condemns the victim and discharges the offender,” Allawo said.

Al-Dersi decided to appeal the judgment, according to his lawyer al-Raimi. “We reserve our comments on the judgment until we receive a response and until we end studying its causes and its reasons.”

Lets review the case, shall we?

Head of Hodeidah Appeal Prosecution, Judge Ali Al-Samet accused Shuaib Al-Faseq of restricting the freedom and violating the honor of Darsi, removed his clothes, chained him with iron chains and inserted a solid instrument in his anus and sent him out the house naked. The Attorney-General Dr. Abdullah Al-Olifi gave his orders on December 23rd, 2007 to investigate in the case and to arrest the offenders after Al-Darsi presented a complaint to him against Al-Fasheq.

For his part, Al-Husainiah citizens in Bait Al-Faqeeh provinvce, Hodeidah Governorate denounced what happened to Hamdan Al-Darsi of beatings, torture and violation of his honor by Sheikh Shuaib Mohammed Hassan Al-Fasheq and his companions. In a written statement with their signatures, Nass press got a copy of it, they explained that Hamdan was sent in AL-Fasheq private prison under the pretext that he was working in a building that was under arguments in the mid of last December asserting that Al-Fasheq’s followers put chains on his feet and left him with no food until the midnight.

They added in their statement, “then Al-Fasheq ordered his followers to take off the clothes of Hamdan and to hang his feet in the ceiling, then Al-Fasheq inserted a thick stick in his anus and poured wine over head and threatened him with burning him with sulfur and then sent out the prison and threatened to be killed if he talked about what happened to him. Hamdan says “during torture and also after the completion of his criminal act and violation of my honor, he used to put his cigarette in my anus and he put a knife on my neck, I wished that he slaughtered me and not to do what he did.”

About the torture of Hamdan Al-Darsi, a report prepared by Hodeidah Security based on eye-witnesses stated that Al-Fasheq imprisoned Hamdan from afternoon Wednesday 12, 20th, 2006 and tortured physically then released after midnight after he finished his torture and sent him out his home naked. The report pointed out that the victim submitted a medical report issued from the Health Office of Bait Al-Faqeeh Province shows geological, burning and swelling of the anal victim, and the presence of abrasions, burning and swollen behind left leg and forearms.

And the Sheik goes free and gets to claim compensation.

Me too!

IFJ Renews Call for Justice for Yemeni Journalist Abdelkarim Al Khaiwani

Source: IFJ

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has congratulated Yemeni journalist Abdelkarim Al Khaiwani winner of Amnesty International’s “Sepcial Award for Human Rights Journalism Under Threat” and renewed its call for journalist organisations around the world to support Al Khaiwani as he challenges a six-year jail sentence handed down by the state security court.

“Abdul Karim is one our members and a very special member too,” said IFJ President Jim Boumelha “He is one of those rare breed of journalists, some of the bravest and the most determined - those who are prepared to sacrifice their personal and professional lives for the public good. Abdul Karim is convinced that standing up to bullies and having to face up torture and imprisonment can make the difference.”

(Read on …)

later reports put the figure at eight wounded

SANAA (AFP) — Five people, including a young boy, were wounded in southern Yemen on Tuesday when police fired on demonstrators demanding the release of more than 80 people arrested during previous protests, witnesses said.

Dozens of demonstrators were also detained during the new protest, in Radfan in southern Lahij province, the witnesses told AFP.

Police fired live bullets and tear gas to disperse the march, they said.

Besides demanding the release of scores of people held since demonstrations in southern provinces earlier this year, the protestors also called for an end to the trials of three senior members of the opposition Yemen Socialist Party (YSP) and 36 other people who were charged in connection with the turmoil.

Hassan Baoum, a member of the YSP’s political bureau, YSP central committee member Yehya Ghaleb al-Shuaibi and activist Ali Haitham al-Ghareeb were charged with inciting protests which led to clashes with police in March and April.

Defence lawyers call their trial, which began in May, politically-motivated.

Authorities have blamed the wave of protests on the YSP, the former ruling party in southern Yemen.

