Armies of Liberation

Jane Novak's blog about Yemen

Justice Takes a Holiday

Filed under: Judicial, Ministries, Yemen — by Jane Novak at 4:19 pm on Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Not that things are much better when the courts are in session

Zawya

10 August 2008
Judiciary activities at all court levels have ceased following the judges’ annual leave which will continue to the end of October. Some case delays may continue up to December, because some judges go on pilgrimage trips. The long judges’ leave will affect the suspects, detainees at courts and prosecutions as well as the newly litigated cases, because they cannot be referred to courts, charged or acquitted.

Lawyer Abdulghani Ali al-Kahzan, said that the leave delays all cases, including those which have only one session to conclude, with the suspects most probably to be released. He added that some judges’ transfers are carried out during the leave, leading to extending the trial’s period, for even the ones need only one session to conclude, because the new judge needs to reconsider the case. The prosecution also experiences similar conditions.

The justice ministry should reconsider the Tho-alqaida month’s annual compulsory leave. He added that the actual annual working period of the judiciary is only half a year.

In a related issue, 264 judges and prosecutors were transferred last week. Appeal judges transfers were carried out by the supreme judiciary court and the ministry of justice last month.

Only 30 Unhappy People in the South: Defense Minister

Filed under: Biographies, Military, Ministries, Russia, Yemen — by Jane Novak at 4:07 pm on Tuesday, August 12, 2008

26 Sept

Defence Minister Mohammed Nasser Ahmed concluded a successful several-day visit to Russia.
During his visit to Moscow, the Defence Minister held talks with a number of Russian officials on the aspects of cooperation relations between the two countries, particularly in fields of military and Combating and preventing terrorism.
Ahmed also met at Yemen’s embassy in Moscow with Yemeni undergraduates studying in Russian military academies in which he delivered a speech focusing on a number of the national issues and the latest developments witnessed in the homeland, especially the rebellion movement in some districts of Saada governorate.
He confirmed that his country’s government had dealt with the al-Houthi rebellion in accordance with the interests of the country.
For the concern situations in some southern provinces, Defence Minister Mohammed Ahmed considered them “an expression of less than 20 or 30 persons only”.

4000 Houses, 26 Mosques and 116 Schools Destroyed in Sa’ada War

Filed under: Biographies, Civil Rights, Military, Ministries, Saada War, Yemen, prisons — by Jane Novak at 7:05 pm on Saturday, August 9, 2008

These figures of property damage in Sa’ada were first released in July 2007, so the totals are certainly much higher now after the fifth war. In the mean time, prominent activists including al-Khaiwani remain in jail. Another is Mohammed al-Miftah, who is on a hunger strike after being disappeared by the Interior Ministry.

Sahwa Net – The head of Al-Haq Party’s shoura council Mohammad Miftah has been going on a hunger strike since two months. Miftah who was kidnapped by gunmen belonging to the Interior Ministry on May 21, 2008, said he would not suspend the hunger strike until he is released…It is worth noting that the authorities suspect that Miftah belongs to the al-Houthi movement in Saada.

This is the same Miftah who Amnesty International called a prisoner of conscience. A Zaidi cleric Mohamed Miftah was released in May 2006 apparently after receiving presidential pardons. He had been serving an eight-year prison term.

And Ali Mohsen surfaces…

Mareb Press: The governmental committee assigned to evaluate and count the damages caused by the rebellion in Sa’ada province returned today to the Sa’ada, chaired by the Minister of Local Administration, Abdul Qadeer Hilal, and the Deputy of Prime Minister for Security and Stability affairs, Rashad al-Alimi, Minister of Defense, Mohammed Ahmed, and commander of the Eastern North region, Ali Muhsen al-Ahmer.

The committee will visit military and security units in the province to inspect the condition of soldiers.
Meanwhile, the cabinet studied yesterday the initial report on counting the damages caused by the armed rebellion in Sa’ada province, prepared by the committee chaired by Abdul Qader Hilal, Minister of Local Administration.

The cabinet directed the committee to carry out field visits to Bani Hushiesh district in Sana’a province to evaluate and count damages caused by the rebellion and including its findings in the report to be raised to the government.

A total of 4141 houses, and 88 farms were damaged in Northern Province of Sa’ada during the war between the Al Houthi rebels and the government troops, said a primary official report on Tuesday. The report which was carried by the state-run news agency Saba said some 201 public installations including 116 schools, 36 health utilities, and 26 mosques were also either wholly of partially damaged.

Source: IRIN

A recently formed government committee has faced problems assessing damage to buildings and property in conflict-hit Saada Governorate, northern Yemen.

Committee members had to return to the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, after being intercepted in Mashor village Saada Governorate, by pro-government tribes who said they, not the al-Houthi rebels, should have priority when it came to government assistance. The pro-government tribes did not want the committee to start assessing the damage in “pro-al-Houthi villages”, demanding instead that the government give them priority assistance as a reward for fighting on the government side.

However, a few days later, on 6 August, the committee went back to another part of Saada Governorate on the orders of the Cabinet, to try and complete its assessment.

Minister of Local Administration Abdul-Qader Hilal, who chairs the committee, said: “We will work in accordance with the president’s orders and the state’s strategy to promote peace and reconstruct Saada.”

An interim report by the committee, which was set up on 22 July, said 4,141 houses and 88 farms (including 24 poultry farms) had been damaged in the past two months alone, due to the fighting. It also said 201 public buildings were damaged, including 116 schools, 36 health centres and 26 mosques in the same period.It is unclear to what extent a ceasefire in mid-July - following a deal between President Ali Abdullah Saleh and representatives of the rebel leader, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi - was holding. Local media have reported continuing sporadic clashes between the two sides.

Meanwhile, local media reports indicate that some army leaders were reportedly not happy when Saleh tried to end the fighting before they could defeat the rebels.

Rebel allegations

A statement by Abdul-Malik al-Houthi’s information office on 3 August said some army leaders were trying to violate the ceasefire deal: unidentified army officers had set up four military checkpoints on the main road to Har Sufian, a pro-al-Houthi area in Amran Governorate. It said there were other violations, which had resulted in the killing of a number of citizens.

In November 2007, a government committee said 3,375 properties had been damaged in five of Saada’s 15 districts, but the assessment was cut short by the fighting.

