Armies of Liberation

Not even to mention the fuel shortage in Yemen, the contracts with China explain a lot about China’s Security Council position regarding thwarting strong statements and actions against the Saleh regime. (The French Co Total owns 39% of YLNG and sold itself 1/3 of production. the contracts to South Korea are well under market price, as I wrote in 2005.) China of course makes no pretense to support democracy and works corrupt systems very well. Some of the original LNG contracts were renegotiated since the last time I checked them, and China is getting 11 cargos in 2011 and two other buyers have not been revealed. Nifty. In 2010, 10 were shipped to China. Production started in 2008 and have produced 100 shiploads by March 2010. China is Yemen’s main export partner, accounting for 23% of all exports. Chinese trade in January-November 2010 reached US$ 3,664,062,000, up 69.2 per cent year on year. Beyond buying oil, China ships weapons to Yemen. Now we know why the Chinese media is always shilling for Saleh.

China may receive a spot cargo of liquefied natural gas from Yemen today, according to ship- tracking data.

China National Offshore Oil Corp.’s Guangdong terminal may get the fuel from Balhaf, Yemen, on the Maersk Arwa on Aug. 10, according to ship transmissions captured today by AISLive on Bloomberg. It received a cargo on Aug. 8 on the LNG River Orashi, possibly from Bonny LNG in Nigeria, the data show.

ah, article from Feb, 24 2011 a nd more below the fold:

ICIS Yemen LNG expects to ship 57 cargoes to Asia in 2011 in a combination of spot, mid-term and long-term sales, Jean-Pierre Cave, commercial and shipping manager with the company, said during a presentation of LNG Summit in Seoul on Thursday. (Read on …)

Just reprint Yemeni government propaganda why doncha? China was a main impediment to the UN SC resolution and one reason for its weakness. More below the fold on an upcoming report by Jamal Benomar, the UN”s Special Advisor on Yemen.

Yemen not in power vacuum as President Saleh in Riyadh for treatment: minister
English.news.cn 2011-08-05

SANAA, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) — The Yemeni Minister of Legal Affairs Rashad al-Rassas said on Friday that President Ali Abdullah Saleh is in Saudi Arabia for treatment and there will be no power vacuum in the country.

“The allegations circulated by the opposition that Saleh’s presidential term has constitutionally expired and the country is in power vacuum after Saleh has been treated abroad for two months are baseless and has no constitutional context,” al-Rassas was quoted by the official Saba news agency as saying. (Read on …)

Update: Saleh refuses GCC initiative to mediate a peaceful exit, says its unconstitutional, this coming from a war criminal who hasn’t obeyed a law in…ever.

The GCC Saudi Initiative

1) President Saleh to announce to step down and transfer his powers to his deputy.

2) emphasis on ensuring safety and the lack of any prosecution of him and all his relatives and the Elements of the system.

3) to form a government of national unity to have the mission operation and running of the country for a limited period and to prepare for a referendum on the constitution and parliamentary and presidential elections and may also form committees as it deems necessary.

4) If this initiative to be approved by all parties then all are invited to Riyadh to sign it and begin its implementation immediately.

In the same context, the GCC sources said that the GCC mediation recognizes and understands the importance of the need to contain the aspirations of the initiative of all parties of Yemen, led by young people, which Saleh leave/Departure is their main demands.
(Read on …)

Just as al Ailami predicted, the shipload of Chinese weapons imported by the Defense Ministry for the Houthi rebels moved next to Sudan, in theory not offloaded in Yemen. Yemen Gazette:

HODEIDA, 30 Oct — The Chinese vessel laden with weapons that was imported by tribal chieftain and arms dealer, Sheik Hadi Mothana has left the port of Hodeida back to China without off loading its cargo, the independent website, Marib Press said on Friday, adding “the Chinese ship arrived in Sudan where it off loaded oil drilling equipment it was carrying and has started sailing back to China.” Other conflicting reports said President Saleh had met with Sheik Hadi Mothana and agreed to allow the ministry of defense to buy the shipment. The ministry of defense has denied any ties to the shipment and Mothana said he has “solid evidence the government has asked for the cargo.

They’re all swooning in shock that the Yemeni Defense Ministry is selling arms to the Houthi rebels, its hysterical. Arming the rebel force for profit is a good example of a) how the extreme criminalization of the Yemeni government leads to irrational outcomes, b) the war economy perpetuating the war and c) increasing factionalization of the Yemeni government.

