Armies of Liberation

Blaming democracy not corruption.

Yemen Online

Yemen: “We don’t need a country the government of which doesn’t at all respect its own nationals.” A Yemeni tribe in Al-Jawf stated.
YemenOnline. Feb 22 – A number of Al Heridan – Almahashimah tribesmen in Al-Jawf governorate demanded withdrawal of all the government’s troops and military equipment off their land because they do not need a country the government of which doesn’t at all respect its own nationals. “Yemen Government practices all standards of racism and nepotism against us, and we are being marginalized in every aspect of our own rights.” said Al Heridan – Almahashimah tribesmen in a letter addressed to civil society organizations concerned in human rights issues. Calling on Saudi Arabia to embrace the tribe, the letter confirmed that Al Heridan – Almahashimah tribe does no longer need a system that overlooked them.

Yemen Online

Yemen Should be a Kingdome, seriously said Shiekh Mabkhoot Bin Hadhal.

YemenOnline, Special. Feb, 22 – “Yemen should be a Kingdome, and President Ali Saleh should be a king.” seriously said Shiekh Mabkhoot Bin Hadhal, Marib governorate in a special statement to YemenOnline. “My own point of view, which a huge number of Yemeni people share with me, is that Yemen’s democratic system is to be cancelled. We no longer need any political parties or the Parliament itself due to the fact that those parties proved to be just headache and they caused us a lot of troubles at all levels, even at the family level”, he added.”Huge amounts of money are wasted inefficiently on the electoral process which is in turn corrupt.”, he stated, highlighting the fact that Yemen is surrounded by Gulf Kingdoms and it is much better for Yemen to be a Kingdome too.”This is going to make it a lot easier for Yemen to join Gulf Cooperation Council” he added, expecting a strong denouncement among Yemeni political system and even among opposition parties themselves.”An 18-year of failure is enough to prove that the democratic experience is useless.”, he commented.

No not yet, al Motamar

On the other hand members of parliament received today a letter signed a number of religious men, t the forefront of who is the member of the Higher Body of the Islah Party, the President of Al-Eman University Sheikh Abdulmajid al-Zandani. The message mentioned that limiting girls marriage is a restraint f what the Sharia permitted , considering the amendment of the article in the law of personal status on determining marriage age by 17 years is unconstitutional a the Islamic Law id the source of legislations , according to the constitution of Yemen.

It is worth to mention that the amendment that the parliament has previously approved has been returned to parliament for more deliberations in response to proposal by MPs from the specialized committee and the Islah bloc.

The Talabanization of Yemen may have reached a tipping point.
Update: Maybe. Knives not guns?

Yemeni extremists in Taiz governorate attacked motels scattered over Saber Mountain. YemenOnline Feb 22 – A group of masked Yemeni religious extremists with knives and torches attacked small motels scattering over Saber Mountain, and started stabbing inhabitants and setting fire all over the places. While the attackers managed to escape, they left behind some serious injuries and burnt-down places.

It is clear that a wave of religious extremism has spread among young people in Taiz governorate, and that a number of religious parties took advantage of the recent events in Gaza Strip in particular, to serve their political objectives.

Update: One person was seriously injured and 13 other wounded. The location is a resort, not actually a hotel, a casino type resturant. There were about 20 attackers. Several other tourist areas were previously attacked.

Naba

Scenes of bloody terrible, almost a form of Legends of Hollywood .. متطرفون ملثمون يحملون السكاكين بيد، ومشاعل النيران بيد أخرى، ويغزون استراحات سياحية بجبل صبر بتعز مكبرين باسم الله.. Extremists, however, masked men wielding knives, flares and fire, however, and tourist bars invade Mount Ptaz binoculars patience in God’s name .. يثبون على الناس، وبعد كل صيحة “الله أكبر” يغرسون سكاكينهم في الرؤوس، والصدور، وأي جزء من أجساد مَن ظفروا بهم.. Ithbon on people, after all the cry of “Allahu Akbar” Egrson knives in the head, and chests, and any part of the body of them won .. ويضرمون النيران في كل مكان منها.. And setting fire to each place

No nukes, sorry. Not AQAP anyway. Access to chemical weapons for sure, but not nukes. But a LNG tanker, as opposed to an oil tanker, also makes a hell of a weapon.

