Armies of Liberation

This comprehensive timeline compiled by the Woman’s Media Forum (MWF) includes violations against the protesters by the Central Security, Republican Guard, the First Armored Division (after Ali Mohsen defected to the protesters) as well as the Organizing Committee in Sanaa’s Change Square, an arm of Islah:

MWF monitors the number of violations of human rights in the recent events taking place in Yemen (Read on …)

Its been a low grade conflict in al Jawf for some time, as discussed earlier, the Islahis take turns with the regime forces fighting the Houthis.

Reuters: (Reuters) – Factional fighting in Yemen’s north entered its fifth day on Tuesday, bringing violence closer to the border with Saudi Arabia, while the United States’ top counter-terrorism official visited Sanaa.

Twenty-three people have been killed and dozens injured in the northern province of Jawf since clashes broke out on Friday between members of Yemen’s main opposition party Islah and northern Shi’ite rebels known as Houthis. (Read on …)

This weeks compendium of ridiculous US statements about Yemen, including during the Brennan visits to Saleh in SA and with Prince Ahmed and the JMP in Sanaa, comes on the same day the US and the international community recognized the Libyan rebels as the legitimate authority in Libya. In Yemen though the US continues to blame the protesters for the uptick in al Qaeda activity, instead of the illogical and unprincipled US policy fostering the stalemate. The Obama administration also threatened the JMP that the international community would not to recognize a transitional council, should one be formed as the protesters have been demanding. Such a transitional council would be “meaningless” said another western diplo because of the presence of a parliament, VP and government. The reality is that the current parliament’s term expired two years ago and prior to that, it functioned as a rubber stamp for Saleh and an instrument of grand corruption. The parliament is another rigged institution of GPC hegemony, comprised of loyalist Sheikhs, businessmen and active duty generals. Most of the reformists within the GPC resigned in March.

In Saudi Arabia Brennan asked Saleh “to fulfill expeditiously his pledge to sign the GCC-brokered agreement for peaceful and constitutional political transition in Yemen,” according to a White House statement. How could Brennan even say it with a straight face? The US is just stalling.

Al Masdar 7/6/11: JMP opposition leader Yahya Abu-Osbu’a.spoke of threats from some Arab and foreign countries not to recognize the Transitional Council, which the opposition intends to form to manage the affairs of the country which is living under a vacuum for a month. Abu Osuba at a political forum Monday evening in Change Square that the countries that had threatened to do so are Saudi Arabia and the United States and European Union countries. (Read on …)

- Republican Guard shells a public mini-bus in Taiz, driver killed, 13 wounded including three children, attack occurred in front of a hospital, several other parts of the neighborhoods shelled by tanks and artillery: al Masdar Also Taiz, clashes after security tries to impede a mass rally demanding an immediate formation of a transitional council: al Masdar (Read on …)

Sahwa Net – A Yemeni opposition leader in Marib, Mabkhot Al-Shareef, has said that most those people involved in a 43- person blacklist published by the interior Ministry are members of the ruling party in Marib .

Al-Shareef affirmed that most of those included in the list accused of bombing oil pipelines and destructing electricity stations are the ruling party’s members of local councils in Marib. (Read on …)

President Saleh is alternately returning to Yemen within days or is negotiating for asylum in Germany or another European countries after the UAE refused the request.

At Asharq, a good profile of the al Ahmars.

The Yemen Post reports on a new broader opposition coalition: Opposition parties in Yemen announced that they would soon create a strong national coalition involving all the factions in the Yemen political arena. Mohammed Mutawakil, secretary general of the Popular Front party said that the new coalition will involve the Joint Meeting Parties, youth leaders, Houthis, Yemeni leaders in exile, and the Justice and Building party. “The coalition will soon be announced and it is now in its final stages of preparation,” said Mutawakil.

Feltman in Sanaa, still pushing the GCC deal.

News of the YR reports on more diversion of CT assets for use against the protesters: The communications system granted to the Coast Guard to combat terrorism was transferred to Sana’a and used by the family of Ali Saleh against the peaceful revolution.

A petition by over 100 tribal leaders and clerics including al Zindani calls on Saleh to step down and for new elections within two months

A US non-governmental contractor finds an advanced missile responsible for the palace attack: Aloula newspaper quoted a Yemeni official as saying that the missile an advanced Russian rocket. “The guided missile held a Russian name, FOGAZ,” the paper said.

