Armies of Liberation

Update: Saleh’s subordinates would only get immunity in “political cases:”

A Yemeni draft law granting immunity to the outgoing president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, from prosecution over the killing of protesters was amended on Thursday to limit the protection his aides would enjoy, a minister said.

The draft law, which has been heavily criticized by rights groups, the United Nations and Yemeni protesters, will now shield the aides only in “political cases,” Legal Affairs Minister Mohammad Makhlafi told Reuters.

The illegitimate Parliament still has to vote on it to give it a veneer of legitimacy just like the uncontested election has no point other than to provide international cover for appointing Hadi. The US should just recognize him as president and avoid the unnecessary expenditures. Easing Saleh out of office was never a viable plan and only wasted a year, destroyed the economy and allowed AQAP to flourish. Sooner or later, Saleh has to be kicked out.

Original: Saleh the mass murderer, objects to immunity for those he alleges tried to kill him in the mosque bombing, Ali Mohsen al Ahmar and Sheik Sadiq etc.

But Ali Mohsen’s crimes extend far beyond that one incident to include the conduct of the first five rounds of the Saada War as well as embezzlement, all types of black market smuggling, land appropriation and torture. The US cant grant immunity to everyone in Saleh’s regime and exclude the current and former opposition. UN envoy Ben Omar is trying to placate Saleh’s victims’ families with financial compensation and its their choice, but many already turned down hush money and blood money from the regime at the time of the murders. The notion that the families and the protesters are out of line somehow for demanding Saleh’s trial is Orwellian.

Yemen Times
A source close to negotiations told the Yemen Times that one of the disagreements on a political level stemmed from the fact that Saleh did not want the law to include his opponents Major General Ali Mohsen and the leaders of the Hashid Tribal confederation. Both were accused of the June 3 attack on the presidential compound, which left 12 dead and injured president Saleh and other key government figures.

In December, the Yemeni revolution turned towards institutions as employees of government institutions protested and went on strike, commonly demanding the prosecution of “corrupt” officials and mangers – many of whom are members of the General People’s Congress.

The proposed immunity law goes against their demands if it is approved in its current form. It suggests that seeks to grant immunity not only to Saleh, but also to all who worked with him in state, civil, military and security institutions during his rule.

Law expert Nabeela Al-Mufti, said: “The problem is that the law is too general, giving immunity to all who worked with Saleh for 33 years. This gives it a dangerous dimension.”

Another issue is the proposal that the law be implemented both inside and outside Yemen. “The Yemeni parliament cannot dominate the world parliaments and force them to implement the immunity,” said Al-Mufti.

Many Yemenis wonder whether or not Saleh or his fellows can be prosecuted outside of Yemen. According to Al-Mufti Saleh can be prosecuted outside of Yemen but his crime must have been committed in the prosecuting country. However, the International Criminal Court (ICC) can still receive cases against Saleh for crimes committed in Yemen – but any case must meet the ICC standards as a humanitarian or war crime.

“It is possible that a Yemeni person could raise a suit against Saleh for a crime that was committed in Yemen in any of the 81 countries that signed the Roma Law and became a member of the ICC,” Al-Mufti explained, adding that ICC procedures are complicated and lengthy but still possible.

Issues with the immunity law led to the idea of a Transitional Reconciliation Conference. The brainchild of UN envoy Jamal Benomar, the conference would serve as a way to bring together Yemen’s conflicting parties for a new beginning, forgetting past crimes but also proposing compensation to victims and their families – an idea that worked both in Morocco and South Africa

“The law denies individuals their right to prosecute; the concept of reconcilement should be by satisfaction not by force,” she added. “Any reconcilement should offer something to the victims’ families and whoever was harmed by Saleh’s regime.”

Update: Is he or isn’t he in Saudi Arabia? Even the international media is issuing contradictory reports. The CCRYC recommends the formation of local governing and security committees. Ali al Ansi, head of the National Security, in a very Alexander Hague move, some call coup attempt, announces he is forming a military council to run the country until Saleh recovers. Others from the GPC say al Hadi should be in charge but that’s unconstitutional, not that the GPC cares much for the constitution.