The following is quite a good article at Jamestown by Abdul Hameed Bakier, on Wahishi’s statements and well worth a full read. Some excerpts below:

In a recent interview posted to jihadi websites, al-Qaeda’s leader in Yemen claims the organization possesses nuclear weapons and vows to attack U.S. and Western interests to compel them to withdraw their forces from the region (hanein.info, January 27).

According to the interview, the leader of al-Qaeda in Yemen, 33-year-old Nasir Abdul Kareem al-Wahayshi (a.k.a. Abu Basir), was Osama Bin Laden’s secretary until he was arrested by Iran and extradited to Yemen in February 2002. Al-Wahayshi has been a fugitive since he escaped from a Yemeni prison in 2006 (see Terrorism Focus, February 7, 2006; March 18, 2008). In 2008, the second man in al-Qaeda, Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri, commended al-Wahayshi and named him the Amir of Mujahideen in Yemen. (Read on …)

OK the Saudis are peeved. This is a big move. It reminds me of when the US canceled the MCC award and the Forum for the Future after al Badawi was released.

Why would the Saudis be peeved? Maybe Yemen’s false announcement on the seven captured Saudi al Qaeda that wasn’t true, and which Yemen’s news agency retracted today. Maybe its the rest of the BS that Saleh is shoveling lately as counter-terrorism including the release of al Qaeda prisoners to fight the Southerners. About third of the six billion promised at the 2006 donors conference came from Saudi Arabia. The other Gulf states also ponied up substantial funds.

Yemen says they canceled the donors’ meeting because of a conflict in scheduling with a conference on Gaza.

Yemen, Donors delay third consultative meeting

SANA’A, Feb. 20 (Saba) – Yemen and its Development partners of donor countries, organizations and funds agreed on Friday delaying the third consultative meeting.

The date of the meeting, which was to be held next Sunday in Sana’a, will be set later, head of the Foreign Aid Coordination Unit at the Planning and International Cooperation Ministry Nabil Shaiban said. (Read on …)

Yay!!! What a nice story this is. “Our heroes fulfilled their promise when they said, ‘We will win and honor Yemen.’ ”

Yemen Observer: Yemen’s Special Olympics floor hockey team have become world champions for the first time in the country’s history, after their crushing defeat of the Swedish team 5-1, in the finals in the US.

During the final match, attended by thousands of hockey fans in Idaho, the Yemeni national team played aggressively, scoring a goal at the first minutes of the match. During the first half, the Yemeni team played extremely aggressively, scoring two goals.

The Yemeni team continued their attack during the second half, bolstering their score by scoring their third goal. It was also during the second half that the Swedish team scored their only goal in the match.

Al Jawf is where the regime threw out the independent governor elected by the local council, made him an ambassador or something. The government said the election was irregular, what was irregular about it was the GPC didn’t win. But Saleh ultimately appointed a GPC loyalist as al Jawf governor.

And they just dont get it. Its really a thug mentality. Saleh’s apparatus is making a big stink about the fact that the JMP is trying to include the Houthis and the Southern movement in its coalition. “The enemies of the State,” they are called; however political inclusion is a GOOD thing. The total exclusion of authentic southern representatives is what drove the southerners to the streets in the first place.

The GPC/State put out a report a few years ago defining the primary cause of foreigner kidnapping as tribal exclusion from development projects, employment, education and political participation. But nothing happened, no policy shift at all, just more kidnappings. Saleh is not one to unclench his fist, as the O would say. So now we have Saleh courting the Sheikhs in al Jawf and not suceeeding as well as he’s like:

YemenOnline. Feb 17, 2009 – President of Yemen Ali Saleh met for the second time today with AL-Jawf Shiekhs to address Al-Houthis’ influence in Al-Jouf governorate.

The President emphasized the importance of maintaining solidarity and cooperation in reducing Al-Houthis’ influence in the governorate.

