Armies of Liberation

Yemen the main source of illegal arms to Somalia: UN
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Jane Novak for the Yemen Times

SANA’A, Dec. 27— A UN investigation found Yemen is the primary source of arms and ammunition to Somalia which has been under an arms embargo since 1992. The panel of independent experts monitoring the embargo also reported arms smuggling from Yemen intersects with acts of piracy and human trafficking. The findings were presented in a December 10 report to the UN Security Council.

The report notes commercial weapons imports from Yemen supply Somali retail markets as well as opposition and criminal groups. The Yemeni government’s inability to stem the large scale arms trafficking is “a key obstacle to the restoration of peace and security to Somalia,” the panel found. The UN Security Council extended the monitoring group’s mandate for another year.

Yemen plans to refute the charges. SABA news agency dubbed the report “misleading” and noted that “smuggling weapons is sometimes associated with the arriving of displaced Somalis.” A Foreign Ministry statement said that one million Somali refugees in Yemen create an economic burden that “sometimes leads to social, security and health repercussions.” Nearly 50,000 Somali refugees made the maritime crossing to Yemen in 2008, authorities reported.

In prior years, about 30,000 Somalis migrated annually.

The UN report ties together weapons smuggling, human trafficking and piracy, noting some small boats used in acts of piracy also “move refugees and economic migrants from Somalia to Yemen, bringing arms and ammunition on the return journey,” Piracy in the waters between Yemen and Somalia spiked dramatically with over 100 pirate attacks and over 40 vessels captured by pirates this year. The authorities in Puntland and Somaliland told the UN monitoring group that “maritime traffic from Yemen, across the Gulf of Aden, remains their largest single source of arms.” Weapons purchased in Yemen are also smuggled to insurgent groups in Ethiopia, the investigation found. One intercepted shipment included 101 anti-tank mines, 100 hand grenades, 170 rocket-propelled grenade-7 rounds, and 170 boxes of 7.62 mm ammunition.

Increased activity by the Yemeni Coast Guard between Aden and al Mukalla impacted arms shipments from ports in the patrolled areas. However, the monitoring group found that the lack of regular patrols in al Mukalla “means that arms traffic continues unabated.” The group recommended capacity building programs for the Coast Guard and direct naval interdiction.

Yemen’s coast line extends 1906 km. The Coast Guard, created in 2003, is working towards taking control of Mocha and al Mukalla from the military. The Republican Guard and Central Security forces have authority at ports where the Coast Guard has limited presence. The Coast Guard has nine operational ships in a fleet of 15, and only two with deep water capacity.

Inadequate funding is an obstacle to increased capacity, Coast Guard Commander Ali Ahmed Ras’ee said in May.

The US provides some operational and training support and in 2004 donated seven patrol boats. With Italian financing, the Italian firm SELEX is implementing a coastal radar system that will eventually cover 450km of coast line including hot spots for piracy and smuggling.

Responding to the UN report, the Foreign Ministry said, “Yemen reiterates its readiness to cooperate with the UN and all regional concerned parties to fight piracy and all forms of weapon smuggling, the issues resulted due to the situation in Somalia where there is not a central government.”

Yemen has the second most heavily armed citizenry per capita after the United States. In August 2007, authorities implemented a ban against carrying weapons in cities and have confiscated over 150,000 weapons since the program began. Over 200 weapons shops were also closed.

Weapons smuggling from Yemen to Saudi Arabia is also a concern. In July, Saudi Arabia announced that in a three month period, border guards confiscated over a ton of explosives and a large number of arms including 13 rocket-propelled grenades, 99 sticks of dynamite, 100 fuses, 12 detonators, more than 100 guns and 15,000 cartridges.

Jan 2007

More than 1,000 Yemeni men went to Iraq to fight jihad during 2003 to 2006, most of them during 2006, and around 150 were killed, a local newspaper reported on Monday.

The Al Tajamo weekly paper said that 70 to 75 per cent of the men went to Iraq from Yemen while the remainder went there from other countries. Most of them were young, under 20, and were influenced by extremist religious discourse.

The Al Hekma Charitable Association which is based in Aden, Sanaa and Abyan helped the young men go to Iraq for jihad, the paper said. The Al Hekma association has denied the claim.

AOL
In its latest issue, Al-Tajamu Weekly said that security reports indicate that extremist elements having links with Al-Hikma Association, affiliated with the Yemeni Islah Party in Aden, Abyan and Sana’a, provided money and logistic aids to Al-Qaeda leaders from Yemen and Saudi Arabia to recruit fighters and smuggle them into Iraq.

An Al-Hikma Association official was arrested over his involvement in providing facilitations to get one of his accomplices into Iraq. However, Al-Tajamu Newspaper mentioned that this man was released following intervention by senior security leaders.

March 2009

Sheikh Dr. Aqeel Al-Maqtari is one of the most prominent leaders of the Salafi Moderate Hekma Group in Yemen and is the scientific official in the Al-Hekma Al-Yamania Charitable Society.

YP: Is it true that Salafis main idea on the ruler (president) is that people should not go against him, and those who do go against Islam?
AM: Some believe that going against the Muslim ruler is forbidden, even if he does wrong actions. Their view is that one should advise him when he goes wrong and nothing else. This practice was followed by many scholars.
However, there are others who believe that armed opposition against the ruler is important if you have the capacity, which means defeating the ruler, on condition that the ruler clearly declares going against Islam.
In the past, there were some scholars who clearly said that revolution against the disobedient ruler is an obligation and a duty, but when they saw that a lot of blood was spilled, they forbid it.

If Saleh ordered the Sa’ada prisoners released on 12/08 and they are still in jail, then its either a ploy or he can’t get his own directives implemented.

The order: (Read on …)

Nabi and others to be used against southern opposition

Interview:

Khaled Abdulnabi was the leader of the Salafist Jihad group in Yemen, one of the most prominent figures associated with Islamic groups and frameworks that have emerged in Yemen and the Arab states over the past three decades.

The man known as that of the jihadi leaders, which has fought through her advocacy of many of the stations in order to win respect of the ideas and values .. Where participation is seen as the elements of the Salafist Jihad group in Yemen in the battles to defend against the summer of Yemeni unity in 1994, and one of these stations, which uncovered the essence of the values and principles, which believes in it. (Read on …)

Spending 28% of income in low income homes.
Some children start chewing as young as seven.

Yemen Times

Julie G. Viloria-Williams has over 25 years of experience with the World Bank in sustainable people-based development. She held positions in Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Eastern and Central Asian countries before becoming the Middle East and North Africa regional expert in September last year. She is the team leader in the Qat dialogue task in Yemen, which represents the World Bank’s assistance to Yemen in dealing with this issue. Her job involves research into the issues and development needs of countries within the MENA region, and identification of potential threats, especially on the issues that affect the livelihood of citizens.

“Because of the urgency of the Qat problem in Yemen, it has become the World Bank’s fourth pillar in the bank’s new country assistance strategy along with growth, governance and the Millenium Development Goals,” she said. Based on the December country assistance strategy consultation, the World Bank’s assistance to Yemen will take the form of grants, rather than loans, to be provided over the next three years.

During her recent visit to Yemen, Viloria-Williams met with the various stakeholders and discussed with them the issue of Qat. She also attended some focus groups, during which she realized just how deep the problem is.

“In many families children as young as seven start chewing because of parental influence, especially because mothers, who are usually uneducated, think of Qat as means to bind their children to the family,” she said.

As a part of its campaign against Qat, the WB will be producing a documentary on Qat in Yemen, in both Arabic and English, she anticipates that it will be broadcast on Yemeni TV among other media channels in a bid to spread awareness.

Size of the problem

According to a detailed survey carried out by the World Bank in mid 2006, 72 percent of men and 33 percent of women chew Qat for an average of 6 hours per day. Qat absorbs 10 percent of the average household income and over 28 percent for low income groups. Qat production, trade and consumption accounts for 10 percent of GDP, and is the cause of many health problems. The study sampled more than four thousand Yemenis from around the Republic. (Read on …)

1- The regime itself talks to and is allied with al-Qaeda.

2- This seems a propaganda ploy to connect the southerners with terrorists. Next things will start blowing up (poorly and at 6 am), then security forces will have a four hour shoot out and kill some terror mastermind and the government will declare itself victorious.

3- The southerners dont need al-Qaeda if they decide to engage in violence, which they have not.

AKI
Sanaa, 24 Dec. (AKI) – Leaders of a Yemeni Al-Qaeda cell have reportedly allied themselves with separatists opposing the government in southern Yemen. Unnamed security sources told the daily , al-Quds al-Arabi, that leaders of the Al-Qaeda cell in Yemen recently held a summit with leaders of the separatist group.

The separatists want to restore the former South Yemen regime, which was united with the Yemen Arab Republic, or North Yemen in 1994.

Among the Al-Qaeda leaders reported to have been at the meeting were Salem al-Radwui, who had returned from fighting in Afghanistan, and other militants wanted by police for allegedly taking part in terror attacks against Yemeni security forces and government institutions.

During the summit, the parties reportedly reached an agreement to carry out a series of attacks against businessmen and government buildings in the capital, Sanaa.

Police are reported to have discovered a terrorist hideout in the province of Abin in the past few days.

If the projects came to completion, they would have employed 26,000 people

Nearly 78 percent of investment projects in Aden have stalled, says a recent study

Yemen Times: A recent study conducted by the government revealed that 1132 investment projects in the Aden governorate have stalled or are no longer active, accounting for 78 percent of the total projects registered by the General Investment Authority.

The study was undertaken by a team from the branch of the investment authority in Aden and was headed by Mohammed Hilbub, professor of investment and supply in Aden University. The report also received support from the Germen Organization for Technical Cooperation (GTZ). According to the study, between 1992 and 2008, 601 projects have stalled and 531 remain registered by the authority but have failed to proceed as investors were unable to find land and supplies for the projects. (Read on …)

the Yemen Times

TAIZ, Dec. 21 — The Taiz Governorate has been hit hard by a recent outbreak of Dengue Fever, with Al-Jumhoori Hospital reporting up to 525 cases in the past three months alone.

Dengue Fever can be tested for by two methods, the Test Cassette and the Elisa Test, according to Dr. Ahmed Abddulaah Mansur, Chairman of Virology Department at Al-Jumhoori Hospital. However, the availability of such methods is reportedly inadequate. “The Elisa Test is available only at the Aljumhuri Hospital, where cases are referred to from all other private or public hospitals and laboratories,” Mansur said. (Read on …)

Yemen Post

As cold weather gripping several provinces in the republic dips to 2-6 degrees below zero affecting crops badly, two of the war-displaced people in the northern province of Saada died as a result of the low temperatures.

Some of the displaced at one of the displaced camps, where almost 450 citizens are living, confirmed Saleh Abdullah al-Urdha, 46, and Ali Nassir, 35, died as a direct result of cold weather as there was no sufficient medical care.

Citizens at these camps complain of slowness of authorities to provide an effective treatment of their conditions.

Earlier, competent authorities warned of bad low temperatures predicting cold weather could badly affect crops.

Last reports said the temperature in Sana’a, Dhamar and al-Dhale dipped below zero to 2 degrees; however, it was in some nearby areas 6 degrees below zero. As crops are affected by cold weather, their prices soar.

Thousand displaced people in the province live at camps after they fled confrontations between government troops and the Houthi rebels.

The rebellion ended in late July after almost more than four years of clashes.

The US-based Human Rights Watch then accused the government and the Houthis of hindering organizations from providing humanitarian aids to war-displaced people, saying they blocked free movement of aids to reach out the affected.

The administration is utterly dysfunctional.

Yemen Times

SANA’A, Dec 23 — As the spread of myiasis, a condition where animal or human tissue is infested with fly larvae or maggots, in the Mahwit governorate rapidly accelerates, field teams from the General Department for Animal Resources (GDAR) have ceased working towards combating this potentially fatal disease.

The teams stopped work three weeks ago because, according to Ahmed Al-Hasibi, director of the Animal Wealth Administration in Mahwit governorate, “the vector is out of control, it is a fly in the air.”

However, two teams in Bani Sa’ad, one in Al-Khabt and another in Milhan are still working towards eradicating the disease.

“At the moment, GDAR field teams have stopped fighting the epidemic. Because they have not received their salaries from the Ministry of Agriculture since the 3rd December, they have decided to quit,” Al-Hasibi said. (Read on …)

ME Online

Yemen has long provided a safe haven for jihadists. And there were some 3,000 Yemenis among the Afghan Arabs. After the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan, the Yemeni authorities accepted returning Yemenis, but also jihadists from other countries. North and south Yemen united in 1990, but contradictions between the regime of Ali Abdallah Saleh and his southern Socialist partners were clear. During the 1994 civil war that followed, Afghan Arabs played a leading role in suppressing southern moves towards secession.

Yemen is also the ancestral home of the Bin Laden family. And after 9/11, Yemen came under heavy pressure amid US suspicions that the country was a logistical base for militants. According to a specialist in jihadist networks based in the Yemeni capital Sana’a: “There has been no al-Qaida operation without a link to Yemen: It is always either a source of arms or money, or one of the perpetrators is a Yemeni, or one of the operatives has passed through it.” Fearing a US attack on Yemen, Saleh flew to Washington and agreed to cooperate with the US war on terror. However, Yemeni policy towards jihadist movements was multi-layered: While dozens of jihadists were arrested after 9/11, including the Egyptian jihad theoretician Sayed Imam al-Sharif (better known as Doctor Fadl), others remained at large.

Opening a dialogue

The Yemeni authorities also launched a project to establish dialogue with imprisoned jihadists, led by Judge Hamoud al-Hitar, now minister of religious affairs. “The dialogue project is one of the cornerstones of official Yemeni policies to fight terrorism,” he told me.

“We found that every terrorist movement has an ideological basis, and that ideas can only be countered by an opposing idea. The use of force in Afghanistan and Iraq has failed to bring peace and stability to those regions. Al-Qaida is based on two ideas: takfir of Arab regimes and ejecting foreign armies. In our dialogue we show that the Yemeni government is legitimate. We also show that differences in religion or religious practices cannot justify war.”

The dialogue project was designed to correct these misconceptions based on religious references. Al-Hitar said the project ended in 2005, as a result of pressure from within the Yemeni government, which wanted to use other means to fight “terrorism.” He added that the project had been for Afghan Arabs but not for returnees from Iraq. (Read on …)

Aden, Laziqia ports to be twined
LAZIQIA, Dec. 19 (Saba) – Yemen ambassador to Syria Abdul-Wahab Tawaf discussed on Friday with the governor of the Syrian city governorate of El-Laziqia the executive procedures of the Joint Yemeni-Syrian Committee regarding twining the two ports of Aden city and El-Laziqia as well as establishing a direct sea line between them.

The discussed the executive steps of the cabinet regarding Yemen’s joining to the Syrian-Jordanian Company for Maritime Navigation.

On the other hand, Tawaf also met with rector of Tashreen University of El-Laziqia Mohammed Muala and discussed with him situations of Yemeni students in the university and means of reinforcing scientific cooperation between Yemeni and Syrian universities

They need to get corruption and spending on military hardware under control, but the people who have to do it are the same ones profiting.

Salaries exempt from 50 percent cuts in 2009 budget
almotamar.net,Saba – An official source at the Cabinet said on Saturday the cabinet has approved 50 percent cuts in the 2009 general budget.

Under the decision No. 467 for 2008, which was approved at the minister council last meeting, salaries are exempt from the cuts, the source says.