Good for her! A surprise visit to the prisons is just whats needed. They wont be able to kick her out or beat her up like they do with the MP’s who visit.

Yemen Observer:
The Minister of Human Rights Huda al-Ban today began a surprise visit to inspect prisons in Ibb and Taiz governorates in order to view the conditions of the prisoners and prisons facilities.

Close sources reported that the Minister will check on the duration of imprisonment and will set free some penniless ones who have served the majority of their terms and were indebted with large fines. The Ministry will pay the sums to creditors for them, from the fund set by the Vice-President for this purpose.

The same source added that the minister will check prison conditions from the point of view of cleanliness, food and treatment of prisoners, since cells are houses of correction and reformatory aimed to rehabilitate prisoners into the community. In case the minister finds that any of the cells she visits do not meet the required conditions, she will report them to the cabinet including binding recommendations for the concerned ministries to reform them. The report will also include recommendations for punishing jailors who violate the laws that organize and deal with cells and respect for human rights.

The Ministry of Human Rights has released 155 prisoners, 10 of them women, from four governorates to help celebrate May 22. The Ministry paid more than YR 8 million as debts to creditors. Financial aid was offered to other needy prisoners as well.

Excellent! Yemeni President Saleh called rebel leader Abdulmalik al-Houthi and they ended the war that raged in northern Yemen since 2004. The army is withdrawing from areas they haven’t vacated since 2004. The general consensus is that the ICC charges against the President of Sudan for genocide gave the Yemeni president the necessary motivation. Brigadier General Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar who led the war effort in Sa’ada is thought to be under loose house arrest. Hopefully aid groups can get to the internal refugees now, and the regime empties the prisons of the arbitrarily arrested and frees al-Khaiwani. Even though the prior three mediated settlements broke down, I think theres a real prospect for a lasting peace here. The disengagement by the Yemeni military seems much more robust than anything I’ve seen thus far. Its great news for the 700,000 residents of the area.

Mareb Press

Ministerial committee to visit Sa’ada
Governmental troops withdraw, Houthis celebrate the end of war
Wednesday 23 July 2008 00ouWed, 23 Jul 2008 00:08:59 +0300 12 AM / Mareb Press

The al-Houthi supporters in Haidan and Saqain districts celebrated today the end of Sa’ada war and the withdrawal of the army from the two districts.

A group of Al Houthi supporters were cleaning with water and soaps the house of the slain leader of the rebels Hussein Badr Al Deen Al Houthi,” said a statement issued by the office of the rebels’ leader Abdul Malik Al Houthi in al-Manber website. The house was under the control of the army since Hussein Al Houthi was killed in September 2004.

“The calm has prevailed most of the areas after the declaration of the end of war in Sa’ada except for very few clashes which were under control,” said the statement. The source said the army withdrew from all sites in Haidan and Maran district and al-Houthi followers have received all these sites.

The cabinet set up today, Wednesday a ministerial committee including a number of ministers chaired by the Minister of Local Administration Abdul Qader Hilal to estimate the damages and the destruction in Sa’ada province.

Of all the marginalized groups in Yemen, none is more so then black Yemenis who are called akhdam, which means servants, seriously. The Akdam are thought to be of Ethiopian descent and have been in Yemen for centuries, yet to achieve integration or equality. The racial discrimination is so dramatic and engrained its hardly noticed. The reason they work as street sweepers is no one will hire them for anything else. Children are excluded from public schools. They are a sub-caste of society.

IRIN: SANAA, 21 July 2008 (IRIN) - Police moved into a slum area of Sanaa city on 20 July to try to evict several hundred impoverished people who had moved into the area saying they could not longer afford to pay rent.

Police used a tractor to demolish about 10 tin shacks, according to Saad Ahmed Salem, a slum leader, but did not succeed in evicting any of the roughly 200 families in the slum.

(Read on …)

Yay! Now I know what everybody said.

