Armies of Liberation

Yemen on Line:

Amnesty International expresses concern about human rights situation in Yemen

Yemenonline-Nov 12,2008- In its submission to the UN Universal Periodic Review in the Fifth session of the UPR Working Group of the Human Rights Council on May 2009,Amnesty International expresses concern about human rights situation in Yemen.

The report criticized continuing pattern of serious human rights violations, including the extensive use of the death penalty; restrictions on the peaceful exercise of the rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly; and discrimination and violence against women, which would be exacerbated if the proposed new laws and amendments to existing laws .IntroductionThrough its executive, legislative and judicial branches the government is in the process of preparing new laws and revising current laws. This process will impact on the framework of protection of fundamental human rights. Some of the proposed new legislation fails to conform to the requirements of international human rights law and, if implemented, could seriously undermine the many positive features of the human rights framework in Yemen. These proposals also have to be seen in the context of existing laws and practices that are in violation of Yemen’s obligations under international human rights law. B. Normative and institutional framework of the State: Failure to bring laws into line with international standards The government has initiated a review of the Constitution and a number of existing laws and has proposed new draft laws, including to counter terrorism. Laws put forward for review include the Penal Code (PC)[1] and the Press and Publication Law (PPL).[2] The new draft laws include a Counter Terrorism Law (CTL) and a Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism Law (MLFTL). Human rights defenders in Yemen perceive both threats and opportunities in these legislative proposals. The new laws could be used to undermine the many important human rights achievements in the country since the establishment of the Republic of Yemen in 1990 (following unification of the then People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen and the Yemen Arab Republic) and Yemen’s adherence to its obligations under international human rights law.

Yet, Yemeni human rights defenders also see the proposed new laws as providing an opportunity to enhance the protection of human rights framework, which has seen the state’s ratification of many key international human rights treaties;[3] general respect for freedom of expression, association and assembly; criminalization of arbitrary arrest, detention and torture; and legal protection of the right to fair trial. Concerns that the legislative proposals may impact negatively on the current human rights framework are based on the assessment that they would expand the scope of the death penalty, criminalize legitimate freedoms, extend executive powers and the use of special procedures, and further entrench discrimination against women. The death penaltyIn addition to proposing an expansion in the scope of application of the death penalty, the new draft legislation would decrease further the few safeguards provided in the PC. Currently, the PC prescribes the death penalty under Shari’a law (Islamic Law) for murder (Qisas) and Hudud (divinely prescribed fixed offences and punishments), including for apostasy and adultery (where the punishment is death by stoning) and Hiraba (rebellion, unlawful war, spreading disorder on land), in addition to numerous capital offences related to state security. All of these capital offences are retained under the draft legislation and nine additional capital offences have been proposed; three as amendments to the PC[4] and six in the new CTL.[5]

(Read on …)

Lots of assassinations going around in the last few months, meaning the 10/20 lethal letter bomb to Mohammad bin Rabesh the police chief in Mareb, the bomb in the car which killed JMP member Haidar Mohammad Farha al-Hazmi Nov 2. And (still of undetermined credibility) reports of two attempted hits on Ali Nasser Mohammed in Syria now Al-attas.

Almotamar.net - A government official source has ridiculed
The series of lies unleashed lately by the architect of the conspiracy of the secession and war Hayder al-Attas. He claimed that President of the Republic instructed the taking of a plot of land he alleges to own in the city of Mukalla after his refusal to attend a meeting with the President during his Excellency’s visit to the state of the Emirates in addition to plans by the authority to assassinate him and so forth of what was mentioned of in an interview published lately in newspaper.

The source said it arouses laughter that al-Attas speaks of being targeted whether by directives for taking his piece of land because he did not attend an alleged meeting or the existence of a plan for his assassination.

The source denied al-Attars allegations and there was no invitation sent to him to meet the president and no directives were issued for confiscating a land he claims to own in Molalla.

What is it this time? Demanding the release of state held hostages, oil jobs or wells?

News Yemen A group of tribes in Mareb have by force closed a number of oil wells in province, local sources in Mareb said.

The sources said that armed tribes locked Thursday 10 wells in Raidan block and three wells in Monkem block. They said ten security vehicles were immediately sent to unlock the wells.

