Armies of Liberation

The Ba’ath Party previously withdrew from the JMP prior to Yemen’s presidential election, around the time the JMP came out with the proposal to convert to a parliamentary system (Novemeber 2005 I think.) .

Yemen Post

The Arab Ba’ath Socialist party earlier this month presented a proposal to join the Joint Meeting Parties (JMP).

In a meeting held last Friday, the (JMP’s) Supreme Council agreed to accept on the Arab Ba’ath Socialist party’s proposal. This brings to six the number of the parties that currently form the oppositions (JMP).

In a press release of which sahwah.net received a copy of, the (JMP) Supreme Council Chairman Abdul Wahab Al-Anesi highly welcomed the Arab Ba’ath Socialist party to join (JMP), considering this a positive step in facing the upcoming challenges.

It further mentioned that (JMP) Supreme Council Chairman Abdul Wahab Al-Anesi praised the Arab Ba’ath Socialist party, mentioning its good work during the previous dialogues held by the People General Congress party (GPC) and the opposition parties.

Meanwhile, the report revealed that the meeting held by JMP and the Arab Baath Socialist Party criticized the government’s actions that aimed to turn down the party’s proposal to join the (JMP), considering this action by the ruling party a clear violation to its rights. It further condemned all forms of tampering and interfering headed by the (GPC) in the internal affairs of the opposition parties. It is worth mentioning that the Arab Ba’ath Socialist party was previously one of the most loyal parties to the ruling party.

The Joint Meeting Parties boycotted parliament sessions for one month in July, opposing the ruling party’s claim to form the Supreme Committee of Election and Referendum (SCER) according to their own agenda, assuring that such an act could add political and social tensions.

It further affirmed that such steps are early trends which will result in a non free parliamentary elections, which are supposed to be held early next year, demanding to reform the election system as a whole in accordance with the agreements signed between both sides, regarding SCER and recommendations suggested by the EU Election Observation Mission.

In order for the ruling party to put more pressure on the opposition JMP parties, it decided last month to form its own coalition of parties with the National Council for Opposition, Al-Ba’ath Arab Socialist National Party, Yemeni Association Party and Democratic September System. They all signed a strategic political coalition document, hoping that it could replace the JMP ‘s presence during the upcoming parliamentary elections.

Syrian tried on charge of smuggling narcotics into Yemen
Saturday, 10-May-2008

al-Motamar
Almotamar.net - Specialised Yemeni First Instance Criminal Court on Saturday decided to postpone till next Saturday trial of a Syrian national accused of bringing into Yemen more than 450 thousand narcotic tablets Keptagon. The court decision was for allowing the defendant’s lawyer time to study the file of the case.

At the beginning of the court sitting statement of indictment was read out and it included that the defendant Faez Mustafa Dureid, 31, a Syrian nationality working as a tradesman, accused of bringing and possessing more than 450 thousand tablets of narcotic drug Keptagon captured at Sana’a Airport and hidden in sacks of sweets.

During the session held under chairmanship of Judge Muhsin Alwan the prosecution presented evidence of the case and confessions of the defendant in the reports. The charge mentioned the defendant brought sweets from Syria sent for him by a person called Mohammed Ali al-Khalidi living in an area of Madhaya situated between Syria and Lebanon. On his part the defendant is supposed to distribute the drugs to narcotics agents who are Abu Ali Shas, Yemeni and Abu Saleh, a Saudi.

Investigations revealed that the quantity of narcotics brought into Yemen since the beginning of January 2006 amounted to 26000 tablets. The defendant receives the amounts of drugs sent from Syria in the form of desserts and drug tablets are hidden inside.

In his response to the charge the defendant denied the accusation and the defence lawyer asked for photocopying the case file to be able to prepare his defence in the next sitting.

26 September Net

Sana’a - Syrian Prime Minister Mohammad Naji Ottri arrived in Sana’a today heading his country delegation to Yemeni-Syrian Higher Committee works which is to kick off tomorrow.

The Syrian Premier was welcomed by prime minister Muhamed Mujawar, Fish wealth minister, Syrian ambassador to Sana’a and number of Shura and Parliamnt council’s members.

Yemen and Syria Cooperation

Almotamar.net - Yemen and Syria affirmed Saturday their support for the efforts exerted for the establishment of security and peace in the Middle East and the necessity of pursuing dialogue as a means of understanding and solving regional disputes and differences and for the establishment of the just and comprehensive peace based on the principle of land for peace and resolutions of the international legitimacy.

