Armies of Liberation

if its not loading, click the “watch on youtube” button

video via Yemen Rights Monitor blog

this is the draft, and yes, all protest movements around the nation signed off on it, I checked:

Draft Document: Demands of the Youth Revolution

We affirm that we will not leave the squares until the achievement of these demands. We also pledge to protect the revolution and its goals.

1. A peaceful end to the current regime and all its symbols. The dismissal of all close affiliates to him and his relatives from leadership and senior position in military and civil institutions.

2. The establishment of a transitional period – after the removal of the regime – with duration of six months. The transitional period will begin by a Constitutional declaration of the Revolution, which will repeal the constitution, will dissolve Parliament, Shura Council, and local council administrations, Supreme Judicial Council and the Attorney General & the establishment of a High Constitutional Court.

3. The formation of an Interim Presidential Council composed of five members, well-known for their expertise, honesty, and experience. They must be unanimously chosen, and can not be senior leaders in the former regime. The duties of the council will be to take over the day-to-day management of the country during the transitional period, on the condition that the members can not become future candidates for the post of President of the Republic or the Prime Minister before a full election cycle. (Read on …)

from Yemen Rights Monitor blog

Yemen Post:More than 230 people were injured when pro-regime security forces out of uniform and thugs some in female uniform attacked the anti-government protesters in the square of change in Hajjah province in northern Yemen. (Read on …)

Who is still asserting the Saleh is the legitimate leader of Yemen? He’s lost control of the military, bureaucracy and the political structure. His people hate him and are willing to die in the streets to get rid of him in the hope of a better future for their children.

So this military unit is supposed to patrol without weapons? They sound like sitting ducks to me.

People’sDaily: An outbreak of disputes and divisions erupted on Wednesday between soldiers loyal to former military commander Abdul aIlah al-kadhi, who resigned and announced his support for the youth peaceful protest movement, and their new appointed leader in Yemen’s southern province of Lahj, local military officers told Xinhua.

The disputes aroused as the new leader withdrew the weapons of the soldiers in order to avoid rebellion following the resignation of al-kadhi and refused to give back to them so far, the officer said on condition of anonymity.

“As a result, the soldiers in the military base organized a demonstration in front of the military camp and threatened to escalate protest in case there is no response to their demands,” he added.

Oh come the hell on, Sami Dhayan? He and Nabi have been Saleh mercenaries for a long time! Sami Dhayan gave an interview about taking money from the Def. Min. to fight for Saleh two years ago during the last “al Qaeda take-over” of Jaar. And Nabi is a state jihaddist for years. How is the US empowering the moderates and residents to deal with the situation? hmmm well… Does the al Qaeda scare tactic help more interests than just Saleh? Is somebody’s budget at stake?

Update: A comment: “Family members of mine have seen Khaled Abdulnabi, years ago, being taken by helicopter (ali saleh). Only to have him return with the keys to a late model land cruiser. Tell me, who else has a helicopter in yemen besides ali saleh? No one. He has always been funded by the Yemeni govt. Its like a bad relationship when one spouse can’t c the obvious signs that the other one is in bed with another person.”

Yemen Post: Jihadists denied on Wednesday they had taken over the radio station in Yemen’s southern province of Abayn.
This week local sources said the Jihadist groups clashed with the security and armed forces in Abyan and took control of the station and other public compounds.
Sami Dayan, a spokesman for the Jihadist groups there, said they did not intervene in the tasks of the station staff, but they assigned citizens to guard it after the security forces had left it.
The Jihadist groups also aired from the station that Abyan had been declared an Islamic state, the sources said, amid the escalating protests calling for the ouster of the regime across Yemen.

www.aden-na.net

Claiming (us) – A prominent leader in the Southern Movement and the Vice-Chairman of the mobility of the southern province of Abyan Khaled Alfayyadi in question by a news agency of Aden for Al-Qaeda in the show that “there is no such regulation alleged but that the organization follows the national security issued by the Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh from his palace in Sanaa. ” (Read on …)

What was it Colin Powell said, “You break it, you own it.” The US effectively shut down the democratic transition in Yemen, and every future casualty that Saleh induces, directly or through proxy, will be laid at Gates’ feet. So far there’s 150 burned to death in Abyan in a Saleh ploy. I have never seen Yemenis so angry and disillusioned with the US, even after US airstrikes wiped out a village of mostly women and children. One of the USG talking points on Yemen is that its politically fragmented, but the wrongheaded US policy of unconditional support for the madman Saleh has had a unifying effect. Unfortunately the longer the stalemate goes on, the stronger the hardliners narrative among the opposition becomes. The US is actively undermining faith in democracy and in the good will of the international community. The US is shutting itself out of the next government by clinging to this one.