A security source told NY the incident was a destructive act, confirming that three wells have been unlocked.

NewsYemen could not contact with the security director of Mareb for more details.

An explosive planted under the seat. News Yemen

SANA’A, NewsYemen

Member of the Joint Meeting Parties (JMP), opposition coalition, Haidar Mohammad Farha al-Hazmi, was killed Saturday by a mine planted under his car seat.
Security director of Sana’a province Mohammad Tareeq said investigations are ongoing to divulge the killer and unveil motives behind the assassination.

Al-Hazmi was also member of the local council of Arhab district, north Sana’a. JMP has condemned the murder and asked for the arrest of criminals, but did not accuse anyone. It called people to offer any information may lead to assassin.

JMP warned of consequences of such “unprecedented” crime, calling on security authorities without delay to bring criminals to justice.

Two weeks ago, a security official was assassinated in Mareb by a letter bomb. The operation was described to be the first of its kind.

later reports put the figure at eight wounded

SANAA (AFP) — Five people, including a young boy, were wounded in southern Yemen on Tuesday when police fired on demonstrators demanding the release of more than 80 people arrested during previous protests, witnesses said.

Dozens of demonstrators were also detained during the new protest, in Radfan in southern Lahij province, the witnesses told AFP.

Police fired live bullets and tear gas to disperse the march, they said.

Besides demanding the release of scores of people held since demonstrations in southern provinces earlier this year, the protestors also called for an end to the trials of three senior members of the opposition Yemen Socialist Party (YSP) and 36 other people who were charged in connection with the turmoil.

Hassan Baoum, a member of the YSP’s political bureau, YSP central committee member Yehya Ghaleb al-Shuaibi and activist Ali Haitham al-Ghareeb were charged with inciting protests which led to clashes with police in March and April.

Defence lawyers call their trial, which began in May, politically-motivated.

Authorities have blamed the wave of protests on the YSP, the former ruling party in southern Yemen.

Yemen Post

In a statement released last Saturday, Yemeni Journalists Syndicate (YJS) denounced on Saturday the suppressive security measures against journalists.

This comes as security forces arrested last Wednesday Al-Sahwa.net correspondent Saleh Al-Surimi and Mareb Press editing secretary Jabr Saber as they were covering the trial of comedian Fahd Al-Qarni.

Following arrest, both journalists were moved to the building of Taiz’s Security Office where they were detained for two hours. They were released later after the intervention of partisan and human rights activists.

In related news, the Yemen Post learnt from special sources that Minister of Justice Ghazi Al-Aghbari referred the letter submitted by the chairman of the Supreme Judicial Council Essam Al-Samawi to the Press and Printings Prosecution.

The letter included many partisan and private papers which it described as mocking, insulting and doubting the impartiality of judiciary. It also stated that these papers do not respect its sanctity.

This comes in preparation for filing lawsuits against numerous newspapers and writers, particularly after they published news and articles dealing with Al-Qarni’s issue.

Al-Qarni was sentenced last week by the Taizia Court to 18 month in prison as well as a fine mounting to $2500. Similarly, the Specialized Penal Court previously ordered jailing Journalist Abdul Karim Al-Khaiwani for six years.

Commenting on the recent move by the Supreme Judicial Council, Secretary of Freedoms Committee at YJS Hasan Al-Zaidi hinted that this is a dangerous pointer especially when it is issued by the highest judicial authority in the country, which is supposed to be the last resort for journalists to challenge the suppressive measures of the authorities.

Al-Zaidi hoped the current issues shall not create any crisis involving journalists on one hand and judicial authorities on the other, particularly when YJS wishes that judiciary will drop the charges against fellow journalist Abdul Karim Al-Khaiwani before Appeal Court.

YJS Deputy Chairman Sa’eed Thabet noted that ruling against Al-Qarni detects some shortcomings in the country’s judicial system, stressing the ruling is politicized.

After issuing the verdict against Al-Khaiwani, Justice Minister early last week attacked journalists and pointed out that they are susceptible to erring and they are not above the law.

At the meantime, the London-based Article 19 Organization expressed its deep concern over the deteriorating situation of press freedom in Yemen.