Original: Its entirely unclear who launched the attack on the presidential palace: still nine theories and no evidence. Several of the wounded from the palace were flown to SA. One thing is clear, the State Department’s contacts in Yemen are so bad or so duplicitous that Toner was announcing Saleh was uninjured based on those sources. “Our Embassy staff are reaching to contacts on the ground there. We’ve received conflicting reports regarding the attack on the presidential compound, including who was injured and whether or not anyone was killed. While we have heard that President Saleh was uninjured, we can’t – we cannot yet independently confirm that… We’re saying that we have heard that he was uninjured through our contacts, but we’re still unable to independently confirm it.”

CNN: “Those transferred (to SA after attack on palace) include prime minister, Ali Mujawar; deputy prime ministers Rashad al-Alimi and Sadeq Amin Abu Rasand; Shura Council Chairman Abdul Aziz Abdul Ghani; Parliament speaker Yahya Al-Raee; and Shura Council Chairman Abdul Aziz Abdul Ghan. A Yemeni official who asked not to be named told CNN that Saleh was in the mosque when two “projectiles” were fired during Friday prayers. He confirmed the death of Sheikh Ali Mohsen al-Matari and four bodyguards. State-run news agency SABA, citing a source in Saleh’s office, said three guards and the sheikh were killed.”

al Masdar reports Saudi doctors were flown in to treat Saleh. Al Arabya and al Jazeera reporting Saleh will be (or is) flown to SA for treatment. Reports also indicate the SAudi King negotiated a cease fire in Sanaa.

Who is treating the injured protesters? Maybe the US can send that floating hospital offshore to treat the thousands injured and without care or air drop medical supplies and food.

Ahram “Ten people were killed and 35 others wounded when Republican Guard troops shelled the home” of Sheikh Hamid on Friday, in an apparent tit-for-tat attack, an aide in his office told AFP on Saturday.
(Read on …)

Who leaked this to Reuters at this time? Wikileaks had it but why this one and why now while there are battling? Saleh has some powerful friends. And taking the portfolio and handing it to Ahmed was no effort to increase transparency but to consolidate control.

Exclusive: Arcadia may have rigged Yemen exports: cable

(Reuters) – Oil trading firm Arcadia Petroleum, sued by regulators last week for allegedly manipulating U.S. oil prices, used hardball tactics in Yemen to buy the country’s oil exports at below market prices, until authorities revamped their sales process to break the trading house’s “long-standing monopoly”, according to a confidential State Department cable. (Read on …)

There seems to be a few fake announcements coming out of the south. But the following JMP statement is real enough, a tad late, not issued in English and lacks a contact number etc. Below the fold, JMP calls for international community to take action to stop the blood shed and the US takes a less than clear position.

Yemen Post: Any government after the current regime in Yemen will be a strong ally of the international community in the war against terrorism and Al-Qaeda, spokesmen for the Joint Meeting Parties, the opposition coalition, said on Monday. The statement comes amid U.S. warnings of Al-Qaeda in Yemen amid the escalating unrest, but as the U.S. is now suggesting that Saleh stand down.

Muhammad Qahtan said the coming regime will be better than the Saleh regime which exploited the issue of Al-Qaeda and the war against terrorism to deceive the world and use the anti-terror funds for personal interests.

” Meanwhile, we welcome the interest of the GCC countries in Yemen’s stability and security as well as their support to the choice of the Yemeni people, who have been staging protests and sit-ins to call for the ouster of President Saleh. The efforts of the U.S and EU envoys to Yemen to prevent further deterioration of the country amid the current crisis are also welcome,” he said. (Read on …)

Reuters

The Houthis, Jadban said, want effective representation in a national dialogue to take place if the popular movement manages to remove Saleh from office.

Jadban was until recently a member of Saleh’s ruling party, the General People’s Congress Party until he resigned last week along with 11 other parliamentarians to protest Saleh’s refusal to meet street demands to step down. (Read on …)

The last time there were widespread protests against Saleh was the 2005 oil riots which overtook the whole country. This is different because there’s no easy way to placate the protesters (like reinstating the subsidies as occurred in 2005 after some tribesmen highjacked oil tankers). One similarity is that Al Motamar reports that university officials deny that any students attended the rallies and imply as usual that its all a JMP plot.

SANAA, Yemen January 22, 2011, NPR: Thousands of Yemeni protesters have called for the ouster of their president after 32 years in power. (Read on …)

Hamid al Ahmar reiterated his call for Saleh to resign and condemned the unilateral action taken in Parliament that paves the way for Saleh’s continuing reign. Nearly all the constitutional amendments since 1990 have reduced civil rights and popular empowerment.