Hundreds of people have been killed and thousands displaced during the clashes in Saada Governorate since 2004. According to the 2004 population census, Saada Governorate has 81,568 houses and a population of some 700,000.

Surprise! Prison Visits

Filed under: Ministries, Yemen, prisons — by Jane Novak at 7:21 pm on Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Good for her! A surprise visit to the prisons is just whats needed. They wont be able to kick her out or beat her up like they do with the MP’s who visit.

Yemen Observer:
The Minister of Human Rights Huda al-Ban today began a surprise visit to inspect prisons in Ibb and Taiz governorates in order to view the conditions of the prisoners and prisons facilities.

Close sources reported that the Minister will check on the duration of imprisonment and will set free some penniless ones who have served the majority of their terms and were indebted with large fines. The Ministry will pay the sums to creditors for them, from the fund set by the Vice-President for this purpose.

The same source added that the minister will check prison conditions from the point of view of cleanliness, food and treatment of prisoners, since cells are houses of correction and reformatory aimed to rehabilitate prisoners into the community. In case the minister finds that any of the cells she visits do not meet the required conditions, she will report them to the cabinet including binding recommendations for the concerned ministries to reform them. The report will also include recommendations for punishing jailors who violate the laws that organize and deal with cells and respect for human rights.

The Ministry of Human Rights has released 155 prisoners, 10 of them women, from four governorates to help celebrate May 22. The Ministry paid more than YR 8 million as debts to creditors. Financial aid was offered to other needy prisoners as well.

1000 Officials Disobey the Law

Filed under: Corruption, GPC, Ministries, Yemen — by Jane Novak at 4:54 pm on Thursday, July 10, 2008
SNACC to refer 1000 officials to prosecution

[05 July 2008]

SANA’A, July 05 (Saba) - The Supreme National Authority for Combating Corruption (SNACC) threatened 1000 governmental officials to be referred to the public prosecution due to not submitting their financial disclosures to the authority.

The head of the Financial Disclosure Sector at the SNACC Mohammad al-Matari said that the authority sent last week messages to 1000 officials in more than 12 ministries indicating to their financial disclosures’ delay, the GPC-run almoatamr.net stated Saturday.

In strongly worded messages, the authority gave a week for those officials to submit their financial disclosures, otherwise it will refer them to the prosecution on charge of refusing implementing the Financial Disclosures Law.

Worth mentioning, SNACC received till the middle of last June 2400 financial disclosures for officials from various government bodies.

Minister of Expatriate Affairs Resigns in Protest

Filed under: Corruption, Elections, Ministries — by Jane Novak at 5:47 pm on Friday, May 30, 2008

Yemen Post

Ten days before announcing the new ministerial reshuffle, Minister of Expatriates Affairs Saleh Sumi’ee resigned from his post in protest against the constant demands by the head of investigation sector at the Anti-corruption committee to pay the due sums for the Yemeni community schools in the Horn of Africa.

Sumi’ee hinted that the head of the education center for community schools Abdul Bari Al-Dhamari embezzled YR 45 million over the years 1998 to 2002 at the leniency of Finance and Expatriates’ Affairs ministries.

(Read on …)

8700 Cases of Corruption Among Ministries: SNACC

Filed under: Corruption, Ministries — by Jane Novak at 5:35 pm on Friday, May 30, 2008

Good report by the SNACC. It would be nice if there was any judicial enforcement to back up the investigations. YO

The first comprehensive investigation into corruption in Yemen has revealed 8709 corruption cases in the past 3 years. Astonishingly, 3932 of these occurred in 2007 alone. The offenders were the Ministries of Education, Health and Population, and Labour, Works and Roads. The most corrupt governorates were Ibb, Aden, al-Muhrah, and al-Muhwaid.

(Read on …)

Dengue Fever Outbreak in Shabwa

Filed under: Medical, Ministries, Yemen — by Jane Novak at 4:33 pm on Friday, May 30, 2008

Health Ministry, little help

Over 500 persons effected by dengue in Shabwa
[30 May 2008]
SHABWA, May 30 (Saba)
- A medical source said on Friday more than 500 persons have been affected by a dengue fever outbreak in Shabwa province, south-east of the Yemeni capital, Sana’a.

(Read on …)

Corruption Cases SNACC: Construction, Education

Filed under: Corruption, Ministries, Reform, Yemen — by Jane Novak at 7:29 pm on Saturday, May 10, 2008

Yemen Observer

The Supreme National Authority for Combating Corruption (SNACC) announced last week that it is finishing investigations on six corruption cases, dysfunctions and financial violations of about YR 20 billion, said Dr. Bilqis Abu Usba’a in a recent report issued by SNACC. This report comes every three months and is submitted to the president and the Parliament as a disclosure of these cases. These cases are among 141 claims that SNACC received since the authority’s establishment last year.

The authority received 78 of these claims in the period from January to the end of March 2008. The authority’s report enlisted the major tasks that they undertook at the first quarter of this year, disclosing that most of the claims are allegations that are not competitive to the corruption concepts, and they are of a procedural judicial type. It said that 16 of these are of an administrative nature which the authority has no legal authorization to undertake.

Regarding the cases that are computable with corruption, the report confirmed that six of them are about to finish, while the others are still under investigation and follow up.

The cases, according to the report that are about to be completed, include Taiz-al-Turba road rehabilitation project, where the authority discovered financial violations amounting to YR 117 million out of the total agreed amount of YR 971 million

The scholarship trustee money of the higher education is also on of the authority’s discoveries, where the their investigations disclosed that there are accumulated trustee money in more than 27 countries, amounting to YR16,081,146,000 during the period 2001-2007.

The investigations on this case showed that there 2053 unauthorized applications, exerting pressure on the ministry and preventing application of equal opportunities, despite the president’s directions not to accept any illegal applications.

The report added that SNACC met with the minister and the relevant officials at the higher education, and agreed to summon the cultural attaches in order to settle the trustee money and to submit them to the prosecution, pursuant to the law.

The two sides agreed that an open meeting will be held for the relevant officials to come to a long term strategy that reconsiders scholarships situations.

The third case concerned the investigations over the Cairo fortress restoration, which disclosed YR3,559,698,000 violations in 2002, amounting to ten times of the project’s original cost reaching an amount of YR118 million.