Article 19 Executive Director Agnes Callamard described the verdict in the case of Al-Khaiwani, which was suddenly amended earlier this week to include the phrase “expedited implementation,” and the ruling against Al-Qarni to be an indictors that Yemen’s free expression is in peril.

In its statement, the organization also urged the Yemeni government to reaffirm its commitment to the protection of human rights as it was set out clearly in the National Reform Agenda, adopted by the government in 2006.

It added that Yemen has ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and is therefore obliged as a matter of international law to respect the right to freedom of expression as guaranteed by Article 19 of the ICCPR.

It pointed further that the country has acceded to the Arab Charter on Human Rights which, under Article 32, guarantees the right to information and free expression.

Trend

Three policemen injured in southern Yemen ambush
08.07.08 17:26

Suspected Islamic militants on Tuesday ambushed a police patrol in southern Yemen, injuring three policemen, local sources said.

The police vehicle was attacked while driving on a highway leading to Ja’ar city in the southern province of Abyan, the sources told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.

Believed to be members of a militant Islamic group, the attackers opened fire on the vehicle and fled into the mountains, the sources said.

Police forces set up checkpoints and sent troops to the area to chase the attackers, witnesses said.

Ja’ar is located nearly 600 kilometres south of the capital Sana’a, and is close to mountains where armed Islamic groups take shelter.

In March, five policemen were injured in a bomb attack against the local government compound in Ja’ar. Officials said Islamic insurgents were behind the attack.

Bajammal’s Office Director killed by Hamid al-Ahmar’s bodyguards? Its a developing story….
al-Motamar

Almotamar.net - Medical sources have said Friday that Ali Atif, director of the General People’s Congress (GPC) ’s Secretary General Abdulqader Bajammal’s Office died Friday of wounds he received after he came under gunfire attack by gunmen in the capital Sana’a on Thursday evening.

The sources said that that Ali Atif died before reaching the Saudi German Hospital that he was taken after gunfire he came under hitting him in parts close to the heart. In an incident of shooting fire at the area of Hada in the capital. With him in the incident was Industry and Trade Undersecretary Salem Salman, who occupies also the post of the Deputy Head of External Relations Office at the GPC. Mr Salman is still at the hospital under treatment of his wounds.

Eyewitnesses present at the hospital said the Minister of Industry and Trade Dr Abdulkarim Rasie visited the hospital Friday to ask about the health condition of Salem Salman.

The brother of Salem Salman earlier accused bodyguards of Sheikh Hamid al-Ahmar of opening fire in the incident that caused the wounding of his brother and the death of the director of Bajammal office. Security sources that exchange of fire led to the injury of two of sheikh al-Ahmar bodyguards.

Islah: “could happen to anyone”

Yemen Post: Sources close to Islah Party leader Sheikh Hamid Al-Ahmar told the Yemen Post that his special escort Mohammed Al-Quataish died on Saturday evening of wounds he sustained in an exchange of fire incident.

Manager of the ruling party’s secretary general Ali Atef was shot in the same incident that occurred on Thursday and his fellow Salim Mohammed Salman, also a deputy minister in the Ministry of Industry and Trade, was injured as well.

Presidential directives ordered transferring him to India to meet treatment there and sources refused to give details about the incident that involved Al-Ahmar’s guards on one hand and Atef and Salman on the other.

However, the sources blamed the incident on altercation between the guards and Atef in Hadda area of the capital, hinting that another Al-Ahmar’s guard, charged with guarding the house adjoining Atef’s house, was injured as well.

In a statement released on Saturday, the General People Congress (GPC) denounced the attack and described it as a criminal act outside the law.

The statement also noted that Atef was once one of the outstanding leaders and cadres of GPC and demanded the Ministry of Interior and security apparatuses to hunt after the perpetrators and to hold them into account.

In its statement, Islah party denounced politicizing the matter, stressing it a habitual crime that could happen with anyone.

Could be anything….
al-Sahwa

Government facilities targeted in Abyan

Sahwa Net- Security sources in Abyan governorate have affirmed that government facilities in Abyan governorate were targeted with two hand grenades on Saturday.

The sources added that one grenade was exploded at the government compound of Abyan leaving a soldier seriously wounded and the other at a military checkpoint, but there were no damages.