More than a hundred Shiekhs attended. Yet, senior Shiekhs did not, despite they had already been informed. Learned sources commented that the outcome of the meeting was not positive as expected

I posted the story of the murder of the Yemeni Rabbi at another website a while ago, and one of the commenters there said, “This is why there needs to be an Israel”. And its true. Where would they go to be safe otherwise? They used to be safe in Yemen, although assigned to Dhimmitude not equality, an irksome concept. But the rise in fanatacism makes Yemen a dangerous place for a lot of people now. There are fellow Yemenis trying to achieve justice and security for the Yemeni Jewish citizens, HOOD for example, but its quite an uphill battle. Another interesting part of this story is the clandestine airlift. Unnamed Yemeni government sources are saying it was via Eritrea, of course.

Ynet

For Sa’adia Ben-Yisrael in Yemen, the grenade thrown at his family’s home proved the final straw. Under the cover of secrecy, a group of ten Jews, nine of them members of the Ben-Yisrael family, left their Arab homeland for Israel.

Landing in Tel Aviv on Thursday afternoon, Sa’adia, his wife and their seven children seemed overwhelmed by the media attention that welcomed them to their new home. Also waiting for them were representatives from the Jewish Agency, which helped organize the clandestine airlift.

A prominent member of Yemen’s tiny Jewish sector, Sa’adi said ultra-Orthodox members of the anti-Zionist ‘Neturei Karta’ sect tried to convince him not to make aliyah. “But I’m very glad that I cam to the Holy Land, me and my family,” he said….

Ezra Tzubari, Ben-Yisrael’s cousin, said he hoped the family’s decision would encourage others to do the same. “To the people still there in Yemen who are even a little in danger – just come here and see this completely different world,” he said. There are currently 280 Jews remaining in Yemen. Most of them, nearly 230 people, reside in Raida. The rest are in Sanaa.

Are these actually two people: the first returned to SA, Abu al-Hareth Muhammad al-Oufi, Gitmo #333, and the second returned today, Ahmed Owaidan Al Harbi?

Yemen reports a second repatriation from Yemen to Saudia Arabia today of Ahmed Owaidan al-Harbi. This is following on the heels of the return of Abu al-Hareth Muhammad al-Oufi, the Gitmo detainee 333. We’re good up to this point.

The NYT previously said the first, Abu Hareth Muhammad al-Awfi (al-Oufi) was identified in the vid as Mohamed Atiq Awayd al-Harbi. Probably related to Ahmed Owaidan Al Harbi, but gee, the names are very similiar. The Saudi list of the 85 has one name that is close to both with a third spelling, al Aufi:

73- Mohammed Otaik Owaid Al-Aufi Al-Harbi, Saudi

and more

15- Badr Saud Owaid Al-Aufi Al-Harbi, Saudi

26- Khaled Saleem Owaid Al-Luhaibi Al-Harbi, Saudi

29- Rayed Abdullah Salim Al-Zahiri Al-Harbi, Saudi

43- Abdullah Abdul Rahman Mohammed Al-Harbi, Saudi

60- Fayez Ghuneim Hameed Al-Hijri Al-Harbi, Saudi

SAN’A, Yemen (AP) — Yemen says it has handed over another alleged al-Qaida operative to authorities in Saudi Arabia.

The Interior Ministry says it sent back the Saudi national, Ahmed Owaidan al-Harbi, on Thursday, 20 days after his arrest in eastern Yemen. The ministry hasn’t released any details on al-Harbi’s case.

The extradition comes two days after Yemen returned another Saudi national who was once held at the U.S. prison in Guantanamo and later became an al-Qaida operative in Yemen. Officials say that suspect, Abu al-Hareth Muhammad al-Oufi, surrendered himself.

So al Harbi was arrested Jan 30/31? The vid came out on Jan 25. There was a lot of hunting, the arrest of the Kuwaiti, and other round-ups that week. The Saudi list of the 85 was published Feb. 3 after a visit from the Saudi Interior Minister. Al Harbi imay be a family member of al Awfi with a similiar name who was arrested prior to the publication of the list. But you never know what to believe with the Yemeni regime, they lie more than they tell the truth.