The violations come under article 30 of the corruption law, notwithstanding the tender laws and the financial systems, on the procedures of the project’s implementation stages.

According to the periodic report the project was contracted in 2002 according to the then prevailing prices, which exceed those of 2007 prices, yet there were no technical designs, specifications, certain amounts in addition to entire absence of engineering observance to the project. This is in addition to granting the contractor reimbursement prices and technical specifications price differences in addition to undeserving transport and risk allowance costs.

The report stated that the authority stopped paying any extra sums to the contractor, and appointed an investigation team to assess the so far accomplished works to settle the real contractor’s accounts. The authority also asked COCA to conduct an audit.

The fourth case concerned the Thamar university staff ‘s claim over fraud in the faculty of engineering’s tender, however the authority addressed the prosecution to proceed on the case which is filed before them. It wrote to the Higher Education Ministry in order to return to work the staff members, who were transferred and replaced by others for filing the case, to their posts and to pay them back all their dues.

The fifth case was over the discovery of the authority that the Expatriate Ministry did not settle their trustee money for support of the East African community schools’ accounts for 1999-2007.

The authority according to the report asked the expatriate ministry to provide the payment documents of 1999-2007, however the ministry did not respond despite the repeated addressing.

In the authority’s report to the president and the Parliament, the authority said that they received 1060 financial disclosure reports at the first quarter of this year raising the total to 1219 during the period of September 2007 up to last March.

Law 30 from 2006 of the Financial Disclosure Act is applicable to all higher officials, higher administrative posts and higher financial posts. It also included the first quarter’s issues, cases being discussed, the resolutions, meetings and activities.

Law 39 from 2006 for anti-corruption stipulates that SNACC should submit unified quarterly reports to the president and the Parliament.

Endowment Lands Stolen Too, Dialog to Resume: al-Hittar

Filed under: Ministries, Religious, Yemen, land disputes — by Jane Novak at 5:11 pm on Saturday, May 10, 2008

YO

Hamoud al-Hitar
Judge Hamoud al-Hitar, Endowment Minister, said that he will resign if he fails in protecting the endowment lands and property against those who commit transgressions against them. He also said that he enjoys the president’s support at facing the endowment trespassers, whatever influence or authority they have.

Al- Hitar added that none are superior to the law, considering the parliament’s approval of the endowment law and the formation of the supreme endowment council as a big support for the endowment property protection.

(Read on …)

Statement of al-Wasat

Filed under: Media, Ministries, Yemen — by Jane Novak at 7:25 am on Thursday, May 8, 2008

MINISTER OF INFORMATION DEFIES JUSTICE

In compliance with the policy of violating the laws and in defiance to the court rulings, the ministry of information has ordered to prohibit the printing of Alwasat newspaper. This unlawful and illegal action confirms the intentions of the Minister of Information to disrupt the implementation of the existing laws and create impediments against the freedoms of speech and freedom the press.

Alwasat is shocked by the disobedience of the minister of information to execute the court’s orders, which demonstrates his acrimony against liberties, and thus shows the incredibility of the government related to its constitutional and international commitments to respect the laws and defend the liberties and freedom of press. It is contemptuous that the government has given the false impression to the donors and international community, of abiding to the laws and respecting the rulings of the judiciary, while one of its ministers is violating all the laws and showing irreverence to the judiciary.

We call on all national and international bodies, defending the freedom of press, to condemn the despicable actions of the government and one of its members, calling the regime to have the audacity to announce that the country is besieged under an undeclared state of emergency , where the constitution and freedoms are put aside and only the personal desires and wishes of are ruling the country.

The minister of information, through his disdainful actions is showing the real face of the authoritarian rule of the country.

SANA’A, NewsYemen

Al-Wasat independent weekly reported on Wednesday that the Ministry of Information has prevented all printers in the capital Sana’a from printing the paper challenging the rule of the court against the ministry.

“The Ministry of Information aggressive steps against al-Wasat are ongoing. It is a clear challenge against the verdict of the West Sana’a Court”.

Yemeni Journalists Syndicate (YJS) has denounced the new step of Information Minister Hassan al-Lawzi and considered it “obstinacy” against judiciary.

First deputy chairman of YJS Saeed Thabet has called al-Lawzi to respect justice as he represents the executive authority. “We want the ministry to be a good example of respecting the judiciary,” said Thabet.

Editor of al-Wasat Jamal Amer said “the minister is challenging justice”. “Information Minister’s measure has destroyed positive step taken by judge as if the ministry is consistent to defame the country”, said Amer.

Some leaders in the Ministry of Information told NY they are not satisfied with the minister’s measure against al-Wasat.

The West Sana’a Court issued last Saturday a verdict against the Minister of Information’s decision for revoking the al-Wasat license. The court also fined the Ministry of Information YR 50,000 in favor of al-Wasat as legal fees.

The Minister al-Lawzi accused the paper of “undermining the country’s highest interests through harming national unity and warm relations with brotherly countries”.

al-Wasat Reinstated

Filed under: Media, Ministries, Trials, Yemen, Yemen-Democracy — by Jane Novak at 10:22 am on Saturday, May 3, 2008

yay!!!

SANA’A, NewsYemen

The West Sana’a Court terminated on Saturday the decision of Ministry of Information to cancel the license of al-Wasat independent weekly and fined Minister of Information YR 50,000 ($250).

The Ministry of Information decided a month ago to cancel the license of al-Wasat claiming the paper published materials against the national unity and Yemeni’s ties with some countries. The Ministry has claimed the Law of Press and Publication allows it to take such a decision, but the editor of al-Wasat Jamal and Amer along with Yemeni Journalists Syndicate (YJS) and press freedom advocates have struggled against the decision which they said “has not legal base”.

Information Minister lacks jurisdiction: court

Sana’a, Yemen - A Yemeni court on Saturday annulled a decree by Information Minister Hassan al-Lawzi to close one of the country’s top opposition newspapers. The minister had issued a decree cancelling the licence of the al- Wasat weekly on April 5, citing violations against “national unity.”

The decree had said the withdrawal of the paper’s licence was “due to its publication of materials prohibited by the law and against the national unity.”