Yemen Today: Meanwhile, Brigadier General Ali Muhsen al-Ahmar called for investigations into the Chinese arms shipment seized in the port city of Hodeida two weeks ago. The government had said the shipment entered the country using forged documents and published a black list of arms dealers but the agent of the Chinese company in Yemen, Sheik Hadi Mothana Monday told reporters the “papers of the shipment are not forged and I have a solid proof.”

In related news, the independent website, Marib Press Monday talked about a “second black list of arms dealers,” adding “the Chinese arms shipment could expose many senior officials in the government who are involved in arming the Shiite rebels if an investigation was opened,” and quoted security officials as saying “the Shiite insurgents get their weapons from the arms depots of the ministry of defense.”

More details at the Yemen Observer: (Read on …)

Update: Parliament questions al Alimi who says maybe the ship went to Somalia and the weapons will be smuggled to Yemen from there.

Original Post: Actually it makes as much sense one way or the other, whether the shipment from Faris Manna (and the Defense Ministry) ultimately goes to the rebels or al Qaeda. I wrote in 2005 that Yemen was a primary weapons supplier to jihaddi groups all over the region- from Saudi to Gaza and lots of places in Africa. Later the Yemeni government promised (!!) to stop using brokers to buy and sell weapons. It was a big announcement, warmly welcomed by the US. But like nearly every and all announcements by the Yemeni regime, it lacked substance.

Following up on our earlier post, about Sa’ada mediator Faris Manna importing a shipload of Chinese weapons with forged documements from Yemen’s Defense Ministry: they can’t find the ship. Its in the port, left the port or never entered the port, one of those.

Yemen Post The debate over a suspected ship carrying Chinese-made weapons anchored in the port of Hodeida province in western Yemen heated up on Wednesday, with Parliament setting a deadline of next Monday for the government to submit a comprehensive report on the ship. (Read on …)

And its a darned good question. Follow up to the story: Yemen appoints weapons smuggler as governmental peace negotiator and gets mad when he sells the rebels a ship load of Chinese arms using “forged” documents from the Defense Ministry.

Sahwa Net – Over 29 MPs demanded in a parliamentary session held on Sunday to summon the defense minister Mohamad Nasser Mohammad to ask him about a Chinese ship loaded with weapons held in Hodeida airport. (ed- Earlier reports said it sailed away but apparently its still there.)

A Russian TV channel said that the ship belongs to Faris Mana’a, brother of Saada governor. (Read on …)

A ship seized in Yemen’s port of Hodeidah was importing weapons from China for the Houthi rebels with “false documents” from the Defense Ministry. Are things really that lax that any yo-yo can show up and buy a shipload of weapons with a forged document? Perhaps all weapon sales to Yemen should be scrutinized for similar fraud.

Is the Yemeni administration so corrupt that aspects of the military are selling weapons to their adversaries in the midst of a war? Undoubtedly. The military is so corrupt that sometimes al Qaeda trains inside military camps (less obvious from the air) and military commanders oversee logistics for would be jihaddists. There’s an al Qaeda safe house in President Saleh’s village with a bus that runs to a nearby training camp.

The cargo was not confiscated, and the ship left the port likely bound for buyers in Somalia. The sequence of events led MP’s to wonder who was behind the shipment (hidden hands behind the state is the phrase) and if it was possible that the government appointed mediator was also the rebels’ supplier. Ya think?

The recent “blacklisting” of President Saleh’s ally, weapons dealer and government mediator, Faris Manna makes a little more sense now as a fit of pique, but the war economy is well entrenched. The perpetrators of organized criminal activity in Yemen often operate under official cover. For more on Yemen’s weapons smuggling, see my category proliferation.

YO: Security authorities sabotaged an attempt by arms dealers to enter a large amount of ammunition imported from China, through forged official documents. The dealers are being investigated in preparation for trial. The deal was done through forged documents on behalf of the Yemeni Ministry of Defense and it included a large amount of old manufactured ammunition, said security sources.

The GPC’s al Motamar reports: Official sources last Monday affirmed that concerned authorities in Yemen foiled an attempt of entering a shipment of munitions some weapon merchants to import from China with forged official documents , pointing out that security investigations were conducted with eh involved persons prior to stand trial.

(Read on …)

The relationship between Yemen and China is quite strong and well established. Yemen balances its external relations in a similiar manner to its internal affairs. Yemen’s alliance with the US is offset by its relation with China, Russia, Iran, even Cuba. Yemen supports the Chinese position on Taiwan, and China never pressures Yemen on Human Rights issues, of course. First up, we have Yemen quite understanding of the Chinese crackdown on the Uighur’s and insisting its some conspiracy, which is the standard line for the Yemeni government regarding civil unrest in Yemen.