SANA’A, NewsYemen

The Washington-based Arab al-Hurra TV on Sunday highlighted in its program “Eye on Democracy” the issue of Yemeni journalist Abdul-Karim al-Khaiwani who was sentenced a month ago to six years in jail.

The program hosted Yemeni journalist and columnist in Washington Muneer al-Maweri, the executive director of the American Islamic Congress, Zainab al-Suwaij, the Middle East Program Coordinator in Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Joel Campagna, and the former Yemeni Journalists Syndicate chairman, Abdul-Bari Taher.

Al-Maweri urged to President Saleh to give al-Khaiwani a “humanitarian” pardon, accusing some Yemeni officials “who are encouraging violation of press freedom and abuses against journalists” of hurting the image of Yemen and President Saleh himself.

“I wonder how Yemeni authorities release convicted terrorists while they jail journalist al-Khaiwani and popular singer Fahd al-Qarni…We had hoped that Yemeni authorities would have dealt with al-Khaiwani in the same way it dealt with terrorists who were freed or got lenient sentences”, said al-Maweri.

Al-Maweri denied that judiciary has become independent and said that it receives and carries out directives from the executive authority. “How can a judiciary that let out Jamal al-Badawi and jailed journalist al-Khaiwani and activist al-Qarni be independent?” said al-Maweri.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) senior Middle East Program Coordinator, Joel Campagna, said that alleged terror charges against al-Khaiwani were false. He said al-Khaiwani was convicted for writing about war in Sa’ada, north of Yemen, and criticizing the Yemeni government. The Yemeni government used terror charges against al-Khaiwani just to avoid international blame for jailing a journalist, he said.

Al-Suwaji also defended al-Khaiwani and said terrorism is to commit violence and kill innocent people and al-Khaiwani did neither. Al-Suwaji added that the AIC launched an international drive to press the Yemeni government to free al-Khaiwani.

Al-Khaiwani has critical articles against some of the government’s policies and violations against journalists and press freedom. He was jailed many times but receiving the latest six-year sentence along with other 12 convicted of supporting rebellion in north Yemen. Al-Khaiwani got last June 9 the award of the Amnesty International 2008 for “Journalists Under Threat”.

M&C: Sana’a, Yemen - A state security court in Sana’a imposed a media gag order Monday in the trial of three opposition leaders charged with stirring up violent protests in southern Yemen earlier this year.

Presiding judge Muhssien Alwan issued the order at the start of the second hearing into the case, saying that the gag order applied to both local and foreign media.

Police officers guarding the court’s gate prevented journalists from entering even before the judge issued the ban. When the highly publicized trial began on May 28, journalists were allowed into the courtroom.

Hassan Baoum, Yahya al-Shouaibi and Ali al-Gharib, all senior members of the opposition Yemeni Socialist Party, are charged with instigating civil disorder.

Protests and riots hit several southern Yemeni cities where disgruntled youths took to the streets in April to protest what they called discriminatory army recruiting policies against southerners.

The Yemeni authorities charge the three men incited violent protests and riots that hit several southern cities.

At least 13 people were killed and more than 70 were injured in clashes with security forces.

I have 26 killed, hundreds injured and several hundred imprisoned.

Update 1: Defense withdraws, and Baoum admits to calling for secesssion.

Sahwa Net –The defense of three political prisoners withdrew from the court on Monday as it decided imposing media ban in the trial. Journalists were prevented from attending the trial even before the judge issued the ban.

The three senior leaders of the Yemeni Social Party, Hassan Ba Oam, Yahya al-Shouaibi and Ali al-Gharib are charged with inciting violent protests and riots that hit several southern cities in this year . In the hearing, Hassan Ba Oam admitted that he had called to secession, and refusing Yemen’s regime and the trial.

Update 2: Two of three defense withdrew, one is a journalist.

The Ruling Party website (I guess the ban doesn’t apply to them.) The Court also decided banning publication that would affect the process of justice and permitting publication of only proceedings of the trial. The body defending the defendants withdrew from the court except the defence lawyer of defendant Hassan Baoum.