Incidents increased in Abyan lately, whereas the house of Abyan’s governor was targeted with RPG shell last Monday.

Initial Report on attacks of Yemen regime against Altagheer members

Introduction:

Al-tagheer Organization for Rights and Defense is a Yemeni comprised of a number of rights activists; politicians, media men, parliament members and other important social groups. The Org. has been active for more than a year, held founding conference on 19th Feb. 2008.

The purpose of the organization is to enhance respect towards human rights, defense law, constitution and freedom of speech, stabilize basics of equal citizenship, establish concepts of wise ruling, oppose violence and revive culture of tolerance and contribution in democratic change.

The Org. is currently facing strong opposition by the regime, which is embodied in a series of attacks targeting the leadership and the founding members, as follows:

Dr Nasser Al-khubbagi:

Dr Nasser Al-khubbagi , a member of the House of Representatives and a founding member of Al-tagheer , is threatened with an arrest and has been prevented from going to the House since 13th Oct2007, for having protested against firing on Radfan locals by Security Forces , while the locals were preparing for the festival of Yemen Revolution. The firing led to fifteen wounded and four killed while the criminals are still not captured. Many attempts were made to capture Al-khubbagi, the first of which was on 13th May 2008, but he survived . His car was confiscated and his driver, Nasser Mohammad Saleh, and bodyguard both were illegally arrested and still at the Sana’a Political Security Prison , without allowing being visited .

Al-khubbagi has been prevented from going to the House for more than eight months due to such a threat.

Salah Qaid Saleh:

Salah Qaid Saleh , a member of parliament, of the House Committee of General Freedom and Rights and a founding member of Al –tagheer was threatened to be arrested on the basis of Southern peaceful protests and has been prevented from going to the House since more than eight months, while an attempt of arrest was made on April 2008.

Mohammad Mohammad Muftah:

Mohammad Mohammad Muftah, a member of the Org., managerial staff . His car, in which he was with two of his children, was fired, and he has been coercively taken to unknown place since 21 May. 2008 up till now, has already been tried and sentenced to eight years imprisonment, of which two were executed, rearrested for a week by the authority, and he was released after efforts of local and international rights and media orgs, were made .

Abdulkareem Alkhaiwani:

Abdulkareem Alkhaiwani, a leading Yemeni journalist , a political activist, a founding member, has suffered a lot due to writing on bequeathing of power and his opposing attitudes towards policy of Saleh regime . He has already been sentenced to one year imprisonment, a half of which was spent, arrested more than once, beaten in front of his children. On 9th June he was sentenced to six years imprisonment, by specialized Penal Court, for having USB Flash Disk, CDs and Documents containing journalistic items related to Sada’a war.

Yahya Ghalib Ahmad:

Yahya Ghalib Ahmad, a lawyer, a rights activist, and a founding member, was arrested on 31 of March, at night, taken to unknown place. 20th days later, he was confirmed to have been referred, in chains, to Sana’a, and still there up till now . He is suffering from hepatitis and the authority refused to take him to hospital, which resulted in health decline. The political Security Apparatuses prevented leadership of Altagheer, among of them, MPs Ahmed Saif Hashid, Mohammad Alassaly, Abdulbari Aldughaish, Dr. Mohammad Saleh, from paying a visit to Yahya, however, they had a prior permission by General prosecutor. He is being tried at the Specialized Penal Court on backgrounds of Southern peaceful protests, threatened to heavy punishment, possibly execution.

Yasser Alwazeer:

Yasser Alwazeer was arrested on 5th June 2008, and abducted by unknown figures, without be known about him up till now. He was constantly threatened with an arrest or disappearance by figures from the political Security of Old Sana’a.

Mohammad Mohammad Almaqaleh:

Mohammad Mohammad Almaqaleh , a political activist and founding member, was arrested at 22 April. 2008, due to a laughing claimed to be an insult to justice, from the inside of the court while attending the trial session of Alkhaiwani, illegally prevented from being visited at the precautionary Jail, subjected to unjustified threats due to opposing attitudes towards the authority’s choices embodied in solving its problems by resorting to fighting opponents (Sada’a War) or to fighting his fellow journalists, who suffer constant attacks. It is confirmed that a sentence would be issued against him during this month (June 2008) since the case is being seized by the court.