Hamid al-Ahmar: Al-Qaeda emerges from the Presidential Palace January 5, 2011 – Sahwa Net – Secretary General of the National Dialogue Preparation Commission Hamid al-Ahmar strongly slammed the ruling party polices in Yemen, calling President Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down. (Read on …)

If its an agreement between two political parties on behalf of their members, then the details should have been public from the get-go. Yemen Post

A source in the Supreme Council for the Joint Meeting Parties (JMP) told Yemen Post that the JMP decided in its meeting to form a panel of the Supreme Council in order to do to Sa’ada and inform the Houthis of the main points and details of the agreement of February 2009, signed between them and the General People’s Congress. (Read on …)

Photo Aden Press

Now that they voted themselves another two years in office, they are getting a bit more outspoken. Actually theres some members of Parliament including GPC members who see the disaster unwinding but they have little power to do anything, considering they all take their orders from Saleh. Firing the heads of all the ministries and replacing them with neutral technocrats might have a good effect but it would be limited by the hyper-politicization of everything in Yemen and by the fact that the real power isn’t in the ministries either.

Yemen Post: MPs have urged to withdraw the confidence from the government, with MPs describing the current cabinet led by Prime Minister Ali Muhammad Mujawar as corrupt and ‘ reckless’. (Read on …)

Another fork in the road up ahead, whether or not to continue the democratic experiment. When the Parliamentary elections were “postponed” in 2009, it was clear that there may never be another election again. One root cause of the tensions in Yemen is the declaration of the last presidential election as free and fair by both western observers and the JMP. The opposition traded the right to contest the process and outcome in hope of future reforms. The fragmented JMP was concerned about political violence arising from protests, and they used the moment to extract concessions on electoral reform from the Saleh regime. Many voters felt betrayed by the JMP and the system. And the JMP was prompted and predictably betrayed by Saleh. The targeting of the democracy activists after the election made it clear that no democratic spring was impending. If there is no way to impact the system with ballots, bullets become more attractive. The JMP is ineffective and disconnected from the voter base, and no one on the street may notice if the parties were disbanded. The JMP is being targeted for their statements in support of the principle of political inclusion, for calling for dialog with the Southern Movement (also highly fractured) and the Houthi rebels. The question is, if the existence of the forms of democracy, absent their functioning and the impartial application of the law, is better then a self declared dictatorship. The efforts the regime puts into democratic pretense gives cover to both the goonish shadow government as well as the allies who support them. From Saba News

SANA’A, Nov. 06 (Saba) – The Supreme Security Committee (SSC) has accused Yemeni opposition of involvement with al-Houthi rebellion and separatists in some southern governorates.

A source in the SSC said that the Joint Meeting Parties (JMPs) are engaged publicly in support with the rebels and separatists and justify all their sabotage acts that target the nation’s security and stability.

Amazing how the Yemeni government is unable to distinguish between criticism of tactics and policies and opposition to the political system itself. Just as a note, both Hussain and Yahya al Houthi were members of the GPC, so according to the SSC’s rudimentary logic, the GPC should be the first to be disbanded, which I suggested two years ago.

To follow, an Arabic article from al Masdar Online on the rather colorful SSC statement that the JMP is a “coalition of the devil.” Its Orwellian the way the Yemeni government deploys democratic terminology to do the most undemocratic things possible- as if shuttering al Ayyan, jailing journalists and targeting the opposition parties somehow strengthens the republic instead of just the elite.

اللجنة الأمنية العليا تتهم المشترك بالتورط في تأييد الحوثيين في صعدة والعناصر “الانفصالية” بالجنوب High Security Commission has accused of involvement in the joint support Houthis in Sa’ada and the elements “separatist” in the south
المصدر أونلاين- خاص Source Online – Special

في تطور خطير، وجهت اللجنة الأمنية العليا اتهامات مباشرة وغير مسبوقة لأحزاب اللقاء المشترك بالتورط والضلوع بشكل علني ومكشوف في تأييد ودعم المتمرديـن الحوثيين في صعدة، والعناصر “الانفصالية” في المحافظات الجنوبية. In serious development, the Committee made the supreme security charges direct and unprecedented JMP involvement and involvement in public and openly in favor of and support for the insurgents in Saada, and the elements “separatist” in the southern provinces. (Read on …)