But now Chief judge of the West Sana’a Court Muhammad al-Qadhi said the minister “lacked jurisdiction to cancel the newspaper’s licence.”

(Read on …)

Cabinet Reshuffle

Filed under: Ministries, Presidency, Yemen — by Jane Novak at 8:14 pm on Friday, May 2, 2008

Unbelievable! President Saleh fired the civil service minister, the guy who actually implemented reforms and devised bio-metric ID’s, fired the 60,000 double dippers and ghost workers, and lots more.

The Fisheries Minister had to go. There’s so much corruption and “elite capture of donor funds” in the Fisheries Ministry. Can I hope? No, not after the al-Jawf election being overturned.

The (former) governor of Saada is very hard core, yes? And now he’s the interior minister?

May 22 Sana’a, Yemen - Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh ordered a cabinet reshuffle Monday, appointing six new ministers as part of government reforms promised after a wave of violent protests in the south of the Arab state, state media reported. The portfolios affected by the reshuffle were oil, interior, electricity, civil services, expatriate affairs and fisheries, the official Saba news agency said.

Saleh named Yemen’s ambassador to France, Ameer Aidarous, as oil minister to replace Khaled Bahah, who has held the post since 2006.

Mutahar al-Masri, governor of the restive north-western Saada province, where government forces have been fighting Shiite rebels since 2004, was appointed interior minister.

(Read on …)

Corruption Widespread

Filed under: Biographies, Corruption, Ministries, Yemen — by Jane Novak at 7:09 pm on Friday, May 2, 2008

Anti-Corruption Parliamentarians May Face Charges For Uncovering Corruption

And what do these percentages mean? How much of the ministry’s budget is lost to corruption?

Yemen Online

YEMEN: Oil, military and security “most corrupted” areas – says report
Sana’a, April 29, 2008 (Yemenonline.info) – Yemen’s Parliamentarians Against Corruption (YEMEN PAC) recently issued a report demonstrating that corruption is widespread in the areas of oil, military and security.

According to the report corruption is spread the most in the fields of oil, military and security.

“Corruption spreads in the oil, military and security areas by 87.2%, 61.8% and 60.9% respectively,” said the report.

A government source firmly denied the content of the report on the multitude of corruption in government sectors.

According to the report, corruption spreads in the areas of health, diplomacy, fisheries and agriculture by 53.6%, 48.1%, 35.4% and 33.6% respectively.

Doha-based Al-Jazeera kept broadcasting excerpts from the report during all its business news briefs on Monday.

The source asserted the government’s right to prosecute those who prepared the report for harming and libeling the country by allegedly providing false information about its institutions.

“The government may also demand lifting diplomatic immunity of those parliamentarians,” the source concluded.

News Yemen

Good for the bio section
(Read on …)

Minister Attacked in Papers

Filed under: GPC, Local gov, Ministries, South, Yemen — by Jane Novak at 10:08 am on Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Yemen Online

Sana’a, April 19, 2008 - Several government funded weeklies are launching a media campaign against Minister of local Administration, Abdulqader Hilal accusing him of corruption and leaking information to the opposition.

These newspapers reported that some government officials are working to prosecute minister Hilal for corruption charges and for leaking information to the opposition Joint Meeting Party (JMP).

The papers did not said what sort of information Hilal revealed to the opposition parties.

According to the newspapers Hilal is financing the so-called separation movement in the south.

Taiz-based A-Gomhoria government daily published an “alleged” interview with minister Hilal several days ago in which the paper “on behalf’s of Hilal” attacked political parties in the country.

The newspaper published and apology after Hilal denied that he did the interview and explained that the text of the interview was sent to the newspaper by a reporter working for the defense ministry-funded 26 September weekly.

A source close to minister Hilal expressed surprise over the media campaign government-funded media outlets are launching against Hilal. The source said that in protest minister Hilal is staying at home these days.

Minister Hilal enjoys good reputation and popularity mainly amidst people of the south. He served as southern Hadramawt governor before he assumes his current position as the minister of local administration.

16 Billion YR Lost Overseas, Woops

Filed under: Corruption, GPC, Ministries, Reform, Yemen — by Jane Novak at 8:53 am on Friday, April 18, 2008

Kudos to the SNACA for addressing the issue. Where did the money go? That’s a lot of money.

al-Motamar

Almotamar.net - The Supreme National Anti-Corruption Authority (SNACA) gave Yemeni cultural attaches in Yemeni embassies in 46 countries a 2-month time to settle funds in their charge before it takes measures against them and holds them accountable according to its authorities under the law.

The member of the SNACA, the head of information sector Yassin Abdeh Saeed the funds under care of the cultural attaches in 46 countries that since 2001 have not been settled amount to YR 16 billion, 81 million and 142 thousand, affirming the Authority’s follow-up of this issue with the ministry of higher education.

In this regard the SNACA official praised the cooperation shown by the Yemeni minister of higher education Dr Saleh Basura in this issue and issues of failures of which Mr Saeed the minister opposes them.

Al-Qirby Trip to US Postponed

Filed under: GPC, Ministries, USA, Yemen — by Jane Novak at 9:32 pm on Monday, April 14, 2008

frosty

Al-Sahwa:

April 13, 2008 – Well-informed sources told Alsahwa.net that Washington cancelled a visit of the Yemen’s foreign minister, Abu Bakr al-Qirbi, to Washington which was set to be in mid-April, indicating that this step was taken as Yemen rejected extraditing an FBI wanted, Jamal al-Badawi, suspected of bombing the USS Cole destroyer in the Yemeni port of Aden.

This step followed a visit made by the FBI director Robert Mueller in which he met president Saleh and discussed terror issues.

A spokesman of the U.S. embassy to Yemen had told Alsahwa.net that the FBI director asked Saleh to extradite al-Badawi in order to prosecute him in a U.S. court.

The source pointed out that Mueller further discussed with Saleh issues of combating terrorism and updates of the investigations on the attacks which targeted the U.S. embassy on March 18 and the housing compound of Hadda on April 6.

“Mueller informed Yemen’s officials that U.S. ordered its non-essential staff and their families to leave Yemen due to those attacks which targeted the embassy and American oilmen” added the source.

Official sources said that al-Qirbi would visit Washington in mid-April and would meet the U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in order to discuss mutual relations and how to enhance bilateral cooperation in various areas along with the Middle East prominent issues.

