The South and the Northern Government: A Persistently Troubled Dialogue
By Nedhal Moqbel

A recent episode of “Agenda Maftouha” (Open Agenda) program, broadcast by BBC Arabic TV, discussed Yemen’s security situation. Among the program’s guests were the Southern activist Saleh Al-Jabwani and Colonel Abdullah Al-Hadri who represented President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s opposition. Mr. Al-Hadri dilated on Saleh’s crimes against protesters in Sanaa and Taiz squares and the destruction he left behind. However, Mr. Al-Hadri obviously got nervous and impatient when the issue of Southern secession was raised. As he responded to Mr. Al-Jabwani’s comments, Colonel Al-Hadri used an emotional speech and a sharp tone, contending that the current situation is the cause of the entire “Yemeni nation.”

“Our cause is one . . . why do you want to divide us amidst this continuous uprising?” added Mr. Al-Hadri. Wait a minute! Wasn’t it a “one Yemeni nation” when Southerners began their own uprising after 1994, demanding their right to a merely dignified life? Wasn’t it a “one Yemeni nation” when you and your boss (Saleh) brutally persecuted them? Weren’t those protesters your fellow citizens and, therefore, part of this “Yemeni nation”? Moreover, Mr. Al-Hadri stated that General Ali Mohsen Al-Ahmar was an honest military man who refused to stand by a dictator, and so did Colonel Al-Hadri and many others in the military. He said, “Yes, we used to be Saleh’s partners before. But when he stained his hands with blood and began to distort the country and foster Al-Qaeda, we decided to stay away and choose the homeland and the nation.” How devious! How provocative!

In a sympathetic tone, Mr. Al-Hadri spoke of Saleh’s crimes during the recent protests in North Yemen, stressing that this bloodshed was the reason he (Al-Hadri) and others like General Al-Ahmar seceded from Saleh. As if Saleh’s hands were clean until before these protests! What about the blood he has shed in the South since 1994? What about the thousands of Southerners whom he and his allies killed and wounded in that short-term civil war with military tanks and rockets? What about many extra thousands of Southerners whom they have killed, detained, tortured, and wounded since the outset of the Southern Peaceful Hirak? Why did Mr. Al-Hadri and his fellow military men not distance themselves from Saleh while he was shedding those bloods in the South? Why did they continue to support him, to represent his iron fist over the South? Why did they turn against Saleh only when his victims were Northern citizens?

Of course, my intention is not to attack anyone. I simply reject the twisted language Mr. Al-Hadri used to obscure the Southern cause. He went on, using the same emotional appeal: “It’s shameful to talk about South and North now . . . our cause now is that of a homeland and a nation.” Well! What is really shameful is that Colonel Al-Hadri does not consider the Southern issue itself a cause of an entire homeland whose lands and natural resources and jobs have been robbed, an entire people that used to exist independently but now is under a real occupation. What is really shameful is that Mr. Al-Hadri’s words echoed Saleh’s attitudes toward the South even though the former was presented in the program as an anti-Saleh figure. The same old regime being reproduced! No wonder that most of the oppositional figures affiliated with the “new” government participated in various ways in the 1994 war against the South. No wonder that they still unjustly and irrationally compare the Southern cause (a cause of a homeland) with the Huthi issue (a cause of a sectarian group).

Northern military figures like Colonel Al-Hadri know well the many injustices from which Southerners have suffered too long. Therefore, it is unacceptable that he accuse them of having “ruptured the country.” The country has been torn apart since the 1994 civil war. I wonder if Mr. Al-Hadri still remembers when his citizens in the North celebrated their “victory’ over the South on 7/7/1994; the Sanaa official TV then displayed Northern women uttering trilling cries of joy and Northern men chanting on streets, “Allah Akbar! Long live our leader Ali Abdullah Saleh!” On the other side of the country, Southerners were collecting the dead bodies of their loved ones in order to bury them. This black day, with all the sad memories it carries to Southerners, was made an official holiday and a national day to celebrate annually. Technically, unification ended in 1994 and was replaced by an occupation of the South and a robbery of its natural resource revenues, history, culture, and dignity. Who, then, tore up the previously unified Yemen?

The General People’s Congress and the Joint Meeting Parties are two faces of the same coin. The talk about having given Saleh immunity from prosecution is only half the truth. This “new” government has, in fact, given immunity to itself, too, since the majority of its officials were yesterday’s strong allies of Saleh’s. What we see now in the Sanaa government is the same old regime, and what we hear is the same old language, especially when it comes to the Southern problem. This government’s officials may undergo internal conflicts, but the Southern issue is always the thing that eventually brings them together due to their shared fear of losing the South with all its many treasures. Until Southerners achieve their goal of liberation, we will continue to hear the same rhetoric from Northern officials (and from Northern ordinary citizens) who often argue fearfully and impatiently, “there’s only one Yemen . . . unity is a red line . . . we’re ready to die for it . . . we’ll protect it with our own blood . . . unity or death.”

Comment by Jane: It is true that the atrocities toward the southern protesters (2007-2010) provoked little if any outrage in other parts of Yemen. During the Saada War, civil groups aligned themselves with the concept of civilian immunity without taking a stand on either side of conflict itself. Conversely during the southern protests, the arrests, torture and cold blooded killings elicited little sympathy. Beyond the absence of media attention, some in Sanaa expressed the opinion that southern protesters deserved it. In 2007/8, Southerners were really expecting that their counterparts in the north would join their uprising against the regime.

The lack of domestic solidarity against the state’s systematic attacks on unarmed southern protesters that in part caused the shift in demands from equal civil rights to independence. Remarkably, some of the current revolutionaries (who are seeking to overthrow the regime) deny that southerners have the right to seek independence although both movements deny the legitimacy of the state. From the outset of the current revolution, few efforts were made to reach out to the southern secessionists. And many southerners viewed the year long protests in Sanaa and other parts of the country in a disconnected way, not wholly unsympathetic, but as if the bloody events were occurring in another county. As I’ve said before, many view the unity government as an re-branding of northern power. some also view all northerners as privileged and part of the oppressive structure, when in fact disenfranchised northerners are very poverty stricken and thoroughly without basic services.

In terms of raw numbers, Saleh’s trail of blood, more southern protesters were killed than “northern” protester fatalities over the last year of the rev, and it occurred week after week in an atmosphere of domestic and international silence.

Free homicide through global decisions

written by
Amr Mohammed Al Raishi

Since the beginning of the Arab spring revolutions, different visions of political powers are found in the international community; toward every revolution is a different reaction from the other, according to criteria of interests that will result from this revolution or not.Theoretical and practically it is well known in the political world, what are the roots of the political double standards?

Have been seen strong international support to the revolutionaries in Libya, also international political support for the revolutionaries in Egypt, Syria and Tunisia also, Yemenis had eagerly awaited to see a Security Council resolution that would be be a real step to remove the cover of international legitimacy from SALEH as president.

Actually, Security Council resolution provoked outrage in Yemen for many main reasons .Regrettably, the Security Council resolution did not confess Yemeni revolution plus It was not compulsory for SALEH to step down. All that was so extremely clear through terms of resolution. Security Council resolution had portrayed a current situation in Yemen as a “Political Crisis,” not a popular revolution & this is shown visibly by the Security Council resolution statement which states: “and calls on all parties to refrain immediately from using violence to achieve political goals.”.