The move comes due to the fall in oil prices which slumped down $ 36 for the barrel of crude oil lately, the source made clear, adding the drop in oil prices will consequently lead to financial deficit in the 2009 budget increasing from YR 427 billion to YR 532 billion as the price of a barrel reaches $ 30.

The Reality of Female Participation in Public Institutions

Yemen Times

Despite the presence of women in elections, their contribution in decision-making is still weak. In the legislative field, there is a single seat for women in the entire parliament, from a total of 301. In the Shura Council, women occupy only 2 of 111 seats. On the level of the executive authority, only 2 of 33 ministries are directed by women. There are 39 women deputy ministers and assistants compared with 1210 men in similar positions. Out of 44490 general directors in Yemen, only 168 of them are women. In the diplomatic field, women represent a mere 10 percent of all diplomats, and in the judiciary field they represent 7 percent.

Female participation in the parliamentary elections of 1993 was low as they represented only 18 percent of the total voters. In 1997, this level of participation increased to 27 percent, and by the 2003 elections, the level of women participation increased to 42 percent of the total voters.

Interestingly, it is true that the number of women candidates decreases whenever the number of women voters increases. In the 1993 elections, women candidates represented 1.3 percent, yet in 1997 the percentage of women candidates was down to 1.4. This trend has continued, as in the 2003 elections the ratio of women candidates was only .8 percent.

The GPC attains the highest ratio of women votes, such as in the 2003 elections where it captured 60 percent of the female vote – 43 percent of the total votes for that party. The Islah party received 22 percent of the female vote, which represented 40 percent of the total votes for that party. Only 5 percent of female votes went to the socialist party, which represented 39 percent of the total votes that the party attained. The Nasserite party gained 2 percent of the women’s votes, which represented 39 percent of the party’s total.

Voting for parties is not based entirely on their programs. It is right that women in the Yemeni society have a negative view of the extremist religious powers and their rigid stance toward women. However, votes are also affected by other issues. The presence of women in these parties affects the distribution of votes. For example, women represent 31 percent of GPC members, which may account for its popularity among women voters. In the GPC’s General Committee, women represent 12.8 percent of its members, and 9.1 percent of its Permanent Committee.

In the Islah Shura Council, women represent 9.1 percent, and in its General Secretariat they represent 6.3 percent of the total members. Women represent 9.01 percent of the total members in the Socialist Party’s Central Committee, and 10.52 percent in the General Secretariat.

Yemen Post

The State Specialized Penal Prosecution has just completed its investigations with three people accused of spying for Israel and their case will soon be referred to the Penal Court for trial.

Informed official sources revealed that the three individuals admitted to their crime, spying for the Israeli intelligence, Mossad. The sources added that the suspects used to contact the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office and Israeli Intelligence Agencies and showed readiness to provide them with information over the net.

Moreover, the Israelis accepted the suspects’ offer; however, they conditioned that they work regionally for them and not just to provide information about Yemen.

Two months ago, a security source noted that the terrorist cell whose members were arrested last October, belonging to Islamic Jihad Organizations have connections with the Israeli intelligence, hinting that the organizations have posted different threats to target foreign and Arab embassies in Yemen including the embassies of Saudi Arabia, America, Britain and United Arab Emirates.

The source also revealed correspondence between one of the cell members and Israel where the former sought financial support to launch terrorist operations in Yemen.

Dated 2/23/09 Yes the article was thrown in the archives directly.

YT

Hajar told the Yemen Times that as many as 265 death sentences were endorsed by President Ali Abdullah Saleh between 2004 and 2005, pointing out that such scores multiplied over the following years.

Because Yemen ratified the optional protocol to annul the death penalty as part of its endorsement of the international human rights legislations, it doesn’t attempt to make its local laws homogenize with international legislations, according to Secretary General of the Social Democratic Forum Nabeel Abdulhafeez Majed. “Yemeni laws are limited to those provisions on death penalties other than what is stipulated by the Islamic Sharia law,” Majed went on to say.

“Cases of execution that contravene Islamic Sharia law number up to 315; these executions were committed under just four separate Yemeni laws,” said lawyer Ahmad Al-Wadei. “120 of those execution cases are contained in the Penal Law of 1994, as many as 166 cases in the Military Penal Law, 33 cases in the Anti-Drug Law, and 90 cases in the Anti-Kidnapping and Highway Robbery Law.”

Presenting a paper on “Death Sentence in Yemeni Legislation” at a symposium in Sana’a last year, Al-Wadei argued that Yemeni legislators deliberated to leave the ‘death sentence part’ in the Penal Law unlimited by using ambiguous and unspecific statements.

Al-Wadei maintained that Article 128 of the Penal Law stipulates passing the death sentence on any individual working for a foreign state hurts the political status of the Republic of Yemen. The law doesn’t specify what type, form, or kind of work for a foreign state this would include. “Working for a foreign state is an unspecific statement with numerous interpretations, and its assessment is left to the relevant judge,” the lawyer clarified.

Sponsored by Hands Across the Middle East Support Alliance and the American Islamic Congress. From what I can gather, al-Khaiwani is a judge, that’s neat.

الممثل خالد أبو النجا والخيواني ضمن لجنة التحكيم
مسابقة “الحلم المؤجل” الرابعة … جوائز للشباب عن مقالات الحقوق المدنية..
تنظم منظمة للعام الرابع على التوالي مسابقة الحلم المؤجل الذي تقدمها منظمة المؤتمر الاسلامي الأميركي للشباب دون سن السادسة والعشرين في الشرق الاوسط يتنافس فيها شباب المنطقة على كتابة مقالات عن الحرية والحقوق المدنية ووصف احلامهم المؤجلة في منطقة الشرق الأوسط التي تصفها الأمم المتحدة بأنها أقل مناطق العالم حرية.
ووفقا لقواعد المسابقة فإنه ينبغي على الشباب الكتابة في احدى ثلاثة محاور: الأول الرد على سؤال لماذا تعد الحقوق الفردية مهمة بالنسبة لك؟ يستعرض فيها الكاتب تجربة شخصية منعته فيها القيود من التعبير عن نفسك – كموقف منعه فيه الخوف من الحديث بصراحة, أو كنت منعه من الإطلاع على معلومات كونها ممنوعة بأمر من الرقابة, أو أنه كان هدفاُ للتمييز العنصري بسبب الهوية, وينبغي على الكاتب أن يناقش هذا السؤال من خلال تناول تأثير القمع على المجتم و على حياته الشخصية, مستعينا بأمثلة حية لشرح وجهة نظره، ويمكنه قراءة قصيدة الحلم المؤجل (عنوان المسابقة) لانجستون هيوز لمزيد من الإلهام.
المحور الثاني : كيف تستطيع كفرد دعم الكفاح من أجل الحقوق المدنية؟ على الرغم من تفشي القمع, تتاح الآن فرصا جديدة للتعبير عن رأيك و الوقوف في وجه الظلم, فإن توافرت لك الوسائل التكنولوجية الحديثة و الإنترنت و مساعدة الآخرين في الدول الأخرى المهتمين بالقضية, كيف يمكنك أخذ المبادرة العملية لإصلاح مجتمعك, أطلعنا على أفكارك الخلاقة بشأن الحملات و البرامج الهادفة إلى حماية الحقوق الفردية.
المحور الثالث: ما هو “حلمك المؤجل” أي رؤيتك لمجتمعك حيث يمتلك فيه الكل حقوقهم المدنية؟ أعرض أفكارك حول مستقبل يخلو من القمع. صف ما يجري الآن في الشوارع و النقاشات في الفصول الدراسية و النقد العلني للزعماء في وسائل الإعلام. صف كيف يمكن أن تؤثر المساواة في الحقوق للمرأة و الأقليات على مجريات الحياة اليومية. إن كنت تريد، أجب السؤال بكتابة مقال صحفي في سنة2010 معلقاً فيه على حدث جذري.
ويشترط للدخول في المسابقة أن لا يزيد طول المقال عن 2000 كلمة ولا يقل عن 600 كلمة، لا تدخل فيها الهوامش والاقتباسات، وبإمكان الراغبين في الاطلاع زيارة موقع مبادرة همسه للحقوق المدنية للاطلاع على المقالات الفائزة في العام الماضي لكسب المزيد من الالهام وذلك على الرابط التالي: http://www.hamsaweb.org/essay/ar-index.html، وعبر ذات الموقع يمكن ارسال المقالة..
وتعرض المقالات على هيئة التحكيم التي تضم عددا من المهتمين أبرزهم زينب السويج رئيس منظمة المؤتمر الاسلامي الأميركي، والممثل السينمائي المصري ومقدم البرامج خالد أبو النجا، والصحفي اليمني عبدالكريم الخيواني والمفكر العالمي الدكتور توم بالمر من جامعة كاتو، وآخرين..
وتقدر الجائزة الأولى بمبلغ 2000 دولار لأفضل مقالة، والثانية 1500 دولار، والثالثة 500 دولار، بالاضافة إلى عدد من الكتب والاصدارات المتعلقة بالحقوق المدنية، كما سيكون أصحاب المقالات من بين المدعوين لحضور فعاليات وانشطة منظمة المؤتمر الاسلامي التي تقام سنويا في بعض دول الشرق الأوسط كالأردن والمغرب ومصر، وآخر يوم لتقديم المقالات هو التاسع من يناير 2009.

The UN monitoring group on the 1992 arms embargo on Somalia finds “Yemen remains the most important source of commercial arms transfers to Somalia.”

One shipment for the ONLF in Ethiopia contained 101 anti-tank mines, 100 hand grenades, 170 rocket-propelled grenade-7 rounds, and 170 boxes of 7.62 mm ammunition, each containing 440 rounds. The mines were packed in rice sacks from a company in Sana’a. The same boats that bring the migrants bring back weapons and are involved in piracy.

143. Not surprisingly, there appears to be an intersection between piracy and other
criminal activities, such as arms trafficking and human trafficking, both of which
involve the movement of small craft across the Gulf of Aden. One sub-group of the
Puntland network, based in the Bari region, allegedly uses the same boats employed
for piracy to move refugees and economic migrants from Somalia to Yemen,
bringing arms and ammunition on the return journey.

Of course, commercial weapons trafficing in Yemen is often sponsored by those in official positions. The purported largest weapons dealers (for example, Faris Manna, Regent Street, Sana’a) are said to be partners with some very top officials (Salah & family). This is part of the reason the military budget is so high. Not only is this hooked in with piracy and refugee smuggling but also drug and oil smuggling. Its John Gotti with an air force.

Report text below the fold: (Read on …)

IRIN

SANAA, 20 January 2009 (IRIN) – The maternal mortality rate (MMR) remains high as a result of poor health care and harmful social practices, including child marriage and female genital mutilation, a UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) official in Yemen has said.

“Maternal mortality is very high in Yemen. Some 360 women die per 100,000 live births and that figure could be higher,” said Naseem Ur-Rehman, UNICEF’s chief information officer in Yemen, at a press briefing on 18 January to launch the State of the World’s Children 2009 report.

Eight women or girls die from pregnancy or childbirth complications every day in Yemen, he said; globally the figure is 1,500.

According to the UNICEF report, the lifetime risk of maternal death in Yemen is 1:39, making it the highest in the Middle East.

At the same time Yemen has the lowest percentage of births in the Middle East at which a skilled attendant is present: Delivery care coverage is 36 percent, and 24 percent of births take place in hospitals.

The report said a study by the World Health Organization (WHO) found that female genital mutilation/cutting, which is widespread in rural areas, affected the reproductive health of women: It caused severe pain, prolonged bleeding, infection, infertility and even death.

The report defines maternal mortality as “the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of the pregnancy’s termination, regardless of the site or duration of the pregnancy, from any cause related to, or aggravated by, the pregnancy or its management”.

Shortage of health workers

UNICEF’s Ur-Rehman said the lack of health workers was one of the reasons for the high MMR and neonatal mortality rates, adding that Yemen was among 57 countries where “the shortage of health workers is acute”.

“Worldwide, there is a shortage of 4.3 million health workers who provide care at the time of pregnancy and delivery,” he said, adding that there should be a minimum of 2.28 health workers per 1,000 people.

Yemeni health officials estimate there is one doctor per 10,000 people and that health services reach only 60 percent of the country’s 21 million people.

Child marriages

Ur-Rehman said child marriage, which aggravates high fertility rates by giving girls a longer period in which to have children, added to the risks.

“Yemen faces this problem of child marriages. There are a large number of child marriages and they ultimately contribute to the deaths of children,” he said.

Nabil Mohammed al-Ammari, executive director of the Yemeni Family Care Association, said lack of awareness about family planning and reproductive health care services also translated into a higher MMR.

He said his association carried out a survey in 2007 in 15 of the 21 governorates on the use of family planning methods and found that people preferred not to use them for fear of possible side effects.

Al-Ammari said social attitudes also had an impact on MMR. “A father of four or five daughters would love to have a boy even at the cost of having many children,” he said.

According to UNICEF’s Ur-Rehman, three things can reduce the high MMR: better community and family support for pregnant women; comprehensive health insurance to cover the costs associated with pregnancy, child birth and post-natal care; and the setting up of establishments where pregnant women from remote areas can go for advice and help prior to their due date.

“Many of these women who are dying are too poor to get to health facilities. Some families take the mother to hospital, but she turns out to be dead on arrival,” he said.

The implication here is the British Embassy was responding to pressure from the Bahraini authorities not to issue the visa, or else the embassy is totally incompetent and “forgot” to process the application despite the fact the guy was calling every day. Activists in the Middle East are under tremendous pressure, and they are willing to endure a lot to gain their rights. We in the West need to ensure that our governments help them as much as possible or at least do not support the efforts of these repressive governments to censor their voices.

Due to his Participation in a Human Rights Symposium in the British House of Lords:

The British Embassy in Bahrain prevents a human rights activist from getting a visa

Manama, Oslo – 17 December 2008

The Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights -BYSHR and the Arab-Euro Center for Human Rights and International Law-AECHR express their deep concern regarding the measures the British embassy in Bahrain took in delaying the procedures of obtaining a visa for entering the British lands for Mr. Mohammed Al-Maskati – president of the Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights – in order to participate in a symposium held by Lord Eric Avebury – member of the British House of Lords [[i]] – regarding human rights issues in Bahrain. Mr. Avebury had extended an invitation to Mr. Al-Maskati to participate with a paper on human rights issues in Bahrain on 18 December 2008 at the headquarters of the British House of Lords in London.

Mr. Al-Maskati stated that he received the invitation on 30 November 2008, and on 4 December he applied for a visa and he attached the letter addressed to the British embassy in Bahrain to facilitate obtaining the visa. For 13 days he continuously and for several times kept checking with the people in charge of extracting visas, and he also checked with the visa department in the British embassy. This continuous follow-up did not give any results whether with a rejection or approval, nor did the embassy even ask for additional documents other than the invitation letter that was attached to the visa application. (Read on …)

The three German hostages released ’ Yemeni mediators affirm
YemenOnline-December 19,2008- Tribesmen have released their three German hostages after the Yemeni government agreed to meet some of their conditions, including paying a ransom and releasing some tribesmen from prison, mediators said Friday. The Germans were due to arrive by late afternoon in the capital city of San’a, said Ahmed Ubad Sherif, one of the leading mediators from the Khawlan tribe.Sherif said the Germans were being cared for by Sheik Abdel Qawi Ubad, the deputy governor of the Al-Dhala province in southern Yemen. The deputy governor is also a senior tribal member.A second tribal official, who was also mediating, said the kidnappers released the hostages after the government agreed to their conditions to release some tribesmen in Yemeni prisons.The mediator, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue, said a ransom of 20 million Riyals ($100,000) was paid by the Yemeni government.