Gates envisions a post-Saleh world:

Arab News 6/16:Gates also sounded a cautiously optimistic note about developments in Yemen, where the government and opposition tribes have engaged in armed clashes, pushing the country toward civil war. He said things have calmed down a bit since President Ali Abdullah Saleh left for neighboring Saudi Arabia on June 5 for medical treatment of wounds he suffered in an attack on his compound in Yemen.

“I don’t think you’ll see a full-blown war there,” Gates said. “With Saleh being in Saudi Arabia, maybe something can be worked out to bring this to a close” by finding an accommodation among Saleh’s family, the opposition tribes and the military.

Ruling Party: No Dialogue Until Saleh is Back, Yemen Post:

The ruling General People Congress party insists that no negotiations can take place in the absence of President Saleh. “The ruling party will wait until its leader, President Saleh, is back to Yemen. He will be back soon and it will not harm the opposition to wait a couple of days,” said Abdu Ganadi, the deputy minister of information.

The youth organizing committee said that protesters will not sit and watch as both government and opposition stall the revolution and negotiate. “Our steps will be quick and vital. The revolution will succeed and anyone standing in front of the youth will be held accountable,” said Ridwan Masood, a member of the committee.

Abdel Rahman Ba Fadel says the French aid workers were kidnapped because France called for Saleh to step down, unfortunately a likely explanation. He asks the west to step in.

Yemen’s opposition would be willing to sign an agreement with the West to combat al-Qaeda in Yemen, if Ali Abdullah Saleh, the country’s president, steps down, according to an opposition official.

Abdel Rahman Ba Fadel, a member of Yemen’s opposition Islah party, told Al Jazeera that the country’s opposition had contacted the office of the US ambassador in Yemen to this effect. At Youtube

There’s so many leaks coming out of Yemen lately, documents and verbal. The following published by Marib Press is another. I wasn’t there so I can’t say its true, only that it’s less likely to be propaganda than the lies that come out of SABA on a daily basis. The only other people who will know absolutely if its true are the US officials, if they indeed called Saleh several times last night.

Saleh agreeing to the transition with the US while planning for a street uprising to derail it is entirely in character, as we saw from the ease of his lies as revealed in Wikileaks and from the years and years of lies before. This is the way he operates, these are the types of schemes he comes up with to juggle expectations and perceptions and blame. So I’m tired, I’m cranky, he besieged my ambassador and went back on his promise, so I’m publishing an unverified leak that has no document.

Mareb Press: On Saturday evening in Sana’a, the General Committee of the General People’s Congress (GPC) and parties of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Yemen held a meeting chaired by President Ali Abdullah Saleh, the Chairman of the GPC. Below is some leaks from this meeting’s conversations between Saleh and GPC members loyal to him.

· About the GCC brokered initiative , Saleh said that he had received yesterday evening seven calls from the U.S. administration to urge him to sign the GCC initiative, saying “I will sign the initiative, I do not want to be a stumbling block before the international community, but I’m going to sign, and you guys, you have to fail it, take into the streets. (Read on …)

Its going to be a long day. Qahtan says if Saleh signs, the JMP will re-sign at the location of his choosing.

Saleh supporters are blocking many roads and baltagiyya swarming. One killed in Sanaa, 18 wounded in Taiz, 2 critical. US, EU ambassadors and GCC rep blocked from traveling to ceremony.

Dayum: Saleh supporters openly declaring they wont let him sign.

Saleh has to sign by 4 pm (9 am EST) or GCC rep is leaving. And all hell breaks loose. 3:50 now (8:50)

Internet getting very flaky in Sanaa, never a good sign. Deadline passed, no signature reported.

US ambassador still surrounded in a certain embassy, not ours, besieged by a mob of Saleh thugs. Zayani (GCC rep) also prevented from leaving country.

4:15 I think the transfer deal is dead. Its extremely worrisome.

Yemen Post: Yemen’s ruling party rejected the opposition Joint Meeting Parties, JMP, signing on the Gulf Cooperation Council, GCC, and demanded that is be signed again at the presidential palace with the presence of hundreds of officials and not behind closed doors.
Yemen’s ruling General People Congress, GPC, spokesperson Tareq Shami said that “President Saleh invited the JMP to sign the GCC proposal at the presidential palace at 3pm today. The JMP signed the GCC agreement in closed doors and this is not accepted.”
He added that It must be signed in a huge gathering and create an historical day of the GCC signing.
The JMP refused to resign the GCC proposal again and consider this as a tactic in running away from the GCC proposal signing.