Resolution was not fair as it equated the executioner and the victim.

Yemenis after spending more than nine months of violence and struggle against the SALEH regime who caused the killing of civilians & peaceful demonstrators, plus using excessive force against innocent people even women & child ,just to intimidate Yemenis and create chaos inside Yemen , to put Yemenis revolution under blame and placed it under suspicion and conspiracy theories from Yemen` enemy, and that resulting instability on the social peace in Yemen .

These dirty tactics, unfortunately, succeeded increasing some sort of lack of clarity in the international community. Using (Al Qaeda) terrorism, give permission to central security & republic guard forces kill innocent people in civilian clothing to mislead world who is the real murderer? Therefore and it will Be based on the vision like as a conflict between opposition and supporters of the governor.

Resolution let Yemenis feel unsatisfactory & disappointing after their sacrifices and aspirations to achieve dignity and freedom to them self. Frankly Security Council resolution is toothless along with variation in the terms of the resolution, If we focus al little bit when Security Council resolution says:

(Strongly condemns the continued human rights violations by the Yemeni authorities, such as the excessive use of force against peaceful protestors and Expresses profound regret at the deaths of hundreds of civilians, including women and children …. Stresses that all those responsible for human rights Violations and abuses should be held accountable. ).

It’s good that resolution condemns and claims to accountable the perpetrators of killing civilians and innocent … but decision would be rather more strong And clear to transfer killers to International Criminal Court to prosecute them. At least to be considering as actual first step into conviction SALEH regime.

But the Security Council took place dispute via calling implementation of the Gulf Cooperation Council initiative, because the Gulf initiative contains in its provisions giving immunity to the President.

It’s known that the immunity is ineffective in case of convicted according to international law, but question which it represent itself, why Security Council wasting time with discrepancies?. Disappointingly, resolution bearing many negative depictions & refusal of the revolution in Yemen which will increase a feasibility to occur more killing and bloodshed.

Bearing in mind, Security Council mentioned no limit time for completion & finishing items of resolution which complicated the situation in Yemen. Consequently should not exaggerate the importance of Security Council resolution, especially it did not contain sanctions or Freezing of funds SALEH and his aides. It does not prevent to admit that there is international consensus that it must end the rule of President SALEH. But the resolution did not include mechanisms to force SALEH to implement the resolution. So should the opposition in the next stage to make further diplomatic and political movement to obtain the support of many regional and international powers. For receiving decisions be more aggressive & efficiently

Finally

Even though Gulf initiative became as International initiative, SALEH President will never ever Sign on Gulf initiative, just he will keep continue his evasion to keep Gulf initiative useless as ink on paper. SALEH He had decided to resolve the issue militarily. So solution will be entirely from Inside of Yemen peacefully or militarily.

Amr Mohammed Al Raishi

The Yemeni nation among evasion and revolution
by Amr Mohammed Al Raishi

Ali Saleh president is known throughout the period of his rule as a devious & unpredictable leader. He had caused Yemeni lives to be filled with misery and all kinds of humiliation and who let Yemen become a failed state, despite the availability of resources in Yemen which are capable to make the Yemeni economic growth and social stability.

But President Saleh took advantage of the wealth and resources of Yemen to transfer to his own person and his family to achieve one goal, which is building up an empire of oppression and corruption to continue his dictatorship.

The question that presents itself … What is the secret of survival of President Saleh throughout these long years?

Simply Saleh excelled in creating internal crises and dissemination of regional and sectarian strife> He even keep going to create a dispute between major tribes in Yemen. Most of Yemen people know very well how Saleh facilitates sale of weapons to fighting tribes from the army stores.

Saleh regime had mislead Yemenis through use of dirty tactics such as occurrence of separation in the south and that Yemen will be invaded by Islamists in the case of Saleh leaving ruling of Yemen.

Unfortunately he also succeeded in misleading international community under pretext of fighting terrorism.

And on the other side, he is supporting and make a lot of facilities to Al Qaeda in order to continue in reaping to himself the benefits from international support against terrorism.

Saleh president has invested in Al Qaeda terrorism and promoted it overseas, in order to achieve some political and financial benefits

the repressive rule of president Saleh never paid attention that will cause a negative influence regarding the reputation of the Yemeni people .

The ultimate proof against Saleh and his deceitful by the use of terrorism is why was Al Qaeda not confined in spite of international support, especially U.S. Aid ?

Yemeni people’s patience is over. It is time to eradicate this nightmare that has been 33 years.

The time has come that the entire international community, especially America, in relation to political initiatives to transfer power peacefully to understand that these will not never work with Saleh

Many times he has promised to sign an agreement to transfer power to vice president Mr. Hadi as per the Gulf initiative , but he always backed out at last moments for unreasonable reasons.

Saleh’s evasion drives Yemen to military conflict which leads the country to more killings and bath of blood. Most of Yemenis have determined to continue their revolution till they achieve victory .

Finally, the Yemeni revolution emerged from the womb of Yemenis’ suffering from oppression, humiliation, injustice and inequality in rights and duties, which has been practiced by Saleh intentionally.

Revolutionaries in Yemen have been convinced and there is an exorbitant price will pay for getting freedom and dignity.

Yemeni is in urgent need from countries of the world’s great powers, especially USA , to contribute effectively to remove the cover of international legitimacy from President Saleh’s regime and to be on the side of the oppressed people of Yemen.

Along with standing firmly against those who support President Saleh, just For keeping the revolution in Yemen away from victory, in order to prevent winds of change from entering their countries.

Amr Mohammed Al Raishi

From the inception of the revolution, there have been no formal overtures to the southerners and it was assumed they would come around or that there really wasn’t strong support for the two state solution. Part of the huge disconnect between north and south is a function of the regime’s censorship and poor infrastructure.

Many northerners were quite shocked when southern protests broke out in 2007, and apparently shocked again that the 23 southern leaders resigned the national council last week. Southerners were shocked the north did not rise up with them years ago, and that the atrocities committed by the Saleh regime were largely met with silence in Sanaa and elsewhere. Some leaders in the national council were active against the south in the 1994 civil war.

The Yemen’s Southern Movement and the Saleh-Hamid Game
By Nedhal Moqbel

Amidst the growing political crisis in Yemen , the Southern cause remains South Yemenis’ top priority. The injured president, who is being treated in Saudi Arabia , left behind unresolved political conflicts, and multiple parties and individuals are now competing for power. President Saleh’s return is becoming more possible as the state seems to be falling apart. Moreover, violence is escalating, and the Islamic extremists are gaining more strength. While the country’s future is unknown, the well known fact now is that most Southerners are maintaining their goal of secession.

As the backstage facts of the anti-Saleh protests are gradually revealed, the Southern struggle is standing out with its spontaneous outset and clear goal. According to an article by Jumana Farahat of the Lebanese Al-Akhbar newspaper (dated April 9, 2011), the current protests against Saleh were basically a plot by the powerful political and tribal figure Hamid Al-Ahmar, a scenario he began to prepare for in 2009. Citing several Wikileaks cables, Farahat assures that Hamid has been in contact with the American embassy in Sana’a since 2009, providing officials there with some details of his plot to overthrow the president, which they did not take seriously. His plan centered on weakening Saleh by opening up multiple communication avenues with the latter’s enemies in Sa’ada and the South, urging them to escalate their pressures. Regardless of the responses he received from them, Hamid did not give the green light for the anti-Saleh protests until he was sure the time was right.