In meetings of the Yemeni-Syrian Higher Joint Committee held in Sana’a Saturday co-chaired by Yemen’s Prime Minister Dr Ali Mohammed Mujawar and his Syrian counterpart Mohammed Naji Atra, the two sides also put emphasis on Iraq’s unity and preservation of its Arab identity and the rejection of any act aimed to impinge its unity and integrity of its territories.

(Read on …)

Yemen, Syria discuss means of training army forces

[16 April 2008]

SANA’A, April 16 (Saba)- Deputy chief of the General Staff for Training Affairs Ali Obeed met on Wednesday with a delegation of Syrian military headed by director of Syrian Military Academy Ahmed al-Jojo.

During the meeting, the two sides discussed the aspects of current cooperation relations between both countries in the domain of rehabilitating and training their army forces.

Obeed affirmed the importance of holding joint experiences between the two armies of both countries.

For his part, the Syrian official praised the military level of the Yemeni army, particularly in the fields of rehabilitation and training, affirming the importance of exchanging experiences between the military academies of both countries.

SA/YA

Yemen, Syria discuss preparations for joint committee meetings

SANA’A, March 23 (Saba) - Prime Minister Ali Mujawar and Syrian ambassador to Yemen Abdul Ghafor Sabouni discussed on Sunday topics related to the upcoming meetings of the Yemeni-Syrian committee to be held here in May co-chairing by the two countries’ premiers.

Mujawar underlined importance of the good preparation for the meetings by the two sides.

The upcoming meetings should focus on the activation of mechanisms of following up what have been realized by the two sides regularly, Mujawar said.

He also stressed necessity of finalizing the procedures pertaining to the joint maritime transport project due to its importance to promote the trade exchange between the two brotherly countries.

For his part, Sabouni said the arrangements for the meetings are going well, pointing out the meetings would deal with several topics topped by the issue of promoting the trade exchange and investment between both countries.

Is this is the guy who was going to Iraq with five others and got turned around in Syria and headed to Lebanon where he was captured with Fatah Al-Islam? Or is it another one with the same story? He gets five years for document fraud. Most jihaddis traveling to Iraq with false passports get three years. Let see how long he stays in for, if he goes to jail at all. So the payment is in Saudi funds, that says something. But al-Motamar in one article says 400 and in the next says 4000 SR. News Yemen says 4000 SR.

almotamar.net - The Specialised Criminal Court approved Tuesday fixing the date of next Saturday to pronounce verdict against the defendant accused of being affiliated to al-Jihad group.

In the first sitting for trial of the defendant held Tuesday the accusation statement was read out and included that the accused had forged a passport and personated his brother Sanad and used that to travel to Iraq and mislead authorities at the airports of Sana’a, Cairo and Damascus.

Judicial sources disclosed to almotamar.net the arrest of the accused Bashir Raweh Nouman in late of Muharam month of Hegira year in Syria while he was leaving for a camp of Fatah al-Islam of al-Qaeda organisation for training there and pointed out his being handed over to Yemen after he was arrested in the Syrian city of Hims.

In his reply to the court question he said he received 400 Saudi riyals from a person called Khalil who had asked him to go to Iraq for Jihad and coordination for him with other persons to receive him at airports.

In another case the Specialised First Instance Criminal Court in Sana’a condemned the defendant Tawfiq Abdullah Yahya al-Maswari of highway robbery that resulted in killing and sentenced him to death.

Five year sentence

almotamar.net - The Specialised Criminal Court in Yemen on Saturday condemned defendant Bashir Mohammed Raweh of his affiliation with the Jihad Group and al-Qaeda organisation and that is in its second sitting of his trial.

The Judge Muhsin Alwan, chairman of the court decided to give the defendant five-year sentence staring from the date of his arrest.

Representative of prosecution had in the sitting of last Tuesday read the indictment which included that Raweh had forged a passport, impersonation of his brother Sanad and using it in travelling to Iraq as well as misleading authorities at the airports of Sana’a, Cairo and Damascus.

In reply to a question by the court the defendant said he received a sum of 4000 Saudi riyals from a person called Khalil who told him to go to Iraq for jihad and coordination with other persons to receive him at the airport.

Judicial sources revealed to almotamar.net that the defendant Bashir Raweh Nouman was arrested in Syria late of the Hegira month Muharam last year while he was leaving for a training camp of Fatah al-Islam, affiliate of al-Qaeda organisation before he was handed over to Yemen.