The Russians are Yemen’s main arms supplier and the Saudis are the main financial donor. Related: Yemen may be financially unviable in a year.

Reuters: Jan 18 (Reuters) – The United States is the main foreign backer of Yemen’s counter-terrorism efforts against al Qaeda, according to published figures, but its support is believed to rank behind a large undisclosed contribution from Saudi Arabia. (Read on …)

خبر صحفي

دشنت منظمة (SEYAJ) لحماية الطفولة عمل وحدة رصد الانتهاكات الماسة بالطفولة أمس الاثنين 15 ديسمبر 2008.

وقالت مديرة الوحدة نورا العمودي أن الوحدة ستقوم بتلقي البلاغات من المواطنين مباشرة حول أي انتهاكات تمس الطفولة على عناوين التواصل الخاصة بها كما ستتلقى المعلومات التي يقدمها إليها متطوعو المنظمة في المحافظات. (Read on …)

Well thats good, Yemeni street kids have a very rough life.

With US Department of Labor Funds, CHF International and CSSW launch new Program: ACCESS-Plus

Sana’a, Yemen – On September 30, 2008, the United States Department of Labor, Office of Child Labor, Forced Labor and Human Trafficking awarded CHF International and the local implementing partner, Charitable Society for Social Welfare (CSSW), a three-year program for 3.5 million dollars called Alternatives to Combat Child Labor through Education and Sustainable Services-Plus, (ACCESS-Plus) to combat hazardous child labor in Yemen.

The goal of CHF International’s ACCESS-Plus program is to withdraw 4,100 children from the worst forms of child labor (WFCL), to prevent 3,000 children from entering the WFCL, and to provide them education and life developing services, in the governorates of Al Hudaydah, Taiz, Hajja, and Aden. ACCESS-Plus will create the critical mass awareness, support, and action necessary for Yemen to eliminate the acceptability of the worst forms of child labor in the country. In addition, ACCESS-Plus will work directly with children to withdraw them from child labor or prevent them from entering child labor, and enroll them into educational services. ACCESS-Plus activities will target children working in the fishing industry, agriculture, urban jobs and those who are trafficked to Saudi Arabia to work there or to smuggle goods across the border.

On a national level, CHF and CSSW will cooperate with the Ministry of Labor, the Higher Council for Motherhood and Childhood, ILO, and other local and international partners to draw awareness to the widespread issue of child labor in Yemen. CHF will conduct additional research to better understand the dangers to which these children are exposed and to identify alternatives that exist for children engaged in child labor. (Read on …)

No its not me. The GPC brought a suit in the Press and Publications court against Munier Almawari who wrote a very funny and very true article “From Barak Obama to the Arab Leaders: Do Not Expect Me to Support Your Family Enterprises”. Also the editor of the paper, Samir Jubran, was summoned, but since he’s in Yemen, its a bit more serious. Its an intimidation tactic to prevent papers from pubishing Munier’s articles methinks.

al-Hadath

Summoned on behalf of Press and Publications on Monday colleague Samir Jubran, editor of the source and American journalist out of a Yemeni Munir Maori and Washington resident who writes the newspaper fixed angle to listen to their words on the complaint filed against the newspaper of the legal department of the People’s Congress.

So lets print the offending article again, shall we, and try to determine what MARSHAL Saleh finds so annoying:

Dear Marshal Ali Abdullah Saleh, President of the Republic of Yemen:

I hesitated to address you with that title because I did not know that there still existed in this world someone holding the rank of “Marshall” — or Mushir as you say it in Arabic. I thought that “Field Marshal Idi Amin” was the last Marchalat in the developing world. Vice President Elect Joe Biden, who is expert in foreign affairs, however, assured me that there are still several field marshals in the countries of the Middle East, some of whom have never participated in any war to defend their people and country, but who, instead, got their titles fighting internal wars against their own people within their own territory! This delivered quite a surprise to me; one learns a lot from Joe Biden.

At any rate, Dear Marshal Saleh:

We are following carefully what is happening in your country, and we know very well that you have recently waged five wars against a part of your country, which now enjoys semi-autonomy in the north-western part of Yemen. We also know very well that the provinces in the entire southern part of your country have expelled the representatives of the election committee you placed there, rejecting in advance a sham election that does not reflect the true democracy.

We also know that al-Qaeda is alive and well in Yemen, and that the attack on our Embassy was only the latest terrorist act.. It killed 12 of your innocent people, including a number of the brave Embassy guards. We also know that you are trying to hold a parliamentary election without the opposition parties, who claim with some credibility that the upcoming election is simply a tool meant to reproduce the same faces – and the same anti-democratic forces – that have occupied your parliament for the last 30 years.

We also know that chaos and instability are prevailing in many parts of your country because of the lack of a real local government system which would allow citizens to elect their representatives and manage their own affairs. We are afraid that the discontent in Yemen now will not only prevent the holding of elections, it might even force the international community to make some tough choices leading to the acceptance of a new state or states in the region.

Such new states might show more willingness to combat pirates on land and at sea; such new states might demonstrate real support for efforts to combat terrorism and corruption. The governments of such new states might actually arrest known terrorists and hand them over to the offices of international justice, thus ensuring the safety and prosperity of the citizens, and maintaining their property on their land. Such new states might be devoted to protecting their people against the possibility of falling under the control of destructive ideologies.

These possibilities exist for the future of Yemen, make no mistake about it.

Mr. Marshall:

Finally, I apologize that I cannot accept your offer, which we have received through two U.S. university scholars, to solve the Guantanamo dilemma by adopting a Yemeni System that could invoke only gales of mockery and genuine horror on the part of any civilized people: I speak of the system of releasing detainees while arresting and keeping their innocent relatives as hostages in your prisons, to be funded by the United States taxpayers! Any high school civics student in American would call that idea “retarded.”

We are the nation that protected the relatives of Osama bin Laden, the day after the attacks of September 11th 2001; we sent them back to their own country safely, realizing they were not to be held culpable for the act of their relative. How dare you, Marshall, ask us to help you legitimize a manifestly unjust system of keeping innocent people hostages in your abusive facilities? Are you not aware that this disreputable system was one of the main reasons that the Yemeni people revolted in 1962, and John F Kennedy recognized the new regime set up at that time for that very reason?

Its a good but small step in the right direction, if implemented. Yemen Online

Yemen’s Government approves reducing public expenditures
The government approved in its cabinet meeting held on Tuesday organizing and reducing expenditures has no thing to do with development for avoiding financials burdens.

Discussing a memo raised by Ministry of Finance over reducing and organizing expenditures for fiscal year 2009, the cabinet approved also reducing number of diplomats working in Yemeni embassies as lower as possible, stopping buying transport means and buying only furniture and equipments for new buildings and institutions.

The cabinet directed the ministry to take necessary measures in the light of what have been approved today and stressed on custom and tax authorities to follow up collecting and submitting all resources according to pending laws and enhancing role of interior control for this purpose.

It affirmed on concerned economic bodies to take necessary measures for developing their economic role and contribution in finding new alternative resources.

Saleh decided not to hold local elections, by fiat. The local councils are the ones that elect the governors now, although those indirect gubenatorial elections were pre-rigged and, where an unexpected result occured, over-turned.

SANA’A, NewsYemen

The European Union said it strongly supports the democratic process in Yemen and expresses its concern at certain recent developments, including the postponement of local elections for four years.

In a statement issued on Monday, the Council of European Union said the postponement may be interpreted as signs of deterioration in the political dialogue between the various stakeholders in Yemen.

The European Union calls on all sides to seek a consensus on the basis of the agreements reached between the various political parties along the lines of the recommendations put forward by the 2006 electoral observation mission, said the statement.

The European Union’s statement urges all political sides in Yemen to “take the path of peaceful coexistence in a spirit of constructiveness, with the aim of arriving at a compromise and a transparent and democratic consensus in order that democracy in Yemen can be strengthened.”

The EU confirms its willingness to consider sending a new electoral observation mission to Yemen for the parliamentary elections in the spring of 2009.

Kudos to IFES for speaking plainly. Yemen Post

The ruling party allocated almost YR 60 billion to buy votes in the 2003 parliamentary elections in an attempt to increase its election opportunities in Parliament, an international expert specialized in the election affairs said.

Chief expert of political finance at the International Foundation for Election Systems IFES Dr. Marshen Walky, however, expressed regret over using such sum in what he described as political and electoral corruption while the sum was rather to used to implement infrastructure projects such as schools, hospitals and roads.

He said that a report by the IDEA Organization on democracy building in Yemen revealed that the ruling party in Yemen had allocated between YR 40-60 billion during the 2003 elections to buy votes.

At a press conference in Sana’a on Wednesday Walky said though the Yemeni election law bans buying electoral votes and using the public funds in elections, there is no observation or control of the spending of public funds on electoral campaigns.

He likened Yemeni legislations to Swiss cheese full of holes.

He urged that candidates must exercise transparency to disclose resources to fund their electoral campaigns.

Walky said political corruption linked to financing electoral campaigns is a threat to the whole development and the development of democracy in particular in any country as some businessmen endorse candidates in return these businessmen can ensure they can get back what they paid for electoral campaigns through obtaining contracts and investment tenders through winning candidates they endorse.

Walky brought up the misuse of the public funds during elections saying that international monitors judged the electoral process in 2006 was not totally fair due to exclusive use of public funds.

He said the EU mission, which observed the 2006 local and presidential elections in Yemen, found out that many officials used the country’s resources such as buildings, cars and ceremonies to succeed their electoral campaigns.

Walky said changing the electoral system will not solve the problem of political corruption; however, he said the Party-List system is the best solution to restrict buying votes, even if it will not tackle the problem completely.

He urged media to play a vital role in establishing awareness to curb illegal spending of candidates so that only efficient and right winners come to power.

(Read on …)

The hostage system is unjust, destabilizing and should not be encouraged.

AKI:

Sanaa, 16 Dec. (AKI) – Yemeni police have arrested at least 100 tribesmen believed to be linked to the abduction of three Germans in a remote area 130 km south of the capital, Sanaa, according to unnamed tribal sources.

All those arrested reportedly belong to the powerful Banu Dhabian tribe of the kidnappers and the move is intended to pressure them to release the German hostages who were abducted on Sunday.

Earlier on Tuesday security forces surrounded the mountain hideout east of Sanaa where the kidnappers are believed to be holding a female employee of the German Technical Cooperation agency GTZ and her parents.

The captives are in good health, according to the German embassy in Sanaa. It said the Yemeni government has assured it no force will be used to free the hostages.

The kidnappers have demanded the release of two close male relatives who have been jailed for abducting five Yemeni engineers and holding them captive for six months last year, Yemeni Interior Ministry officials said.

The kidnappers have also asked for 200,000 dollars, according to the ministry.

Disgruntled tribesmen in impoverished Yemen kidnap foreigners as a means of bargaining with the government, either to secure the release of jailed tribe members, or for jobs or improved living conditions. Most hostages are released unharmed.

Update: now the kidnappers want Moyaad, money and the release of the family members.

Yemen Post

On the other hand, authorities have arrested two persons from Al Dhale province who were handed over by Saudi authorities in connection with reports they published on a website backing the southern anti-government movements. However, the fate of a third partner remains unclear, as there were reports he is still held by Saudi authorities.

Sources close to the families of the arrested said the Political Security in Sana’a seized Sami Ali Nassir and Ali Sahyef al-Hariri four months ago, but there were not specific convictions against them under which they may go on trial.

The two along with a third partner were said to have created a website known as ‘ the southern movement’. The sources expected Saudi authorities had held the Yemeni nationals under a request from the Yemeni government.

Families of the arrested called on human rights organizations to intervene to release their relatives either in Yemen or in Saudi Arabia.

I thought I’d ask the rebels what is their position on the ucoming parliamentary elections. They will not participate until the Qatari agreement is implemented. They are urging people not to participate as voters and most likely, candidates. Yahya al-Houthi is currently the MP for Sa’ada. His brother Hussain was an MP in the GPC prior to his death in battle with the military or ambush during negotiations, depending on who you talk to.

This is the fourth negotiatied agreement that the government has not implemented on its end.

As it stands now, the reconstruction aid is going to projects in undamaged areas and regime-loyal villages, which was announced by the government. More concerning it the nearly 100,000 civilians who remain out of touch with international aid organizations. Part of the rebels requirements for political participation is the release of the prisoners. There was a report by Amnesty that these are arbitrary arrests, there’s weekly demonstrations, and the local NGO have issued several statements.

This means all of Saleh’s formal and informal opposition are rejecting the Parliamentary elections, as it stands now.

I dont have much text here so I thought I’d throw in a photo of Sa’ada taken earlier this week:

After several years of outlawing al-Ghadir day, a Shia celebration, in 2008 the ban was lifted.

Feb 2009

14 October

Show / October 14:

تشهد مدينة “ جعار” “ منذ أواخر العام الماضي 2008 انفلاتاً أمنياً خطيراً ينذر بسقوطها تحت سيطرة جماعات مسلحة تلبس عباءة الدين وترفع سيوف “ الجهاد” ضد الدولة والمجتمع استناداً إلى أفكار متطرفة قام بتسويقها في اليمن بعض شيوخ الإسلام السياسي الذين يحرضون على وجوب دفع الصائل وقتال رجال الأمن” بوصفهم حراسا للطائفة الممتنعة عن تطبيق الشريعة الإسلامية. In the town of “Ja’ar” “since late last year 2008 portends a serious irresponsible security fall under the control of armed groups wear the mantle of religion and flying swords,” Jihad “against the state and society based on the ideas of extremist in Yemen, the marketing of political Islam’s spiritual leaders who incite and must be paid Alsail fight security men, “as guardians of abstaining from the application of a range of Islamic law. (Read on …)

This article is written by the same person who wrote “Winds and Waves of Change in South West Arabia”

> The Struggle for Aden by Ian Garner

> The leadership impasse in the southern governorates of Yemen (called by
> the insurgents South Arabia) could be best understood by referring to
> early research by Doreen Ingrams (A Survey of Social and Economic
> Conditions in the Aden Protectorate,Eritrea,,1949, and A Time in
> Arabia,UK,1970). Mrs Ingrams was the wife of Sir Harold Ingrams, the
> British Resident in Hadramaut (the Eastern Aden Protectorate).
> The most pertinent part of her writings is her description of the
> Aulaqis in the Western Aden Protectorate.

> In 1967 George Brown, the Foreign Secretary in Downing Street did a
> U-turn and declared for the NLF against UN and Arab League
> resolutions. Enoch Powell, MP, denounced that as a betrayal of the
> Govt. of the Federation of South Arabia (inclusive of the Crown Colony
> of Aden). (Read on …)

Sincere dialog from both sides in the best interests of the Yemeni public would be refreshing.

Press Statement
Robert Wood, Deputy Spokesman
Washington, DC
December 15, 2008

Yemen: Parliamentary Elections

We welcome the upcoming Parliamentary elections in Yemen as an opportunity for the Yemeni people to renew their democratic institutions and processes. It is important for the integrity of the election process that preparations proceed in a fair and transparent manner, untainted by violence and accusations of misconduct.