Yes Saleh’s nephew is the de facto head of the National Security. The Yemeni government switched the authority for handling the airports from the PSO to the National Security in 2006 after the planeloads of jihaddis flying out on Yemenia got a bit embarrassing. The National Security in its new role cracked down hard- on opposition politicians, journalists and activists attempting to fly out of Sana’a.

al Sahwa
Yemeni parliament has approved to summon the deputy chief of the National Security Organization Ammar Mohammad Abdullah Saleh, nephew of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, on grounds of violations oppositionists face in the Sana’a International Airport.

Parliamentarians stressed the importance of summoning Ammar considering him the de facto official of the security organization.

The demands of summoning came following the complaints raised by the representative Abdul-Salam Zabia last week as he was interrupted at the airport and prevented from travel by security organization.

Zabia said he was prevented from traveling abroad and he was investigated and threatened by pointing weapon at him.

Abdul-Razaq al-Hajri, MP, considered what happened to his colleague as a dangerous indication of violations Yemenis face in the airport.

It is worth noticing MPs, politicians, journalists and activists are always interrupted and prevented from travel by the National Security Organization.

Update 8/30/09: Kuwaiti diplomat denies the station even asked for a license and thus Kuwait never pulled it despite Yemeni government statements to the contrary.

Original post: Yemen is trying to shut down speech that they find too illuminating everywhere- including here in the US. Did Zindani ever get his programing up and running? That initiative was welcomed by Saleh but Hamid Al Ahmar’s satellite channel was fought vigorously through diplomatic channels. There was some prior tension between Yemen and Kuwait when Sana’a set up mourning tents for Saddam.

Kuwait government’s decision of closing down Suhail TV Channel, welcomed
Tuesday, 25-August-2009
al Motamar
Almotamar.net – A Yemeni official information source on Tuesday welcomed a decision taken by the Kuwaiti government on closing down transmission of Kuwait-based Suhail Satellite TV Channel owned by Hamid al-Ahmar.

The source said that positive decision has been received with big welcome by by the yemerni people’s circles owing to what that channel was broadcasting of programmes promoting to oisons of sedition , division and delusion of the public opinion and offending the reputation of the Yemeni people.

The source has , meanwhile , praised the brotherly relations between yemen and Kuwait and that of their two political leaderships in addition to the steady development of those relations in interest of the two Yemeni and Kuwaiti peoples.

Yemen also regrets the Iranian media “provocative campaign.”

First the response from the JMP, after that is the totally bizarre and irrational oped from The Field Marshal himself, who is entirely out of touch with the reality that he created for the entire nation and who seemingly has a serious mental disorder. Thirty one years in power may do that.

News Yemen The Joint Meeting Parties (JMP), opposition parties, said they could not resume dialogue with the ruling party as the Yemeni house is still not in the proper order.
(Read on …)

If the Houthis are looking to build their own missiles, it indicates that they are not recieving significant funding or importing mass quantities of rockets from Iran, North Korea or Syria. The individual is also charged with looking at Google Maps and making a website. Radiant elements- never a good thing. Also on trial Fadi Baoum and the former ambassador- both on charges of opposing the dictatorship.

Man who provided rebels with information about missiles to be tried
SANA’A, June 12 (Saba) – A Yemeni national is due in court next week on charges of supporting the Houthi rebels. (Read on …)

Interesting. The Yemen Post has some good quotes. And its entirely true that the best outcome is a unified, just system, but in order to do that, the current authorities have to be replaced. There’s a huge confidence gap in terms of some southerners view Hamid and the JMP though. How he would demonstrate his sincerity and committment to equal rights is a difficult question.

Earlier this week, Sheikh Hamid bin Abdullah al-Ahmar met President Ali Nasser Mohammed in Damascus confirming that the visit was his own initiative in an effort to discuss with President Ali Nasser Mohammed the ways for contributing to take Yemen out of the current crises, and preserving Yemen’s entity, achievements and unity. Al-Ahmar expressed his satisfaction with Ali Nasser’s fixed and well-known attitude towards Yemen’s unity that showes great readiness to continue and intensify his efforts in order to maintain Yemen’s stability, unity and integrity.