February 2, 2008 - Yemeni court convicted on Saturday Bashir Mohammad Noaman of connection to al-Qaeda in Yemen and counterfeiting official documents and a passport in order to travel to fight American forces in Iraq.

In the hearing session headed by the judge Mohasen al-Wan, the court issued a sentence of 5 years in prison against him.

The defendant admitted for the first time that he forged passports and misled authorities in Sana’a, Cairo and Damascus airports.

He further acknowledged that he received 4000 Saudi rials from the so-called Khalil who coordinated to receive him in an airport in Syria.

The Syrian authorities had extradited Noaman, 28, to Yemen after it arrested him in February 2007 while he was trying to go to Lebanon to join a training camp of al-Qaeda there.

Syrian FM praises Yemeni regional stands

[30 November 2007]

DAMASCUS, Nov. 30 (Saba) - Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem expressed on Thursday his appreciation of the Yemeni regional stands on the Arab issues.

During his meeting here with Yemeni ambassador to Syria Salah al-Ansi, Muallem asserted the firmness of relations between the two brotherly countries and his country’s keenness on boosting them in the future.

Al-Ansi affirmed, for his part, willingness of the government to advance the Yemeni-Syrian ties to serve both peoples’ interests.

Loan form China to finance Chinese company that will build cement factory

Chinese deputy minister of foreign affairs to visit Yemen soon

[30 November 2007]

SANA’A, Nov. 30 (Saba)- Chinese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs is to visit Yemen by mid of next month, 26sep.net report on Friday.

According to official sources, the Chinese official would hold talks with the officials in the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation to sign a loan agreement at 40 million Yuan.

The sum will be used to develop Bajel Cement Factory that will be implemented by a Chinese company at amount of $115 million.

AH/AM

Saba

Al-Motamar: Russia to build trains.

almotamar.net - Yemen’s ambassador to Moscow Mohammed Saleh al-Hilali announced Friday that Yemen plans to build a railroad that will link Yemen to Saudi Arabia and Oman with the help of Russia.

Al-Hilali called on Russian businessmen for investing in this project and affirmed that the Yemeni government would offer facilities and guarantees t foreign investors.

In an interview with the Russian Novosty news agency the Yemeni ambassador announced that the Russian-Yemeni Business Council would, under a support from the Russian Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, the Russian Foreign Ministry, Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry would organise the Russian-Yemeni Forum in Sana’a on 8-12 of December , 2007.

The forum aims to develop relations between governmental industrial, financial and scientific circles in Yemen and Russia.

Yemen plans to build railway linking with Saudi Arabia, Oman

[01 December 2007]

SANA’A, Dec 01(Saba)- The Yemeni ambassador to Russia Mohammed Saleh al-Hilali has said to the Russian news and information agency “RIA Novosti” that Yemen plans to build railways linking Yemen with Saudi Arabia and Oman, the state-run 26sep.net reported on Saturday.

Al-Hilali urged Russian businessmen to invest in the project, affirming the government would offer special facilitations to the Russian investors.

Al-Hilali noted the Yemeni-Russian Businessmen’s Council would organize a forum to reinforce relations between industrial, financial, scientific and governmental bodies in the two countries.

The forum will be organized under an invitation from the Russian Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, Foreign Ministry and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation.

FR/YA

How tacky. Its one thing to imprison the political opposition, critics and journalists in your own country, but to try to kill some one, twice, in a foreign country is a bit obnoxious. Ah but it was just a warning. Otherwise, he’d be dead.

From the Empty Quarter:

Not very many details at this point, just that two attempts have been thwarted recently by security personnel. Apparently, the assassins first sent a gang to kill him (former Yemeni president Ali Nasser Mohammed) in Damascus, but for some reason were unable to do so. Now they have attempted again in an unnamed “Arab capital.” Sources close to the former leader said they believe the assassination attempts were meant only as a warning, given the current conflict in southern Yemen, and not meant to really kill Ali Nasser. The article is careful to say that the source did not implicate anyone in the attempts…wimps. Hmmm, I wonder who would have motive - a party worried about external conspirators perhaps.

Those guys in the UK better look both ways when they cross the street.

Yemen Times

Arab Monetary Fund finance Wheat Deal

The UAE-based Arab Monetary Fund has agreed to finance the Yemeni-Syrian Wheat deal where Yemen would buy US$ 70 million worth of wheat from Syria on annual bases. The fund will finance this operation with an interest rate not exceeding 0.375%.