Mueen Ibraheem Almutawakil:

Mueen Ibraheem Almutawakil, a founding member, was driving his car in front of Sana’a University of Science with his sister and daughter, on 27 April, when two cars (Hilux), on of them has a number of 2- 47690, faced them, with figures coming out raising guns. He was taken coercively into the cars to an unknown place, and up till now he is still hidden.

Ali Hussein Aldailami:

Ali Hussein Aldailami, a rights activist, Secretary General of Altagheer. His house was surrounded and attacked on 26 of May 2008, family and children were frightened by Security forces. Ali had already been abducted at Sana’a Airport when he was travelling to a press conference in Denmark with the result that he did not participated, and spent more than a month in prison, coercive hiding.

Mohammad Ahmed Albuthaigi:

Mohammad Ahmed Albuthaigi, rights activist and a founding member, was arrested for three hours on 26 of May 2008 by Police Personnel while covering events of Aden University Students’ sit-in . His camera and mobile were both taken, receiving verbal abuses, threatened to be hidden in dark jails, due to journalistic activities.

Hassan Ali Aldhailami:

Hassan Ali Aldhailami, a founding member, and rights activist was subjected to an attack and arrest for a day on 26 of May 2008 when the Security forces attacked his brother’s house.

Ali Mohammad Muqbil Alaod:

Ali Mohammad Muqbil Alaod, a founding member and a local council member in Aldhalea governorate, was arrested in 22 May. 2008 by the Central Security Forces upon objecting repressing detainees . He was freed six hours later after he had been tortured.

Yahya Mohammad Alshawbagi:

Yahya Mohammad Alshawbagi, a founding member, a former local council member in Aldhalea, was arrested at 10 P.M on 5 March2008, imprisoned for two days on backgrounds of Southern peaceful protests.

Anees Thabet Mohammad:

Anees Thabet Mohammad, Founding member of Altagheer, is a delegated professor at Radfan Faculty of Education, was and still subjected to security inconveniences at his place of work and residence .

At last, we hope all local, regional and global human rights organizations be jointly liable with Al-Tagheer members attack-victims, and to exert pressure on the regime for releasing the detainees and stating the fate of the coercively-hidden members .

We further hold the authority accountable for all these attacks, we also would like to remind that rights can never be ignored even if it is too late.

Issued by:

Altagheer Organization for Rights and Freedom Defense

Sana’a - 16 June. 2008

I recorded 22 killed since August but the JMP is saying 25.

May 8, 2008

Alsahwa.net – Leadership of the Joint Meeting Parties has expressed discontent over the Yemeni authorities’ continuation in detaining JMP’s members and activists.

In a rally which was held on Wednesday and Thursday, JMP leaders said that the authorities suppressed their activities in various provinces, leaving 25 killed, 47 wounded and 487 arrested, victims of peaceful struggle, in 2007 alone.

At least 487 people were arrested, majority of them are from Lahj and al-Dhala’a governorates, according to the protestors.

Protests have spread across the country organized by JMP and former southern officers, but also triggered by the soaring cost of foodstuff.

Baoum is very sick, his family said in a release.

May 3, 2008

Alsahwa.net -Yemeni NGOs denounced Saturday political activists arrests in Aden, Dhala’a, Abayan, lahj, Hadhramout , Taiz and the secretariat capital .

In a sit-in , they expressed their refusal to attempts of militarizing civil life, imposing state of undeclared emergency and passing laws which aims to marginalize democracy.

In a statement, they declared their solidarity with political prisoners who were detained in a way which is inconsistent with all international conventions, demanding to immediately free top leaders of the Yemeni Social Parties Ali Monasar, Hassan Ba Oam , Yahya Ghalib as well as the comedian Fahd al-Qarni.

M&C:

Sana’a, Yemen - Four soldiers were wounded in a clash with armed tribesmen in the north-western Yemeni province of Amran on Thursday, local sources said.

The sources said the shootout broke out after security forces tried to capture gunmen besieging a local government building in the Harf Sufian district of Amran.

Harf Sufian, about 150 kilometres north-west of the capital Sana’a, is on the main road linking Sana’a with the restive Saada province where skirmishes between the army and Shiite rebels have been raging on and off since 2004.