Its strange that SA says they have no notice of seven Saudis that the Yemeni regime previously announced they arrested. Maybe its something else, maybe Yemen is spinning the international media.

Yahya’s boy, Naba News, is oddly not responding to my query on their reporting. However, nearly all international organizations in Yemen are penetrated by regime informants. The UNHRC is not performing well for a variety of reasons and many, many in dire need are not assisted including Somali refugees and Christian converts.

Since I published the article from Yemen Online, I’ve heard from quite a few refugees in Yemen who are desperate for any kind of assistance and begging for their lives. I will document what I can, but the risks sometimes outweigh the benefits when it comes to the UN and Yemen. The UNHCR’s rebuttal is at Yemen Online, at least they published it. But really, Yemen is a Stalinistic system, are we going to pretend forever?

YemenOnline, Special. Feb 24 – YemenOnline received today a clarification email from Mr. Andrew Knight, UNHCR-Yemen Office in response to an article that YemenOnline had published on its website in February 18, 2009 concerning an Iraqi protest at the gate of UNHCR’s office in Sana’a.

“No such protest took place at any of our offices in Yemen and there was certainly no raging environment with a number of discontented Iraqi families headed for the gate of UNHCR office Mr. Andrew Knight confirmed in his email.

Stressing that “the picture accompanying the article is not of UNHCR’s offices in Sana’a or even in Yemen.”, he added that it was just “ONE male Iraqi refugee” who came to the office to renew his family’s documents for the coming year, and when physical presence of his family members was required, according to UNHCR security policy, he “proceeded in anger to tear up his papers and then threw them at our reception staff.”

“With regard to the US$ 10,000 that has to be paid to staff in order for the resettlement documents to be processed, Mr. Knight confirmed that “this is certainly not UNHCR policy and, if anybody has an allegation to make, UNHCR strongly encourages them approach the office and submit their allegation with evidence. The Office takes these issues very seriously and an investigation will be carried on any substantiated reports of resettlement fraud”

In fact, YemenOnline published the abovementioned article based on a report published on Nabanews website which is run by an Iraqi national resident in Yemen.

Background, for years there has been an issue:

IRIN report on Somai refugees 2005 protests: “They say they’re ready to die, one by one, if the UNHCR doesn’t give them their rights,” added Zeyad.

One of the refugees’ chief demands is that their national identity cards, which allow them to work and send their children to school, be renewed.

Many of the refugees complain that, once IDs expire, they are unable to exercise their legal rights as legal residents. “Our children can’t go to school and we can’t work without them,” said Abdullah Adam, a refugee in Yemen for 15 years. “We want the UNHCR to renew our cards.”

The refugees in Yemen are a burden and the camps they go to are horrible, but no one wants to annoy the regime too much:

“Yemen has carried a major burden in dealing with irregular migratory movements in the region, yet has maintained an open-door policy to
refugees,” said Claire Bourgeois, UNHCR’s Representative in Yemen.
“Support from the international community however remains an absolute
necessity.” UN

Spin and lie fast enough and everyone will be too confused to walk, like that the story of the rats twirled in a bag. Or maybe they are turning them.

Al Watan reports the Saudi Arabia doesn’t have any information on the arrest of seven Saudi al Qaeda highly publicized by the Yemeni regime last week.

And the other pressure point to be considered in the overall picture is Saleh’s ability to manipulate Saudi Arabia (like the US) through playing the terror card, and its been suggested, to dampen any enthusiasm SA may have for the Southern seperatist movement. The southern mobility is among the foremost threats to Saleh’s throne.

Update: below forum reactions to al Wahishi surrender.

Update: English article at Yemen’s Official News Agency, sounds like somebody got a spanking:

KSA denies nationals arrested in Yemen

RIYADH, 20 (Saba) – A spokesman for the Saudi Interior ministry has denied reports that seven Saudi terrorism suspects were arrested in Yemen who received trainings in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Major General Mansour al-Turkey said Yemeni officials had told him the reports were untrue. (Read on …)

We knew this already, yes? That was the problem with the Somalis when they were demonstrating a year or two ago. The Somali refugees said the UN office in Yemen wasn’t processing paperwork (who’s paying for that slow down?) and discouraged them overtly. According to the Iraqi refugees, the UN office is extorting $10,000 to process documents.