If the US was trying to create an environment conducive to al Qaeda by proving all its allegations, this would be the policy: backing a strongman over the best interests of the nation, overlooking coldblooded massacres, condoning and rewarding corruption, and demonstrating that US interests in Yemen outweigh by far the rights of Yemeni citizens to the rule of law. US officials have justified the position in terms of cooperation on counter-terror, but a more preposterous claim is not possible. For the life of me, I can’t figure out why they chose this course without conjuring up blackmail or corporate financial interests or maybe Saleh implanted a double agent. It makes no sense. Even considering the massive disconnect between the USG and everyone outside the elite circle, its obvious that Saleh has been a duplicitous al Qaeda appeaser and facilitator for a long time. Its thoroughly illogical that Obama is trading a nation’s chance at a decent future to ensure US CT units can roam Yemen with bad intel and dubious thresholds under the guidance of Saleh’s son and nephews who also head criminal networks.

Yemeni protesters slam remarks of U.S. Defence Secretary al Sahwa31/3/2011 – Sahwa Net

Sahwa Net- Yemen’s peaceful protesters have slammed comments of the US Defence Secretary, Ropert Gates, considering his remarks a green light for Saleh to commit further crimes against the peaceful protests.

US Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said that their primary concern with Yemen’s uprising is the vacuum it may create for groups like AQAP to gain power.

The protesters expressed their determinstion to overthrow Saleh’s regime and create a democratic and civil country that would stand against radicalization, violence and despotism.

They urge the International community to understand Saleh’s regime which use terrorism as a card to get assistance, stressing that Saleh’s stay in power would pose a threat for regional and international security and stability.

They further called friendly states to stand by the Yemeni people and protect Yemen from falling into chaos and division, pointing out that Saleh is currently doing best to make Yemen unstable and a haven Al-Qaeda and terrorism.

Why Saleh Must Go
Written By Abdullah Alasnag

Yemen is slipping further into the unknown, and a controlled outcome to the current political crisis is now unlikely.

It has become clear over the past week that the negotiations held at the Vice President’s house in Sana’a between President Saleh, the opposition, and Marshal Ali Mohsen have come to failure four times in a row. At the heart of the failures is Saleh’s insistence on immunity from prosecution and a monthly stipend to be paid to him by neighboring Gulf States after relinquishing power.

According to sources who have attended the meetings, the President seemed adamant and unwavering on these two conditions. The Americans on the other hand insisted that key figures including Ahmed Ali Saleh, the President’s son, as well as Yahya Mohammed Saleh and Amar Mohammed Saleh, his nephews who are currently heading the CSF/CTU and the National security agency respectively, are not relieved of duty.

This American insistence seemed bewildering to the attendees, specially considering that the record of these commanders and Saleh in fighting terrorism is full of failures, corruption, and misleading intelligence which has yielded little if any results to show for compared to the aid Saleh has received over the years.

In this regard, there has been no approach by the west towards the opposition or the youth with respect to security matters which is wrong since it seems that Saleh is well on his way out of power.

U.S.S. Cole:
When the USS Cole was attacked in October 2000, Saleh initially refused to accept that the destroyer was attacked by terrorists and made a statement that the explosion happened inside the ship through miss handling of explosive materials. Throughout the ensuing investigation, Saleh hampered the efforts of the FBI even after admitting it was a terrorist attack. (Read on …)

Letter to the American People (For Immediate release)

”Watan” calls the American People to demand their government to stop supporting the dictatorship and Al-Qaeda in Yemen

Yemen, March 30.2011

Last Monday, at least 120 civilians, including children and women have been killed in the explosion of ammunition factory in the town of Ja’ar, Abyan Governorate, southern Yemen. The blast occurred as a result of mining the place by al-Qaeda who had taken over the factory and looted a day after the regime army battalion, which was in charged of guard the factory, pulled out. The withdrawal of the military forces and the emergence of al Qaeda in Jaar, coincided with the withdrawal of security forces and the emergence of al Qaeda in several areas.

Moreover, the incident came after one day of the statement by U.S. Defence Secretary Robert Gates, in ABC channel, in which he said: ””We have had a lot of counterterrorism co-operation from President Saleh and Yemeni security services.. So if that government collapses or is replaced by one that is dramatically weaker, then I think we’ll face some additional challenges out of Yemen”

Watan Coalition: Women for Social Peace, condemns the crimes committed by al Qaeda against the Yemenis, at the same time, it condemns the recent U.S. attitude expressed by Mr. Gates. We consider such attitude as encouragement to the President Selah to use al-Qaeda card to suppress the peaceful revolution that calls overthrow the regime.

Our stance depends on evidences proved that Selah is using ”al-Qaeda, and the American war against terrorism” to receive generous financial support, and intensive training for the Special Forces, Central Security, and National Security, which all headed by his son and his nephews and use to suppress the Yemeni for more than a decade. (Read on …)

The Dangerous US Game in Yemen by Jeremy Scahill has a thorough overview of US CT ops in Yemen.

Basically the US operatives have a lot of latitude, and they don’t know anyone in the opposition, so 24 million Yemenis are condemned to life under the dirtbag Saleh as the ambassador sneers at the transition plans and Gates hearts Saleh.

Meanwhile they are getting played right and left, maybe it is time to meet some new people.