SANA’A, NewsYemen

The Syrian government has agreed to supply Yemen with 50,000 tons of wheat as a part of the quantity Yemen has demanded from the Syrian Cereals Corporation.

Yemen has demanded 150-200 thousand tons of wheat form the Syrian government to cover the shortage of wheat in Yemeni markets, said the general director of the Yemeni Economic Corporation Ali al-Kohlani.

Yemen has recently signed contracts with many country to buy wheat according to orders of president Saleh to the government to increase imports of necessary food materials and sell them to people in all governorates with cost price.

Meanwhile, al-Kohlani has revealed that three directors in his cooperation have been referred to justice for violations related to wheat sales. He said also that other directors have been given final warnings.

Al-Kohlani said the corporation would punish anyone plays with price of wheat or violates duties.
“This point is not arguable. Anyone who neglects the responsibilities will be severely punished,” said al-Kohlani.

On the other hand, an official in the Economic Corporation’s office in Taiz said that wheat demand is increasing. However, Al-Habari Group, the biggest wheat importer said it would stop selling wheat until the Ministry of Trade and Industry determines the pricing list.

Strategy Page

Saudi investigators also discovered that there were also terrorist training camps in northern Yemen, an area controlled by Shia Arab tribes that are hostile to the Sunni Arab Yemeni government. The connection with both Syria and Yemen is Iran, which subsidizes Syria, and supports the Shia tribes in Yemen. Saudi Arabia sees Iran has its primary enemy, not the Shia form of Islam (which most Iranians, who are not Arabs, and most Iraqis, who are, follow). The Iranians take advantage of the fact that al Qaeda has become the place to go if you believe in a very conservative version of Islam, and are certain that the sorry state of the Moslem world is all due to a plot by evil infidels (non-Moslems, especially Christians, Hindus and Jews) to destroy Islam. Even though al Qaeda considers Shia Moslems to be heretics, and worthy of persecution and execution, the Iranians are willing to cooperate if it will lead to problems for the Sunni rulers of Saudi Arabia. Politics, ethnic antagonisms and religious beliefs produce a strange brew in the Middle East.

So Dunnigan’s thesis is that Iran is aupporting both al-Qaeda and the Houthis in Sa’ada?

(Read on …)

They cooperate very well in many areas.

SANA’A, April 16 (Saba) - Deputy chief of staff for training affairs and educational institutions in the Defense Ministry Ali Obaid
talked on Monday with the visiting chief of Military Academy in Syria, Ahmed Younis, educational, technical and training cooperation
between the Yemeni and Syrian armies.

They discussed ways of enhancing this cooperation, exchanging visits and experiences in the interest of the two countries.

Younis visited the Republican Guards Academy and High Military Academy where he was briefed on the system of training and educational programs. The Syrian general praised the level of training at the two academies, pointing out that it keeps up with modern means of military building.

They denounce US intervention in Sudan, where two million Muslims are displaced and starving in desert, and the government of Kharoum is deploying rape as a tactic of war (and this is no myth).

SANA’A, April 8 — Marking its 60th anniversary of its establishment, the Arab Socialist Ba’ath Party organized a celebration on Saturday in Sana’a. The celebration was attended by ambassadors, including Syrian and Iranian Ambassadors, parties’ secretary generals and the party’s affiliates from across Yemen.

On behalf of the party’s secretary general Dr. Abdulwahab Mahamoud, Dr. Abdulrahman Saleh assistant secretary general delivered a speech in which he welcomed the attendees and recounted the history of his party and the long path it has been tracking. He also delineated his party’s attitudes of different national, Arab and Islamic issues, maintaining “The party has come from the womb of this nation and it is natural that it dedicates itself for the nation’s sake.

In his speech, assistant secretary general of General People Congress Sultan Al-Barakani commended the struggling of Ba’ath party and noted the party has kept struggling since its establishment despite all problems and challenges.

Similarly, Sultan Al-Atwani, secretary General of The Nasserite Unionist People’s Organisation, delivered a speech on behalf of the Joint Meeting Parties. Al-Atwani pointed out that Ba’ath Party was a reason for many victories achieved over the history of Arab Nation. He also stressed that Arab citizens still keep a good memories of the party’s immortal victories.