Yemen Post: The Joint Meeting Parties, the opposition bloc in Yemen, signed on Saturday a GCC-brokered power-sharing deal yet to bear the signature of President Saleh who insisted on concluding that early tomorrow morning.
The GCC Secretary General, Abdul Latif Al-Zayani, arrived in Yemen late today for a fourth visit to push the West-backed deal, which was unveiled in April.
Al-Zayani failed on his previous visits to secure the plan as Saleh backed twice from signing at the last minute.
President Saleh will ink it later tonight or tomorrow morning to resign in a month after 33 years in office.

As usual an excellent analysis and overview in The Trench:

Saleh’s rhetoric also portends to conflict rather than a “peaceful transition.” Rather than demonstrate any semblance of rational thought, Yemen’s embattled president proceeded to contradict himself with his normal slander. Hitting the JMP first, Saleh declared that the opposition could never defeat him through “the ballot box.” Instead, the “Joint Conspiracy Parties want to reach power through rivers of blood.”

He then blamed the JMP and AQAP for every death and injury. Why, then, does he need an immunity clause if nothing is his fault?

Read it all here for a thorough A-Z overview.

Saleh regularly deploys deniable proxies to do his dirty work.

Leaked document reveals that the regime is planning to blow up civil war.

A secret document issued by the People’s Committee for Defending the Constitutional Legitimacy and the President in Dalii city revealed the distribution of weapons to citizens through the President of the GCP in preparation for civil war.

The document is to direct to governor of Dali city, President of the People’s Committe, Major General. Ali Qassim Talib to the cheif of security of Dalii to give out 325 pieces of Kalashnikov to Qataba directorate and handing it to President of GCP in that directorate Sheikh. Abdulrab Al-Marah according to the plan that was submitted to him as it is shown in the document.

Al-Wahdawi website published the document quoting other confirmed sources that the governor had distributed weapons to security personnel. More sources pointed that the ruler has already distributed some weapons to its members confidentially.

A few days ago the Yemeni Defense Ministry urged soldiers not to hesitate when shooting pro-democracy protesters (see (Xinhua) ) and now Tariq al Shamy, Yemen’s official liar in chief, is scolding the JMP for describing the statement as a declaration of war. Al Shamy is quite the propagandist and normally says the opposite of what is true.

Almotamar.net – Sana’a- Head of the Information Office at the General People’s Congress (GPC), the ruling party in Yemen, Tareq al-Shamy has Saturday disapproved interpretations by the opposition Joint Meeting Parties (JMP) of what was mentioned in the speech of President Ali Abdullah Saleh in the massive gathering on the Friday of Unity at Sabeen Square in the capital Sana’a.

Al-Shamy queried does the JMP view the call for dialogue as a call for war? Does the rejection of law-violating acts and acts of violence and sabotage, and facing them is considered by the JMP as a call for war?

The GCC initiative is doomed to failure because, and for the umpteenth time, is a stall tactic for Saleh to consolidate and regroup his forces and support. Update: Opposition parties set two day deadline for Saleh to accept. AFP: “We renew our commitment to the Gulf plan but the other party (the president) must also demonstrate its seriousness within the next two days,” the Common Forum said. “Any further delay or procrastination on the part of the president to sign the agreement will force us to back the ‘choice of the people,’ opposing the plan,” it said in a statement.

Almotamar.net – Sana’a-Assistant Secretary General of the General People’s Congress (GPC) Dr Ahmed Ubeid bin Daghr has affirmed Sunday, “No one can predict of what matters will go to if the Joint Meeting Parties (JMP) remained on the same irresponsible stands towards the homeland.”
(Read on …)

Bickering over weapons, al Sahwa publishes another official document. This one is written by Rashad AL-Alimi to the governor of Hajja instructing him of Saleh’s order to stop (fire, arrest?) the secretary general of the local council. There is a conflict between the governor and LC SG on how to divide the weapons and money (100M SR) that Saleh distributed to his loyalists, GPC members and thugs in Hajja. As Saleh is giving out guns, some are selling them for food money.

If Saleh is arming the GPC, then its unlikely he intends to resign.