Yemen Observer

The Yemeni Foreign Minister said that he asked for a postponement of his mid April visit to the United States. In a special release to the Yemen Observer, the minister said that the visit was delayed by the Yemeni side because of incomplete arrangements for the visit.

The minister confirmed that the postponement is neither linked to Washington’s demand to extradite criminal suspects such as al-badawi, recent bombings in Sana’a or unrest in the south, nor the FBI’s manager’s visit. He asserted that the visit agenda will not change. It will consist mainly of the issue of bilateral relations, development and cooperation in political, economic and development fields, and regional developments such as terrorism and Iraq.

Al-Qirbi denied any crisis or tension in Yemeni-American relations, yet he pointed out that it is just a difference in opinion, over the al-Badawi case, the first suspect in the USS Cole’s attack to be charged, explaining that it is a constitutionally settled issue from the Yemeni side.

Yemeni media had published news of Washington canceling the foreign minister’s visit of mid April because of the Yemeni refusal of al-Badawi’s extradition, linking it to the FBI’s manager Robert Mueller’s unscheduled visit, in which he discussed terror issues with president Saleh, however, the foreign minister denied it.

Meanwhile, the US Embassy spokesperson said in a press release, “the Yemeni government told us that it postponed the foreign minister’s visit for contradictory schedule reasons.”

Media sources quoted the American Embassy as saying that the FBI manager Robert Mueller, asked during his meeting with president Saleh that al-Badawi should be detained in order that he would be tried in an American court over the American USS Cole attack.

Mueller’s visit was followed by evacuation instructions given to unessential US Embassy officials and their families, with the first group leaving Sana’a on Sunday morning.

Many observers described the American measures as unnecessary, adding that it is a sort of an American pressure on Yemen.

Political analyst, Saeed Thabit, thinks that the measure is unjustified because such things happen to the Americans all over the world. He says that this comes within the context of pressuring Yemen to provide more logistical and military facilities for America’s ‘war on terror,’ conscious of the geopolitical position of and its volatile neighbours.

Journalist Hamoud Munasar described the American step as unnecessary and unjustified, pointing out that Yemen has experienced worse conditions in the past without causing the Americans to take such measures.

Thabit expects a crisis to ensue if Washington continues pressuring Yemen regarding the extradition issue.

Thabit owed the sensitivity of the extradition of the Yemenis to be tried in America to two factors: one concerning the Yemeni constitution which prohibits extraditing Yemeni citizens to be tried in any foreign country, and the other one is regarding the unnecessary security disturbance to be entailed by such a step.

The Americans should consider a bargain in which Yemeni nationals incarcerated in America, including Mohammed Ali al-Moaid and Mohammed Zaid to Yemen, together with the Guantanamo detainees, are returned to Yemen in return for a Yemeni pledge to try anyone who is proved to be involved in violent or illegal actions.

Yemen recently witnessed terrorist actions against American interests, including the March 19 attack, that resulted in killing a soldier and the injury of tens of a neighboring girl’s school’s students, in addition to the blasts that hit American hunt employees’ resident complex in Sana’a on April 6.

International Condemnation of Al-Wasat’s Closure

Filed under: Civil Rights, Media, Ministries, South, Targeting, Yemen — by Jane Novak at 9:53 am on Tuesday, April 8, 2008

CPJ

Yemeni government cancels license of independent weekly

New York, April 7, 2008—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns an order by the Yemeni government this weekend to cancel the license of the independent weekly newspaper Al-Wasat.

On Saturday, Yemeni Information Minister Hassan al-Lawzi ordered the newspaper’s license terminated because the paper had damaged relations with Saudi Arabia, and violated technical provisions of the press law, according to local journalists and official press accounts.

A Yemeni government spokesman who asked that his name not be used told CPJ that the Information Ministry revoked Al-Wasat’s license because the paper had “published articles threatening national unity, and spreading messages that promote violence and hate. Yemen supports the freedom of the press that adheres to professional standards and practices.”

“Contrary to the government’s lofty statements in support of a free press such shameful acts of censorship have regrettably become the norm in Yemen,” said CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon. “We call on the Yemeni authorities to reverse this flagrant measure immediately.”

(Read on …)

New al-Ahmar Alliance with Saleh

Filed under: Islah, LNG, Ministries, Tribes, Yemen — by Jane Novak at 10:02 am on Monday, April 7, 2008

A gas tender, a Parlimentary speakership and a Minstry, the boyz sold their postions cheap. Yes, dissappointing.

Yemen Times

These challenges facing the tribally-backed regime have pushed Saleh not to forward concrete actions, but revamp cracks in his tribal coalitions with Al-Ahmar family. Suddenly, the president was able to normalize his relationship with the sons of Al-Ahmar, extending a gas tender to Hamid, appointing another as vice speaker of Parliament and another as deputy minister of sports and youth. Hussein, who set up the tribal National Solidarity Council to irritate the regime, has been seen on TV with the president in some events.

This attests to Saleh’s allegations that these vocal and critical “boys” want their share of the cake and nothing more. Yes, this is the question. This restructuring of the tribal coalition is meant to challenge disturbances in Sa’ada and in the southern provinces. It is a coalition against the public’s demands. People were naively fooled when they believed that the sons of Sheikh al-Ahmar would side by the public and their pains.

Saleh has tried to develop a loose coalition with the tribe and Al-Ahmar family in particular but found it difficult, and therefore preferred to compromise with the new young leaders of Hashid. Such a technique might serve to extend the hold up of his regime, which is going through hard times, but will not rein in the outrageous people who felt disappointed in the man who promised to improve their living standards in the 2006 elections and now tells them to drink “sea water,” a gesture of recklessness.

At the same time, the protesters demanding separation are serving the regime’s interests, for the people are not in favor of separation. The solution to our problems which are embroiling the country into turmoil is not splitting again into south and north. The country cannot simply split into north and south. It would rather mean complete disintegration and fragmentation of the whole country, which means a bleak future for everybody, without exception.

Now, as the country is on the edge of a precipice, concrete solutions are urgently needed before it is too late and everything falls apart.