Al-Atwani also noted Ba’aths and Nasserites were the first parties to achieve a real unity in the modern history and this was between Egypt and Syria in 1958 under the name United Arab Republic; however, this unity did not last for long as “Imperialism managed to abolish this unity in 1961.

He added that Ba’ath Party was a key player in Yemen’s unity achieved in 1990, asserting such a unity should be the cornerstone for a comprehensive Arab Unity.

Hamas Movement representative in Sana’a Gamal Aisa assured Arabism and Islam are not separated and called upon Arabs and Muslims unit their efforts in order to stand against the Israeli project which does not target Palestine alone but the whole Arab World. He also noted that Israel is the real enemy of Arabs and Muslims.

“There is no option left except to unit and join our efforts for the sake of the nation, whether people, states or parties,” said Aisa.

In their released statement, the party denounced the American occupation of Iraq and its intervention in Arab issues like in Lebanon and Sudan. It also condemned the Israeli assaults against Palestinian people.

It also denounced the war escalating in Sa’ada and asked President Saleh to face and fight what they called “criminal gangs” in order to maintain the nation’s unity and stability. He also called all parties in parties in Yemen to stand against what they named as “Sa’ada sedition”.

Ba’ath Party was established in 1947 in Damascus’s Al-Rasheed Café by different Arab strugglers under the influence of Michael Aflaq and Head of National Relations Department. The party has undergone different challenges and hurdles of the course of its history. It suffered disintegration in 1964 at the hands of Syrian President Hafez Al-Asa’ad and since then the party divided into the Arab Socialist Ba’ath Party based on Damascus and Ba’ath National Arab Socialist Party based on Iraq.

The party also divided in Yemen following Yemen’s Civil War that took place in 1994 and exactly in 1996 after the party’s high ranking officials let in a conflict with the former secretary general Qassim Sallam and most leaderships headed to Arab Socialist Ba’ath Party.

Despite this, Naif Al-Qanes, head of national relations department at the Arab Socialist Ba’ath Party assured the two parties have in common more things than those that create differences.

He also revealed that there is a dialogue going on between Ba’athis at national and regional levels to restore their unity, maintaining that Syria has become a home for all Ba’athis after the collapse of Saddam Hussain regime in Iraq.

About 90% of suicide bombers in Iraq are foreigners with the vast majority from Yemen and North Africa. 90% of these foreign fighters go to Iraq via Syria. The State Department is warning…Syria. If Syria does close the borders, where are the Yemeni suicide bombers going to go? They won’t dissappear into thin air. It might be a good idea to start focusing on the souce of the suicide bombers, those in Yemen who facilitate their indocrination, training, documents, financing and transport, and later praise their deaths and the death of US troops.

Also more chlorine attacks in Iraq by “foreign fighters.” In 2005, the Yemeni military used chlorine gas as a weapon against Shiite rebels; in 2007, Yemeni jihaddists use chlorine gas in attacks in Iraq against US troops. Predictable. What are all the Salafi jihaddis currently networking in Sa’ada going to do after the Houthi rebellion is over, attack the Socialists? I don’t think so.

World Tribune:

WASHINGTON — A U.S. State Dept. official said about 90 percent of the suicide attackers in Iraq came from Syria.

“It has to stop,” said David Satterfield, the chief State Department adviser on Iraq.
Officials said that despite numerous appeals, Syria has failed to stop the flow of Sunni suicide bombers to Iraq. They said the lion’s share of suicide bombers were foreign Arab nationals who entered Syria and made their way to Iraq.

“They [suicide bombers] see Syria as a more accommodating country through which to transit across the border to come into Iraq to perpetrate their terror,” Satterfield.

Satterfield said the U.S. intelligence community has assessed that between 85 and 90 percent of suicide bombers in Iraq entered from Syria. In an address to the Washington Institute on March 27, Satterfield said 90 percent of suicide bombers in Iraq were foreigners.

Officials said North Africans and Yemenis comprised the largest element among the foreign suicide bombers. But they said Saudi nationals have become an increasing factor in the Sunni insurgency war in Iraq.

In his address, Satterfield again warned Syria to stop the flow of would-be suicide bombers and other insurgents to Iraq. He said Iraq and the United States have sought to stem the flow of insurgents from Syria to Iraq’s Al Anbar province.

“It has to stop,” Satterfield said. “It is not in Syria’s long term interests to let this violence continue. We and the Iraqi security forces have done our best. It is a long, long border.”