The Secretary of the Preparatory Committee for the National Dialogue confirmed in a statement having many views in common with Ali Nasser, including being very keen on Yemen unity, believing that the authority in Yemen is responsible for the current critical situation, and that a real change is needed for Yemen to be brought out of the crisis and for safe and prosperous future. He added that it is time for those who harmed Yemen to pay for it , and that Yemen is no longer able to bear the power’s mistakes that led to this complex and dangerous situation, explaining that repression and confiscation rights is not the way to counter any separatist calls, and that justice, bringing rights back to their owners, and addressing the real reasons that made people, who earlier took up arms to defend unit, today call for secession adding that misusing power and using it to penetrate the Constitution and breaking the law every day is the key reason of any behavior against the Constitution or the law by individuals or groups.

On the same regard, Al-Ahmar said that what authorities recently did, charging people of acting against national unity, taking advantage of having a complete control on the media, in addition to being able to breach the Constitution and the law to confiscate the freedom of opinion and insulting national figures, pointing out to Mohammed Salem Basendwah, all this shows nothing but being bankrupt which has become clear to all and everyone.

Al-Ahmar was also quoted as saying that the storm that the authority made through media outlets might be an attempt to justify a separatist step by the authority itself to ensure keeping power, even if it sacrificed Yemen’s entity, security and integrity explaining that recent words and actions by the authority proved that its only aim is keeping power and not the country, which justifies its inability to believe that still there are people whose only aim is just the people and the country.

Interesting concept but I think they just never learn.

(Read on …)

The new mosque law outlaws propagating thoughts that are contrary to Sharia. At the same time it outlaws inciting against any party, group or sect. The law was passed before the postponement of the elections, and was probably intended to make it difficult for Islah preachers to promote their candidates. I like the way they package it as reform. On a related note, Saudi Wahabbi preachers organized a training course with Yemeni preachers. Needless to say, the Saudis don’t have the best record for freedom of religion with their Shiite population either.

The law on Press and Publication outlaws written words based on the outcome they produce such as promoting sectarian or regional strife and undermining unity.

Government approves mosques’ law
SANA’A, March, 03 (Saba)- The government approved in its weekly meeting held on Tuesday mosques’ law and directed concerned officials to issue it.

The law aims at reviving the mosque belief, educational and guidance message and protecting the freedom of mosques, security and stability in them. It also aims at good management of mosques, building, maintaining them and equipping them for performing Islamic rituals.

The law seeks to enhance process of taking care of mosques and religious and historical monuments and protecting their cultural and civilized heritage. It also seeks to organize religious address and its role in serving the religion and the homeland, besides promoting performance of the workers in the mosques and improving their living conditions.

The 31 item of the draft law defines duties of preachers, guiders and all mosques’ workers. It stressed on their commitments to good call for worshiping God and makings mosques away of partisan conflicts.

While item 32 included prohibitions implemented on all mosques’ workers. These prohibitions are propagating to thoughts contradicting Islamic Share’a and its principles. Using mosques for propagating or inciting against any party, group or sect is also among prohibitions.

Lets see what happens. The odds are 87% (96%?) in the favor of the Yemeni government going the smoke and mirrors route, like with the governors “elections”. However, even grudging reforms are still reforms. The JMP has a lot of work to do internally.

Yemen Online

Yemen: Provisions of the agreement between GPC and JMP.
YemenOnline. Feb 25 – After several dialogues that the President called for between representatives of the General People’s Congress GPC and the Joint Meeting Parties JMP represented in the Council, and given the requirements of the national interest in carrying out free, fair and secure elections under a favorable political environment in which all political spectrums participate, all of the political parties represented in the Parliament hereinafter undersigned – the General People’s Congress, Islah Party, the Yemeni Socialist Party, the Unionist Nasserite People Party and the Arab Ba’ath Socialist Party – request from the Parliament Presidency to take necessary constitutional procedures to amend Article 65 of the Constitution related to the Parliament duration in accordance with the law, allowing the extension period of the present Parliament for two years due to the lack of sufficient time for implementing the following reforms:

Firstly, parties, political organizations and civil society organizations should be given the opportunity to carry out the constitutional amendments necessary for the development of the political and electoral systems, including the Quota.

Secondly, the political parties represented in the Parliament should be enabled to complete the discussion of topics that have not been agreed upon during the preparation of amendments to the electoral law and integrating what was agreed upon at the heart of law.