It was not immediately clear whether the gunmen were members of the Shiite rebel group.

Armed clashes between tribesmen and government forces are not unusual in the impoverished Arabian Peninsula country where tribes are heavily armed.

Houthis? In Amran?

SANAA (AFP) — Four Yemeni soldiers were killed and two others were wounded on Thursday when they were ambushed by suspected Shiite rebel gunmen in the northwestern region of Amran, a local official said.

The attack targeted the convoy of army colonel Hamid al-Qoud as it passed through Harf Sufian market in Amran, 55 kilometres (34 miles) northwest of the capital Sanaa, the official said, requesting anonymity.

He said that the gunmen, thought to be Huthi rebels, fled the scene in a car after the attack.

Amran is on the road linking Sanaa with the rebel stronghold in Saada. The official said that police have set up roadblocks on the route in the hunt for the attackers.

More than 50 people have been killed in renewed violence between security forces and rebels over the past week, including 18 who died in a blast outside a mosque after Friday prayers six days ago.

Its possible they just live in Mareb, and know like everybody else the schedule of the checkpoint. Either way, these poor soldiers were caught up in somebody else’s game.

RSN

Yemen: The Skillful Jihadist Attack and Signs of Trouble
Stratfor©
April 16, 2008
Summary
Three police officers died in an April 16 explosion in Yemen’s Marib province. The sophistication of the attack is further indication that some of the country’s jihadist cells are becoming increasingly skillful — and that spells trouble for the already volatile Middle Eastern country.

Analysis

A bomb explosion killed three policemen and injured four civilians early April 16 in Yemen’s Marib province. The bombing is the latest in a string of jihadist attacks to hit Yemen in recent weeks.

The blast occurred about 8:30 a.m. local time at a spot where the officers reportedly parked every day. Marib Gov. Aref al Zoka said the explosion was caused by a land mine, while a security source told Agence France-Presse it was detonated by remote control. These are not necessarily conflicting statements, however. The bomber could have used a command detonation firing chain to make a mine into a remote-controlled improvised explosive device (IED). Many mines, such as claymores, frequently are used in this fashion.

(Read on …)

Tribal, Houthis, al-Qaeda, the regime?

ABC: A politician from Yemen’s ruling party has been shot dead by gunmen in the northwestern region of Saada.

Witnesses say the General People’s Congress member, Saleh al-Hindi, and two bodyguards were killed when their car was sprayed with bullets.

The Saada province has been the scene of a rebellion by members of the Zaidi community, a Shiite offshoot.

While it is not clear who is responsible for the attack, al-Hindi was known to support government efforts to subdue the rebels.

Hendi _ a former leader of the opposition Socialist party who heads a prominent tribe in Saada _ has survived several previous assassination attempts. Hendi left the Socialists about four years ago and joined the ruling party.

Update: tribal, military, Houthis?

Government and Houthis exchange accusation over killing tribal sheikh
Saturday 19 April 2008 / Mareb Press

Member of parliament Sheikh Saleh Daghsan was killed on Friday in Saada province, northern Yemen, by unknown gunmen who sprayed bullets on the car when he was on his way to Saada.

Daghsan’s son and one of the bodyguards were killed in the attack and three others bodyguards were injured.

Sheikh Daghsan was the head of a prominent tribe in Saada and he was supporting the governmental efforts to subdue rebels led by Abdul-Malik Houthi in the Saada province.

Meanwhile, the government and al-Houhti rebels have exchanged accusations over the assassination of Sheikh Daghsan.

The governor of Saada province accused in statement for al-Jazeera Channel Huothi followers of killing sheikh Daghsan as an attempt to evade the implementation of the Qatari-brokered agreement between the government and al-Houthis.

On other hand, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi condemned in a press release the attack and described it as regrettable incident.

“The killing of the Member of Parliament sheikh Saleh Daghsan Hinidi and his Ahmed Saleh comes within the framework of the violations and attacks committed by the government against Saada citizens,” Abdul-Malik al-Houthi said in the press release.

A close source to Daghsan said, “The killing of the sheikh is connected with a revenge issue between his tribe and another tribe.”