There are some international orgs working in Yemen cleanly, like MSF for one, but others get sucked into the corrupt environment. Foreigners who can’t be bribed are sometimes overtly blackmailed or obliquely coerced by such tactics as threatened visa refusal.

This is part of the reason why Yemen, the real Yemen, is such a black hole, many Westerners go easy on the regime and self censor because those who don’t can’t come back and would lose their livelihood.

YemenOnline. Feb 18, 2009 – In a raging environment, a number of discontented Iraqi families headed for the gate of UNHCR office in Yemen where they tore up their own asylum and resettlement documents issued by UNHCR Yemen in protest to the degradation, ill-treatment and continuous extortion they received from UNHCR staff, as well as in protest to the violations against the international humanitarian laws.

A number of Iraqi refugees in Yemen said that UNHCR staff used to treat them with contempt and refuse to receive their resettlement documents to be processed and renewed. They added that a minimum of US$ 10,000 has to be paid to staff in order for the resettlement documents to be processed.

On a related note, Iraq issued a call for former Army officials to return, but there’s so many former Saddamists in high ranks in the Yemeni army now that I wouldn’t expect a mass migration of military personnel. The Saddamists impact on Yemeni policy, the military, the jihaddi rat trail and the Sa’ada War should not be underestimated, by any means. Thousands of Hussain’s officials and their money fled to Yemen at the start of the Iraq War.

Zawya

(AFP) – Iraq has invited soldiers who served under Saddam Hussein’s regime to come home or apply for their state pensions as part of a reconciliation process, the defence ministry spokesman said on Sunday.

The ministry is to send envoys to Iraqi embassies in Egypt, Jordan, Syria, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen to make contact with the ex-soldiers, General Mohammed al-Askari told AFP.

“The ministry’s decision aims to achieve national reconciliation” and “settle the issue of members of the former regime,” he said. Askari said that the former soldiers would “without exception” be given one month either to sort out their entitlement to a pension or to return to the ranks of the army….

According to another defence ministry official, an estimated 23,000 ex-Iraqi army soldiers, including 9,000 officers, have taken refuge in the five Arab countries.

Tries to inspire tribal resentment

al Babwa: The leader of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula is calling on Yemenis in a new audio recording to rise up against the government. The audio message was released on Jihadist Web sites Thursday. In it, Naser Abdel Karim al-Wahishi also calls on Arabs in Saudi Arabia and Gulf countries to help their brothers in Yemen.

According to the AP, Al-Wahishi is Yemen’s most wanted fugitive. He leads the formation which includes al-Qaeda in Yemen and Saudi Arabia. He was among 23 al-Qaeda figures who escaped from a Yemeni prison in 2006.

Its kind of funny that a variety of forums are using the banner with the four AQAP leaders to herald the announcement of the rantings and ramblings of Wahishi, when one of the four already cut out on him.

The whole underpinning of Yemen’s dialog program is to convince the Jihaddists, not that random acts of murder are wrong, but that Saleh is a good Muslim. Standard neo-Salafi dictates include not challenging the leader, even if he is a bad leader, as long as he is a good Muslim. (Zaidism requires action, but not necessarily force, against an unjust or incompetent ruler.) Thus external jihad was something Saleh aided and endorsed in public speeches. (Read on …)

a- The Yemeni Red Crescent is a tool of the state that does withhold humanitarian aid from those perceived as Houthi loyalists.

b- Why the heck was Faris Manna on the old mediation committee? Isn’t he an arms and drug smuggler? Saleh’s partner? There was quite an assortment of interesting characters, I didn’t realize Faris was on the committee with his cohorts. Another odd person on the mediation committee, or not that odd really is that old jihaddist, the current ambassador to Egypt, al Shamari. Is Hussain Manna, Gov of Saada, related to Faris Manna?

c- There’s tens of thousands still starving and displaced, mostly women and children. And the next war may start in al Jawf, Sa’ada six. There’s been little reconciliation, the prisoners have never been released despite the three (six?) announcements to the contrary since 2005.