Additionally, a Reuters article published on June 1st this year reveals one reason why yesterday’s friends (Saleh and Hamid) are now today’s enemies. The article refers to a “confidential State Department cable” that confirms a “long-standing monopoly” by Hamid Al-Ahmar and Arcadia Petroleum, an oil trading firm owned by Norway’s billionaire John Fredriksen, of Yemen’s oil exports. Because he was the firm’s undeclared agent in Yemen , Hamid used his powerful connections to let Arcadia win most oil export tenders at below market prices, earning in return a big fortune from the firm. However, Saleh managed in 2009 to break this monopoly, handing the case to an oil council under the control of his own son.

This verifies that hidden internal disputes upon Yemen ’s rich resources – most of which exist in the South – were behind the recent protests. Hamid first pushed for “organized chaos,” using Farahat’s words, through increasing the pressures upon Saleh by his North and South opponents. After that, he set the stage for the protest movement that demanded the president’s departure. However, loyalists of Saleh responded with massive demonstrations in support of their president, which caused riots on North Yemen ’s streets to be significantly divided.

On the other hand, one sees a different picture when it comes to the Southern Movement. This struggle did not spring from “organized chaos,” but from shared discrimination at the hands of the Northern government. The long-standing persecution of Southerners that particularly began in 1994 was translated in 2007 into an organized entity called the Southern Peaceful Movement that represents all South Yemenis. Its goal is the restoration of the occupied South, with its immense natural resources over which Hamid and Saleh have been fighting.

Unlike the divided protest movements in Sana’a and Taiz (pro-Saleh and anti-Saleh demonstrations), the Southern protests have always chanted the same slogans, raised the same flag (that of the pre-unification South Yemen ), and demanded one thing: the liberation of their land from the Northern troops that invaded the South in 1994. This peaceful struggle is continuous despite the government’s violent and suppressive response to it.

Saleh fought the Southern cause brutally, Hamid Al-Ahmar made use of it in his battle with Saleh, and those standing today on the Yemeni political stage are in disagreement about it. While Hamid now is more powerful than before, Yemen is still run by Saleh’s sons, relatives, and allies who still control the security authorities and a significant chunk of the military. The scene is foggy, and the game is not over. However, whoever wins this power game will have to eventually confront the persistent Southern struggle for secession.

Talks about “terrorism and Al Qaeda” in Yemen or what has become known as “Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula” is still closely linked with the regime of the Yemeni president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, from the perspective of many observers, analysts and Arab and Western intelligence departments. This link is not reinforced by the “loose” concept promoted by the media of the exhausted Yemeni regime’s forces under the banner of “fighting terrorism.”

It was not the end, a report by Yemen News Agency (SABA) about a meeting between the “burned” President and the US president’s assistant for counter-terrorism and homeland security, John Brennan, in the Royal Pavilion of the military hospital in the Saudi capital Riyadh, but rather reinforced by the strategic alliances which brought together the Yemeni regime with al Qaeda and which were developed until this regime has become one of al Qaeda’s professional producers and manufacturers, and many of its members and their leaders (Al Qaeda) have held prominent security positions, so that they used to roam the rooms of the presidential palace in Sana’a, as previously stated by Ali Mohsen Al-Ahmar, the prominent dissident commander of the 1st Armored Division, and who is accused of being in relationships with Al Qaeda too.

The other link, which is the focus of this talk, that the system is backed by some “extreme” opposition forces through their media mechanisms since the start of the Peaceful Southern Movement in 2007, which calls for the “disengagement” from the north, particularly after the first peaceful demonstration organized by the movement in Aden on 7/7/2007, to stick everything by Al Qaeda with the “South,” recruiting all its potential political and media abilities to highlight that, taking advantage of the presence of some “extreme” allies in Abyan province to achieve the key objective which is to intimidate the West and the region of the transformation of “the grand and strategic South” to a breeding ground for terrorists in case the superpowers listened or supported the demands of the people in the South of the disengagement from the North, and the most interesting two goals in the media of the Yemeni opposition recently is “bringing in the Gulf and international support,” and the stabilization of the Yemeni regime for longer periods.

What is agreed that Al Qaeda or terrorism in Yemen is the child of the regime of May 22, 1990, after the integration of the regimes of the states of South Yemen and North Yemen in a “fragile” unity betrayed by North Yemen in 1994, making use of the extreme elements returning from Afghanistan in the end of eighties, some of them involved in the Reformation Party (Islah), assassinating dozens of the “communists” southern cadres after the unity.

In this way, the culture of extremism against every southern thing was consolidated by the assistant of the “northern” religious establishment, led by Sheikh ‘Abd Al-Majid Al Zindani, who prepared for the bloody and unjust war waged by the Sana’a regime against the south in 94, those elements have the greatest credit for resolving the conflict and clearing the south of the “communists”, and the cries of “Allah Akbar” echoed among the remains of bodies and pools of blood, after the capture of the land and wealth of the south and the seizure of its regions and looting them as “spoils of war,” similar to the cases of the wars of Tatars, Mongols and the great battles of the Islamic conquest.

Since that time, the sequence of emergence of terrorism in the south after the emergence of the so-called “the Islamic Army of the Aden-Abyan” in 1997, led by Abu Hassan Al-Mihdhar, who was executed two years later. The most significant presence of Al Qaeda was through bombing the “USS-Cole” in 2000 in the Gulf of Aden, and the targeting of a French oil carrier in October 2002 off the coast of Hadramout, the events of the escape of al Qaeda members from Mansoura prison in Aden in 2004, the re-emergence of those elements with the start of the Peaceful Southern Movement in 2007, which was accused by the Yemeni authorities of being in alliance with Al Qaeda, and was exceeded by saying that it is in alliance with Israel, Iran, and a series of other accusations which proved the falseness and the ugliness of their creators.

On the other hand, the Southern people paid a heavy price for those charges, “Al Majala Massacre” in December 2009 was not their least horrible one, which killed dozens of women and children by American cruise missiles. The Peaceful Southern Movement, the leaders of its forces and factions and the Southern Democratic Assembly (TAJ) abroad, were the first, and repeatedly, to warn the international community of the danger of Al Qaeda in Yemen and its close association with the regime of President Saleh, confirmed in letters of the movement and the statements of its leaders, including “President Ali Salem Al Beidh,” that Al Qaeda and terrorism emanate from the presidential palace in Sana’a, which is agreed by a lot of professionals including the head of the of the CIA Division, Michael Scheuer, who told the CNN on January 4, 2010, that “the Yemeni President, Ali Abdullah Saleh, is a dictator who protects al Qaeda members and works to expand its presence since the war of 1994 against the south.”

Now, after the outbreak of the Youth Revolution in Yemen, which appears to be “unable,” to the moment, to resolve the conflict with the remnants of the regime of President Saleh, because of the strong influence of religion and tribe within the “Joint Meeting” that controls the political decision of the revolution, in parallel with the emergence of armed suspects of Al Qaeda in Abyan, went on destroying, killing, looting and displacing the people in the region, backed by the brigades of the Yemeni army, a thing that was revealed by press reports recently, talked about the complicity of senior military leaders called for the withdrawal of the military brigades from the areas of fighting in Abyan to facilitate the militants’ control over Abyan, prompting the southerners to accuse the dissident General, Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, of supporting those elements to take control over the south in order to prevent controlling it by the Southern Movement or the followers of “Saleh”.