Mareb Press

Al Qaeda threatens leadership in Mareb
Local News: One soldier killed in Mareb
Saturday 12 April 2008 / Mareb Press

One soldier was killed on Saturday by unknown men on Safer road in Mareb province.

The attackers opened fire on an army vehicle leading to the death of one solider. The attackers were able to run away.

The security apparatus are still search and investigating to know the attackers.

On other hand, unknown men threw a bomb on the building of the Command of Middle Region causing no casualties.

It’s worth mentioning that the building of the Command of Middle Region was exposed to a number of attacks during the last months. The attacks allegedly carried out by Al Qaede. The attack occurred during day time not at night as usual.

Unknown men have distributed publications threatening the leadership and social figures in Mareb with death for being involved, as they claimed, in killing four Al Qaeda men.

The publications which include poems also praise and lament the four Al Qaeda men.

And a bombing

Almotamar.net - An explosion resounded near gates of the Mareb governorate building and the General People’s Congress (GPC) branch headquarters at 7:30 pm Saturday.

The governor of Mareb Arif al-Zoka confirmed to almotamar.net the occurrence of the explosion and said it has not caused any damage and investigations were underway to disclose complications of the incident.

On his part the head of the GPC branch in the governorate Abdulwahid al-Qabali told almotamar.net that no damage happened or casualties due to the explosion except for slight damage to the gate of the GPC branch building.

The GPC leading member did not exclude political motives behind the incident of which the police are still investigating.

al-Sahwa

April 12, 2008- Over 30 armed men took over on Friday a government corporation in Joar ,Abyan, claiming their possession of its land

Eyewitnesses affirmed that shootout broke out between the gunmen and army’s forces.

Three gunmen were arrested while they were heading to the house of the governor of , Mohammad Shamlan to explain the reasons behind their act.

On the other hand, another government club was dominated by gunmen in Khanfar, Abyan, claiming that they possess the club which was nationalized by the government prior to Yemen’s unification.

AFP, 4/16

SANAA (AFP) — Three Yemeni policemen were killed and four wounded on Wednesday when a bomb went off as they parked their car in the city of Marib, security and hospital sources said.

The blast occurred at the spot where the policemen parked every day in the city located around 170 kilometres (105 miles) east of the Yemeni capital Sanaa, destroying the vehicle, witnesses said.

A security source in Marib told AFP that the bomb was detonated by remote control at 8:15 am (0515 GMT), while Marib’s governor was quoted as saying the blast resulted from a landmine.

The explosion was the latest in a series of recent attacks, including two targeting US interests and claimed by Al-Qaeda.

The latest bombing “carries the hallmarks of Al-Qaeda,” the security source said.

The website of the Yemeni defence ministry quoted Marib governor Aref al-Zouka as saying two police affiliated to the central security forces were killed and four wounded when a landmine blew up their vehicle.

He said the patrol was made up of seven men, but did not mention the fate of the seventh.

According to sources close to the local government in Marib, the blast followed a series of attacks targeting a local military commander.

Gunmen fired at the military commander’s car on Sunday, killing his driver and wounding four people. The military chief was not in the vehicle at the time of the attack.

On Monday, two rockets were fired at the military headquarters of Marib province, but they landed in an empty lot and caused no casualties.

The same sources said that a bomb planted at the main entrance of the provincial government headquarters was defused before it went off on Monday.

The US embassy in Sanaa said last week it was ordered by the State Department to evacuate non-essential personnel and had banned embassy staff from travelling outside Sanaa following March 18 and April 6 attacks targeting American interests in the impoverished Arabian Peninsula state.

Al-Qaeda’s branch in Yemen, which calls itself the Jund al-Yemen Brigades, claimed in an Internet statement to have targeted the embassy in the March 18 attack, in which a schoolgirl and a policeman were killed and 19 people wounded.

There were no casualties in the second attack, in which militants fired rockets at residences of US oilmen in Sanaa and which was also claimed by Al-Qaeda’s Yemen wing.

Bomb attack, last time it was RPG’s.

SANAA, April 8 (Reuters) - Six soldiers were wounded in a bomb attack on their checkpoint in a town in south Yemen where violent job protests have raged for 10 days, a security official said.