Yemen owes Russia 1.2 billion (USD) for the MIG’s and other military hardware. GCC SecGen may return for a second try after the last fiasco; second trip already delayed once.

Yemen Post: The opposition bloc, the Joint Meeting Parties, meets later today a Russian delegation in Yemen’s capital Sana’a as the political crisis deepens, an official said. (Read on …)

The latest load of garbage: Saleh isn’t rejecting the agreement but is insisting the steps be implemented in order including an end to the protests and the rebellion by military units and the temporary exile of those causing tension and a whole range of steps before he steps down. Its a no go, especially since the protesters themselves reject the deal wholesale. This is just more stalling and dancing. its important to keep in mind that the Saada War re-ignited six times primarily because the state reneged on the terms of its own cease fire agreement.

The most important development over the week-end was the destruction of the protesters camp in Aden using tanks and artillery.

AAl-Shamy denies President’s not to sign the GCC initiative
Monday, 02-May-2011
Almotamar.net – Sana’a-The Head of the Information Office at the General People’s Congress (GPC) Tareq al-Shamy demised Sunday what was reported by some media outlets that President Ali Abdullah saleh refuses to sign the Gulf Cooperation council (GCC) inititiative for resolving the political crisis in Yemen.

Al-Shamy affirmed President Saleh displayed full readiness to sign the GCC initiative , whether after signing it by representative of the GPC and the Nations Democratic Alliance Parties (NDAP) and the Joint Meeting Parties (JMP) or that the JMP goes to Riyadh and Secretary General of the GC returns to Sana’a with a document to be signed by all in Sana’a , attended by chairman of the GCC states Foreign Ministers Sheikh Abdullah bi Zayed and President Saleh will sign with the JMP for the GPC and its allies and chairman of the JMP Dr Yassin Saeed Nouman to sign for the JMP and its partners. (Read on …)

From the Carnegie Endowment, an excellent piece by Nadia al Saqqaf, Editor of the Yemen Times. Worth a full read but here’s a piece:

Youth Excluded from Gulf Initiatives

Although the youth were the ones to start Yemen’s revolution, they have been absent from high-level talks in Riyadh and Abu Dhabi to address the crisis. Politicians on both sides say that this is because the youth are divided and do not have a unified leadership to invite. Indeed, today there are some 72 activist groups represented in Change Square, many of which are active online, particularly on Facebook. There are attempts to merge them into larger groups, but these efforts are taking longer than anticipated.

The problem for Yemen’s youth is that they had never exercised democracy in any true organizational sense before now. Except for a few activists, who are still divided among themselves on ideological and intellectual levels, the rest of the revolution’s youth have no idea how to organize themselves or how to draft a political program. Thus they remain easy prey for experienced politicians, whether they are pro-regime or opposition.

Saleh was never going to honor the GCC plan anyway, and his balking at leaving the country is reasonable (there very well could be a coup) and another tactic to encourage yet more concessions and reset the clock.

CNN: Yemen’s president says he won’t leave the country to sign a hard-fought political deal because he fears his departure could spark a coup, a senior ruling party official told CNN on Saturday.

The stance threatens to collapse an agreement brokered by the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council to end the violent political standoff across Yemen, still reeling this week from one of the deadliest days in months of protests that have pitted demonstrators against President Ali Abdullah Saleh. (Read on …)

The voter rolls were disqualified a few months ago.

The official opposition is willing to provide immunity to Saleh and his gang, and give him a month to tie up loose ends. Most protesters continue to demand that Saleh leave immediately, while others think Sharia will solve everything, reports Nasser Arrabyee

Ahram: Yemen’s official opposition and President Ali Abdullah Saleh have agreed on a US-backed, Saudi-led, Gulf Cooperation Council plan to see Saleh step down in one month from signing. Wednesday was the date set by the GCC officials for the Yemeni conflicting parties to sign the plan in the Saudi capital Riyadh.

Sources from both sides confirmed to Al-Ahram Weekly on Tuesday they would sign the agreement in Riyadh on Wednesday or Saturday at the latest. Earlier in the week, the Islamist-led opposition coalition, which includes socialists and Nasserites (Arab Nationalists), had refused to form a unity government with the ruling party before Saleh steps down, as called for in the plan. American Ambassador to Yemen Gerlad Feierstein convinced the opposition to agree on the plan as a whole. (Read on …)