Amid the fears of the West of the large benefits from the imposition of any terrorist groups their control over a southern area located on the most important main shipping lane that has a strategic international depth to the interests of the world, Hassan Zaid Bin Yahya, the leader in the JMP, revealed to the “Al Shareia Newspaper” that the Director of the National American Democratic Institute, Leslie Campbell, told him that the international community will not allow the Yemeni revolution to achieve a victory that may lead Abdul-Majid Al-Zindani to power.

The talk of Hassan Zaid came a day after an audio recording posted on the internet by Sheikh Abdul Majeed Al-Zindani, in a meeting with a group of his followers, saying that “We want a deliberating Islamic state not a civilian one, we have to pronounce a Muslim country, we are not infidels,” which is, in my view, a flagrant coup on the principles of the revolution blessed by Al-Zindani himself since its inception, and a real threat to the West and the countries, the free world and the forces of civilization in Yemen that reject extremism and the culture of “jihad,”

From the above, we can deduce that the future of the north and south of Yemen is too scary, if the “Youth” and “Peaceful Movement,” do not achieve their civil goals, and the superpowers change their counter-terrorism strategies through choosing serious allies with them in fight terrorism there.

In my view and basing on serious desire embodied in messages and speeches of the Peaceful Southern Movement’s leaders over the last period, most recently expressed by President Ali Salem in Austria in a letter sent to the Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, in which he assured the readiness of the Southern Movement to be an active international partner in the counter-terrorism efforts. In addition to the historical civil and religious moderate heritage of large and different sectors of the South people, the countries of the region, the United States and the European Union have to think seriously of a real cooperation with the Peaceful Southern Movement as an essential partner in the fight against the forces of extremism and terrorism based in the areas of Abyan that seek, by the support of the Sana’a regime and the allied powers, to take control over the capital, Aden, and some strategic locations in the south.

Ignoring this does not only threaten the interests of the region and the world, but the life of the southern citizens who are always the victims of an assumed conflict targeting at killing the southern human beings and depriving them from achieving their will and objectives of a free, fair, civil and independent state that serves the interests of the world and the region and works to curb the expansion of the forces of extremism in the south and consolidate the culture of moderation and civilization and the respect for other without the intolerance of religion, race or color.
By: Ayad Al-shaibi

Your Excellency, Mr. Ban-ki Moon,

In the name of the Yemeni people, we would like to express our appreciation to you in person for closely and regularly following up the situation in Yemen through visits made by the different UN missions. We are particularly grateful to the relatively long visits such as the one currently taking place by your envoy, and the one by the UN human rights mission earlier this month. These visits bring along significant improvement in the quality of the livelihoods of the average people. We suddenly have electricity for 12-15 hours per day ( instead of 2 hours only), the piles of garbage mounting for weeks in the different streets are cleaned up, the long lines of cars waiting for gas are cleared up (though the need left unfulfilled), and the gun fire in each city is silenced!

For that we are urging Your Excellency to give orders to your missions to remain longer if not forever! Of course, we would still be left with problems of gas availability, food prices rocketing to the sky complicating the malnutrition crisis in the country, and the rise of a hunger epidemic. In this regard, you may as well include us in the current Horn of Africa Crisis! Our “drought”, however, is not caused by an indirect intervention of man in nature, but rather a very direct and intentional one. The Saleh regime, intends to starve us in an attempt to have us give up our dream of freedom. They refuse to understand that we have chosen to live free or to die with our human dignity; the same dignity that UN charters and declarations have often spoken of. We shall compromise no more Sir, and we invite your envoys to come and witness that.

In peace (salam)

أبين… بين فكي النظام والموت القادم من الشمال؟!

كفى الهاشلي

أبين المدينة التي يقف على عتبات أبواب منازلها غول يدعى الإرهاب وقطعت أوصال جسدها المتهالك الضربات على قرى بلداتها فخرج أهاليها على ذوي الإنفجارات وصوت الرصاص المتناثر هنا وهناك فارين إلى عدن التي لم تضمد جراحها بعد؟!

النظام اليمني – الذي أسقط الشعب شرعيته – يبرر توجيه ضرباته وقصفه بأنه استهدف مجموعات مسلحة إرهابية بسطت على مقار حكومية لكن الشاهد على ما يحدث يقول أن القصف تجاوز حدوده المكانية إلى الكود وبئر الشيخ والمسيمير وجعار وزنجبار والمخزن .

يحكي الإعلام الرسمي عبر قنواته بأن نظامه يحقق انتصارات على تلك المجاميع المسلحة ويقول تارة أخرى أنه يحقق انتصارات على مطلوبين يصفهم بأنهم من تنظيم القاعدة ؟!!!

ورغم أن أيدي جنود النظام الذي قدموا من الشمال مازالت على زناد البندقية ومقود الطائرة الحربية إلا أنها قد تحرق نفسها أحيانا حين يشرع المواطنون بالرد على ما يصفونه بالعدوان الباطل ويتحولون إلى مقاتلين على الأرض والعرض أو حتى حين يرد اتباع النظام من المسلحين الذين يتلقون تعليمات من قياداتهم بالشمال أومن حاكم قيل أن روحه مازالت تحلق في موطن غير موطنه شمالاً؟!!!

وأي كان خيار وهدف الطرفين النتيجة هي نزوح الآلاف فما يفوق 30الف من أبناء أبين فروا الى عدد من مدارس عدن فيما فضل مايزيد عن عشرة ألف نازح اللجو الى منازل أقاربهم بعدن تاركين منازلهم التى أستهدف الكثير منها القصف وتاركين مراعيهم ومزارعهم وماشيتهم….

ما وفرته لهم الجمعيات وأهالي عدن شباب ونساء وأطفال لا يستطيع وحده التخفيف عن المعاناة ومناظر الموت التي مازالت تراودهم صغار وكبار !!!ومازال مصيرهم في العودة الى الدارهوس بل جنون وموعد يصف بالضائع !!!

الحلم بالعودة ضرب من الخيال بالنسبة لهم وأحلام الصغار تحولت الى كوابيس وأفكارهم ورسوماتهم تصدرتها صورة الدبابة والبندقية والجثث الملقاة على الأرض ،وأفضل الألعاب اليهم هي اللعب كمقاتلين ضد بعضهم البعض ؟!

حين تطوف في بعض المدارس التى استقبلت النازحين وتلتقي بأهلي أبين تجد أن قلمك يعجز أن يصف حال هولا الناس الذين جاء بهم ضيق الحال الى عدن التى مازالت تتذكر ضحايا المظاهرات السلمية ولم تجف دموع أمهات القتلى !!!

وأهالي ابين منهم من يبكي ذويه ومنهم من يبكي جاره ومنهم من قال حسبنا الله ونعم الوكيل ومع تناول أقطاب الحديث مع النازحين استوقفنا برهة حديث إحدى المربيات الفاضلات ومديرة إحدى مدارس جعار وجاره لمنزل خالد عبدالنبي وأحد المطلوبين .

قالت :”تربى خالد وأبناء الحي كأطفال عاديين وعندما يكبرون كغيرهم من الشباب الذين يمرون بمرحلة المراهقة هذه الفترة يقضيها شباب جعار بالفوضوية أو التشددية أوالتطرف الفكري لأسباب أهمها غياب الأمن والرقابة العائلية وبمجرد أن يكبر الشاب منهم حتى يشتري دراجة ناريةو سلاح ؟!.