We are concerned that the lack of consensus and cooperation between the principal political parties in Yemen puts the successful execution of the elections at risk. Moreover, it contributes to a perception that neither the ruling nor opposition parties are prepared to make the concessions necessary to ensure that the citizens of Yemen are able to express their political will in a free and transparent election.

We call on all political parties in Yemen to return immediately to dialogue to reach a consensus on the procedures for the upcoming parliamentary elections that are consistent with recommendations made by international elections observers in 2006. All Yemeni political parties share the responsibility to participate in the democratic process and to find a consensus to allow the elections to proceed in a manner that will reflect Yemen’s commitment to democracy. We look forward to a spirited campaign season, overseen by the responsible offices of the Supreme Council for Elections and Referenda in an orderly and transparent manner.

2008/1052

Released on December 15, 2008

A prudent move by the US in the wake of Mumbai, the Brits evaluate threat level as high.
AP

WASHINGTON (AP) — The State Department has banned U.S. diplomats and other government personnel from all Western hotels in Yemen because of the threat of terrorism.

Officials said they were not aware of any specific, credible threat to Americans in the Red Sea country but noted a continuing stream of information that has prompted the U.S. Embassy in San’a to issue two terror-related warnings this week alone.

“As a result of continuing threat information, the U.S. Embassy has placed all Western hotels in Yemen off limits to embassy personnel and visitors,” it said in a notice sent to Americans in the country on Friday. (Read on …)

Yemen Times

What are the statistics for female child laborers in Yemen?

Unfortunately, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor don’t have precise or updated statistics on child labor generally and on girl labor specifically. However, we can say that there are from 400,000 to 800,000 working children in Sana’a. The Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood had conducted a study last year in eight governorates which estimate that there are at least 30,000 spend most of their time in the streets, 60 percent of which work and sleep in the streets. I think that the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor intend to conduct a survey in 2009. One thing is for sure, and that is that the number of these girls increases every day.

Its my understanding there’s a humdinger coming out on just the Yemenis. This is from the Weekly Standard:

Al Matrafi was connected to the highest levels of the terror network. He allegedly met with Osama bin Laden twice, once in late 2000 and a second time in July 2001 at bin Laden’s house in Kandahar. Al Matrafi acted as an emissary between bin Laden and Saudi clerics who supported al Qaeda, including one who helped establish al Wafa. According to the U.S. Government’s files, al Matrafi also had “numerous conversations with Mullah Omar” and “negotiated a deal that allowed the Taliban to direct al Wafa’s activities.”

Al Matrafi’s ties to these senior terrorists gave al Wafa access to al Qaeda’s most sensitive projects, including Yazid Sufaat’s anthrax program.

One of al Matrafi’s employees, a Yemeni named Ayman Saeed Abdullah Batarfi, is currently held at Guantánamo. It is not clear what the U.S. Government plans to do with him, but Batarfi is allegedly a long-time mujahideen, having first traveled to Afghanistan to fight the Soviets in the late 1980s. After training in an al Qaeda camp and participating in the first jihad in Afghanistan, Batarfi graduated from medical school in Pakistan and, according to the New York Times, “pursued postdoctoral studies there.” Batarfi even became an orthopedic surgeon.

Batarfi used his expertise to become the medical advisor to al Wafa. It was in this capacity, the government alleges, that Batarfi “met a Malaysian microbiologist in Kandahar” while staying at an al Qaeda guesthouse in August 2001. “This microbiologist wanted to equip a lab and train the Afghans to test blood” and “was involved in developing anthrax for al Qaida.” Batarfi told another al Wafa member “to purchase four to five thousand United States Dollars worth of medical equipment for the Malaysian microbiologist.”

Although the microbiologist is not named in the government’s unclassified files, he is most certainly Yazid Sufaat.

Yet another current Guantánamo detainee is, like Batarfi, a Yemeni who was working for al Wafa at the time of his capture. The U.S. government alleges that Jamil Ahmed Said Nassir was identified by a senior al Wafa official as being “a Karachi University microbiology graduate student,” who purchased materials for Wafa from a chemical company. Thus, Nassir may have been involved in Sufaat’s anthrax program as well. It is possible that Nassir is, like Sufaat, a scientist who wanted to use his training to serve al Qaeda’s goals.

So, we have four alleged terrorists all of whom have been detained in the post-9/11 world and at least three of whom were allegedly involved in al Qaeda’s anthrax program in some fashion. Two of them, Yazid Sufaat and Abdullah Aiza al Matrafi, have been released from custody. It is up to the Malaysian government to make sure Sufaat does not return to terrorism. And it is up to the Saudis to make sure al Matrafi does not rejoin his al Qaeda and Taliban brethren. Indeed, more than one hundred Saudis are in al Matrafi’s shoes–that is, they were once detained at Guantánamo and are now living in Saudi Arabia. The Saudis have built a program to rehabilitate these former detainees, but only time will tell if this effort is effective.

The other two, Ayman Saeed Abdullah Batarfi and Jamil Ahmed Said Nassir, currently reside at Guantánamo. Both of them are Yemenis and the Bush administration has had a difficult time figuring out what to do with the approximately 97 Yemenis left at Guantánamo. It is not clear what the new Obama administration will do with them either.

To view this clip, visit MEMRI

“Women Are Subject to Menstruation, When Their Endurance and Mental Capacity for Concentration Are Diminished”

Abd Al-Majid Al-Zindani: “Allah said, with regard to women bearing witness: ‘If two men are not available, then a man and two women, such as you choose as witnesses, so that if one of them errs, the other can remind her.’ Some heretics – communists and other atheists – ridiculed [this verse], saying: How come a man’s testimony equals that of two women? They used this to mock [the Muslims].

“The Muslims used to respond that women are subject to menstruation, when their endurance and mental capacity for concentration are diminished. When a woman witnesses a killing or an accident, she becomes frightened, moves away, and sometimes even faints, and she cannot even watch the incident. [...]

“The American Time magazine, in its July 31, 1995 issue, published this picture from research about the brain functioning of men and women. This is the ma… This is the female brain, and this is an image of the male brain. What do we see? We find that in the case of women, this area… And there is another here…

“Two areas in a woman’s brain are activated when she talks. As we can see, there are many centers of speech in a woman’s brain. There is a center in each lobe, while in the case of a man, there is only one center, here. The opposite center does not operate during speech, because it is busy remembering.”

“When a Woman Talks, She Might Use the Part of the Brain Containing the Memory for Talking – And That’s It, The Data is Lost”

“Both men and women have centers for speech and for memory. In the case of men, the center for speech is here, while the center for memory is here. When a man talks, his center for speech is active, and when he remembers something, his center for memory is active. On the other hand, when a woman wants to talk, she puts both centers into action. This may give us an explanation why women are more talkative.

“What is the outcome of this? When a woman talks, she uses the part of the brain that contains the memory, because in the case of women, both centers function for speech and memory. So when a woman talks, she might use the part of the brain containing the memory for talking – and that’s it, the data is lost.

“Therefore, if we need the testimony of women in cases pertaining to human lives, property, honor, or the stability of justice, we must take into consideration this fact of life in the nature of women.”

U.S. suggests Yemen to shift counter-terrorism file to Central Security
Sahwa Net – The U.S. ambassador to Yemen Stephen Seche suggested in a meeting with Yemen’s Interior Minister Mutahar al-Masri on Saturday to shift Yemen’s counter-terrorism file to Yemen’s Central Security organization, said a well-informed source that pleaded anonymity.

The source also said that the proposal was discussed during the meeting in which Seche praised the Central Security Organization which belongs to the Interior Ministry.

For his part, Al-Misiry visited on Sunday the Central Security Organization exalting it and its acts against terror.

The U.S State Department had banned U.S. diplomats and other government from all Western hotels in Yemen because of threats of terrorism advising, in the meantime, U.S. citizens to take caution and prudent security measures.

Update: But what to do with them?The Navy is saddled with two-dozen pirates it captured in the Gulf of Aden on Saturday with no country willing to take them into custody till reports last came in….The consensus that emerged was that there was no enabling provision in the international law to deal with a situation where pirates are arrested in the international waters.

Update 2: Yemen requests its pirates back (before they start talking) to determine their identities and put them on trial if there is proof of wrong-doing. Lets see if that goes any better than the terror trials.

NEW DELHI, India (CNN) — : The Indian navy captured 23 piracy suspects who tried to take over a merchant vessel in the Gulf of Aden, between the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, Indian officials said.

In addition to the 12 Somali and 11 Yemeni suspects, the Indian navy seized two small boats and “a substantial cache of arms and equipment,” the military said in a statement.

Among the seized items were seven AK-47 automatic rifles, three other automatic weapons and 13 loaded magazines; a rocket-propelled grenade launcher along with rockets, cartridges and grenades; up to three outboard motors and a global positioning system receiver. (Read on …)

Following our earlier report on the sectarian murder of a Jewish rabbi, a group of Muslim extremists (associated with the murderer) are surrounding the houses of several Jewish families in Yemen, throwing rocks and preventing them from leaving their homes. The government has taken no action and in desperation, the murdered man’s brother called a local news outlet.

AMRAN, NewsYemen: Rabbi Yehiya Yaish, one of the leaders of Jewish community in Yemen, said that he and other Jews are home arrested as eight suspected of killing his brother Moshe Yaish Nahari last Thursday are surrounding their houses since Saturday evening.

“We are home arrested and cannot even open doors due to threats by the gang that is surrounding houses in the area and throwing stones to windows and doors,” said Rabbi Yaish in a telephone call with NewsYemen….

Yaish said the order of the Interior Minister to arrest the eight suspects was “just for media coverage, but what is happening is that we are being attacked in broad daylight.”

Yaish refused to bury his brother Moshe and said Moshe would be buried together with the killer, calling Muslims to protect Jews.

Next the churches?

Yemen’s law is based on Sharia and tribal norms. The government often kidnaps people and holds them hostage as a way to pressure family members. In other cases, state hostage taking is simply retribution by a powerful person. Considering the judicial system is no remedy, tribesmen regularly resort to kidnapping foreigners in order to get their relatives released. Why foreigners? Because no one cares when they kidnap Yemenis. Depending on the tribal identity of the kidnappers, the state sanction can range from financial rewards to prison time.The hostages are usually released without harm. The only exception was when jihaddists kidnapped foreigners in 1998. That ended with several fatalities. The tribesmen on the other hand have never been known to hurt the hostages and usually are very hospitable.

SAN`A, Yemen (AP) — A security official and tribal leader say tribesmen have kidnapped three Germans in southern Yemen and are holding them hostage, demanding the government release imprisoned clan members.

The Yemeni official says a German woman working for a non-governmental organization in Yemen and her visiting mother and father were abducted early Monday by Bani Thabyan tribesmen of Dhamar province 65 miles south of the capital, San`a.

A clan leader from the same area says the tribesmen are demanding the release of relatives held by the government.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to talk about the incident. The clan leader asked not to be identified fearing he would be accused of being linked to the abduction.

Update: Russia denies plans finalized.

I hope the base is not on poor Socotra of the pristine unexplored biodiversity…

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia has decided to establish naval bases in Libya, Syria and Yemen within a few years, Itar-Tass news agency quoted military officials as saying on Friday, in a sign of Moscow’s growing foreign policy ambitions.

“It is difficult to say how much time it will take to create the bases for our fleet in these countries, but within a few years this will be done without question,” a military official was quoted as saying. “The political decision on this question has been taken,” the official said.

Kill fisherman

CO

SAN’A, Yemen A Russian helicopter attack on Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden earlier this week killed a Yemeni fisherman and three others, security officials said Thursday.

The fishermen were in two boats nearby when the Russian helicopter fired on pirates in three speedboats trying to hijack a Dutch container ship on Tuesday, said two officials from Yemen’s Interior Ministry and coast guard….

The helicopter was dispatched from a Russia warship that was sent to the area in September after Somali pirates hijacked a Ukrainian freighter, the Faina, with a cargo of battle tanks and three Russian crew members.

Exclusive Interview

Brigadier General Nasser al-Nuba is the head of the Retired Military Consultive Association (MCA) in Aden and the southern governorates. The MCA under General al-Nuba organized demonstrations in South Yemen beginning in July 2007 to demand equal rights for military retirees and southerners in general. As the year long demonstrations began to swell to include hundreds of thousands, demonstrators were met with an increasingly repressive response on the part of security forces. Over twenty protesters were shot dead, hundreds severely beaten and over a thousand arrested.

On September 2, 2007, security forces in Aden assaulted Mr. al-Nuba’s house. They broke down the door and arrested him. On September 8, al-Nuba was transferred from Aden to Sana’a for trial in a military court. He faced the death penalty on charges of treason for calling the unified Yemeni state an illegal creation. Mr. Nuba’s arrest triggered new widespread protests. He was released from custody on November 29th, 2007 by presidential decree.

In an interview with Jane Novak, December 7, 2008, Mr. Nuba said the following:

“South Yemen, when it achieves its independence, will be a country of peace and stability, relying on the constitution and the impartial application of the law. We look forward to joining the community of nations as a modern state, and we will work with our neighbors and the international community to create stability in the region. We will cooperate with international forces in the Gulf of Aden and with international efforts on the issue of terrorism. South Yemen will open its economy to investment and expansion. We hope to soon take our rightful place among nations.”

Q: What is your relation with the Joint Meeting Parties (JMP), the alliance of opposition political parties?

Nuba: The JMP is the opposition to the regime, and they believe in a federalist solution to Yemen’s problems. This is their right to make these demands.

We are not part of this opposition. The MCA has no relation to the Yemeni Socialist Party or the JMP. We reject the federalist model as a solution able to resolve the injustices pervasive in South Yemen. The MCA recognizes the only solution for South Yemen is independence and to return to two legal states.

There are two UN Resolutions (924 and 931) governing the cessation of hostilities at the end of the civil war in Yemen. We expect to receive international recognition of the fact that Saleh violated those resolutions and imposed “unity” by force. We are an occupied country. The unified Yemeni state is itself an illegal entity according to international law.

Q: There are some good people and activists in the North. What conditions need to exist before you and the MCA would join with them for a national movement?

Nuba: Yes, it’s true there are some good people in the north. They are working to deal with their problems of Saleh themselves. Once we in the South have achieved our independence, then we would support them later in their quest for justice for themselves.

Q: So the answer is no, there are no conditions under which the MCA would join in a national movement for reform?

Nuba: Correct. For years we in the south were suffering and everyone knows this and no one said a word.

Q: What is the MCA’s relation with former leaders and expatriates abroad?

Nuba: We have no formal or political relation with them. We have cordial relations and contacts with many people, but our movement is an internal movement entirely. The MCA is an independence movement by the people of South Yemen in South Yemen.

Q: What is your relation with the Southern Liberation Council?

Nuba: The SLC has the same ideology and goals as we have, which is the liberation of South Yemen from the illegal unification with the North. Our group, The Military Consultive Association, is comprised of the military and civilian (illegally) retired, the youth, women and others. We organized the public demonstrations since July 2007 throughout the southern governorates.

Q: Are there conditions under which you would negotiate with the regime?

Nuba: Saleh said on November 29th that he was ready to sit for negotiations. We replied that we would enter discussions based on two conditions: 1) if Saleh accepts to discuss the subject of southern independence 2) if he withdraws all northern military forces from South Yemen.

I listed these conditions by email. If these conditions are met, then we would agree to negotiations.

Q: Thank you for this interview.

Nuba: You’re welcome and with my regards for your effort on behalf of the people of South Yemen.