Defendant Ali Haitham al-Gharib claimed that this charge is a publication charge and that he is a journalist, demanding that his file be sent to the Press Prosecution but the chairman of prosecution replied to the defendant statement that the crime is against the security of the state.

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Welcome! Please sign a letter for the Yemeni journalist. Thank you.
Click here please.

مرحبا. يرجى تسجيل الدخول لرسالة الصحافي اليمني. شكرا لك.
اضغط هنا من فضلك.

Update: that was the first time I heard al-Khaiwani’s voice. He sounded nice but different than I was expecting. And my kitchen looked clean. My kids were excited that our kitchen was on TV. My 20 year old dining room table managed to look shiney. I wish there was a transcript to translate but I’m sure it was a very good show. Any attention on al-Khaiwani’s case is good, but with that line-up, I’m sure the real issues got out.

The war that al-Khaiwani wrote about, which got him imprisoned, is supposedly over. The Yemeni president called the rebel leader and its done. Hopefully, they will release al-Khaiwani now that everybody is friends again.

The Yemeni military’s extensive bombing campaign over the last four years has destoyed homes, villages, and infrastructure including schools and water facilities in Yemen’s northern Sa’ada province. The regime is currently calling for the nearly 100,000 people who were driven from their homes by the fighting to return. Quite tragically, many have no place to go anymore. But if it is safe for the people to return then it must be safe enough for the Yemeni government to finally allow access to international aid organizations. Both Doctors Without Borders and the ICRC have deemed the region a humanitarian disaster; however, they haven’t been able to get in to render medicine, food, water and shelter to the displaced families. From Yemen Online.

“End” of War in Yemen: Displaced Residents of Harf Sufian to Return Home
YemenOnline- July 20, 2008- The gubernatorial leaders of Amran met to discuss the return of those displaced by the war against between the government and the Houthi Rebels. Led by the deputy governor of Amran, Saleh Abu Uja, the meeting birthed a committee that would facilitate the return of the displaced citizens. The return of the residents, however, will not be possible without rebuilding the damaged town. The war had left Harf Sufian demolished, as described by many. It was a critical battle ground and an important location that was fought over repeatedly throughout the war. It was captured and recaptured by both sides on several incidents. President Ali Abdullah Saleh announced an end to hostilities on Thursday. However, even after the cease fire fighting still continued in Sadah, casting doubt on how long the peace would last. The rehabilitation of Harf Sufian has symbolic significance. This healing of the country’s war wounds is an important step forward in the peace process.

Having played the terrorism card to exhaustion, Saleh plays the religion card with some trick to divide the Islah party, something to bolster his political capital at a time of weakness. Whatever it is, its a furtherance of the growing Talabanization of Yemen. This is an interesting post by a Yemeni woman entitled “Yemen, Sexual Harassment and Women”, who writes:

The problem in Yemen and Saudi in my opinion stems from the sexual objectification of women and a culture that views them as inferior, not only are they physically weaker but intellectually and morally inferior….The strict segregation is part of the cause as well, it creates lack of interaction and familiarity between the sexes. I consider it unhealthy that relatives for example cannot mingle with each other, instead females retreat hastily in another room if a man is approaching without even a greeting. Curtains are used to separate the sexes when talking to each other, those situations sexualise a perfectly normal environment. Any interaction between the sexes is deemed to be sexual.

The above author concludes , “It’s important that we strike a middle and balanced ground in order to have a healthy society and when pursuing virtue not achieve the opposite.”

An article from the Yemen Oserver notes the attendees of the conference were mostly al-Iman students, so the whole thing is looking like an al-Zindani creation, including the declaration that any women in the work force will lead to chaos in society and sex in the streets. Meanwhile the vice in Yemeni society is concentrated among its elite and leaders who steal food daily from the mouths of starving children. They are the ones who need moral guardians on an hourly basis. As the Italians say, a fish rots from its head. And of course and predictably, the conference focused on villifying journalists in particular.

The Yemen Observer: An alliance of Yemeni religious scholars and tribal leaders has decided to watch and safeguard the morals and values of the society through holding annual meetings rather than permanent committees, which were strongly criticized before being established.