وتمضي قائلة : عائلة خالد بسيطة وسرعان ماتحول منزلها الى بناية يعرف منها علامات الترف المافجىء وكذلك الشاب الذي قصفت الطائرات الأمريكية منزله في شهريونيولم يكن موجود أصلا لأنه شاب عاق للوالدين أولا وعانت منه والدته كثيرا وكان مطرود منذ أشهر عدة لذا راح ضحية هذا العمل طفلة لم تتجاوز السبع أعوام” .

أما الطفلة (أ)كانت تتحدث عن صوت الرصاص والقصف قائلة”مش قدرنا نسمع حاجة كل ساعة بووووووم بووووووم ورجال تتجارى جنب البيت معهم بنادق فوق اكتافهم مش يخافون “!!!

سألتها وفين كان بابا ياحبوبه ؟!
قالت :”مش يقدر يخرج جالس متخبي معنا ولا يروح يجيب أكل لنا ولاشيء يتشافى – ينظر- من امطاقة –النافذة- على الرجال وساعة يقول فروا للمخزن-غرفة الجلوس- وساعة يقول فروا لمحوش- فناء المنزل “.

- ومع من هربتي لعدن؟
- فرينا كلنا نسوان ورجال وعويله- أولاد- فرينا الصبح حما – حين- سكت أمرمي – الضرب- علينا ”
النازحين يتحدثون عن تلك العصابات المسلحة بأنها تقوم بالسرقة للمقار وللمؤسسات ثم بعد إفراغها تهدم من قبل النظام بحجة أن المسلحين هناك .

غير أنها تكون فارغه من أي مسلح ثم يقولون أن المسلحين ليسوا قاعدة :نحن نشاهد شباب لا يصلون ولا يحترمون حرمه الأشهر كما تفعل القاعدة بلعكس الشباب الذين يقال بأنهم مجاهدين ينصحونا حين كنا نخرج بالطرق الأمنه وهم يفرون وعائلاتهم معنا ؟!

ويتسألون عن الجثث التى تثبت مقتل هولا المسلحين ؟! قائلين :”لقد سلمت أبين لبلاطجه فحسب وبعض الناس تدافع على حرمات أراضيها ومنازلها من عبث المسلحين فتتواجه معهم والنظام يقصف دون أن يميز أين ومتى يقصف لقد ماتت الناس وليس القاعدة الذين عاثوا بأبين فساداً انه النظام”.

تركنا النازحين وبحثنا عن المصابين بفعل القصف لكننا واجهنا الكثير من الرفض بسبب الخوف من نشر الأسماء رغم تحفظنا على هذا الأمر لسلامة الجميع .كان خيارنا الأخير البحث عن الذين يقومون بأسعاف المصابين .

فوجدنا أحدهم ،الرجل تحدث عن ترك عشرات الجثث المتفحمة والأشلاء المتناثرة بعد مغادرته منطقة الكود ثم شاءت الأقدر أن يتزامن حضور احد المصابين الى أحد مستشفيات عدن بمعية أحد أقاربه.

الشاب كان قد فقد وعية وجزء من عضلات فخذه الأيسر بفعل قصف أحد الطائرات الحربية لموقع كان يتجمع به مع مجموعة كبيرة من المواطنيين ينتظرون فتح الطريق المؤدي الى ابين :”

حين كانوا يلحون على المرور من ابين كطريق مؤدي الى الديار كانت الطرق مغلقة والاشتباكات يسمع ذويها وحين تقطعت بهم سبل خرج الشاب من السيارة ليتبادل الحديث مع مجموعة من المواطنيين بينما بقي صديقه بالسيارة ينتظره.

وفجأة جاءت طائرة حربية وقصفت المكان وقتل من قتل وتفحم من تفحم وبعد دقائق خرج ذلك الصديق من السيارة في ذهول وعدم القدره على الرؤية بفعل الغبار والنار وسمع صوت الشاب يصيح طالباً النجدة فهرع به الى عدن .

كانت وسائل الاعلام في ذلك اليوم تتحدث عن طلعه جوية حقق بها النظام انتصار على مجاميع مسلحة كانت تتجمع لتنفذ عمليات ضد النظام في أبين بيدا أن الحقيقة كانت مخالفه وكانت الأرواح تقتل بلا ذنب سوى أنها تريد العبور وغير مسلحة ومعهم ذويهم .

أصبح النزوح اذا امر لامفر منه يقول ناصر متريس المختص بشؤون النازحين في مدينة إنماء أبوحربة أن العدد يتزايد وأن العبء يتضاعف فحوالي 206عائلة وصلت الى هناك بعضها تمتلك المقدرة المالية فقامت بأخذ شقق والبعض بحث ناصر له عن مأوى ومأكل ومشرب بل يقوم بالاهتمام بالصغار ومساعد جمعية الفردوس بنصب خيام المساحات الآمنة للأطفال وشراء الدواء للمرضى .

وفي مدارس مثل أوسان وباذيب وعبدالقوي وعمر بن الخطاب وباكثير وعبده فاضل زبن ناجي والوحدة وبئر احمد والعريش والممدارة وأسماء و22مايو وعثمان والحقاني و7يويلو والمصوم والذاري عدن بلغ العدد النازحين 6616 فيما مازالت المدارس الأخرى لم تنتهي من الاحصاء بسبب التزايد وفضل الباقين التوزيع على مدينة إنماء والمناطق السكنية ومنازل اقاربهم

الجمعيات والمنظمات وان ذهبت الى غوث أهالي أبين النازحين إلا أن منظمة اليونسف وحدها من ركز على الأطفال وقامت باحتضانهم في المساحاتها الصديقة للتخفيف من معاناتهم وقامت فرق العمل الطوعي بدمج الأطفال النازحين مع أطفال عدن وتقديم برامج فاعلة من شانها أن تنسي الأطفال الصور المؤلمه .

ومع الكثير من الاحتواء لهولا الاطفال تحولت رسومات الكثير منهم من بندقية الى زهرة وعصفور وشجرة وكرة ….وانشغلوا باللعب مع الأطفال غير أن الكبار- نظام واتباعهم – مازالت الكوارث التى تحدث لم تأثر بهم ومازالوا يلعبون بالنار ويتقاتلون متناسيين مستقبل وآمن البلاد والعباد .

Show … Between the jaws of death and from the north?!

Enough Alhashley

Show the city that stands on the threshold of their houses doors Gul called terrorism and severed limbs of her body battered strikes on villages, towns, their people went on with explosions and bullets scattered here and there on the run to Aden healing the wounds that have not yet?!

Yemeni regime – which dropped the legitimacy of the people – and justify directing strikes bombing that targeted a terrorist armed groups spread out on government buildings but what happens on the witness says that the bombing exceeded the limits to the spatial code and a well-Sheikh, and Amasimir Jaar, Zanzibar and the store.

Tells the media that the official channels through its victories on those armed groups and at other times he says he wanted to achieve the victories he describes as al-Qaeda?!!!

Although the hands of soldiers of the system that came from the north are still on the trigger of the gun and steering the plane of war, but they may burn itself sometimes when prescribed for citizens to respond to what they describe as aggression, injustice and turn to the fighters on the ground and supply, or even when it is a system of the gunmen who were receiving instructions from their leaders Governor of the North believe that his spirit was still flying in his native habitat is the north?!!!