Thirdly, the Higher Committee of Elections and Referendum be reconstructed as provided by law.

Before the 2006 election several expats returned from Saudi Arabia at the urging of Field Marshal Saleh. One was al Jifri, head of RAY, who diligently worked the last several years to create reforms by coordinating with the government. I believe their position on the SCER was that judges should be fine and a better alternative than party loyalists no matter what the ratio. The fact that the RAY party is now boycotting the election after such sustained efforts is another indication that the regime cannot reform, only placate in response to pressure.

Field Marshal Saleh could do good things if sufficiently motivated but it never happens. The ploy happens, the propaganda happens, the promises happen, the half measures. Just looking at the water issue shows how far out of touch Saleh is with reality or perhaps the fact that his immediate concerns do not include the dire national water emergency. Qat, the population explosion, hunger, education, unemployment, the medical crisis, economic diversification, the national budget, none of these are at the top of the list. These are inter-related issues but not intractable. There are very good solutions that have never been robustly implemented across the board. No will, no capacity. But then again this is a dictator who bombs his own civilians. Its a shame.

al Sahwa A Yemeni political Party , the Yemeni Sons’ League party (RAY) , has officially announced its boycott of the up-coming parliamentary lections which is due to be held in June, referring its boycott to the absence of a real participation in Yemen.

The political impasse in Yemen is still remaining as the ruling party , the General People Congress and the main opposition parties alliance , the Joint Meeting Parties, have not made compromises to allow the vote to proceed . GPC is pushing to hold the election in time , but JMP demands to make a set of amendments to the election law.

The GPC created an “opposition” coalition (including the Baath party which is headed by the President’s nephew*) in an effort to undermine the JMP. (The JMP although partially co-opted is partially not). However the new opposition are all regime allies who have come together under the lovely name “National Democratic Coalition”. Do we think the international community and western press will fall for this latest slight of hand? Maybe.

Saba News

PGC, opposition parties sign political coalition document

SANA’A, July 23 (Saba)- Ruling party People General Congress (PGC), Parties of National Council for Opposition, al-Ba’ath Arab Socialist National Party, Yemeni Association Party and Democratic September System signed on Wednesday a strategic political coalition document.

Vice President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi, who signed the coalition document, called the National Democratic Coalition, for PGC part, expressed his great pleasure for holding this meeting that represents strategic political trend for serving national aims and Yemeni two revolutions’ goals.

The coalition document’s items included a number of public norms that stipulate on grasping Islam as a faith and legislation, protecting national bases toped by republican system, revolution and unity, and implementing law and constitution.

The document also affirms facing calls for separatism, sectarianism, regionalism and tribalism, and fighting all forms of false political and intellectual mobilizations harming national unity as well as fighting violence, extremism, terrorism, organized crime, all forms of hatred and seditions among Yemeni citizens and working on keeping social security and peace.

The document stipulates on activating role and activities of cultural, thinking, educational and information institutions in stabilizing unity, democracy and social justices as well hating violence, separation and hatred for improving national enlightenment among the people.

In addition to a number of mentioned conditions above and others, the parties have agreed on regulating parties law, especially committees, financial resources and bases of distributing government support among them.

*Yahya Mohammed Abdullah Saleh, head of the Central Security Forces, is president Saleh’s nephew. He is also the secretary general of the Yemeni Baath Party, according to the Yemen Observer, and hosted a condolences service after Saddam Hussain’s execution. Yahya Saleh heads an organization dedicated to supporting the Lebanese and Palestinian causes with charitable contributions, the Yemeni Public Committee to Support the Resistance. A symposium at Sanaa University organized by the Yemeni Popular Committee to Support Palestinian, Lebanon, Iraqi Resistance featured Sheikh Harith al-Dhari, head of the Iraqi Muslim Scholars Association, who is wanted in Iraq for colluding with insurgents, At the symposium in December 2006, Yahya Mohammed Abdullah Saleh, “praised the Iraqi resistance that could prove itself and cause loses to the occupation forces. He considered the siege imposed by the US on Iraq as a clear example of the hostility of the US and its allies,” al-Motamar, website of the GPC reported. Yahya Mohammed Abdullah Saleh is also chairman of the Yemeni Society of Tourism and Travel Agencies. And he’s head of the Progress and Advancement Forum.