Yemen Times: SA’ADA, Feb. 18 – A Houthi representative in Sa’ada has claimed that humanitarian assistance beneficiaries in the four internally displaced persons’ camps in Sa’ada are limited to pro-government locals, as Houthi followers have been evacuated despite the peace settlement.

“Sa’ada governor Hussein Manna is supervising the camps, and directs aid to his own village Al-Taleh,” said Saleh Habra Abdulmalik, spokesman for Al-Houthi.

Government officials could not be reached for comment.

Habra said that the humanitarian assistance whether through the Red Cross, Red Crescent or government agencies is distributed unfairly and is mostly given to a “privileged few”.

He specifically named the area of Bani Moath, which according to him had not received any assistance except once in 2004. Habra praised Medicine Sans Frontiers as a “true humanitarian organization” that does not “differentiate between Houthis or non Houthis.” (Read on …)

This is pathetic. It must be so frustrating to live in a country with no judicial system, or actually a judicial system that functions as a political weapon.

Court Acquits al-Belad of Libel Against Rahma Hujaira
By: Radhia Khairan-Editor: Jane Novak

Two al Belad newspaper employees were acquitted of insult and libel charges brought on behalf of two civil activists, Rahma Juhaira and Hafeth al-Berari. The plaintiffs claimed they were libeled by a highly insulting article published by al Belad in 2005.

On Sunday, the Secretariat Northern-West district court acquitted the Editor-in-Chief of the al-Belad, Abdul-Malek al-Faishani, and journalist Ishak Mohammed al-Baseer. The court’s verdict found no tangible evidence against them for insult or libel. The charges were originally filed on May 25, 2005 by the Press and Publication Prosecutor.

Ms. Juhaira’s lawyers appealed the decision.

Rahma Hujaira is the chief of Media Women Forum (MWF) and her husband Hafeth al-Bekari is the Secretary General of Yemeni Lawyer Syndicate.

Journalist Isshak Mohammed al-Baseer wrote an inflammatory article insulting both claimants without evidence. Al-Belad newspaper published the article in its issue (no. 0).

Al-Khaiwani was convicted after his pardon (??!!), lets see what happens to al Qarni. I can almost hear Rodney Dangerfield: I was pardoned by President Saleh but somebody forgot to tell the judge.

Pardoned Comedian al-Qarni’s Second Trial Delayed:
The Court Awaits Prosecution Paperwork
By: Radhia Khairan-Jane Novak

The Western District Court of the Secretariat circuit Court set March 10 as the date for the Prosecution to bring a copy of Fahd al-Qarni’s presidential pardon. Four other defendants in the case are required to bring an explanatory argument.

In March 2006, the Press and Publication Prosecutor filed charges against Mr. al-Qarni, a well known entertainer and comedian. Mr. al-Qarni was charged with “insulting the Yemeni President” by disseminating two unauthorized cassettes of political humor in the genre of folk songs. The Cultural Ministry sued al-Qarni for producing two cassettes in which he made caustic jokes about the government and the ruling party, presided over by the President al-Saleh.

In the prior session, the Court ordered the Prosecution to bring a copy of al-Qarni’s presidential pardon. In yesterday’s trial, the court did not hear the explanatory defense or receive a copy of the pardon because the Prosecutor has not yet received a response from the General Prosecution.

Health issues prevented the defendant al-Qarni from attending the trial. He was represented by a lawyer assigned by The Allawo Law Firm who asked for a delay.

Interestingly, Al-Qarni had been tried as a fugitive and in absentia by one court while he was on trial in another.

The Western District Court of the Secretariat circuit labeled al-Qarni a “fugitive from justice” although the defendant was on trial in Taiz province. In the Taiz trial, al-Qarni was also charged with insulting the president. The case centered on a live comedy performance that included political humor. The Taiz court issued a guilty verdict and sentenced him to 18 months imprisonment and a fine of 500.000 YR(2500$) . The president granted al-Qarni a pardon after two months. Nevertheless, his case file was opened again later on.