CNN: The July 5 riot in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region is an internal affair of China, the Yemeni ambassador to China said on Wednesday. Yemen supports China’s efforts to defend its national sovereignty, to safeguard its social stability, and the people’s security and property, Abdulmalek Mualemi said in a written interview with Xinhua.

The riot in Urumqi, the capital of the Xinjiang region, left 197 people dead and more than 1,680 injured….

“Considering the grave loss of lives and property caused by the violence, we believe the incident did not happen spontaneously as some people have claimed, instead, it was premeditated and organized,” he said.

AQAP may target Chinese interests in Yemen- report.

Bloomberg: Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb said it will target the 50,000 Chinese workers in Algeria and Chinese nationals and projects across northwestern Africa, said Stirling Assynt, which has offices in London and Hong Kong….“Some of these individuals have been actively seeking information on China’s interests in the Muslim world which they could use for targeting purposes,” Stirling Assynt said, adding locations included North Africa, Sudan, Pakistan and Yemen. Other militant groups may make similar threats and al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula “could well target Chinese projects in Yemen,” according to the report.

More from Yemen Observer and al Sahwa.

Next: Chinese investment in Yemen, the overt kind. China needs to secure energy supplies and is one of Yemen’s main trading partners.

July 14 (Saba) – Yemen and the Chinese Commercial Vessel Building Company reviewed on Tuesday benefits and investment opportunities provided to investors in Aden Free Zone (AFZ).

Vice-chairman of the General Authority for Free Zones, and Head of the AFZ Abdul-Jalil al-Shuaibi re-invited, during his meeting with deputy general director of the company, Chinese investors to invest in Yemen, especially in establishing a factory for Chinese cars in the country.

Finally the Chinese massage parlors in Sana’a targeted by the Virtue and Vice Commission. The Chinese girls trafficked to Yemen as sex slaves were left crying on the street.

Al Arabyia: Yemeni religious police were out in force Tuesday in a major crackdown that saw many massage parlors and Chinese restaurants in the capital Sanaa shut down for allegedly promoting prostitution and vice.

The Yemeni religious police, modeled after Saudi Arabia’s Committee for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, targeted popular tourist areas in Sanaa.

Authorities dragged Chinese women working in several spas and restaurants to the streets and sealed the businesses after posting a sign reading “closed by the authorities,” an eyewitness told Al Arabiya.

The number of Chinese restaurants and spas in the capital has increased significantly in the capital despite the fact that none of them have a legal work permits or Ministry of Health authorization, said an official who supervised the clampdown but spoke on condition of anonymity. (Read on …)

Yes thank you. I was wondering why China embarked on its first naval operation in centuries. Concern for Yemen didn’t seem a likely motivation. The internationalization of the waterway in the last year is dramatic.

Pakalert

Hong Kong, China — “Anti-piracy operations” have given China’s PLA Navy the best excuse to penetrate the Indian Ocean and station forces there permanently.

As fighting piracy around the Gulf of Aden becomes a long-term mission, the PLA Navy South Sea Fleet is likely to set up a sub-fleet to handle that task – perhaps the “Indian Ocean Sub-fleet of the South Sea Fleet” – and the PLA Navy will become the new owner of the Indian Ocean.

In recent months, Chinese military publications have carried a number of articles stating that “the Indian Ocean does not belong to India.” The intent of these articles is increasingly clear.

While carrying out anti-piracy operations, the PLA Navy’s battleships will gain experience in long-distance maritime combat operations in preparation for the establishment of an ocean-going aircraft carrier fleet. The navy may dispatch other battleships, such as its 054A FFG, on similar missions in the future.

China has a key military objective in dispatching battleships to the Gulf of Aden. The “Chinese Aegis” class DDG it has sent to the region has the most advanced radar detection and C4IRS capabilities, and therefore can conduct effective battlefield monitoring exercises in this region. The Gulf of Aden provides the best geographical environment for the PLA Navy to conduct surveillance on the activities of the U.S. 5th Fleet.

The powerful detection capability of the Chinese Aegis DDG relies on the “Sea Lion” active phased array radar installed on the battleship.

They signed a similiar treaty with Spain after the 2007 Marib terror attack, and the Spanish-Syrian Nankli was shipping out after years and years in jail. So Yemen can extradite nationals to China and Spain, but not the US, how is that not in violation of the famous Yemeni constitution?

China-Yemen Extradition treaty signed.
YemenOnline. March 03 – Yemen and China signed two judicial cooperation treaties on Monday one of which on criminal extradition. The second treaty involved cooperation in criminal issues. The treaties were signed by Minister of Justice Ghazi Al-Aghbari and vice president of the Treaty and Legal Affairs Department at China’s Foreign Ministry Su Hong, who is leading a Chinese delegation currently visiting Yemen.