Over the last month, the Bush administration has resumed high-level contacts with the Syrian regime of President Bashar Assad. Officials said that during the March 10 meeting in Baghdad, the U.S. delegation accused Iran and Syria of interfering in Iraq. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was expected to attend the next meeting that included Syria in April.

“We would hope that the Syrian government understands as well that its rhetoric for a peaceful and stable Iraq has to be matched by actions,” Satterfield said.

In Iraq, foreign suicide bombers coming from Syria have increasingly used chlorine in their attacks. On Wednesday, at least 15 Iraqi and U.S. soldiers were injured when suicide bombers detonated explosives on trucks that contained chlorine in the Anbar province.

517 people killed in the last week in Iraq.

Meddling in Lebanon’s internal affairs and fueling Iraqi sectarian violence should be encouraged, according to the Yemeni regime.

MET:

Syria too savvy to cave in to US, Israeli pressure

Yemen’s Al Thawra criticized the escalating US pressure on Syria, saying America’s demands and threats virtually required the country to shed its Arab identity, as well as its strategic interests, to become a political entity that had nothing to do with what the state truly was.

The pro-government daily said that while US intentions toward Syria were clear, Damascus’ “wisdom” and “cleverness” in absorbing “the shocks,” and remaining steadfast in the face of all Israeli-American pressures, were commendable.

It said Syria’s leadership was capable of dealing politically and diplomatically with US-Zionist threats in such a way as to prevent the Arab country from facing a military confrontation.

“What does America want from Syria? Does it want to force it to sign a treaty with Israel and abandon its occupied Golan Heights? Is the aim to [keep] Syria from [having] any regional role in Lebanon, Iraq, Palestine, or even Iran?” queried the daily.

The paper insisted that all Arabs should find a means of supporting Syria, in contrast to having abandoned Iraq ahead of its destruction.

Related:

SANA’A, Mar 21 (Saba)- The Syrian vice president Farouk al-Shara left Sana’a on Wednesday after a two-day visit in which he handed over a letter to president Ali Abdullah Saleh from Syrian president Bashar al-Asad dealing with coordinating the situations before the Arab summit holding in Riyadh.

In statement to Saba, the Syrian official described the visit as fruitful and successful.

The two countries viewpoints were identical over all issues we discussed such as updating the form of joint Arab work, as well as supporting the relations among Arab leaders, especially in the current events and challenges that passed by the Arab nation aiming to get real solutions serving the Arab common interests, he said.

And

Almotamar.net - President Ali Abdullah Saleh emphasized on Wednesday the importance of commitment to resolutions of previous Arab summits particularly the Arab peace initiative proposed at Beirut summit without making any amendments on it.

During his meeting with the visiting Syrian vice-president Farouq al-Shara president Saleh, and with him vice-president Abdrebeh Mansour Hadi, in Sana’a today stressed the importance of working for the success of the upcoming Arab summit and to come out with results meeting aspirations of the Arab nation and enhancing its capability in confronting all challenges.

The president pointed out that the initiative represents the ideal way for the realization of just peace in the region and reflects the actual desire of the Arabs for sticking to the option of peace and achieves the just settlement in the region.

Syria

DAMASCUS, (SANA) – Syria and Yemen to start on Thursday preparatory meetings for the Syrian-Yemeni Higher Committee meetings.

Director of Arab Relations at the Trade and Economic ministry Abdulhalim Qaddah told SANA reporter that issues of mutual concern to be touched upon during the meetings.

“We will discuss the possibility of signing a Free Trade Zoon agreement between the two brotherly countries,” Qaddah said, noting that the two sides will talk about the required ways to increase the trade exchange between them.

Jordan

SANA’A, Jan. 22(Saba)- The Preparatory Committee for the 12th round of Yemeni-Jordanian Joint Committee held a meeting to sign the round’s minutes, agreements, protocols and executive programs which are to be approved in the higher committee discussions.

The Preparatory Committee is co-chaired by Minister of Trade and Industry Khalid Sheikh and the Jordanian counterpart Sharif al-Zuabi.

Sheikh pointed out that the meetings would discuss fields of collaboration and joint economic, commercial and investment exchange
between the two countries. “We hope the Preparatory Committee could contribute to reinforcing and developing the bilateral economic and commercial relations,” he said.

Al-Zuabi spoke over the volume of commercial exchange between Yemen and Jordan and the importance of communal work to overcome any likely problems that may face the commercial cooperation, calling the public and private sectors to push these relations towards better level that copes with the huge possibilities
available with the Yemeni-Jordanian private sector, in addition to the opportunities offered in the agreement of the Great Arab Free
Commercial Zone.