Just Out and Out Lies, Over and Over, About Everything

Filed under: Ministries, Saada War, South, Yemen, prisons — by Jane Novak at 2:50 pm on Sunday, April 6, 2008
No political detainees in Yemen jails, Minister says

[06 April 2008]
SANA’A, April 06 (Saba) - Justice Minister Ghazi Shaef al-Aghbari affirmed that all jailed persons in Yemen’s prisons have been convicted, refusing that there are political detainees in connection with saying or writing opinion.

At a meeting with German’s Human Rights Commissioner Günther Noke, al-Aghbari added that prisoners have all legal guarantees before prosecution and they will be released as they are acquitted.

He said that Yemen is always keen on improving legislations to meet with international human rights pacts, pointing out that the security systems do their job according to constitutional rules ensuring freedom for all people in the country.

He notified that the death penalty is used only against convicted people above eighteen years old.

At the meeting, the two sides discussed means to develop the bilateral relations in areas such as judiciary, legislatives and human rights.

Magazine Released

Filed under: Media, Ministries, Yemen — by Jane Novak at 10:01 am on Monday, March 24, 2008

yay! that’s good news:

SANA’A,

The Ministry of Information released on Sunday the independent Abwab magazine after five day suspension at the Sana’a International Airport.

The first issue of Abwab magazine was suspended at the airport twice. It was first preventing from being distributed by Yemeni security two weeks ago because the airport security has claimed the magazine published “inappropriate” picture of president Saleh.

The government has again hold up “Abwab” and prevented its owner from distributing it for local readers because it has been printed in Dubai.

The undersecretary of the Ministry of Information Mohammad Shaher told the official daily al-Syasiah that the magazine had violated the publishing law as it had been printed in Dubai, not in a local printer. Shaher has also claimed the license of publishing was given to Nabil al-Sufi not to Yemeni Media Group as the magazine mentioned.

The editor and publisher of Abwab Nabil al-Sufi has denied claims of Shaher and depicted the suspension as “immoral blockade of the magazine”.

Al-Aimi doing a very poor job indeed

Filed under: Ministries, Security Forces, Yemen — by Jane Novak at 9:03 am on Monday, March 24, 2008
- Parliament questions Interior Minister over rampant corruption and poor performance in security agencies

Interior Minister Rashad Al-Alimi is due to appear before Parliament on Wednesday to be questioned about spread of corruption and poor performance in different security agencies affiliated with his Ministry, the weekly reported, adding that Parliament members want to interrogate the official over the repeated incidents of citizen kidnapping in the various governorate. Al-Alimi was summoned by Parliament for questioning over the repeated incidents of citizen kidnapping amid absence and ineffective role of relevant security authorities, which, according to MPs, are not committed to applying the concerned security laws. Parliament also put part of the blame on the poor performance of judicial bodies.

According to the weekly, many MPs from opposition caucuses and independents called for selecting a new parliamentary committee to be concerned with defense and security issues after the standing committee failed to play its required role and dropped responsibility in dealing with such critical issues that seem to threaten social peace and stability.

The NUPO mouthpiece went on to say that many MPs lashed out at the interior minister for not responding to previous Parliament’s summoning amid the worsening phenomenon of kidnapping, coupled with poor performance by the relevant security agencies. Parliament’s last week meetings discussed several heated issues, mainly price hikes of basic foodstuffs, child trafficking, poor security performance and repeated incidents of citizen kidnapping.

Al-Hittar Requests Netherlands Ban Film

Filed under: Ministries, Other Countries, Religious, Yemen — by Jane Novak at 7:58 pm on Wednesday, March 12, 2008
SANA’A, NewsYemen

Minister of Endowments and Religious Guidance Hamoud al-Hitar has formally demanded the Dutch government ban a film against the Holy Quran a Dutch member of the Parliament intends to release, said Saba.

The official news agency said al-Hitar talked on the issue with Netherlands ambassador of Netherlands Harry Buikema in a meeting on Wednesday, calling for exerting international efforts must be coordinated to prevent defaming religions and religious symbols to avoid tense situations.

Wilders said in an interview with Guardian the film is to be aired in the coming months. He said he has been warned that he may have to leave the Netherlands for his own safety.

Customs Authority Interview

Filed under: Business, Corruption, Ministries, Yemen, smuggling — by Jane Novak at 8:49 am on Sunday, March 9, 2008

CA chairman: Blacklist for violators of customs law due to be issued soon

SANA’A- March 07 (Saba)- Chairman of the Customs Authority (CA) Ali al-Zabidi has revealed that the authority is preparing a blacklist for traders who breach customs law.

In an interview with Saba, al-Zabidi said that solutions to tackle issues of customs need safe measures and care for employee of the authority.

Saba: what are the key reforms taken in Customs Authority during two years ago?

Al-Zabidi: The reforms focused on two domains, one on legislation and the second on administration. The authority worked to review laws associated with customs tariff and correct some customs measures.

Regarding the administrative reforms, the authority has conducted a study over
restructuring the authority, held several training courses for employees, appointed skilled personnel and rehabilitated certain customs outlets in some regions like in Mukalla, and Taiz airport as well as set up new customs centers after agreement with neighboring countries within joint cooperation.

The authority also has supplied these centers with up-to-date customs systems.

(Read on …)

Corruption Commission May Bring Charges

Filed under: Corruption, GPC, Ministries, Presidency, Reform, Yemen, govt budget — by Jane Novak at 10:36 am on Thursday, March 6, 2008

Update:

Through looking at the other side of the corruption cycle, the different levels of governance have varying degrees of involvement in corruption, ranging from the baselines to middle and high-level officials. However, the recent formation of the Supreme National Authority for Combating Corruption has raised hopes in the sincerity of government’s efforts towards enhancing transparency and battling corruption.

However, spectators indicate that the anti-corruption commission will have limited success in any anti-corruption reforms, quoting that the commission has distributed over 3000 applications for the disclosure of net wealth to high ranking government officials, while less than 300 officials cooperated with the commission and disclosed their net worth. Challengingly, a source who requested to remain anonymous indicated that the president himself refused a request from the commission to take the lead and disclose his own net worth in order to influence other officials, but the presidential office turned that request down.

It is obvious that the anti-corruption commission will be facing a serious challenge if it is to succeed in its anti-corruption mission; however, the hope relies within the support of the international community and donor organizations such as the World Bank and USAID.