Menassat

Four empty seats and a shouting match

Created 12/12/2008 – 19:52

BEIRUT, December 12, 2008 (MENASSAT) — When the 3rd Arab Free Press Forum was opened at Beirut’s Monroe Hotel on Friday, there were four empty seats. They belonged to Saudi blogger Fouad Al-Farhan; Mazen Darwish, director of the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression; and journalist Litfi Hidouri and human rights lawyer and writer Mohamed Abbou, both from Tunisia. They were all stopped by local authorities before leaving their home countries to attend the two-day conference, organized annually by the World Association of Newspapers (WAN) and the Lebanese newspaper An-Nahar.

No Syrians

In his opening remarks, Said Essoulami, executive director of the Center for Media Freedom MENA in Morocco, remarked on the missing participants.

“Retaliations such as assassination and imprisonment have been reduced because there are new ways of controlling journalists, such as what happened with our colleagues who could not come,” Essoulami said. “In fact, every journalist invited from Syria could not come.” (Read on …)

SABA

Yemen hands over Syria involved-drug trafficking companies list

DAMASCUS, Jan. 12 09 (Saba) – Yemen handed over on Monday to Syria a list of the Syrian companies involved in trafficking drugs to Yemen.

The list was delivered by the Yemeni ambassador to Damascus Abdul Wahab Tawaf to the Syrian Industry Minister Fouad Issa Juni.

The Ambassador told the minister that the companies facilitate hiding drugs within their goods exported to Yemen, demanding Syria to take deterrent measures against the companies and including them in the blacklist.

During the meeting, both sides discussed activating the cooperation protocols signed between the two countries to increase the trade exchange volume.

World Bank: U.S. $ 480m Yemen funding allocations for the years 2010 – 2013
YemenOnline. March 12 – Director of World Bank Office in Sana’a stated that the World Bank allocated the amount of U.S. $ 480m to finance projects included in the Qatari assistance strategy for Yemen for the years “2010 – 2013 with an annual average rate of US$ 120m. The Director of the Office of the World Bank told the Yemen News Agency (SABA) that the bank is currently held consultative meetings with Yemeni civil society organizations and the Yemeni government of Yemen to develop all visions regarding the identification of support fields in the Qatari assistance strategy for Yemen, pointing out that the portfolio of World Bank projects in Yemen up to US $ 500m.

Yemen Times

Public prosecutors in the Appeals Court said this week that Ahmed bin Hassan Bin Mu’aili, a controversial figure detained since 1998 for counterfeiting passports, is not actually Yemeni and is putting the country’s safety is at risk. He is known as the first person to file a civil lawsuit against President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Bin Mu’aili, who was held in prison without trial for nine years, was tried in 2007 in Special Penal Court, which deals with political and security cases, and was found guilty of counterfeiting passports. He is currently appealing the verdict. (Read on …)

2009

YemenOnline. March 11 – The Chambers of Commerce Union of the Gulf Cooperation Council GCC officially approved Yemen’s accession to membership of its chambers of commerce.

This step is a reflection of the advanced level of Yemen-Gulf relations and their efforts to integrate the economy of Yemen in the economies of the countries of Arab Gulf Countries, stated Dr. Yahya Al-Mutawakil, Minister of Industry and Trade to Sabanet.
Dr. Al-Mutawakil confirmed that Yemen’s accession to the GCC chambers of commerce will contribute to the promotion of private sector investment of the GCC countries in Yemen, and strengthen the partnership between the businessmen of both sides.

From Barak Obama to the Arab leaders: Do not expect me to support your family enterprises

By Munir Mawari

A number of Arab leaders, who have been in power from 20 to 40 years each, wrote to U.S. President-Elect Barack Obama congratulating him on the success of the “change” he would bring to the United States. Since Obama did not respond to these leaders, the author of this article decided to volunteer to take on this task on behalf of Mr. Obama, as Thomas Friedman once did on behalf of President George W. Bush.

To avoid ambiguity it must be noted here that Mr. Obama is not aware of any of the contents of these messages. The way I write these letters is unacceptable in real diplomacy. The real Barack Obama would never “bash” the leaders of sovereign states or criticize their actions, as I take liberty to do. But what is not allowed in real practice may be just the thing, in our collective imagination.

In this spirit, the following is the full text of a letter from the virtual Barack Obama to Arab leaders, with attached telegrams, which are also imaginary:
————————-

Sirs, Presidents, Kings and Emirs of Arab States:

Greetings, all; Happy Eid al-Adha (the most important religious event for Muslims):

I have received with deep gratitude a number of congratulatory messages on my election as the next President of the United States.. I apologize to you that I will not be able to reply formally, for the following reasons:

First: I have not yet formally assumed my duties or moved into the White House. President Bush continues to exercise his powers until the 20th of next January. I am committed to my country’s customs and Constitution, which do not allow the existence of two presidents at the same time. I will exercise presidential powers only after President Bush leaves office and after I take my Constitutional Oath of Office, in accordance with U.S. customs. Only then will I be able to exchanged cables with you. I have been told that you love exchanging cables with other leaders, and also that your official media love to cover this habit. I have been advised to have an intern in the White House who can devote his or her time solely to engaging in this hobby with you on my behalf.

Second: Since the United States is rich in the diversity of its people with different experiences and backgrounds, an American of Arab origin volunteered to write this response to you. I appreciate that you took a portion of your valuable time to write to me, and I thank you in advance for setting aside some of the time ordinarily allotted to the vigorous suppression of your people, to read this virtual reply. (Read on …)

Good, he should be worried. Lots of options he says, also good. (ed/up-Actually the options he refers to are regarding Somalia.) The issue is not just the ungoverned territories, its that they exist in an nation with a minimal and erratic counter-terror posture and a significant level of subversion of the administration.

US concerned about terror safe haven in Somalia, Yemen

WASHINGTON (AFP) — The US chairman of the joint chiefs Admiral Michael Mullen said Wednesday he was “extremely worried” about the potential for safe haven for terrorists in Somalia and Yemen.

“A significant objective in Afghanistan and Pakistan is to not have a safe haven, and I am concerned about the potential for a safe haven in Somalia as I am in Yemen,” Mullen said. “I am extremely concerned about that.” (Read on …)

1- Many students abroad have recieved their scholarships as a result of nepotim.
2- Because of the corruption rampant at most Yemeni embassys, students funds are often embezzled.
3- In 2007, an alert was issued for Mumbai that jihaddi groups may have established contacts with senior al-Qaeda leaders in Yemen. It discusses the likelihood of soft targets being hit. A December 2006 alert for Goa was issued after Saudis discovered detailed planns of a terror attack on specific sites in Goa on a captured Yemeni’s computer.

TOI

Goa police to probe details of Yemeni students meet
9 Dec 2008, 1617 hrs IST, PTI

PANAJI: A gathering of Yemeni youth on the beachfront dotting Panaji city have come under scanner of the state police who are inquiring into the details of the meet.

“We will inquire into the meeting, if at all it has taken place. We are already on our toes to verify the activities of Yemeni students in Goa,” deputy superintendent of Police Sammy Tavares told reporters here on Tuesday.

The police swung into action after a media report and a photograph on local Marathi daily “Goa Doot”, which raised the question mark on the meeting a day before Eid.

The media report carrying a picture of religious head addressing gathering on seashore contended that the meeting took place on the morning of December 8.

“We had no information about such meeting but still we are on our job to verify it,” Tavares said.

Superintendent of Police (CID) Atmaram Deshpande said that the meeting may be to offer prayer as in Arab countries Eid is celebrated a day in advance.

He said that the state police are on verification drive checking antecedents of all the foreign students. “Many of them don’t attend the classes so we have asked the institutions to give their detailed weekly attendance,” Deshpande, who is also tasked to form state’s special cell to counter probable terrorism activity, said.

The police have recommended that all the institutes imparting education to the foreign students should be recognised by the state education department.

“The collector will have right to cancel their licences, if they are found violating the guidelines issued by authorities,” he said.

Al-Motamar

Almotamar.net – A recent parliamentary report mentioned about a recession in services of sewage services by 53% and that has caused the emergence of a problem water pits of which the report said it is threatening the human, the environment and the groundwater basin.

A report by the parliamentary waters committee obtained by almotamar.net pointed out the sewage suffering network of the problem torrents that are not contained in designs of the sewage system, let alone flaws in the direct connection from the network and many factories’, institutions, hospitals, oil and car batteries shops and photography studios non-committing to safe riddance of their wastes before connection. (Read on …)

Apparently in Yemen its illegal to teach that the leader of the state should be a just Hashemite, which is an orthadox view, but its legal to teach that the world should be dominated by a global caliphate. One of the Houthis stated points of contention regards religious schools within the broader complaint of forced conversion. Meanwhile the Dar al-hadith network of religious schools has many, many offshoots. Probably the 800 schools referred below are Zaidi schools not Neo-Salafi schools. In any event, I’m nearly certain, but too lazy to dig through the archives, that these are the same statistics as 2005 (800/4000); the announcment at that time was greeted with a round of applause that the regime was cracking down on extremist schools. But now that Judge al-Hittar is on the case, I’m sure all the schools will be brought into line with regime approved curriculum.

20 percent of religious schools in Yemen unobserved: report

SANA’A, Dec. 09 (Saba) – An official report has revealed that about 20 percent of the religious schools in Yemen remain operating without government observation.

The report issued by the ministry of Endowments and Guidance noted that almost 4000 religious school operate in Yemen, of which 80 percent are directly monitored by the government through the ministries of Endowments and Guidance as well as Education.

The report says the two ministries are currently following up unobserved religious schools in an effort to close all schools operating in contravention to the Yemeni law. (Read on …)

IRIN

MUKALLA, 8 December 2008 (IRIN) – Agricultural experts, government officials and local communities in Hadramaut Governorate, southern Yemen, are urging the government to tackle an evergreen and fast-growing shrub which has been blocking waterways, with sometimes devastating consequences.

They say the shrub is responsible for exacerbating the late October floods by blocking watercourses and diverting floodwater into villages which might otherwise have been unscathed. At least 90 people were killed, and 20,000-25,000 were made homeless by the floods. (Read on …)

Even worse than Dijabouti

Yemen comes last among Arab states in terms of GDP per capita: report

SANA’A, Dec. 10 (Saba) – Yemen ranked last among Arab states in terms of the Gross Domestic Product per capita with $ 901, a report has said.

The report of the Arab Economic Unit Council, released on Sunday said Yemen recorded the lowest per capita income behind Mauritania whose GDP per capita reached $ 909.

Djibouti came ahead of the two states with GDP per capita of $977.

However, Qatar came in first place with $ 72.376, Emirates was in second place with $ 42.273, Kuwait third with $ 33.646, Bahrain fourth with $ 24.151, Saudi Arabia $ 15.158.

While the per capita GDP in Libya is $ 8903, in Lebanon $ 6243, in Algeria $ 3976, in Tunisia $ 3423, in Jordan and Iraq $ 2343, in Morocco $ 2290, in Syria $ 2136, in Egypt $ 1759 and in Sudan $ 1543.

The report said average per capita income in Arab states for the current prices raised to $ 4661 in 2007, up from $ 4188 in 2006, at a growth rate of 11.3 percent.

1-10-09

Front Line

Front Line protection of Human Rights defenders welcomes the release of human rights defender, Khalid Abdul-Wahab El-Sharif from prison on Friday 19 December. He had been detained since 5 July 2008 in the Political Security Prison, Sana´a, where he had been denied legal consultation, regular visits and was never officially charged. Despite his release, Front Line remains deeply concerned about the ongoing detention without charge of human rights defenders, Mr Yasre Abdul-Wahab Al-Wazeer and Mr Mu’een Ibraheem Al-Mutawakel.

On 1 July 2008, Ali Ali Yahya Al-Emad was arrested and placed in incommunicado detention in the Political Security Prison, Sana´a.

According to reports received, Ali Ali Yahya Al-Emad´s family was never informed of his whereabouts and believed that he had been “disappeared” until his release on 2 December 2008. During his detention, he was allegedly tortured and subjected to ill-treatment. On 27 May 2008, Mu’een Ibraheem Al-Mutawakel was detained, while Yasre Abdul-Wahab Al-Wazeer on 1 July 2008, and Khalid Abdul-Wahab El-Sharif on 5 July 2008.

All are currently being held in the Political Security Prison, San´a, where it is feared that they may be subjected to torture and ill-treatment. They have been denied legal consultation, regular visits and have not been officially charged. The three men had been detained for at least six weeks before their families were informed of their whereabouts by the authorities.

On 12 September 2008, the Yemeni President, Field Marshall Ali Abdullah Saleh ordered the release of all prisoners related to the Sada conflict who had not been convicted. However, it is believed that at least 69 individuals related to this conflict, including the aforementioned human rights defenders, remain in detention without charge.

Front Line believes that Ali Ali Yahya Al-Emad, Yasre Abdul-Wahab Al-Wazeer, Khalid Abdul-Wahab El-sharif and Mu’een Ibraheem Al-Mutawakel were targeted as a result of their peaceful human rights activities, specifically those who campaign for judicial reform and the rights of prisoners. Front Line is particularly concerned by the trend of incommunicado detentions in Yemen, a practice which violates International norms and has been known to facilitate torture and ill-treatment.
Source: www.frontlinedefenders.org

Defense

Minister Bogollagama spoke of Sri Lanka’s deeply rooted democratic tradition, which he traced to the granting of universal adult franchise in 1931 and said that the trappings of democracy, manifested by the right of the people to go to the polls periodically and elect a government of their choice or in the many magnificent edifices housing the seat of Parliament, the Presidency or the Palaces of justice, do not qualify a country to be a true democratic state. Real democracy becomes alive in a state where the government is accountable to the people and where the rule of law is upheld by a fearless and independent judiciary.

Speaking further, the Foreign Minister drew the attention of the assembled august gathering to the similarity of the methods employed by the LTTE and the terrorists who had staged the multiple attacks on Mumbai last month and said that the fact that these attacks were committed by terrorists getting in from the Arabian Sea aboard a hijacked vessel, underscored the need for the international community to beef up maritime security. He recalled his address to the Shangri-La Forum in June 2007,where he had pointed out the Al Qaeda suicide attack on ‘USS Cole’ in October 2000,as a copycat of the LTTE’s attack on a Sri lankan naval vessel ‘Abheetha’ in 1991,which had been even acknowledged by the Sea Tigers chief, Soosai.

An analysis by Starfor finds similarity between the Mumbai attack and the ‘93 NY landmarks plot. The point being the long shelf life of a good plot and the web connecting major players and groups. I remain hopeful that the Mumbai attack was not the sign referenced in the November 9 statement in al-Quds Al-Arabya.

Corruption and the fractured nature of the government as well as bureaucratic inefficiency hinder progress on nearly every crisis the country is facing. The WB needs to stay on top of all funds in Yemen. And as the article notes, the strategy impacts the poor.

Bicusa

As Yemen suffers from water crisis, Bank support for water sector hinges on private sector solutions

8 December 2008

A recent meeting between the World Bank and the Yemeni Planning Minister focused on preliminary negotiations on a proposed water sector project. However, the central question remains whether the Bank is ensuring water access for the poor.

In October, the Yemeni news agency Saba reported on a meeting between the World Bank and the Government of Yemen that focused on discussions around a proposed $90 million grant to support Yemen’s national water strategy. Last week, the Bank disclosed documents that indicate new estimates on project approval and anticipated donor financing commitments, though they offer little in terms of substantive plans for the project.