Under the slogan “It’s the guards of virtue who will protect the ship from drowning,” the clerics and tribesmen – the self-appointed guardians of virtue – decided to hold a yearly conference, called “The meeting of promoting virtue and combating vice.” They backed down from a previous proposal submitted to President Ali Abdullah Saleh last May, for establishing virtue committees (religious police) and for monitoring the activities of individuals and institutions by banning any vice-related activity such as selling alcoholic drinks, night clubs, hotels, restaurants, or massage centers.

The clerics and tribesmen retracted from establishing their committees of promoting virtue and combating vice after strong criticisms from journalists, writers and politicians, who viewed the job of such committees as the responsibility of the state.

No single woman attended the one-day meeting held on Tuesday July 15 by the tribesmen and the Sunni religious scholars. The meeting was chaired by the tribal leader, Sadeq Abdullah al-Ahmar – sheikh of Yemen’s most influential tribe, the Hashed – and cleric Abdul Majeed al-Zandani, who is accused by the United States of supporting terrorism.

Most of the nearly two thousands male attendees were students of Al-Eyman University, a religious university run and owned by al-Zandani. The rest of the attendees were Salafi clerics and tribesmen. No prominent politicians from the Islamist party Islah attended the meeting except Sheikh al-Zandani, who has his own Salafi current inside the party. The politicians of Islah refused the demand of establishing committees for virtue, saying that it was only a political trick from the president Saleh to divide the Islah party, the largest opposition party on the one hand, and divide the opposition alliance which includes the Islah Islamists, Socialists and Nasserites on the other.

“Talking about committees for virtue has political reasons behind, aiming to mix the cards and confuse political life in an official attempt to divert the attention from its helplessness and corruption of the government, and thus holding others responsible for its faults including weakening the effectiveness of the official bodies and working outside the constitution and law,” said the alliance of the three parties in a statement issued three days before the meeting of the clerics and tribesmen.

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Update: its on at 3:10 in New York, I forgot about daylight savings. I think I’ll add a Yemen clock to the blog.

The show is “Eye on Democracy ” on al-Hurra satellite TV at 22:10 Yemen time, which is as we all know 14:10 New York time.

The woman who will be on is Zainab Al-Suwaij, Executive Director of the American Islamic Congress, which sponsors HAMSA which is coordinating the letters campaign for al-Khaiwani, the American guy is Joel Campagna who heads the Committee to Protect Journalists Middle East program and the Yemeni guy is Munier al-Mawari, a Yemeni American journalist and analyst.

The crew came to my house to tape an interview, which I though was nice. You can watch it streaming here. Also al-Hurra re-plays the show through the week, schedule here.

Also this week’s issue of Rotana magazine has a nice article (I hear) about al-Khaiwani and me, entitled, “American Jane Novak, the most famous foreigner known in Yemen”. I can’t believe I’m anywhere in a celebrity magazine but apparently so.

I just wish I could read the Rotana article and/or understand what they are saying on al-Hurra. My Arabic studies are going very slowly. Its such a hard language. I wish I could get somebody to live-blog the show.

Oh and in October, the Ladies Home Journal, again somewhat incomprehensible to me. However al-Khaiwani is still in jail. I’m going to need a new plan if the “End of the Sa’ada War” machinations don’t include his release along with all the kids and thousands others arbitrarily arrested in relation to the war.

Theres corruption and then theres grand corruption, elite capture of the vast majority of national resources and wealth on an organized and methodical basis. The best report ever I think was the Journalists Against Corruption report Available here. This YO report is a tad confusing on what the numbers mean:

Tender corruption is currently costing millions of dollars worth of public wealth. This came in a statement for the Supreme National Authority for Combating Corruption (SNACC) manager, Ahmed al-Anisi, at a debate organized by the al-Saeed establishment last Thursday.