Original Post: The article doesnt mention how many declaration forms were sent out, I think its around 2000. Its a good system. As with everything else, the key will be enforcement. Publishing the names in the newspaper is not enforcement; legal action is. The state cannot be above the law, but it is.

al-Motamar

Almotamar.net - The Supreme National Anti-Corruption Authority (SNACA) in Yemen has on Wednesday threatened to refer all those who are lagging behind in delivering their financial declarations to prosecution to be accounted on heir properties and to be tried on charges of corruption cases in case they did not deliver those declarations as soon as possible.

Head of financial declaration sector at the SNACA Mohammed al-Matari told almotamar.net that the authority would in the next three weeks prepare statements of the names of those who failed to present their financial declarations and sending them to prosecution and trial.

The SNACA has earlier defined a date for all those involves in financial declarations in 60 days from receiving the form but many of those included have delayed in committing to that and that impedes the authority work. Al-Matari said the number of those who delivered their financial declarations from ministers, directors general and government officials is so far 592 persons, indicating to almotamar.net that all the ministers have handed over their declarations while many of directors general still have not delivered their declarations.

This measure comes at a time the authority has revealed that of investigations carried out by officials at the authority in 54 cases of corruption.

Head of Oversight Authority Implicated in Smuggling Banned Pesticides

Filed under: Agriculture, Medical, Ministries, Yemen, smuggling — by Jane Novak at 10:33 am on Thursday, March 6, 2008

Government officials are also involved in drug smuggling, gun running, child trafficking. Its not just plain old State Capture, the state has been captured by criminal gangs. And this is why the water plan never gets implemented.

Yemen Times

SANA’A, March 4 — The Committee of Agriculture and Irrigation in the Yemeni Parliament disclosed last week the implication that officials in the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation and Hodeidah governorate allowed banned pesticides to enter the country illegally through Hodeidah port.

The cargo consists of five 20 20-foot containers which contain 58,500 kiloliters of pesticides, going to Daghsan corporation warehouses in Sana’a city.

In its report, the committee said that the cargo of chemicals and poisons constitute a very dangerous risk to people’s lives, and can cause damage to the environment, plants and soil.

The committee asked for everyone who participated in letting the cargo enter Yemen to be handed over to the court for prosecution to be punished according to the Constitution and law. The report affirmed applying the punishments stipulated in law 25 for the year 1999 regarding the circulation of pesticides, on the importer Saleh Ahmed Daghsan.

The people involved in releasing the cargo of pesticides are Mohammed Ahmed Daghsan, the representative of Bin Daghsan corporation, Abdullah Shamlan, the head of the Oversight and Inspection Department in the General Department for Plants Protection. Ali Muhriz, the head of the registration department in the General Department for Plants Protection, Yassen Al-Naqeeb, the head of the Department of Oversight in the General Authority for Plants protection, and finally Omer Abdullah Al-Muqbli, a security officer for the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation.

According to a report issued by Parliament in June 2007, the pesticides were released from Hodeidah port’s customs department and moved to Daghsan Corporation warehouses. “However, the pesticides were supposed to be stored at Ministry of Agriculture warehouses, but they were fully packed with other goods,” the report added.

Parliament member (MP) Moqtar Sadeq Abu Rass, who is also on the Agriculture Committee, stated that the container locks were broken by Daghsan corporation. “Daghasn broke the locks and sold the pesticides, so when the Ministry of Agriculture went to claim the cargo, they found that half of it had been sold and distributed in Taiz and Al-Dhale’e governorates,” said Abu Rass.

The committee expressed its regret that the public prosecution hasn’t notified the committee about the steps it has taken concerning the matter, despite transferring the issue to the public prosecutor on February 14, 2007. “The prosecution refuses to inform us about what they have done about the issue so far. It never informs us about anything under the pretext that the judiciary is independent,” added Abu Rass.

On his part, Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation Mansour Al-Hawshabi confessed before Parliament the ministry’s inability to tackle pesticides smugglers, and requested the cooperation of all official authorities and people in restricting this dangerous epidemic.

During the February 26 Parliament session, Al-Hawshabi said that pesticides smuggling is ongoing and complained to the MPs that the prosecution hasn’t adjudicated in the smuggling cases that have been transferred to it from the ministry in the past. He mentioned that the ministry seized a 21-ton cargo of pesticides in Jabal Al-Nar in Taiz, and another 12 containers in Aden from an importer accused of importing a previous cargo of poisonous pesticides. He said that these issues have been transferred to the public prosecution, which hasn’t made any decision on them yet.

Al-Hawshabi added, “The problem isn’t in seizing these poisons; the stores of the ministry are full of them and using them will cause a catastrophe for the environment. What we need is to enforce the importers to get them back to their country of origin.”

Parliament neither advocated cooperating with nor to punishing the ministry. It didn’t excuse the ministry from responsibility, but suggested publishing a black list of smugglers’ names through the mass media. Moreover, the MPs asked that the officials who facilitated the passing of the banned cargo through Haradh strait be taken off the job and transferred to prosecution to be held accountable for their actions.

Two recent studies conducted at the University of Aden found that 118 kinds of pesticides are used in Yemen, mostly by qat farmers.

According to one study conducted by Abdul-Rahman Alawi bin Yehia, a researcher in the Environmental Studies and Sciences Center at the university, Yemen imports these pesticides under 555 trade names, and most of them are very dangerous.

Another study conducted by pharmacy students at the university stated that these pesticides cause chronic diseases such as cancer, behavioral changes, and liver and kidney diseases.

Yemenite Students Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Filed under: Education, Ministries, Yemen — by Jane Novak at 11:43 am on Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Yemenite Students Between a Rock and a Hard Place
written by Mohamed Tawfik Al-Mansouri Ph. D

The dilemma of Yemenite students has been starting and ongoing for decades. It is that have committed these vices and crimes by the tyrants’ regime with his dark, undeveloped and backward mentality. The branches of state security and military as well as civil institutions implemented these vices and crimes. Their aim and objective is to manipulate, destruct and drain the brain in order to monopolize the power and governance. They also intend to exploit and manage the national wealth randomly, obscurely and violently.