Whichever option the goal of both parties and the result is the displacement of thousands, what over 30 thousand people have fled to point out a number of preferred schools in Aden for more than ten thousand people displaced Aljaw Aden to the homes of their relatives, leaving their homes, which target many of the bombing and leaving their farms and grazing lands and livestock ….

They had provided them with associations and the people of Aden, youth, women and children alone can not alleviate all the suffering and death scenes, which are still young and senior fantasies!!! And their fate is still to return to Aldarhos but mad and when describing Baldaúa!!!

Dream of return is a fantasy for them and the dreams of young people turned into nightmares, their ideas and drawings picture of the tank and led by Venice and the bodies thrown on the ground, and the best games are playing them as fighters against each other?!

While floating around in some schools that received the displaced people and meet my family finds show that the pen can not describe the horrific case of the people who brought them to narrow the case of Aden, which still remembers the victims of peaceful demonstrations did not dry up tears of mothers of the dead!!!

Lapin and the people were crying from his family and some of them crying and the neighbor told them enough Allah and the agent with the address electrodes to talk to displaced people stopped by briefly interview one of our respected educators and director of a school Jaar and his neighbor to the house of Khalid Abdul Nabi and one wanted.

She said, “grew up Khalid and the sons of the living as children else, and when they grow up like other young people who are going through a phase of adolescence period spent youth Jaar chaotic or Alchddah Owaltparty intellectual, mainly due to the lack of security and control of family and soon to grow up young man whom even buy a bicycle Nariao weapon?!.

And goes on to say: the family of Khalid simple and quickly Mathol her home in a building known as showing signs of luxury Almafjye as well as the young man who bombed the U.S. aircraft home in Chehrioniolm not exist at all because he was young hampered the parents first and suffered him and his mother a lot and was expelled several months ago, so has fallen victim to this work a child does not exceed seven years. ”

The girl child (a) was talking about bullets and shelling, saying “not our destiny we hear the needs of each hour and the men Bowoowom Bowoowom Ttjary side home with guns over their shoulders not afraid”!

I asked her and where was the Pope Aahboppe?!
She said: “Mesh is estimated Mtkhbay sitting out with us and answer calls them to eat and nothing to us Achavy – seen – from Amtaqh – the window – to men and an hour say fled the store – the living room – and an hour to say have fled Mhouc – courtyard of the house.”

- As of Hrepetta of Eden?
- Fareena Neswan all, men and Aoelh – children – Fareena morning meat – when – silent Ommerma – beaten – us. ”
Displaced people are talking about the gangs of armed robbery as the headquarters of the institutions and then emptied, destroyed by the system on the grounds that the insurgents there.

But they are empty of any armed and then say that the militants are not the rule: We are seeing young people do not pray and do not respect his wife as they do al-Qaeda months Beks young people who said they were mujahideen Ansahohna when we get out safe ways they flee and their families with us?!

And Atsalon for bodies that prove formidable killing insurgents?! Saying: “We have delivered Blatjh to show only some people defend the sanctity of their lands and homes of militants Vtaatusband tampered with and without the system shell to distinguish where and when to bomb people have died and not the rule, who wreaked havoc Abyan that system.”

We left our search for the displaced and traumatized by the shelling, but we faced a lot of rejection because of the fear of the names and despite our reservations on this matter to the safety of everyone. Was our choice last Find who aided the injured.

We found one of them, the man talked about leaving dozens of charred bodies and body parts scattered after leaving the area code and then she wants the most capable to coincide with the presence of one to a hospital in Aden, together with one of his relatives.

The young man had lost consciousness and part of the thigh muscles of the left by the bombing of a military aircraft to the site were gathered by a large group of citizens waiting to open the road to the Lapin ”

When they insist on the passage of Abyan performer as a way to homes and roads were closed and her parents heard of the clashes, while stranded ways out of the car to the young man chatting with a group of citizens, while still waiting for his friend drive.

Suddenly, a military aircraft came and bombed the place and killed the killing of roasted and roasted and minutes later came out that friend of the car in disbelief and lack of vision by dust, fire and heard the voice of the young man shouting for help, rushed him to the Garden of Eden.

The media talks about that day sorties made by the victory of the militant groups were gathering to carry out operations against the regime in Beida show that the truth was the Question and the spirits kill without guilt, only that they want transit and non-armed and with their families.

Become displaced if is inevitable says Nasser Mitris point person for displaced people in the city development Ibouhrbh that number is growing, and the burden doubles About 206 family and I arrived there, some have the financial ability Faqamt taking the apartments and some research Nasser him for shelter, food, drink, but the attention to young and Assistant Association Paradise erected tents safe spaces for children and buy medicine for patients.

In schools such as Osan and Baveb and Abdulqawi and Omar ibn Al-Khattab and Bakathir and Abdo Fadel Zabin Naji, unity, well, Ahmed and El-Arish and Almmadarh and the names and 22 May and Osman and glenoid and 7 Yuelu and Almsom and male Aden, the total number displaced 6616 while still other schools did not end the census because of the increase and the virtue of remaining distribution on the city development and residential areas and houses relatives

Associations and organizations, and I went to the relief the people of Abyan displaced but which UNICEF alone has focused on children and the Baandanam in Almessahadtha friendly to alleviate their suffering and teams of voluntary work the integration of displaced children with the children of Aden and to provide effective programs that will forget the children harrowing images.

With a lot of containment of terrifying children turned graphics, many of them a gun to the flower and bird and tree and football …. and busy playing with the children but the adults – the system and their followers – are still disasters that occur not influenced by them and are still playing with fire and fight Mtanasean the future and secure the country and its people.

SANAA, July 15, 2011

Saleh and Al-Qaeda: Who Empowered Who? BY: Nedhal Moqbel

The current Yemeni scene is full of question marks regarding the country’s present and future. Opponents are still protesting in the North, Southerners are maintaining their call for secession, and violent conflicts dominate the situation of this fragile country. Amidst this dilemma, Al-Qaeda has strongly reemerged and taken over Zinjibar, the capital city of the Southern governorate of Abyan, simultaneously extending its control throughout the entire governorate.

President Saleh did send his intended message to prove right his previous warning. “If I quit, Al-Qaeda could take over,” he once said in response to the mass protests in Taiz and Sanaa. There is no doubt that Saleh is replaying the terrorism card in an attempt to protect his reign. Logically, how could a small number of Al-Qaeda fighters, who came down some Abyan mountains, besiege and defeat two prominent brigades in Abyan (25th Mechanized and Al-Amaliqa)? How could they quickly capture Zinjibar and gain control of the government facilities? How can one believe that an entire government, with huge government troops, could fall into the hands of a few hundred fighters?

On the other hand, one wonders how Southern fighters in Radfan, whose number is much larger that of Al-Qaeda militias, have not been able to defeat only two battalions of government troops there. For several months, these fighters, who came from multiple areas to defend Radfan, could not put an end to their fierce battles with the government forces. These troops have besieged the area, frequently shelled it, and fought with all kinds of weapons.

