Armies of Liberation

Its so brutal. Click here for first hand testimony from tortured prisoners.

Amnesty International
PUBLIC STATEMENT
27 November 2009
Index: MDE 31/017/2009

Yemen: Government should announce commitment to tackle ‘widespread’ torture
(Read on …)

As the holiday of Eid al-Adha approaches, our thoughts are with tens of
thousands of displaced people in northern
Yemen who will not be able to celebrate Eid
in their own homes. (Read on …)

Alert net

SANAA, Nov 28 (Reuters) – Yemeni forces and Shi’ite rebels waged pitched battles on the outskirts of Saada on Saturday after regular troops thwarted an attempt by the insurgents to enter the northern city, a Yemeni military official said. (Read on …)

BBC: Assets (of Dubai World) include DP World, which caused a storm when trying to take over six US ports (and operates Aden Port.)

DPI corporate page here. Kuwait had a better bid than Dubai for Aden Port, but Dubai World got the contract, which was heavily weighed in their favor initially and even after the contract’s revision. But with DWI currently unable to pay its debts, development at Aden Port may stall. There is an the ongoing strike at Aden port for more than a year, prompted by DWI’s unfair labor practices. I have a copy of DWI’s employment contract and it allows for arbitrary dismissals among other discriminatory actions. DWI has called for the dismissal of union leaders. DWI took control of container operations in November 2008.

Yahoo: DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – A top Dubai finance official said the emirate fully expected fallout from its debt problems and assured foreign creditors that Dubai World’s request to postpone payment on some of its $60 billion in debt was “carefully planned.” (Read on …)

The video is of the assassination of a security chief who al Qaeda claimed was complicit in the death of al Harithy in 2002. What a crazy world, the poor guy. At least they didn’t behead him, the way these murderers do in other parts of the world. Its interesting the way al Harithy’s death is considered un-avenged, while Fawaz al Raibi’s 2006 killing didn’t strike the same tribal cord. One distinction is that the US killed al Harithy (and US citizen Kamal al Darwish) with Predator drone. Perhaps the broader message is a threat against the same type of (rather effective) aerial targeting of terrorist leadership by the US as occurs in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and in parts of Africa. The video doesn’t show the moment of death and follows the other “al Qaeda assassination” of the three security chiefs in revenge for the killing of Hamza al Qaiti that triggered the protests in Hadramout, demanding the regime bring the true killers to justice.

DUBAI, Nov 26 (Reuters) – Al Qaeda’s wing in Yemen said it shot dead an abducted Yemeni security official, and issued a video showing him on Islamist websites on Thursday.

“I advise people not to get involved in actions (such as mine) … and not to be drawn into working for American intelligence,” said a blindfolded man, identifying himself on the video as Bassam Tarbush, a provincial security official. (Read on …)

Video here and another here. I wonder how much of that (and I know nothing of weapons) is of US origin. The Saudis are using F15s and Apaches.The rebels have alleged that some of the strikes hit civilians. The Saudis have forceably returned Yemeni civilians fleeing the violence across the border back to the war zone. One of the few humanitarian aid corridors established crosses the Saudi border into northern Yemen. SA reports nine soldiers missing after rebels report their capture.

What follows is the Arab Sisters Forum press release on the escalating attacks on Amal Basha, head of the organization. She was repeatedly threatened, had a liquid sprayed in her face on the street, the headquarters was broken into and trashed, and the brakes on her car were cut in an assassination attempt.

Triggers for the attacks include advocacy for arbitrarily detained prisoners and a report on torture in Yemen submitted by several Yemeni human rights organizations to the UN which contributed to the UN’s findings on November 19th, expressing “grave concern” and calling for an investigation of unlawful killings (murder) by security forces.

Its actions like these that belie the Saleh regime’s commitment to both democracy and stability and expose the administration as a thuggish mafia whose only goals are staying in power and stealing money. (Read on …)

Tribes fighting each other don’t fight the state. The fighting moved into villages with medium weapons, killing people and destroying houses. One study found 90% of tribal wars revolved around water.

Yemen Post: At least six more people have been killed and dozens hurt since clashes erupted between tribes in Yemen’s central province of Dhamar.

Local sources told the Alsahwa website a land dispute was behind the war between the tribes of Bani Al-Ferasi and the tribes of Al-Amas, Da’adi’e and Bani Hassan in the district of Al-Hada. (Read on …)