This tragedy is old and still ongoing. What has changed is there are new tools and implementations, which they used against students as well as citizens.

The strategies and mechanisms, as well as tactics used include violent oppression, as well as various forms of psychological warfare, including economic, political and social. This is done both openly and in secret. Therefore, their seasoning and poisons change as they continue to destroy the spirit and flesh.

Before and after the era of the Yemenite Imams, custody of education was banned and denied and no more modern schools or universities were built. However, in the modern-day of Republic, they have been opening the educational institutions and establishments. But, they have also been converting these important organizations into military barracks, combings and security organizations. They were managed by oppression, murder, violence, terrorism and crimes. This results in producing the same or worse qualities as before.

Both of the regimes have justified and explained their conduct to preserve the religion and law. Although, the truth is to prevent and prohibit understanding, and the giving of citizens their civil rights, as well as claiming on the urbanization. Therefore, they have been destroying the mind, which is their main purpose.
For instance, in the republican era of the 1970’s, the methods and styles of killing, murdering and assassinating evolved and increased. They practiced numerous crimes, including detention and house arrest, pursuit, harassment and killing. As a result of that, students emigrated, were killed or imprisoned, become disabled or committed suicide, or lost their mental health. The regime claimed that all of these things have been done to protect the religion, which is originally lost and damaged.

The regime still believes that science and knowledge are dangerous things and their first enemy, so they fabricate and prepared the accusations for liberals, intellectuals and cadres. For example, they accuse them that they are the ally of global socialism on Arab and Islamic systems, so they accuse them of national and humanitarian treason, in addition they accused them of religious treason, therefore, they consulted the religious people to have the permission of killing them. Then, they judged them and killed them due to the yuppies protocols of darkness. They killed them, aiming to stop the wheel of development and the preservation of the minority interests and their selfishness and aggressive authority.

The situation has not improved at the end of the 1970’s, 1980’s or after the theoretical unifying the country, which was announced on May 22, 1990. So, they used the students as black sheep in civil wars or wars against the People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen. Their aim was to eliminate them because they carried the light and education as well as that they are from the Al-Hojaria region or Taiz or central regions. By doing so, they protect the army because most of the army is from Zaidiyyah tribes. This act is the omnipotent proof of their racism, crime and brutality.

This dilemma of students’ problems involves racial and sectarian nature inherent in the mind of the obscurantist. Their future plans for the students is for calamity because the students’ sin that they are the lovers of science, knowledge and life with its virtues, and because they are prophets and messengers of civilization, justice and equality.

The quantity and quality of scholarship is distributed for associates and affiliates, far from the standard of honest competition, rates and skills. What remains is distributed to the students to eliminate them from the country for a period of up to four or five years, in order to lose their productive and active age. Then, they return after graduation to the dark judgments of being baath, socialist, nationalist or islamist or imperialist or other accusations for leaving the country or facing the death. These accusations, which are trumped up and fabricated , are used to ban the educated from being involved in the system. They eliminate them of participation in decision-making. Despite that, the state soldiers, army units and rulers have relations and cooperation with the Russians, the Arabs and the Americans among others. In addition, the state does not possess or consider of real developmental programmes.

The problems of removing the salaries and scholarships of the students is a deliberated case and also part of terrible, frightening, and brutal corruption, which is widespread in the state’s institutions and appears not only at schools, ministries, institutions of education but also in the Ministry of Finance, Foreign Affairs, embassies and other government’s organs apparatuses associated with mentioned organizations.

A bribe is necessary in the regime and is a part of its behaviour and doctrine. The exploitation of positions is easy and natural, so the regime gains money and it protects only its individual interests. It also assaults the rights by looting and banditry, where salaries, scholarships and fees of students are deposited in foreign banks for three months and their benefits go for gangs in the diplomatic corps in embassies. It also cuts off a small amount e.g. two dollars from each student. They explain that the exchange rates of the dollar against the riyal are in change. This is disgraced work, because the salaries of students sent reinforcements to the embassies of the full amount, and the announced information to students according to a law of Education and Higher Education Ministries under the issue of foreign mission said to payment of scholarships in American Dollars and in advance.

We also see the corruption and inequality that there are students that have four salaries and they are delegated from more than one ministry. On the other hand, we observe students drop proceedings under the omission or defect in the computer, the case omissions and imbalance lasts for three or four years.

The policy of cutting off students’ or the staff salaries is a statement that is taken from the proverb hunger you dog he follows you. Further more, before you became attacked you should start your attack in order to stop them of asking and struggling for their civil rights and providing the equality and equitable distribution of wealth for all, as well as stopping students from participation in decision-making. Hence, full surrounding is a duty under the principle attacked before they are preparing for confrontation.

The objective of starvation also is a psychological preparation to create new conditions to extort students and use them for inhuman jobs. In addition, to sell them in the local, regional and international slave market. The Yemenite modern system based on begging and trading land, honour and rights. They sell themselves and he who sells himself is easy for him to sell others under the slogans of parties or tribes or national and international cooperation.

Sales and piracy reached even for children, the God’s loved, and the sale of the governor for himself, his groups and citizens are done in different ways according to their laws they legalize everything, so, there are spiritual, physical and psychological sale. They are specialist and expert in this field, moreover; they have implementations. The most important thing for them is money.

Their ignorance and stupidity make them blind to see the wealth in the land and people, and they do not know how to manage them to benefit from its’ eggs, milks, fruits and brains. So they sell the expensive things to earn the cheaper, which is the money, which they spend it for their selfish purpose. By this behaviour, attitude and mentality all is lost.

Recently, they cut off and banned the students from their scholarships as well as jobs and privileges and they distributed and gave only for those who want to give. They kill students by their hands as well as across international criminal mafias. Hence, many students have disappeared or lived without any human emotional feelings. The condition of students is a tragedy in abroad and inside the country. They are in between a rock and a hard place. Where does your train drive and lead science, the homeland and us?

The followed solutions by the corrupt regime are a palliative for a short time by sending delegates from the ministries for disguising. Nobody gains anything from the followed procedures of solving the dilemma of student except the delegates, who benefit from travel allowance, the leeway and spend their objectives. Finally, they declare through their false media that the problem is solved and they eliminate corruption and spoilers. Although the solutions must begin at home and no need for traveling,