Article19 and HOOD issued a statement calling for closing al-Qarni’s file before the Western District Court of the Secretariat circuit. HOOD seeks the application of the Presidential pardon decision for the second charge as well as the first.

There we go, a good articulation of the parties’ grievences and goals. And they are quite right, the system is stacked against them. The parties have been repeatedly and badly victimized by a variety of state organs following a political agenda. However, they are not inspiring any great confidence in their ability to lead by following the same authoritarian paradigms internally as a coalition and individually as parties. Hamid talks tough but there was that interval where no one knew where he stood.

Yemen Times: SANA’A, Feb. 15—The Joint Meeting Parties (JMP) last Thursday reiterated its rejection of ruling party General People’s Congress (GPC) preparations towards the parliamentary elections scheduled for next April, calling the elections “illegal”.

The JMP said in a statement circulated during a press conference held at Yemeni Socialist Party (YSP) premises that “the one-sided preparations are an aggression against the people’s rights to take part in free and credible elections. Therefore, there is neither value nor legitimacy for these elections and their results.”

The statement reviewed repressive measures against the opposition, including seizing YSP funds, and taking control of the Al-Shura newspaper, the mouthpiece of the Union of Popular Power, and its central office.

The government and its ruling party seized finances belonging to Al-Ba’th party, imposed a complete prohibition on Al-Haq party, fired members of the opposition from their jobs and aims to conduct elections amid dangerous national splits in the country, including problems in the south and consequences of the Sa’ada war, according to the statement. (Read on …)

Wow!!! That’s quite an incredible honor! I’m really overwhelmed and quite pleased. Hopefully I will get a photo soon, but I’m sure she is a BEAUTIFUL BABY. For now lets celebrate the arrival of my little namesake with a Jane lullabye, Sweet Jane, click here.

I’m too excited to blog anymore. I have to call the hubby. Later peeps.

The US could be running the drones with Yemen gov’t permission, or not. First was in Lahj and about a meter wide. This one was on Socotra. Maybe turbulence from the sandstorms blew it down. They are not even suggesting the drones are Iraninan, like they did a year or two ago.

Update: an English article from the ruling party:

Almotamar.net – The Interior Ministry of Yemen said Thursday security authorities in the district of Hadibu in Socotra Island found a small plastic skeleton of a pilotless aircraft in the area of Momi.

The Ministry clarified that the aircraft was with one wing and at the tail of it written in English ‘surveillance plane ‘, pointing out that later the authorities found the rest of the aircraft parts. The Ministry added that the drone body was sent the command of the naval brigade in the Socotra archipelago for examination.

(Read on …)

To see the list of blocked news and opinion websites, visit Yemen Portal: Blocked. Some of these are internet sites associated with newspapers of mainstream political organizations, others are independents and many are opposition. So the regime clogs up and slows down the entire internet with all the blocking and tracking software, but leaves the jihaddist forums and file sharing sites unmolested. Anwar Awlaki has a very popular blog, but pro-democracy bloggers get harrassed, threatened. blocked and hacked.

According to one expert, Yemenis comprise upto 5% of total users on jihaddist forums over the last several years, although internet penetration is very low nationally. Clearly the first step in combatting al Qaeda on a social level is to unblock the dissemination of the competing ideas.

Oh and the fanatics are denying the Saudi surrendered. They say he was captured- by the Yemenis. They posted the audio referenced below on a forum closely connected to Egyptian Islamic Jihad and AQ. Another message holds al Wahishi and the brothers in Yemen responsible for the safety of the “migrants”.

YemenOnline. Feb 18, 2009 – Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula denied in an audio recording – published on Medad Al-soyoof Network – the news circulated by some agencies that the Field Commander of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula Mohammed Al-Awafi turned himself in to Yemeni security authorities.

The audio recording confirmed that Al-Awafi was in fact arrested by Yemeni authorities which in turn extradited him to Saudi Arabia.