Despite the large volume of money that is being committed for the project – with expected Dutch, British and German government contributions, the total is expected to surpass $380 million – it remains unclear what specifically will be financed. There is only scant information available from the World Bank, and the five-year national strategy on which the aid is based is not publicly accessible. According to World Bank documents, the Yemen Water Sector Support Project is expected to go to the Board for approval in February 2009.

At the same time, while the decision to finance Yemen’s water strategy as a Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp) lends to better donor coordination, it raises the possibility that the process is driven by and tailored to donors, whose expected contributions together account for nearly two-thirds of the cost of the project.

Yemen is the least developed country in the region, and one of the world’s most water poor countries in the world, where per capita availability of water is only 2% of the world average, according to the World Bank. Yemen’s water crisis has not only hindered the efforts to reduce poverty and stimulate economic growth but has also resulted in social disputes over water wells and land ownership, as demand for water outstrips supply.

Rainfall represents the main source of water needed for agriculture and households, and nearly all of the rainfall evaporates. Reports show that about 90% of the ground water in Yemen is used for irrigation, mostly to grow qat, which accounts for roughly 40% of cultivated land. Meanwhile, in order to keep up with the increasing demand on water, landlords and private companies have been drilling unauthorized wells that have depleted Yemen’s groundwater.

Considering the depth of Yemen’s water crisis, the World Bank has rightfully emphasized water provision in its portfolio, as well as in its Country Assistance Strategy (CAS). Since 2000, the Bank has committed $303 million for the water sector, or 27% of approvals.

However, while preliminary project documents indicate that the bulk of the proposed Bank grant will support irrigation infrastructure and urban water systems, the nature of the investment remains unclear, including what if any policy changes in the water sector will accompany the grant. Typically, World Bank grants entail much more stringent conditions than loans that need to be repaid. To date, the Bank’s support for the water sector in Yemen has been predicated on fostering private sector involvement, particularly in urban water services, and in granting private companies the responsibility to assess water and demand levels and to determine prices. The Bank has also advised the government to lift subsidies on diesel, a major expense in qat cultivation

Some observers have raised concerns about how effective the World Bank’s interventions have been in addressing Yemen’s water problems, and questioned the impact and rationale of the Bank-supported strategies such as introducing water tariffs, encouraging public-private partnerships, pushing for a greater private sector role, and lifting subsidies on maintenance, spate irrigation, and diesel. These advocates have suggested that the Bank’s approach to date has placed a disproportionate emphasis on private sector solutions to Yemen’s pressing water needs, and that these efforts have not been accompanied by adequate measures to mitigate adverse impacts on the poor and ensure equitable access.

That’s a friendly nation. Now they just have to oversee it to make sure at least half gets to the actual vicitms in an efficient manner.

Emergency grant aid to the Republic of Yemen for flood disaster
On December 9 (Tues.), the Government of Japan decided to extend emergency grant aid of about 800 thousand dollars (about 90 million yen) through the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), to support the victims of the serious flood disaster in the Republic of Yemen.

The Government of Japan has decided to extend this emergency grant aid in view of the necessity of humanitarian assistance and the friendly relationship between Japan and Yemen.

Prior to this decision, the Government of Japan provided emergency relief goods equivalent to 18 million yen. With this further grant aid, the total of emergency assistance from Japan for this flood disaster will be 108 million yen.

following the lead of some commerical carriers that are re-routing

Cruise ship will evacuate to avoid pirate attack

BERLIN (AP) — A German cruise ship plans to evacuate passengers in Yemen and fly them to the next port of call Wednesday to avoid any possible encounters with pirates off the coast of lawless Somalia.

Several other cruise operators said Tuesday they were also shifting or canceling tours that would have taken clients past Somalia, as nations and companies around the world debated how to confront the piracy dominating the Gulf of Aden.

The European Union said its anti-piracy mission would station armed guards on vulnerable cargo ships — the first such deployment of military personnel during international anti-piracy operations in the crucial waterway. (Read on …)

www.alghadyem.net

Received an official note tomorrow to complain about the Coast Guard and the Customs Directorate of the coastal province of Hodeidah beard that their employees are threatened by the border guards prevented from carrying out their duties in the seizure and prosecution of smugglers of petroleum products, sheep from Africa across the coast of the Directorate.
وأوضح مصدر محلي مسؤول في المديرية، فضل عدم الكشف عن هويته، بأنه قد تم إبلاغ الجهات المعنية بالمحافظة والعاصمة بالقضية، إلا أنه لم يتم اتخاذ الإجراءات القانونية لوقف عمليات التهريب، ومحاسبة حرس الحدود المرابطين في المنطقة ممن يقومون بحماية المهربين بالتعاون مع مجموعة من مشائخ المنطقة المتنفذين. The source said a local official in the Directorate, on condition of anonymity, that he had been informed stakeholders and to maintain the capital case, however, are not taken legal action to stop the smuggling operations, and to hold the border guards stationed in the region who were protecting the smugglers in collaboration with a group of the region Mchaik powerful.
وأكد المصدر بأن ظاهرة تهريب الأغنام والمشتقات النفطية إلى بلادنا من إفريقيا تسير بوتيرة عالية وبصورة علنية عبر سواحل المديرية، وخاصة في خور المديرية ومرسى العلوي دون أي حسيب أو رقيب، وبحماية من حرس الحدود المتواجدين في المنطقة، والذين يقومون بمنع أفراد خفر السواحل والجمارك بالمديرية من مزاولة أعمالهم في مكافحة التهريب وضبط المهربين وهم في حالة تلبس، كما يمنعونهم من ترقيم القوارب اليمنية والأجنبية والكشف عليها أو تفتيشها. The source added that the smuggling of sheep and oil derivatives in the country of Africa is moving quickly across the public and the coast of the Directorate, particularly in the Directorate and the creek without any upper berth total impunity, and to protect the border guards who are in the area, who are members of the prevention of the Coast Guard and the Customs Directorate of the to operate in the fight against smuggling and smugglers who are controlling in the case of flagrante delicto, and prevented the boats from the numbering of the Yemeni and foreign disclosure or inspection.

I have no idea what this is about, but it sounds like Moroccan security forces killed two students who belong to a seperatist movement during a sit-in by running them over with a bus.

بــيــان

على إثر الجريمة البشعة التي راح ضحيتها الطالبين الصحراويين بابا خيا والحسين لكتيف بالموقع الجامعي بمدينة أكادير المغربية بتاريخ 01 دجنبر2008 بعد تنظيم الطلبة الصحراويين لوقفة سلمية احتجاجا على عدم الاستجابة لمطلبهم القاضي بتوفير حافلات لنقلهم إلى مدن الصحراء الغربية و جنوب المغرب .
الطالبين الصحراويين بابا خيا 22من مواليد 1986 بوجدور/ الصحراء الغربية طالب بالسنة الثالثة حقوق و الحسين لكتيف سنة 1988 بمدينة الطنطان/جنوب المغرب طالب بالسنة أولى علوم اجتماعية ، اغتيلا بواسطة حافلة تابعة لشركة النقل المغربية ” سوبراتو Superatour “وهي شركة عمومية ( ثاني اكبر شركة عمومية للنقل في المغرب) مسجلة تحت رقم أ .6687 .
وحسب شهود عيان من الطلبة الصحراويين الذين أكدوا أن سائق الحافلة تلقى أوامر من ضباط بالأمن المغربي بدهس الطلبة الصحراويين في الوقت التي تتدخل فيه قوات الأمن المغربية لفك الإعتصام . (Read on …)

Noting the importance of freedom of the press

خطاب
بمناسبة الذكرى الستون اللأعلان العالمي لحقوق الإنسان
يجب على الصحف في منطقة الخليج و اليمن دعم مبادئ حقوق الإنسان

المنامة ، اوسلو – 9 ديسمبر 2008

يعرب كلا من جمعية شباب البحرين لحقوق الإنسان و المركز العربي الاوروبي لحقوق الإنسان و القانون الدولي عن قلقهم الشديد بسبب عدم قيام وسائل الاعلام المحلية في دول مجلس التعاون بالإضافة الى اليمن بدورهم في دعم مبادئ حقوق الإنسان في المنطقة.

ان بعض الصحف الخليجية و اليمينة لا تتسم بالحيادية و النزاهة اثناء تغطيتها لبعض الاحداث التي ترتبط بقضايا حقوق الإنسان في المنطقة ، حيث لازالت بعض الصحف لا تسمح بالآراء المعارضة بعض الاحيان الى السلطات المحلية ، او الحديث عن انتهاكات حقوق الإنسان. (Read on …)

Yemen Post:

Prime Minister Ali Muhammad Mujawar said Saturday that the rate of illiterate women in Yemen declined to 60% this year from 76.3% in 1994.
At the opening of the fourth annual conference of Yemeni women held in Sana’a, Mujawar noted that the number of Yemeni females who joined primary and secondary schools has increased to represent one third of Yemeni students at these schools.
The rate of female university students also rose to 28% out of the total amount of Yemeni university students, he said.

In his speech that was delivered by Minister of Information Ahmed Hassan Al-Lawzi, the premier pointed out that Yemen has made strides in women’s education saying the number of female university students outnumbers males at some universities and that the number of female lecturers at the government universities increased as well.

“There are about 984 female lecturers out of which 803 lecturers who teach at the government colleges,” he added.

At the event, Mujawar said there is a remarkable progress on women’s rights particularly with women being seen in various sectors mainly medically and politically, a matter which illustrates the government is doing its utmost to empower women in the belief that women play a crucial role in the society.

Yemen has over 2800 girl soldiers, 75 female officers and 76 female judges as well as 414 women with technical and administrative posts, he said.

“The presence of Yemeni females at the medical sector helped reduce the mortality rates among mothers as well as improving the family care services.”

“The country third economic and social development plan included new terms recommending the empowerment of women and combating all forms of discrimination against them.”

Last week, the government approved the recommendations of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women to be among its priorities regarding the rights of women, Mujawar concluded.

Update: Judge refuses the plea which includes the condition by the five detainees that they are immediatelyh sentenced to death, that’s their request which the judge refused.

Both are also accused in the USS Cole bombing, which they should hopefully be tried for as well.

Its unclear at this point if this is a formal pleading or just an admission of guilt. In a letter to the court, they requested a hearing to announce their confessions. The court is determining if it is proper to plead guilty in a death penalty case or if a defense is automatically required. The two also fired their lawyers amid the lawyers’ charges the defendants were overly influenced by Khalid Sheik Mohammed in making the guilty plea.

BY CAROL ROSENBERG Miami Herald

GUANTANAMO BAY NAVY BASE, Cuba — Confessed al Qaeda kingpin Khalid Sheik Mohammed and his four 9/11 accused co-conspirators offered to plead guilty Monday to orchestrating the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.

The surprise turnabout came in what was meant to be a routine pre-trial hearing at the war court, or military commission.

The Pentagon seeks the death penalty in their case.

But the defendants made no mention of the death penalty or ”martyrdom” as Mohammed calls it, during the morning session before Army Col. Stephen Henely. (Read on …)

بمناسبة حلول عيد الأضحى المبارك
يُشرفنا تهنئة سيادتكم بالعيد
أعاده الله علينا وعليكم بالخير واليُمّن والبركات
كل عام وأنتم بخير

Only half of the finacial disclosure statements were received, there’s still 5000 outstanding.

Yemen Times
SANA’A, Dec. 3 — Forty-nine complaints against various government bodies have been forwarded to the Supreme National Authority for Combating Corruption in the third quarter of this year. Only one of the complaints was transferred to persecution while 19 were dismissed as irrelevant to the authority’s field of work. (Read on …)

News Yemen

The General Inspector of the United Nation High Commissioner for Refugees Naser Ishaq said donor countries have worked on raising donations given to refugee in Yemen from $ 4 million to 17 million, official Saba agency reported.

In a meeting with the Secretary General of Aden Local Council Abdul-Karim Shaef Wednesday, the UNHCR official said the UNHCR understands troubles refugees cause to Yemen, especially those fleeing from the camps, but UNHCR will help Yemen solve the problem.

Shaef affirmed necessity of setting up controlling measures to refugees’ camps for easing the process of counting them, knowing their needs and allocating food and assistances to them, indicating annoyance to the authority caused by refugees who leave their camps.

Yemeni official called on the UNHCR to build capacities of refugees to help them get work in order promoting their living standards.

ADEN, NewsYemen

The representative of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in Sana’a Jian Carlo has announced the WFP will increase aid for the poor communities and African refugees in Yemen over the next two years to $ 50 million, said official Saba.

In a meeting with deputy governor of Aden Ahmed Salim Rabie, Carlo affirmed that his current visit to Aden comes to support and expand the WFP activities in the province.

The meeting brought up the burden the influx of African refugees lays on Yemen’s economy and the WFP efforts to provide assistance for the poor and African refugees in Yemen.

WFP also said it would contribute to distributing the food aid for the rain-affected people in Hadramout.

WFP said it had signed an agreement with the local authority in Hadramout on a mechanism to deliver foodstuff assistance to flooded people in every district of Hadramout.

Almost 3452 people were terribly affected of heavy rains that hit Hadramout and al-Mahra last October.

Ration cards for rain-affected families granted in Mukala

MUKALA, Dec. 06 (Saba) – Families affected by heavy rains that afflicted the eastern provinces late October are about to start receiving ration cards in the town of Mukala to be able to obtain aid materials.

The move comes according to measures approved by the Relief and Shelter Committee set up in the wake of the catastrophe to organize the process of distribution aid materials for beneficiaries.

The committee has earlier finished the counting process to ensure all affected families get aid for long time.

Director General of the town Salim Saleh Abdul Haq has urged the affected families to go to receive their ration cards so that they head to the aid distribution centers to receive their monthly food allowances.

Earlier the committee distributed cooking tools for registered families of those whose homes were destroyed either partly or completely.

Almost a month ago, Heavy rains lashed several parts of the republic killing people and destroying homes and lands.

Yemen did its utmost to deal with the catastrophe with assistance from regional and world states and is currently preparing rebuilding schemes.

Unless they are actually publishing lies, then they should stop. Saba News

Newspaper blocked as Iranian files reported

SANA’A, Dec. 03 (Saba) – Editor-in-Chief of the Akhbar Alyoum ” today’s news” News Paper Ebrahim Mujahid has said that the paper is being blocked under great pressure by the government.

The paper was blocked in protest against the government pressure put after the paper was dealing with several Iranian files, Mujahid was quoted as saying by the newsyemen.net.

He said the Iranian embassy in Sana’a filed complaints against the Alshomoa Press Corporation and affiliated newspaper of Akhbar Alyoum alleging they released reports questioning the role of the embassy and publishing lies that may affect the bilateral relationship between Yemen and Iran.

Mujahid said as pressure continues on the paper, it will continue blocking in protest against that before the headquarters of the prosecution.

Yemen, India discuss cooperation security relations

[06 December 2008]

SANA’A, Dec. 06 (Saba) – Yemen and India reviewed here on Saturday cooperation relations in various security areas, particularly in combating terrorism and organized crime.

Minister of Interior Mutahr al-Mesri discussed with discussed with the Indian ambassador to Yemen Rabby Mohan Aggarwal cooperation in training the security cadres.

The Minister al-Mesri strongly denounced the terrorist act in Mumbai city of India that claimed the innocent lives, asserting the importance of the international partnership to fight against terrorism that undermines security and stability and threatens the lives of people as well.