JPost: The Grad-model Katyusha rockets that were fired into Beersheba on Wednesday were manufactured in China and smuggled into Gaza after the Sinai border wall was blown up by Hamas in January, defense officials said…

The four rockets that hit Beersheba this week were filled with metal balls that can scatter up to 100 meters from the impact site, officials said. These rockets have also been fired into Ashkelon and Ashdod.

The three countries that manufacture Grad-model Katyushas are China, Russia and Bulgaria. Defense officials told The Jerusalem Post the rockets were smuggled into Gaza in the 12 days after Hamas blew a hole in the border wall between Gaza and Egypt on January 23.

“Huge quantities of weaponry were smuggled into Gaza then from above ground, including the Grad rockets,” an official said, adding that even after the border wall was sealed, Hamas continued to smuggle the long-range rockets into Gaza via tunnels under the Philadelphi Corridor.

From China, the rockets make several stops before reaching Gaza. In many cases, officials said, they are bought by Iran or Hizbullah and then transferred to Sinai.

In some instances, the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) has learned of weapons that came from Yemen and Eritrea, were moved to Sudan, then north to Egypt, and finally smuggled into Gaza.

Do they really have money for more weapons purchases? The rationalization of the government budget is not going well I see. Its about 7% of GDP on military and less than 2% on health care. (And even what is spent on health care is largely stolen and sold. )

Yemen, China discuss security cooperation

[11 November 2008]

SANA’A, Nov.11 (Saba) – Yemen and China held Tuesday talks on the aspects of security cooperation between the Interior Ministry and the Chinese company Chin Shida specialized in the exportation of military and security products.

Deputy Interior Minister Saleh al-Zawari affirmed here with assistant director of the Chinese company the importance of developing the bilateral cooperation between the two countries in areas of security cooperation.

Update: from the Yemen Times:

In Yemen, the Chinese firms started their businesses in 1956 with the construction of Sana’a-Hodeida Highway. And, during the time period (1979 – 1995), nearly 12 Chinese construction contractors implemented projects in Yemen. In the final days of 1995, China signed contracts with Yemeni firms for a total value of $ 800 million, and currently there are more than 16 giant firms in Yemen.

Jan 09, bkdtd

Yemen Times

- Construction of first steel plant in Hudaida begins

The Chinese-Yemeni Steel Company ‘ Star’ has already started the construction of the first steel plant in the industrialized zone in Hudaida province.

The project which would be implemented in three phases will cost $ 75 million.

The company started in November implementation of the first phase of the project which included the setting up of concretes of the plant and residential complex that covers 194 thousand square meters, director of the Industrial Zone in Hudaida Abdullah al-Bukari said.

The cost of the first phase is estimated at $ 25 million and the plant will produce during his phase 200 thousand tons of steel a year.

The project would be launched officially in May providing jobs for 300 Yemenis and 100 foreigners.

The 13 megawatt-electricity station which would be used to operate the plant will arrive in Yemen during this month.

At the second phase of the project, the plant will produce 400 thousand tons of steel a year and by 2010 after the three phases of the project complete the plant is expected to produce 1 million tons annually.

As we find the project shows success, other Yemeni-Chinese companies would be set up that will produce foods, phones and electronics, Chinese executive director of the project Yang Shumen said.

The Yemeni-Chinese Steel Company, in which China holds 80 percent, obtained in July a license to establish the plant at the Industrial Zone in Hudaida province.

FT: Soco International on Monday announced the sale of its operation in Yemen to Sinochem, China’s state-run oil trader, $465m…..

The Yemen assets sold by Soco to the Chinese group comprise a 16.8 per cent stake in the East Shabwa area. The licence is operated by Total. Net proven reserves attributable to Soco’s stake are put at 18.7m barrels with a working interest of over 6,300 b/d. In 2006 the asset generated pre-tax profit of $55m on turnover of $76m.

Press release: Seyaj organization calls upon Media means to draw an urgent campaign to warn from the Chinese milk Sanlo”

The Organization (SEYAJ) for Children Protecting in Yemen called the government and private media to launch an awareness campaign to warn from the milk ‘Sanlo” produced by the Chinese company “ Saint Loup” which was laboratory proved its danger on the health of children.

The organization has followed with great sadness the tragic of poisoning thousands of children in china and other countries after taking the product.

As Yemen is one of the countries that import such product, we call for this warning campaign.