Al-Anisi said that they cooperated with other authorities to issue cabinet resolutions to cancel all private authorizations. Al-Anisi helped in controlling some important corruption cases, pointing out that both public and opposition press were their source for discovering some of the corruption cases, mentioning the atomic energy case as an example. He reviewed their achievements as realized in the discussion of the scholarship case and the deductions on the students’ bursaries at the higher Education Ministry.

He ensured the recovery of YR 2 billion and YR 600,000, with several cases being referred to prosecution following long tedious procedures….

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I hope its true and that the release of al-Khaiwani is part of the deal:

Mareb Press: The President Ali Abdullah Saleh said that the war between the governmental troops and Al Houthi rebels has ended and it would never come back again.

“The war which was in some districts of Sa’ada has ended three days ago, and it will never come back again,” Saleh said.

In the first reaction, Yahya al-Houthi, currently residing in Germany, said in an interview with al-Jazeera satellite channel, President Saleh and his brother Abdul-Malik have agreed in telephone calls to end war in Sa’ada.

“The reason for ending the war is that we (al-Houthis) have severely blockaded the 17th militar infantry devision brigades under the leadership of brigadier Abdul Azeezal-Shahari, in Sa’ada for two months. So, the president asked for stopping war,” he added.

Yahya said it is President Saleh who always “begins and ends wars.” However, al-Houthi said that ceasefire this time is more serious.

He said “this ceasefire will continue just if the state army stops attack on people and people can equally get their rights. To continue this truce, we need peace, serious and responsible dialogue and we need to implement Doha deal”, said al-Houthi.

Local sources said that some clashes are still taken place in some of Sa’ada districts between the army and al-Houthi rebels.

Flight Global

Yemen’s Felix Airways has ordered eight Bombardier CRJ700 aircraft, powered by CF34-8C engines. The engine order is valued at more than $90 million and delivery will begin in September 2008. Felix Airways is a new private airline based in Yemen and will operate domestic routes previously served by Yemen Airways together with additional regional routes.

Yemen’s fleet deal

Yemen’s eponymous national flag carrier has selected Pratt & Whitney global service partners for a 10-year, $90-million fleet management programme agreement. The deal covers all engine maintenance and engine health monitoring for the ‘owned’ Airbus A310 aircraft in Yemen Airways’ fleet powered by Pratt & Whitney PW4000 engines. Yemen Airways has three owned Airbus A310s in its long-haul fleet, operating from its main base in Sana’a and a hub in Aden. The airline flies to more than 30 destinations in Africa, the Middle East, Europe and Asia.

Of course, performing “jihad” (a/k/a/ murder) in Iraq is legal in Yemen. The Yemeni judical system doesn’t even take into account if the returning “jihaddists” killed innocent Iraqi civilians or Iraqi police. So murder abroad carries no legal sanction in Yemen no matter who gets killed even kids.

I’m not posting the link to the following but it reminds me of the article by the Iraqi journalist who was on a Yemenia flight to Syria. He wrote there were a over a dozen jihaddists on the flight openly talking about going to fight in Iraq. That was after the National Security took over jursidiction of the airports from the Political Security in November 2006.

Al-Furqan media, the mouthpiece of the ISI has now released a new 41-minute video featuring a number of istishahadah (martyrdom attacks) carried out by foreign mujahideen in Iraq. The video is the third of a series called “Knights of Martyrdom.”

A major part of the video has been dedicated to a spectacular attack that destroyed the Badosh bridge, Northern Mosul, in May 2007. The attack was carried out by a Yemeni mujahideen going by the name Abu Huzeifa. He drove his explosives-packed truck past the security post at the entrance of the bridge, and detonated it about 150 meters further. The explosion was massive, causing the bridge to collapse. According to al Qaeda foreign mujahideens’ records released earlier this year by CTC, Abu Huzeifa was an arm-dealer from the city of Taez in Yemen. He arrived in Iraq via Syria, and registered as a martyrdom seeker on entering the country. He was 28 years old when he carried out the attack.

This from the CTC is also interesting. Its information from captured documents about assorted foreign fighters in Iraq. You’ll notice some patterns. I’m surpirsed they published so much personal information. There’s a lot more Yemenis listed at the link, this is just a sample. Its really sad that all these young guys get brainwashed into thinking their greatest contribution in life and to the world is to kill themselves.