The Indian diplomat briefed the interior minister on the last developments related to the Mumbai terrorist act, emphasizing that Terrorism has no religion or homeland.

heartbreaking statistics

Yemen Times — The children of internally displaced persons living in the war-torn governorate of Sa’ada suffer from diarrhea, acute respiratory infection and malnutrition, according to a recent study carried out by the Charitable Society for Social Welfare (CSSW) in cooperation with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) last June.

The results indicate that 37 percent of internally displaced children under five years-old suffer from diarrhea due to polluted waters and that 35.6 percent suffer acute respiratory infection.

The research, which was carried out by Professor Yahya Raja’a and Dr. Isameldin El-Hussein showed that 4.4 percent children suffer from severe acute malnutrition and 15.5 percent suffered moderate acute malnutrition.

The study, which covered four districts -Al-Anad, Al-Zaher, Sahar and Sa’ada- in the Sa’ada governorate and targeted 1,283 children from displaced families living in camps, assessed the health and level of nutrition of internally displaced mothers and children under five years-old in Sa’ada.

It covered 825 women aged between 15 and 55 years old, 367 of whom were living in houses and 458 were living in tents provided by International Red Crescent Committee. Almost all of the women were married, with only 4.2 percent of them widowed and 2.5 percent divorced. The family size ranged from 2 to 20 individuals, with an average of 6 members, and up to 4 children were reportedly housed in each tent.

Up to 30.7 percent of breastfeeding and pregnant women were found to be suffering from acute malnutrition, with wasting more prevalent among them than their children. Raja’a attributed this difference of ratio to mothers preferring to feed their children before themselves. Of the 238 mothers with a baby under one year of age, a little over a half of them reported that they had started breastfeeding immediately after delivery. A further 18.2 percent of those interviewed were pregnant.

The report did not set out to report on violations against women, but Dr. Raja’a said that many of the women interviewed were still very young and that measures should be taken to protect them. “We should not allow anything to happen,” he declared.

Although malnutrition among internally displaced persons in Sa’ada is high, Raja’a maintained that Sa’ada governorate is still wealthier than other governorates in the country due to its agricultural activities, as it has more farms and the lower intensity of the population, so malnutrition should be less severe than in the rest of the country.The study made several recommendations, including protecting women against violence, supporting the camp of Al-Anad camp where of the internally displaced persons are living, strengthening health services and facilities in these districts, continuing nutrition services and providing purified water to the camps.

Director of CSSW Mohammad al-Qubati said that support to displaced people in Sa’ada would continue from UNICEF distributed via the CSSW in truckloads of assistances to Sa’ada inhabitants. UNICEF’s Nutrition Program Officer Dhekra Annuzeili revealed that the organization’s support to displaced people would continue via the Community Nutrition Theoretic Care Program, which provides its services to the area through CSSW. The program provides health training to health practitioners distributes nearly 23 types of medicine and conducts follow-up on malnutrition cases in the area.

Yemen urges Britain not to accept betrayer asylum seekers

[07 December 2008]

SANA’A, Dec. 07 (Saba) – Deputy Minister of Interior Saleh Hussein al-Zouari has urged Britain not to accept Yemeni asylum seekers of those who betray their country, the interior ministry website has reported.

Al-Zouari said as these betrayers deceive their country, they will betray Britain, affirming such people are unreliable as they swap loyalty easily as they put off their clothes.

Betrayers will not be forgiven by the country and the people, because they are mercenaries seeking to divide their country and harm its unity and stability, he said.

The fate of Yemen’s ambassador to Libya is unclear as speculations emerged that he might seek political asylum in Britain.

While informed sources noted that the ambassador had escaped, a Yemeni security source requested Britain not to accept what the source described as betrayer asylum seekers.

Arab Times The scary thing is he really sounds like he believes what he is saying.

NATION INSULATED FROM ECONOMIC MELTDOWN; Yemen committed to democratic track
KUWAIT CITY, Nov 25: In the event of a global meltdown Yemen has nothing to worry about because Yemen’s wealth is within the country — the kind of wealth that does not make us lose our sleep or give us a headache, says the Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Al-Saleh. Speaking to the Arab Times during an exclusive interview the Yemeni president said much of Yemen’s wealth lies in oil and the decline in oil prices will affect the country, but Yemen is not totally dependent on oil because it is not the only source of income.

On the political front the President is much more secure and stable now than before. President Saleh who favors democracy said, Yemen is on the right track and democracy is best when it takes into consideration the heritage and culture of the society where it is applied. Importing democracies from abroad can result in chaos, he said.

Here are the excerpts of the interview:

Q: May I ask if Yemen has felt the impact of the global economic meltdown?
A: Poverty sometimes is a blessing in disguise. Yemen does not have to worry about anything because we do not have sovereign funds to invest abroad and all our wealth is inside the country — the kind of wealth that does not make us lose our sleep or give us a headache. We are secure and the global economic meltdown does not affect us. (Read on …)

Its amazing what a few articles can do for people’s spirits, especially in the midst of a media black-out. But for the record I didnt write the article entitled, The Winds of Change, it was a guest post. The two news type articles were me. Technically I haven’t expressed my opinion yet, just reported the developments as they happened. And there’s another interesting one coming actually. This is the wrong link for this article, I know. Ah this is the right one. Jin I say to them.

I say to you, Jane

Ms. Jane Novak great .. يا جين قولي لهم .. Jin you say to them .. يطلق أسم الجنوب العربي سياسيآ على المنطقة الممتدة من باب المندب وخليج عدن غربآ حتى حدود عمان شرقآ ويحدها من الشمال اليمن والمملكة العربية السعودية ، ومن الجنوب بحر العرب ، وهي تشمل منطقة عدن العبدلية ، والمحمية الشرقية ، والمحمية الغربية ، وكل الجزر التابعة لها ، ومن ضمنها سلطنة البيضاء ، و جزيرة كمران ، التي قامت سلطات الجمهورية العربية اليمنية بالإستيلاء عليها بالقوة ، وطوال 128 سنة كانت قوة من البوليس المسلح العدني تحكم الجزيرة ، وكان قائد قوة بوليس عدن ، هو الحاكم العسكري للجزيرة ، وتوجد في عدن كثي من العائلات الكمرانية المعروفة التي أستوطنت عدن ، وسكنوا في حارة حسين وحارة القاضي .. Name of the south called the Arab region politically from the Bab and the Gulf of Aden west to the borders of Oman is bounded on the east and north Yemen and Saudi Arabia, the Arabian Sea from the south, including the Aden held in El Abdellia Palace, and protected the East, West and protected, and all of its islands, including Sultanate of white, and Kamran Island, which authorities have overrun the Yemen Arab Republic by force, and for 128 years was a force of armed police Aladeni governing island, and the Force Commander of Police Aden, is the military governor of the island, and there in Aden Kthi families settled known Alkamranip Aden, and lived in Haret Hussein and the judge warm .. كريتر – عدن .. Crater – Aden .. عاصمة الجنوب العربي . Arab capital of the south. (Read on …)

1-7-09

By Syed Saleem Shahzad/Asia Times
KARACHI -:

Al-Qaeda is passing through a transitional restructuring phase. The most crucial areas where it is transforming its organization and strategies are Somalia and Yemen, beside Iraq. Al-Qaeda plans to disrupt the sea routes between Somalia and Yemen, which would affect international trade through this route.

It has developed an understanding with the leadership of the opposition Islamic Courts Union of Somalia on common strategic goals. In Yemen, al-Qaeda leader Salem al-Radwui has been specially sent from Afghanistan by the al-Qaeda leadership to develop links with dissident Yemeni groups operating in southern Yemen, as well as with various Islamic groups. Al-Qaeda’s aim is to provide background guidance while encouraging the local groups to play a lead role.

Over 445000 containers unloaded at Aden seaport in 2008

[06 March 2009]

ADEN, March 06 (Saba) – The total number of containers which have been unloaded in the Aden seaport in 2008 were al last 445126 containers from different sizes.

According to statistics issued on Friday by Aden Port Corporation, the harbor of Aden received in 2008 more than 510 ships and supertankers coming from international ports.

The Free Zone Customs at the Aden seaport has achieved a record increase in the revenue in January 2009, through incomes, fees and other various returns, amounting to up YR 1 billion, an increase of YR 246 million over the revenues during the same month in 2008.

Yemeni exports through the Aden seaport during January reached more than YR 517 million, including fish, cotton, coffee, honey and other various national products.

The number of local consumption goods’ containers locally marketed during the month amounted to 4,626 containers, an increase of 854 containers over the number of such containers during the same month last year.

The increase in the volume of exports and revenues followed growth in maritime activity and cargo ship movement at the port.

Since ancient time, Aden has played an important role as an economic and commercial port in the southern part of Yemen and as a destination that serves as a meeting point in world trade.

Over 19000 foreigners worked in Yemen in 2007
SABA

[06 March 2009]
SANA’A, March 06 (Saba) – Newly-issued statistics have showed the number of foreigners who worked in 2007 in Yemen had reached 19155, including 15734 males and 3421 females, while they were 14111 workers in 2006.

The official statistic, issued by the government-run Central Statistical Organisation, explained that Yemen absorbed by the end of 2007 at last 400 Omani workers, 220 Saudi workers, ten UAE workers, seven Kuwaitis and ten workers from both Qatar and Bahrain.

“There were more than 16000 Arabs worked in Yemen in 2007, including 4947 Iraqis, 3082 Egyptians, 1398 Jordanians, 1976 Palestinians, 1506 Sudanese workers, 1125 Somali workers, 947 Syrians, 281 Libyans, 280 Lebanese workers, 160 Moroccans and 80 workers were from both Tunisia and Algeria”, numbered the statistics.

“About 6862 foreigners worked in scientific and caring areas, while 4534 were technicians as the same fields. Meanwhile, 2027 foreigners operated as directors of public and business administrations, followed by more than 1847 workers were engineers. More than 3885 foreigners worked in the fields of sales, services, agriculture, breeding birds and handcrafts”.

The statistics mentioned that the local private sectors embraced 10417 workers and oil companies employed 3613 workers, while universities and education sectors engaged 1611 foreigners, up 1200 were in investment sector and over 2307 foreigners worked for other bodies.

March 09, WI

Beyond small arms, Israeli intelligence estimates that some 250 tons of explosives, 80 tons of fertilizer, 4000 rocket-propelled grenades, and 1800 rockets were transported from Egypt to Gaza from September 2005 to December 2008…According to Israeli assessments, the arms-smuggling network is directed by Hamas offices in Damascus and aided by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which provides the majority of the weaponry. The arms travel overland to Egypt, through a variety of routes that cross Yemen, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and South Africa and eventually meet in Sudan, where they are moved to Egypt’s Sinai desert. After the materiel enters the Sinai, it is transferred into Gaza via tunnels underneath the “Philadelphia Corridor,” the Gaza-Egypt border that runs through the city of Rafah. Less frequently, arms are moved to Gaza via the Mediterranean Sea: the weapons are deposited in waterproof barrels submerged below the surface and tied to buoys eventually retrieved by fishermen.

WOMEN JOURNALISTS WITHOUT CHAINS EXPRESS IT’S SOLIDARITY WITH STUDENTS MOVEMENT ACTIVISTS AND CONDEMNS VIOLENT AGGRESSION ON JOURNALISTS AND CITIZENS EXERTING THEIR RIGHTS OF PEACEFUL ASSEMBLING AND MOVEMENT EXPRESSION.

Women Journalists Without Chains ( WJWC) pursue the frightening degradation of rights and freedoms in Yemen, on its frontage students freedoms and opinion and expression freedoms in its twins press freedoms and freedom of assembly and movement expression.

While WJWC condemns what is facing the students movement in the universities of Sana’a, Aden and Taiz, such illegal arresting and aggressions by security institutions due to political working, WJWC also detest security systems surrounding students the settled students in collogues of Aden University today 29-11-2008 for participating the anniversary of 30th of November and pointing fire guns at their faces. (Read on …)

Good News

Saba: SANA’A, Dec. 04 (Saba) – Journalist Abdul Karim al-Khaiwani is now allowed to head for Egypt to attend a human right conference after he was blocked last Sunday from traveling by the Passport Administration at the Sana’a International Airport.

The conference would be hosted by the Egyptian National Council for Human Rights and sponsored by the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR).

Al-Khaiwani was blocked last Sunday by the Passport Administration at the Sana’a International Airport from traveling to Egypt on the grounds he was sentenced to jail.

Al-Khaiwani told the newsyemen.net that the General Prosecution has issued a circular based on a letter from the head of the Yemeni Journalist Syndicate Nasr Taha Mustapha to take his name off the list of those prevented from traveling abroad.

He added the circular was sent to all concerned security authorities.

The circular clarified that journalist Abdul Karim al-Khaiwani was among those blocked from traveling abroad as he was on trial, but he was now freed.

The General Prosecution also ordered to allow al-Khaiwani to travel and stop hindering him.

In this context, Mustapha said he personally spoke to judicial authorities to cooperate with the journalist, saying I called the Attorney General who instructed the Specialized Penal Court to talk to the Passport Administration to allow Khaiwani travel.

Journalist Abdul Karim al-Khaiwani was sentenced earlier to six years in prison in connection with convictions related to supporting the rebellion in the northern province of Saada.

But he was later pardoned and released by President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s orders.

Interview with al-Khaiwani in Menassat:

SANAA, December 4, 2008 (MENASSAT)—Abdulkarim Al-Khaiwani, 43, has been working for over fifteen years in Yemen, where he has faced blatant censorship, including a four-year ban on his work. Al-Khaiwani has been in and out of prison, interrogated, threatened, harassed, and beaten for his writings.

He wrote about issues such as the abuse of power in the government, corruption in the economic and petroleum sectors, the human rights violations in North Yemen against followers of the insurgent Hussein Al-Houthi, and prisoners’ rights.

In 2004, the journalist took a lead position in the editorial staff of the opposition paper Al-Shoura, and in December he was sentenced to one year in jail for insulting the president. He ended up serving only seven months thanks to international and local pressure to release him.

Three years later, on June 20, 2007, al-Khaiwani’s house was raided and he was officially charged with “plotting to topple the ruling regime.” He served one month in jail and ended up writing a report on prison culture in Yemen. He was released and pardoned because of health problems.

At the time, rumors circulated that al-Khaiwani had to promise to renounce all “anti-government activity” in exchange for his release. But upon his release, al-Khaiwani said he had made no promises, and that he would continue to work “within the law and the constitution.”

So the travel ban does not come as a big surprise, especially since Al-Khaiwani was invited to attend the 3rd Arab Free Press Forum, which takes place in Beirut on December 12-13.

MENASSAT: Did you expect this ban?

ABDULKARIM AL-KHAIWANI: “After I got out of jail, I heard from some people with official connections that I would face some difficulties when traveling. But it was difficult to be sure until I went to the airport.

“When I reached the airport [on November 30], I found that my name was still on the black list without any directions having been given to remove it. I tried to convince the airport security forces that I had received a presidential pardon, but they didn’t receive any clear directions to allow me to travel.

“We started hearing other news about the possibility of my being arrested again, similar to what happened in November 2006. Then, I was banned from traveling to participate in a regional conference in Morocco. I was taken from the airport straight to the Interior Ministry.”

MENASSAT: What does this ban mean?

“It means that I’m subject to house arrest.”

MENASSAT: Does it also mean your file is not closed yet?