Therefore, what happened in Abyan was not a real battle but an obvious collusion whose outcome was the handing of the governorate to an armed terrorist group. This collusion reveals close ties and mutual benefits between Saleh’s government and Al-Qaeda, which goes back to the 1990s. Several times, Saleh’s government allowed and eased the escape of a countless number of Al-Qaeda inmates from Yemeni prisons. In 2003, for example, eight of those prisoners involved in the Al-Qaeda Cole operation in Aden escaped, and about twenty-two others followed them later. In 2006, twenty-three Al-Qaeda prisoners fled a Sanaa jail, and much more (around sixty-three inmates) escaped last month from a prison in Mukalla.

Plausibly, Saleh and Al-Qaeda have empowered each other for decades. This group sprang from Saleh’s own Republican Palace to be his fundamental card through which he got more Western support and fought his internal enemies. When the world is angry at him, Saleh would imprison his Al-Qaeda men to calm it down. But when he needs them, the world would wake up to news of their escapes.

A Solution For The Yemeni Crises

The current crises in Yemen is growing more and more complicated and heading towards a political and security abyss that is extremely dangerous. Intelligentsia within the parties involved in the current events will face aspirations of both the reasonable and the irresponsibly rash.

The absence of clarity and decisiveness in a Gulf-American stance which is being imposed by Saudi Arabia leaves the door open in Yemen for a storm to sweep through the country.

Privately there are discussions in Yemen on the American position which is governed by doubts and fears associated with the ghost of Al Qaeda, an organization which has been drawn in by the ill and incapacitated Yemeni President who is currently undergoing treatment in a military hospital in Riyadh.

In reality the AQAP threat does not justify supporting the continuation of Ahmed Ali Abdullah Saleh, his uncles (Ali and Mohammed Saleh), and his cousins (Yahya and Amar Mohammed Abdullah Saleh) in control of military and security units. This criminal presidential junta is nurturing the remnants of AQAP. Any transitional authority will be capable of eliminating such AQAP elements. Saudi Arabian intelligence, the CIA, and FBI should be assured of this fact, and instead refocus their attention towards forming a properly selected transitional authority which enjoys the confidence and trust of Yemeni public opinion.

In this regard, there is no need under the prevailing circumstances to claim any requirement for remaining bound to a constitution which the dictator Ali Abdullah Saleh has modified and tailored extensively to meet his own needs.

Furthermore, there is no use in enabling Abd Rabo Mansour to perform duties as vice president since he himself has accepted being a deputy with no powers whatsoever over the past two decades. The man is weak, corrupt, and hesitant. The general consensus rather, is to focus on choosing a presidential council to replace the incapacitated, ill president.

Many believe, myself included, that the alternate and more appropriate solution therefore is as follows:
1. Formation of a presidential council to serve as a higher reference and consisting of five members.
• One representing Sana’a and its surroundings.
• One representing Aden and its surroundings.
• One representing Hadramout and Mahara.
• One representing Saada, Gouf, Mareb, Haja, and the surroundings.
• One representing Taiz, Ibb, and the surroundings.

2. Formation of a ministerial council as follows:
• Headed by Hameed Al-Ahmar in recognition of the standing and sacrifices made by Hashed tribe and in recognition of his qualifications politically and socially.
• Two deputies to the prime minister, one civilian and the other from the military.
• Ali Mohsen Al-Ahmar to serve as minister of defence after ensuring his detachment from doubts, if any, linking him to Al Qaeda and his renewed commitment to fighting AQAP.

3. General elections for a house of representatives comprising 120 members of equal division between north and south (60+60).

4. The formation of a political and legal committee to normalize relations between the Houthies in Saada and Gouf with the central government in Sana’a and to clear all negative issues in the relationship of the Houthies with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

5. The formation of a political and legal committee to confirm the relationship of a federal union between what was called the PDRY in the south and the YAR in the north of Yemen, and in order to hold a referendum on the projected new relation between the two republics.

Let us all admit that Ali Abdullah Saleh is no longer constitutionally qualified or suitable for carrying out his duties as President of the Republic of Yemen. I am sure that the issue of eliminating Al Qaeda which worries the U.S. and its allies is a matter of concern for every self respecting citizen in Yemen, and I am equally confident that the Yemeni youth in Al Tagheer, Al Tahreer, and Al Hiraq squares in Sana’a, Taiz, Aden, and elsewhere in the entire country will leave no stone unturned in emancipating society from the evil of Al Qaeda.

The orchestrated violence…
Support of criminals is eroding US influence in Yemen
By: Abdullah Alasnag – Ex. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Yemen
===============

“A roller coaster to hell” was the description of current affairs in Yemen given by a government official. With the Yemeni dictator Ali Abdullah Saleh hospitalized in the Saudi capital Riyadh, the four thugs are continuing the destructive path they laid for their almost dethroned “god father” president.

Ahmed Ali Abdullah Saleh, the president’s eldest son and commander of the Republican Guard forces, is convinced and adamant that he and he alone is the rightful successor to his father at the top of the Yemeni regime, according to presidential sources.

The three other thugs Yahya, Amar, and Tareq Mohammed Abdullah Saleh the nephews of Saleh and leaders of Central Security Forces (CSF), National Security Agency, and Elite Presidential Guard respectively, are supporting their cousin in order to preserve their own financial interests and gains.

There seems to be yet another round of violence looming over the Yemeni capital Sana’a as eye witnesses continued to report that the Republican Guard is fortifying its positions and a new wave of arms is flowing into Sana’a especially to the military camp south of the presidential palace in “Bait Boos” including but not limited to BM-21 rocket launchers and an unspecified number of FROG-7 surface-surface missiles which were moved on the nights of June 11th and 13th, 2011.

Tribesmen loyal to the Hashid tribe leader Sheikh Sadeq Al-Ahmar continued to stockpile weapons in rented buildings along Siteen Road in the capital Sana’a.

It is widely believed amongst the political elite and intelligentsia in Sana’a that this renewed and anticipated confrontation will be the most violent and will wipe out most, if not all of the current powerful leaders. One political analyst warned that Saleh violated the most sacred tribal law of not attacking one’s home when he bombarded Shiekh Sadeq Al-Ahmar house in the Hasaba district of Sana’a. Similarly, the attack on Saleh himself in the presidential palace violated another sacred tribal law in Yemeni society by attacking a mosque which almost contained the top tier of the ruling class in its entirety.

The same analyst warned that the next round of violent clashes will see a different kind of savageness and brutality by all parts who will seek to wipe each other out.

Concurrently, a large war is raging in the governorate of Abyan in the south of Yemen with hundreds reported killed during the first two weeks of June 2011. Although the government has declared the dead as terrorists, a substantial number of these supposed terrorists have turned out to be on the payroll of the National Security Agency (headed by Amar Saleh). Many families of the deceased and supposed terrorists, have reported that their sons were employed by the National Security Agency and some families even presented NSA ID Cards belonging to the deceased. It is therefore readily apparent that the war in Abyan is a desperate attempt by the regime to convince the western world of a fabricated risk of terrorism, a ploy used every time the regime has faced political turmoil.

Continuing to play with time, one of the four thugs and commander of the CSF, Yahya Mohammed Abdullah Saleh told the BBC on June 11th 2011, that the GCC initiative will not be discussed until Saleh has returned from Saudi Arabia after completing his treatment. This same game was played by Saleh before his injury, only this time the actor is a different one.