To discuss: maritime agreements, free trade zone and Jordanian university in Yemen. 23 Agreements concluded.

Somalia

MOGADISHU, Jan. 22(Saba)- The Republic of Yemen will reopen Tuesday its embassy in Mogadishu to be the first Arab embassy resumes its
activity in Somalia after returning the government to location to Mogadishu.

Yemen’s ambassador to Somalia told Saba the embassy would be reopened according to president Saleh’s orders in order to support the Somali interim government and people to make peace and stability. Reopening the embassy is a natural result of many-years-standing Yemeni diplomatic efforts to help Somalis, government and people, to put end for conflicts, said Yemeni ambassador to Somalia, Ahmad Hamid Omer.

Where’s Dijibouti?

YO The special security committee of the Sana’a Assembly called for full support to the Somali interim government. The security committee was composed of high-ranking officials from the four member states of the Sana’a Assembly, Yemen, Ethiopia, Sudan and Somalia. The four countries have agreed, in an extraordinary meeting held in Addis Ababa Thursday, on offering urgent financial, military and security support to the Somali interim government, as well as to send diplomatic missions to Somalia, reported Saba news agency.

“The committee showed the willingness and strong desire to help the Somali people and interim government achieve security and stability,” an official source told Saba. The committee also called upon donor countries and concerned organizations to offer the necessary support and to start deploying peacekeepers to replace the Ethiopian forces. This meeting, requested by Ethiopia, was held prior to the annual ordinary summit of the assembly, scheduled on Feb. 25 in Addis Ababa.

Almotamar.net - SANAA-Yemen’s foreign minister Dr. Abu Bakr al-Qirbi announced Monday that this country will be opening its embassy in the Somali capital Mogadishu after a closure of more than a decade and a half. The minister said to almotamar.net opening the Yemeni embassy in Mogadishu comes within the context of development of relation between the two countries and Yemen’s contribution in supporting social stability, peace and security in Somalia.

Minister al-Qirbi clarified that Yemen has appointed its ambassador to Somalia following the agreement of January 2005 between head of the go9vernemnt Abdullah Yusuf Ahmed and speaker of the parliament Sharif Hassan Adam. He affirmed that the Yemeni ambassador Ahmed Omar Hamis to the Kenyan capital has used to go to Baydawa, the seat of the Somali transitional government to take part in all dialogues conducted between the government and the Islamic Courts.
With regard to news on Nairobi intention to deliver the executive president of Islamic Courts Sheikjh Sharif Ahmed to Sana’a the minister said Yemen hosts a number of leaders of Islamic Courts who are not wanted, in support of dialogue between Somali factions. But he did not deny the possibility that Sana’a will accept receiving Sheikh Sharif in Sana’a.

Saba: Saleh met on Wednesday with the Ethiopia Foreign Minister, Siyoum Mesfin , who delivered him a letter from the Ethiopian premier Meles Zinawi.

Nazret: Misganaw Negassaw, one of the captives, said the Eritrean government trained several OLF members against Ethiopia in collaboration with the fundamentalists. Misganaw, who joined OLF after he arrived in Eritrea via Yemen, said he attended military and political training in Eritrea for more than two years.

NY: The Somali government requested from Yemen to help it get security information to identify the nationality of those Arab and foreign killed and detained by the Somali interim government and Ethiopian forces which supported the government against the Islamic Courts.
Somalia has sent a complete file including photos and documents of the people killed and detained to the Yemeni security authorities, said Somali deputy premier and foreign minister, Hussein Mohammad Farah Edid.
Meanwhile, Edid said that the Somali interim government received last Saturday 48 of the Islamic Courts fighters from the Kenyan government which arrested them as they were trying to infiltrate to Kenya.
The Somali official said also that many tens of supporters of the Islamic Courts, Somali and foreign, were killed in battles between the Islamic Courts and the Ethiopia-supported interim government in an near Baidawa. He said that many Arab and foreign fighters “are still detained by the Ethiopian forces that are carrying extensive investigations with them”.

UAE

SANA’A, Jan. 21(Saba)- President Ali Abdullah Saleh would pay a visit to the United Arab Emirates on January 30 in a response to an invitation from the UEA’s president Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nuhyan,the official Al-Thawra newspaper reported Sunday.