“The file was supposed to be closed by a presidential decision, but the ban means that the decision is only suspended and still open for some time. There is no legal problem, but it means that my constitutional rights, including the freedom to travel and the freedom of movement, have been taken away from me. It might be just an administrative, procedural or technical mistake, but there has not been any official statement released about this.”

MENASSAT: Why do you think they won’t let you travel outside Yemen?

“There are some who don’t want me to participate in any regional human rights or media conference, because they know that I will speak out about the human rights abuses and the lack of freedom in my country.

“But if the ban is used as an attempt to prevent me from revealing facts to others, it will not be useful, since the lack of freedom in Yemen is no longer a mystery. There are organizations, newspapers and websites noting everything that it happening. But some still think that they are doing the regime a favor by banning me from traveling. The fact is that they are harming the regime.”

MENASSAT: Is this some sort of a punishment?

“Yes.”

MENASSAT: Have you tried to challenge the authorities over your travel ban?

“I sent a memo to the general attorney and he answered to the specialized criminal court, saying there is no reason for banning me from traveling. But there wasn’t anybody in the court that day; it was the end of working hours and the beginning of the holidays. Until now, we didn’t get any official reactions.”

MENASSAT: Has this ban made you doubt the presidential pardon?

“This is a question for the president. This action makes me doubt the decision and the presidential pardon. I think there is something missing here, and that the president should be forced to defend his decisions and policies. This matter will erase the trust and credibility, which is based on following and defending the law. What is happening tarnishes our image.”

MENASSAT: What do you expect will happen now?

“I still feel that I’m in danger and my situation is difficult, especially on the family and social levels.”

MENASSAT Do you think you might be arrested again?

“I hope not—for my sake and for my country’s. But I think everything is possible… It is a serious and dangerous situation. The biggest question is: where are we going?”

We, the undersigned, are activists and human rights defenders, who, individually and in association with others, strive for the protection and realization of fundamental freedoms as well as the economical, social, cultural, civil and political rights in Bahrain and abroad.

On basis of the Declaration articles recognizing the right and the responsibility of individuals, groups and associations to promote respect for, and foster knowledge of, human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels, known as “the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders” which was adopted by the UN General Assembly on December 9, 1998. In particular, reference is made to Article 1, which states that (Read on …)

The leader of the Yemeni Soldiers Brigades claimed the Yemeni state participates in terror attacks for political gain. by Jane Novak, cross posted at the Long War Journal

Yemen’s security forces have repeatedly orchestrated terror attacks within Yemen in order to manipulate US and international perceptions, the most wanted fugitive in September’s terror attack on the US Embassy in Sana’a said in an interview Tuesday.

Hamza Ali Saleh al Dhayani (also Aldhaini, al Dhajani) is a prime suspect in the September 17 suicide attack on the US Embassy that killed 16, including an American citizen. Yemen also named al Dhayani as a suspect in March’s mortar attack on the US Embassy.

Officials earlier announced Dhayani was the recruiter and driving instructor for the suicide car bomber who murdered eight elderly Spanish tourists in Mareb in July 2007. Dhayani is Mareb under the protection of Jahm tribe and granted the interview to Mareb Press after taking several security precautions.

“I am ready to prove the reality that some attacks were planned in co-ordination and agreement of the Political Security and its agents to gain foreign support and to confirm to America that they (the Yemeni state) launch war against terrorism,” Dhayani said in the explosive interview. (Read on …)

That’s hysterical! Kim Jung Il says Yemen’s example of the domination of South Yemen is the one he wants to follow in the re-unification of North and South Korea. When the one of the most totalitarian regimes on earth praises you as an example, things aren’t going well. But probably the Yemeni delegation is just buying more missiles.

Yemen’s unity an example to follow: WPK
Monday, 01-December-2008
Almotamar.net – Talks have been held in the Korean capital Pyong Yang on Sunday between the General People’s Congress GPC, the ruling party in Yemen and the Workers Party of Korea in which the two parties discussed different issues related to developing relation between the two parties, exchange of viewpoints in political aspects and stands towards international issues in the way guaranteeing peace and security for all world peoples.

The visiting delegation of the GPC, led by Abdullah Ahmed Ghanim, reviewed in the meeting the political and developmental life in Yemen and conveyed greetings of President Ali Abdullah Saleh and the GPC leadership to the Korean President Kim Jung Il and the Korean people, confirming Yemen’s support for the efforts exerted for unification of the Korean nation.

The Korean party expressed their appreciation of Yemen’s support, government and people, for efforts aimed at realisation of reunification of Korea, considering Yemen’s unity an example to follow suite.

The GPC delegation chaired by Head of the Political Office , the member of the General Committee Abdullah Ghanim and membership of the Head of the Information Office Tareq al-Shamy and Mujib al-Anisi , Deputy Head of the Political Office had left for the Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea last Tuesday.

Global crises, natural disaster shake Yemen’s economy
—————————————————–

Jane Novak For the Yemen Times

SANA’A, Nov. 29 — Yemen’s oil-reliant economy is in trouble. Known oil reserves are depleting. Low global oil prices make economic diversification and budgetary rationalization urgent concerns. The outbreak of piracy in the Gulf of Aden harms potential growth sectors including Aden port, off-shore oil blocks and Yemen’s LNG project. Swelling numbers of Somali refugees, as well as Somali pirates, burden the economy. The struggling non-oil economy was dealt a blow from devastating floods in October. These factors combine to create an economic storm brewing on the horizon of 2009.

Dwindling oil supports irrational spending

Oil revenues fund over seventy per cent of state spending. Confirmed deposits are dwindling and will be largely exhausted within a decade. Production decreased from the 2002 high of 460,000 bbd to about 300,000 bbd in 2008 as blocks 14 and 35 begin to bottom out. High oil prices previously offset production declines, but oil prices dropped from over USD 120 in July to under USD 50 in November. The 2009 state budget is based on the expectation of higher sale prices and includes a deficit of seven percent of GDP.

Efforts at fiscal rationalization and budgetary restraint have been weak and inconsistent. Oil subsidies account for a third of spending and benefit large scale oil smugglers as well as the poor. About a quarter of the budget is lost to corruption, but few high officials face legal proceedings. In November, the Al-Saleh Mosque opened in Sana’a at a cost of USD 60 million amid concerns development programs are underfunded.

Yemen is in a water crisis; 2007 spending on the water sector was 1.1% of GDP. With unemployment estimated at 40%, social security funding totaled 1.1%. Health care services cover only half the nation. Health sector spending was 3.1%. Military spending consumes about 7% of GDP, among the highest in the world.

Expenditures for the Sa’ada war (2004-2008) are estimated at over YR one billion. Although a truce has been reached with the rebels, the state is in negotiations with the Chinese firm Chin Shida on new weapons purchases. It also contracted with the Ukrainian defense ministry (Odesaremservis) to upgrade Yemen’s fleet of 47 RSK Mig-21’s at a cost of several million dollars each. The work will enable the Migs and Yemen’s L-39 trainers to deploy precision guided weapons. With the anticipated drop in oil revenue, unabated high military spending will undermine already meager basic services. Transition to a non-oil economy is another urgent concern that faces an array of challenges.

Somalia launches pirates and refugees

Yemen’s coastal location is a foundation of its economic growth strategy. However, instability in Somalia triggered a spike in piracy that is disrupting maritime shipping in the Gulf of Aden. The fourth bidding round for Yemen’s eleven off shore oil blocks was postponed in August in part due to international concerns about security and sky rocketing insurance rates.

High insurance costs also negatively impact Yemen’s USD 4 billion liquefied natural gas project scheduled to come on line in May 2009. Yemen LNG, a consortium led by TOTAL, will have a capacity of 6.7 million tons per year and ship from Bal Haf Harbor, about 75 km from the epicenter of piracy. Likewise the renovation of Port Aden by Dubai Ports World is a linchpin of Yemen’s economic diversification efforts. Security concerns led Norwegian shipping group Odfjell to discontinue sailing through the Gulf of Aden, and others may follow suit.

Chaos in Somalia means Yemen has to deal with refugees as well as pirates. A signatory of the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol, Yemen provides automatic refugee status to those fleeing war. About 38,000 Somali migrants crossed the Bab al Mendab this year, and Somali refugees in Yemen are estimated to exceed a quarter million. Already burdened with a 43% poverty rate and 46% child malnutrition, the state has little to offer refugees in terms of immediate assistance or economic opportunities. Concrete international aid for Somalis in Yemen is slight.

Floods wash away non-oil industries

In Yemen’s worst natural disaster in recent history, flash floods in October killed 90, damaged over 3000 houses and affected over 650,000 people according to international estimates. The massive flooding in Hadramout and al-Mahara left 30,000 in need of permanent shelter.

Infrastructure damage includes roads, schools, telephone pylons, bridges, health centers and water facilities. Relief efforts focused on humanitarian concerns of food and shelter. Environmental issues were largely unaddressed the first weeks. Consequently, the region is at risk for the outbreak of contagious diseases.

The natural disaster hit the fledgling non-oil sector of the economy. Thousands of farmers, bee-keepers and fishermen lost their livelihood and need both immediate and long term assistance. International agencies estimate damages and loss of income will exceed USD one billion.

The financial shock of the floods by itself would be difficult to absorb, even with generous international aid. The simultaneous occurrences of three shocks – the global financial crisis, piracy and the floods – magnifies their impact, and combined, threaten fiscal sustainability. Immediate and robust action on the part of the state is required to address the looming economic challenge.

well thats awfully nice of them

BOSASSO, Somalia (Reuters) - Somali pirates have agreed to release a Yemeni cargo ship, the MV Amani, without ransom, after negotiations between the hijackers, local elders and provincial officials, a minister said on Friday.

“No ransom was paid, but after negotiations, the pirates will get off the ship soon. The Yemeni ship will be released in the coming hours,” Ali Abdi Aware, state minister of the northern province of Puntland, told Reuters.

The ship was seized on November 25 in the Gulf of Aden. No other details about the vessel, its crew and cargo were available.

Aware said the Yemeni ambassador to Somalia was also in Puntland to participate in the negotiations to release the ship.

A surge in piracy in the Gulf of Aden has sent foreign warships rushing to the area, but the attacks continue despite the huge presence of international forces.

In a separate development, a Kenyan maritime official said on Sunday that gunmen who captured a Ukrainian ship carrying 33 tanks and other military hardware had reached a deal with its owners to release the vessel.

The pirates and owners of the MV Faina were discussing arrangements for delivering the money, said Andrew Mwangura of the East African Seafarers’ Assistance Programme.

The pirates had previously demanded a $20 million ransom.

aha, sat down and had a chat, they did

Mareeg:

Somali President Yusuf urged the hijackers to release the Yemeni ship immediately and unconditionally, threatening that they will face a fierce confrontation if they do not heed his call. He also warned Somali businessmen operating between Somali and Yemeni ports that “our Yemeni brothers have a similar culture and hot weather like Somalia,” noting that the Yemeni authorities can intercept ships and freighters owned by Somali businessmen in retaliation for the hijacking of the Yemeni ships off the Somali coasts. Somali sources said that some Somali businessmen, who are involved in acts of piracy and who support the hijackers of Arab and foreign ships off the Somali coasts, have their businesses headquartered in the capitals of the Arab Gulf, Djibouti, and Kenya.

Ali Abdi Awara, minister of state in the Puntland province, has vowed that the Puntland forces will storm the hijacked Yemeni ship if the pirates refuse to release her without being paid a ransom. He said: “We will release the hijacked Yemeni ship by force if they do not release it without payment of ransom, because we are linked to Yemen by good relations.”

Yemen Post: Many demonstrations were held in various districts of Ibb province in protest against what protestors claim is the election expropriation and the coup against democracy.

Thousands of people rallied in the Thi Sufal district, Al-Qaeda city, denouncing the government’s measures to tackle the economic and political crises the country is experiencing. At the rally, Abdul Salam al-Khadiri delivered the speech of the Opposition’s Party Coalition, Joint Meeting Parties JMP, in which he said the gathering came as a result of the state’s deteriorating conditions in the country and that it was evidence for the sense of national responsibility.

He called on what he labeled as the ruling party wise men to put the country’s interests ahead of their own and narrow party interests. However, the gathering’s communiqué affirmed the importance of the public alignment to pull the country out of devastating policies created by the current government and the ruling party. The statement said standing differences will not be tackled except by a peaceful transition of power as well as fair, transparent and free elections.

Will it have a revolving door?

SANA’A, NewsYemen

The Defense Ministry’s news website 26sep.net reported last Thursday that the Yemeni government has completed measures to establish a center for receiving Yemeni detainees in the U.S Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.

The source said the center would help get the returnees rehabilitated into society. The government has prepared a program to qualify returnees and treat them with dignity. The center will also help persuade other extremists to renounce violence, said the source.

This statement came one day after the Yemeni government received the Osama Bin Laden ex-driver Salim Hamdan from the U.S. authorities after five- year imprisonment in Guantanamo.

Hamdan, who arrived in Yemen on Wednesday, will serve out his remaining prison sentence in a state security prison in Sana’a until December 27, according to the Pentagon.

Slate article by Ginny Hill:

Barack Obama’s foreign-policy advisers must be hoping that Yemen’s president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, is ready to pull a rabbit out of his mashadda. If Obama is determined to close Guantanamo when he takes office, he’ll have to strike a deal with Saleh over repatriation conditions for dozens of Yemeni men who are currently stuck in diplomatic limbo.

More than 100 Yemenis have been detained at Guantanamo since January 2002, and they now constitute the largest national population group remaining at the camp. Only 14 Yemenis (including the body of one detainee who committed suicide) have been flown home. At least 11 other Yemenis have been officially approved for release, and there are many more who are unlikely ever to face trial.

President Obama could simply put the Yemenis on the next flight home, according to Appeal for Justice’s legal director, David Remes. “If we want them to go home, we’ll have to leave it to Yemen to decide what to do with them when they get there,” says Remes, who represents 16 Yemeni clients in Guantanamo. However, the U.S. government has been reluctant to turn the Yemeni detainees over to a country that seems unable or unwilling to control terrorism within its own borders.

Yemen is a weak, incomplete state on the southwestern tip of the Arabian Peninsula. It’s a sham democracy where the tribes are heavily armed and power is brokered through personal ties and patronage payments. Twenty million Arabs inhabit one of the poorest nations on earth—a country of kickbacks and corruption, with a highly factionalized elite and a head of state who belongs to the longest-serving world-leaders club.

President Saleh has survived three decades at the top by striking deals with tribal proxies, but his divide-and-rule strategy has turned crisis management into a permanent condition. “Saleh is dealing with an on-again, off-again civil war in the north, economic and political unrest in the south, and al-Qaida in between,” says Remes.

Violent jihad has been increasing since 2003, when 26 prominent terrorist suspects escaped from a high-security Yemeni prison by tunnelling their way into the bathroom of a local mosque. Central courts have limited reach, so President Saleh favors surrender-and-release deals, in which terrorist suspects-turned-informers are set free on a promise of good behavior. On Nov. 8, Yemen’s appeal court halved the 10-year jail term of convicted militant Jaber al-Banna, a U.S.-Yemeni citizen who earned a place on the FBI’s “most wanted” list for providing material support to a terrorist organization.

Yemen’s terrorist circus could be described as farcical if the consequences weren’t so tragic. In 1998, four Western tourists were taken hostage by an Islamist group and killed in a bungled rescue raid by Yemeni security forces. In October 2000, 17 U.S. soldiers died in Aden harbor when the USS Cole was bombed during a refueling stop. (Read on …)