With the EU and the US apparently terrified of these four thugs, the public in Yemen has started to raise many questions as to why the west hasn’t condemned the brutality and savageness the thugs have used against peaceful demonstrators in Aden, Taiz, Hodaidah, and Sana’a. A mild statement issued through the US embassy in Sana’a on the 30th of May 2011 has been the only denunciation made to date. On the other hand, the US was quick to condemn the attack on the president “in the strongest terms” by president Obama himself through his press secretary on June 3rd, 2011.

The tone of Obama’s statement convinced many of the Yemeni youth that the Obama administration is still supporting this tyrant and betrayed their own values of freedom and justice. One of the youth at the Change square in Sana’a said “When the US talks of freedom and human rights they only mean their citizens, they look upon us Yemenis as animals not humans deserving these rights.”

What is more puzzling is the leak in Sana’a and Riyadh of secret negotiations between the four thugs, the GCC, and the west for immunity from prosecution and a U.S.$ 2 billion (two billion US dollars) payout for them to leave power. Politicians from JMP are furious that this arrangement not only shields them from prosecution but also rewards them for the killing and massacres they have carried out throughout the country.

If true, this new proposal will usher the beginning of the end for US interests in Yemen over the long term, as Yemenis will always remember with dismay such a betrayal of democratic principles and values.

Indeed the latest statement by Secretary Clinton on the “strong Yemeni Constitution” was the subject of intense ridicule in Yemen as power should have been transferred to the vice president according to the constitution. Instead it has remained firmly in the hands of the four thugs who have completely sealed off the capital Sana’a as of 5pm June 8th, 2011.

In another display of complete disregard for the Yemeni citizens, the four thugs celebrated the discharge of the Yemeni president from the intensive care unit of the military hospital in Riyadh, with horrific shooting of cannons and heavy machine guns late at night and in several Yemeni cities. For about an hour, the shots lit up the Sana’a night sky and local residents terrified of the ferocity of the bombardment said good bye to their friends through Twitter, Facebook, and mobiles phones. One message on Twitter read “Forgive me the shooting is everywhere around me I might be killed now goodbye.” in Aden the Republican Guard fired cannons and heavy machineguns from the presidential palace in Maasheek in the Crater district, sending residents into a panic. A frantic lady in Aden cried out during a phone call and proclaimed, “They decided to kill us!” State television later announced that the bombardment was a celebration of the president’s good health. In the morning it was revealed that the “celebration” had left 3 dead and over 80 seriously injured.

It’s clear that the four thugs are the driving force behind President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s destructive mismanagement and corrupt rule. Accordingly, it is critical that they are removed from the picture if there is any hope of salvaging the country, especially taking the following events into perspective:
1. Use of the Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU) against protestors and in local wars against political opponents happened with the full complicity of Yahya Mohammed Abdullah Saleh the commander of the unit and the Central Security Forces (CSF). Three such cases are well documented:
a. The Huthi war in Saada where several members of the CTU were killed in action and constituted a grave loss to the CTU in 2009.
b. The bombardment of Al-Ayyam Newspaper headquarters in Aden on the 5th of January 2010.
c. Clashes in Sana’a between Saleh’s forces and tribesmen loyal to Sheikh Sadeq Al-Ahmar during June 2011.

2. Misleading intelligence which was provided by Amar Mohammed Abdullah Saleh, the head of the National Security Agency, and resulted in disastrous consequences on secret US military operations in Yemen. Examples are:
a. Al Majalla strike (17th December 2009) where not a single target of value was killed in the strike and the fiasco culminated in the Deputy Prime Minister apologizing to the Yemeni parliament and “Amnesty international” while publishing photographs of U.S. ammunition debris found at the site.
b. Mareb strike which killed the Deputy Governor of Mareb Mr. Jabber Al-Shabwani (25th May 2010). In this case in particular, the president informed the father of the slain Deputy Governor that the “Americans killed your son,” pushing further anti-American sentiment in the tribal area. The president’s comments also resulted in wrecking former American Ambassador Edmond Hull’s efforts over the course of 4 years to foster good relationships with the entire tribe.

3. Atrocities committed against activists and political opponents was ordered and commanded by Ahmed Ali Abdullah Saleh who used his Republican Guard troops as well as the CSF to carry them out.

In an interview published Saturday 12th June 2011 by Al-Hayat newspaper, Major General Ali Mohsen Al-Ahmar clearly accused Saleh of manipulating the western world with threats of Al-Qaeda, and pointed to terrorist elements in Saleh’s presidential guard who have appeared with him repeatedly during public events in published photographs. The general also singled out Amar and Tareq Mohammed Abdullah Saleh as the overseers of Al-Qaeda operations in Yemen.

What is quite noteworthy is the complete and sudden cessation of piracy in the Gulf of Aden since the start of the youth revolution which further enforces earlier reports linking Saleh’s regime with piracy in the region. As Saleh became more and more engaged with the explosive situation in Sana’a, the threat of piracy in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea diminished.
In this connection, I have also elaborated in a previous report on the two private security companies owned (through fronts) by Ahmed Ali Abdullah Saleh, and Yahya Saleh which use American military aid and resources funnelled to the Yemeni Coast Guard for private profiteering. According to officials and clients, the two companies are “Lotus Maritime Security Services,” which is based in Sana’a and the Channel Islands-based company called “Gulf of Aden Group Transits Ltd.”

The Coast Guard was also involved in smuggling diesel to Somali pirates in the area, whereby the American Embassy in Sana’a was involved in the removal of the previous Yemeni Coast Guard commander in 2007. Smuggling operations have continued however up to early 2011 and have expanded to include sales of arms, GPS, and radar equipment.

It is clear that post-Saleh Yemen will see legal action brought against all involved in these crimes. Legal action will also be pursued with respect to the criminal use of the CTU against civilians which has been and continues to be well-documented by Yemeni NGO’s in photographs and videos, especially during the last clashes in Sana’a between the Saleh’s regime and the tribal leader Sadeq Al-Ahmar.

The extension of legal ramifications of this regime’s actions to other countries especially the US therefore cannot be avoided. Moreover, under the immunity proposal which is currently being pushed by the American administration as a way out of the crisis in Yemen, only Saleh and his minions are immune, and lawyers are already finding ways of holding other countries liable for Saleh’s crimes.

Contacts with Yemeni, American, British, and French lawyers are currently underway to sue the government, Saleh, his relatives, and all who are involved in crimes against Yemeni citizens. By removing immunity from the GCC initiative however, Saleh and his family will ultimately face the brunt of the foreseen and necessary legal action. It may therefore prove to be a blessing in disguise that Saleh chose not to sign the GCC initiative.

Finally, I should pay tribute to the brave peaceful freedom fighters in all southern governorates as well as the courageous youth gatherings in Sana’a, Taiz, Hudeidah, and Ibb who have made great sacrifices to achieve total national aspirations and bringing to an end an era of corruption, tyranny, and abuse of power. I wish to conclude by stressing the fact that there is no interest for Yemen and its friends in continuing any efforts to secure a conditional return for the dictator on the basis of let bygones be bygones. The dictator of Yemen is a unique example, being a first class liar, merciless, and deceitful ally of governments and individuals who have invested their confidence in his promises and undertakings over the last 33 years.

Today, let us remember the words of the poet Alfred Lord Tennyson, “The old order changes, giving place to the new.” Yemen is entering a new era of stability and development, and I hope that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, other Gulf states, and all other friends of Yemen will offer their understanding and support to an emerging nation.