The sources highlighted that the two presidents would hold talks on several Arab and international issues topped by the situations in Palestine, Iraq, Somalia and Sudan in addition to the agenda of the coming Arab Summitto be held in Saudi Arabia.

The two sides would discuss relations between Yemen and United Arab Emirates and means of cooperation in various areas.

Pakistan

SANA : (Yemen), Jan 20 APP:General Ehsan Ul Haq, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee called on Yemeni Defence Minister, Major General Nassir Ahmed Ali here Saturday at the Defence Ministry. General Ehsan Ul Haq arrived here on a four-day official visit.

Earlier, on arrival, a warm red carpet reception was extended to the CJCSC and was received by Major General Ahmed Ali Al Ashwal, Chief of the General Staff of the Yemeni Armed Forces. A ceremonial honour guard presented salute.
Later in the day, General Ehsan Ul Haq visited the Special Forces Headquarters of the Armed Forces and the War Museum.
The first ever visit of the highest ranking military officer of the Pakistan Armed Forces is being seen here with great interest and step towards further cooperation between the two armed forces and the two friendly countries of the region.
A lunch in the honour of CJCSC was also hosted by the Yemeni Chief of General Staff which was also attended by the Defence Minister and senior military officers.

Iran

TAHRAN, Jan. 23(Saba)- Yemeni ambassador in Tehran Jamal al-Salal held talks on Tuesday with minister of agriculture in Iran, Mohammed Escandry and discussed the agenda of the joint committee to be held next month in Sana’a.

During the meeting, ambassador delivered greetings of minister of planning and international cooperation and head of the Yemeni-Iranian Joint Committee Abdul-Karim al-Arhabi and minister of agriculture and irrigation, Jalal Faqira.

US

ADEN, Jan. 22( Saba)- The governor of Aden Ahmad al-Kuhlani held talks with the visiting US military delegation headed by commander of the US Joint Forces in the African Horn, Richard Hent.

During the meeting, they reviewed means of mutual cooperation between the two countries, particularly in terms of fighting terror and building the capacities of coast guards. They also discussed bad situation in Somalia.

The governor expressed his appreciation for the US support for Yemeni coast Guards. Both sides affirmed the necessity of peace and
stabilityin the region.

Saudi Arabia

Almotamar.net - Almotamar.net has Thursday learnt from government sources that Yemen has handed over five Saudi citizens to Saudi Arabia. They were in detention in Yemen.

The source said that citizens Majid al-Zahrani, Mohammed al-Qarashi, Sad al-Blushi, Mohammed al-0Qahtani and Mohammed Baleid returned on Tuesday to their country following a court judgment issued the beginning of last November acquitting them from charges for which they were detained in a prison.

The specialized appeals section in Yemen at the beginning of last November decided the acquittal of 19 persons accused of forming an armed gang, among them five Saudis while it condemned six of them on charges of planning to attack Arab interests in Yemen and possessing forged official documents.
It is worthwhile mentioning that Yemen and Saudi Arabia have an agreement of security cooperation according to which they exchange persons wanted in issues of terror, security and other crimes from both countries.

Libya

NY: Some news reports are talking about Yemeni mediation in secret talks between the Somali Islamic courts and the US authorities about the fate of the second man in the Somali Islamic courts, Sharif Sheikh Ahmad, the head of the Islamic courts executive council.
Kinyan sources said that Sharif might be handed over to an Arab state, expected to be Yemen.
On the other hand, news reports said that the Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh, Zian al-Abidein bin Ali of Tunis and Omer al-Basheer of Sudan did not take part in the small Arab summit which was started Tuesday in Sert city in Libya.
Sources said that the summit grouped only the leaders Moamar al-Qadafi of Libya, Hussni Mubarak of Egypt and Abdul-Aziz Butafliqa of Algeria for talks over the Arab situations in the African Horn.

From AFP, reprinted on Sudan.Net, via PoP
Libya’s leader Moamer Kadhafi on Tuesday hosted an Arab mini-summit with his counterparts from Algeria and Egypt to review developments in the Middle East and Africa, a Libyan official said.

The official, declining to be named, told AFP that Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika and Egypt’s President Hosni Mubarak were attending the summit, but he declined to say if other leaders would join the talks. A Libyan official had said [on] Monday that the summit would also bring together the heads of state of Sudan, Tunisia and Yemen, but an official in Sanaa [Yemen's capital] said [that] his country would not be present.