While Seyaj appreciates the immediate response of Ministry of industry and Trade and its interaction with

When directed to withdraw the product from stores, it calls on minister of information, head of Yemeni general establishment of Radio & television, the head of national television in both Sana’a and Aden, Alsaida Space channel and the directors of local radio stations in some Yemeni provinces to quickly adopt and launch an awareness campaign to warn citizens of that milk with pointing out the importance of breastfeeding as the best food for infants.

in addition, the organization stressed its concern that Media “ audio/visual” should take this role as it reaches the public easily and quickly by introducing film guidance and declarations warning with pictures of rotten milk items during the prime time after Magrib “ sunset” prayer.

May Allah help us all for the good and safety of humanity.

Seyaj Organization for Childhood Protecting

Sana’a – Yemen.

23 September 2008

Interesting analysis

Yemen – (Back to the Future )
By Abdul-Ghani Al-Iryani*-YemenOnline-> June26-(Yemeni-Chinese Relations in a Nostalgic Search for the Past )-The extremely significant June 24 – 25 visit of the Chinese Vice President to Yemen could usher a new era in Yemeni-Chinese relations as well as a definite shift in Yemeni-US relations. China was among the first countries to support an independent and defiant North Yemen in the late fifties in its attempt to maintain its claim to the territory of the British-occupied Aden Colony and the South Arabian protectorates. Along with the Soviet Union and the United States, China built roads, bridges, hospitals, factories and technical schools. That development assistance helped break the isolation of North Yemen and thrust its medieval people into the bi-polar world of the twentieth century. Yemeni foreign policy was formed by the experience of playing great powers against each other, and deft manipulation led to profitable relations with both the Eastern and Western Blocks. (Read on …)

ERIGAVO, Somalia June 8
(Garowe Online) – Police authorities in Somalia’s breakaway region of Somaliland are questioning two foreigners who were arrested in the region of Sanaag on Saturday, sources said.

The two men – one from Yemen, the other from China – were arrested alongside four Somalis in the port town of Las Korey. The two foreigners were transported to a police station near Erigavo, the provincial capital of Sanaag, Somaliland Defense Minister Abdullahi Ali Ibrahim told reporters. (Read on …)

CKC

Apr. 28, 2008 (China Knowledge) – China National Chemicals Import & Export Corporation (Sinochem), one of the key state-owned enterprises under the supervision of State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC) of the State Council, announced that its subsidiary Sinochem Petroleum Exploration & Development acquired a 100% equity interest of Soco Yemen Pty. Ltd. (Soco Yemen) for US$465 million, sources reported.

The Beijing Times cited the company’s statement that Soco Yemen holds an indirect interest of 16.79% in the East Shabwa Development of Yemen through its 58.75% equity interest in Comeco Petroleum. Inc (Comeco). Comeco, in turn, has a 28.57% interest in the East Shabwa Development Area in Block 10.

“This acquisition enables us for the first time to step into the petroleum exploration and development business in Yemen”, Sinochem spokesman said. (Read on …)

I think its a loan and its one hospital called “48″

SANA’A, April 22 (Saba)- At the headquarter of the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation a MOU was signed on Tuesday on Chinese assistance for “48″ exemplary hospital project worth $ 8 million.

According to the MOU, Chinese government will offer 64 million Chinese Yaun ($ 8 million) to set up “48″ exemplary hospital in Sana’a, which its first phase of design implementation to be inaugurated in forthcoming few weeks and practical implementation of the project would start in the end of 2008.

The MOU was signed by Deputy Minister of Planning for International Cooperation sector Hisham Sharaf and Chinese side by economic and trade advisor of Chinese embassy in Sana’a.

NN/AM

GPC in Beijing

BEIJING, April 23 (Xinhua) — The Communist Party of China (CPC) is ready to step up exchanges and cooperation with Yemen’s General People’s Congress (GPC) to further advance bilateral ties, said a senior CPC official here on Wednesday.

Wang Gang, a Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee member, made the remark when meeting with a delegation from GPC, Yemen’s ruling party, led by its deputy secretary-general Sultan Saeed Abudllah Albarkani.

Wang, also National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) vice chairman, said Yemen is one of the first Arab countries to establish diplomatic ties with China. China always considers Yemen as a reliable and all-weather friend.

The two countries had witnessed an increase of exchanges in the areas of culture, education and public health, as well as fruitful energy and trade cooperation, Wang said.

The CPC is ready to further cement exchanges with the GPC and push forward country-to-country friendly ties, he said.

He also appreciated Yemen’s firm support for China over the Taiwan, Tibet and human rights issues.