Name: Raffat Abd Allah Al Amoudi
Alias: Abu-Azzam
Address: Yemen- Aden
Telephone:
Birth Date: 1982
Arrival Date: //
Contribution: //
Sake keeping: passport/ Identification/ Watch
Coordinator: Abu Mussab
Where do you know the coordinator from: Through a brother came back from Iraq
How did you arrive to Syria? Airplane
Stages of arrival to Iraq: Egypt, Syria

Document Summary: This document contains personal information of three individuals, one fighter and two suicide bombers. The first was Hamad ‘Abdallah al-Mutayri, also known as Abu-Hajar, a suicide bomber from Saudi. The second was Sami Ahsan al-Jufi, also known as Abu-Asid al-Jufi, a fighter from Yemen. And the third was al-Mutawakkil ‘Ala-Allah Mahdi, also known as Abu-al-Fida’, a suicide bomber from Yemen.
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Name: Hamad ‘Abdallah al-Mutayri
Alias: Alu Hajar [TC: they misspelled it, instead of Abu-Hajar]
Country: Saudi Arabia
Telephone: House/ 009664545217
Facilitator: —————
Occupation: Suicide bomber
Deposits: Passport
Donations: A watch/ 400 USD
Name: Sami Ahsan al-Jufi
Alias: Abu-Asid al-Jufi
Country: Yemen/ San’a’
Telephone: His brother/ 00967733821512- House/ 00967274750
Facilitator: ‘Abd-al-Hay
Occupation: Fighter
Deposits: Passport/ Identification card
Donations: A watch
Name: al-Mutawakkil ‘Ala-Allah Mahdi
Alias: Abu-al-Fida’
Country: Yemen/ San’a’
Telephone: House/ 009671544144
Facilitator: al-Haram al-Jurbani/ Salim al-Dulaymi
Occupation: Suicide bomber
Deposits: Passport
Donations: 240 USD
[End of Translation]

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ISA:

Text of report by London-based independent newspaper Al-Quds al- Arabi website on 17 July
[Report by Khalid al-Hammadi in Sanaa: "Analysts consider the formation of the Virtue Commission in Yemen as a sign of the weakness of the state or intended to divert the attention of the public away from its suffering prior to the parliamentary elections; the Commission for the Propagation of Virtue or the 'Yemeni Al- Mutawa'ah' declares war on prostitution, alcoholic beverages, drugs, and child trade"]

The commission to protect virtue in Yemen held its first conference in Sanaa yesterday. The conference -that was held with official backing -was attended by a large gathering of senior religious scholars and intellectuals from various parts of Yemen with a noticeable absence of the leaders of the opposition parties, including the Islamist Reform Party. The conferees decided to change the name of the commission from the Virtue Commission to the Commission for the Propagation of Virtue thus becoming identical in character and tasks to the Saudi Commission for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice that is popularly known as the “Al- Mutawa’ah”.

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Saleh is celebrating 30 years in power.

Sahwa Net –Demonstrations held on Thursday in Dhala and Lahj provinces demanded to cancel celebrations in which the authorities force citizens to attend to, according to their descriptions .

The demonstrators described marking the July 17th as a two parts behavior and exclusion policy. Sahwa Net correspondent in Dhala province said that slogans demanding to recognize the south issue end of prosecuting southern activists and release political prisoners were raised in the demonstrations. “Demonstrators stressed the continuation of peaceful struggle until all citizens’ rights are met” added he. Furthermore, demonstrations held Thursday in Lahj province denounced marking the July 17 as a national occasion, considering such act a devotion of division language.

On the other hand, the Joint Meeting Parties in Mahweet condemned forcing employees to attend the celebration of the president’s 30th anniversary of assuming power. Yemen’s president Saleh took power in north on 17 July 1978.

Beautiful women who work outside the house will drive society to chaos. What does that mean? Men and woman have no self-restraint and are consumed only with thinking about sex? Are w