“Two of them are in a critical condition … They were wounded in an bomb attack last night (Monday),” the official told Reuters.

Fifteen people suspected of involvement in the attack are being questioned. The official gave no further details about the incident in Lahj province near Aden, the Arab country’s main port city.

Rioting by youths demanding jobs has erupted in several southern towns over the past 10 days. Politicians have said they are concerned the unrest could be used to drum up calls for the secession of the south, home of Yemen’s oil industry.

One soldier was killed and seven people were wounded on Monday when government forces clashed with protesters in Dalea province.

State jobs or joining the army are among the main sources of employment in Yemen, one of the poorest countries outside Africa. More than half the workforce is in the agricultural sector and one diplomat estimated unemployment at 17 percent.

Yemen Times:

The attacks came after Salah Al-Shanfarah, a Parliament member and prominent leader in the Yemeni Socialist Party, threatened to resort to armed struggle and revolution against the state authorities. In a statement last Friday in Al-Dhale’, Al-Shanfarah said, “We shall announce revolution and armed struggle in the mountains of Al-Dhale’, Yafei, and Radfan.”

“They [state's leaders] should know that our areas are not like those of Sa’ada and our men are not like Al-Houthi’s, whom we highly respect. We have military plans that are accurate and scientific that can destroy their [state's leaders] army,” he added.

He further noted that if the blockade continues and security forces conduct attacks on citizens’ homes arbitrarily, then locals of Al-Dhale’ province will carry out operations that target high-ranking figures in the state.

“Al-Dhale’ city is about to see a large humanitarian crisis if southerners do not move now,” said Al-Shanfarah. “You southerners go to your positions in Radfan, Al-Dhale’, Yafei, Al-Mahfad, Mukairas, Baihan and all the cities bordering northern Yemen that occupied our land and country,” he said.

Interior Ministry asks Prosecution to lift immunity of MP al-Shanfara
Monday, 07-April-2008
Almotamar.net - The Yemen Ministry of Interior on Monday requested from the Yemeni General Prosecution lifting the parliamentary immunity of MP Salah al-Shanfara. Deputy Premier, the Minister of Interior Dr Rashad al-Alimi said in a parliament closed-door meeting on Monday the Ministry requested the lifting of parliamentary immunity of MP al-Shanfara in order to arrest him and refer him to justice over his involvement in the destruction and riot acts happened in Al-Dhalie city recently.

26september.net has quoted a security source as saying al-Shanfara is accused of being involved in the riot and sabotage acts in the city of Al-Dhalie in the past days and for his behaviour and statements that are considered a violation of the constitution and the law. In his statements he has called for an armed revolt for confroinmgting the state’s authorities and instigating sedition, rousing hatred and threatening the national unity in addition to his threatening of suicide operations and targeting armed forces and security.
It is to be recalled that al-Shanfara is among the most wanted persons over the acts of riot and destruction in Al-Dhalie and he is still at large while security authorities are chasing him for arrest and sending to judiciary authorities.

Security forces have on Monday seized 52 pieces of weapon, among them snipers when some sabotage elements attempted to storm a security checkpoint on Dhalie-Qataba road. One soldier was killed and other four were wounded in addition to injury of two persons in confrontation between security forces and a group of young persons in unrest act carried out by those persons.

al-Motamar

NDC approved speeding up measures of governors election
Wednesday, 09-April-2008
Almotamar.net - The National Defence Council (NDC) on Wednesday affirmed the measures taken by the government and judicial authorities by sending to court all the elements violating the constitution and the law and involved in the acts of sabotage, unrest and chaos.

The NDC stressed, in its meeting today chaired by President Ali Abdullah Saleh, the commander in chief of the armed forces, on the speed of carrying out what the cabinet approved of transferring all financial appropriations concerning development and services projects in governorates to the local authorities in the manner enhancing powers of the local authorities as stipulated in the law.

The National Defence Council also considered the report presented by the committee formed by the cabinet concerning the follow-up of the events and developments in the national arena and settling the issues. The committee is chaired by the Vice-President Abid Rabu Mansour Hadi. the report includes the measures and decisions the committee has taken regarding the issues and subjects that have been presented to it and has discussed them in the past period pertaining to the events and their field developments and in the fields of security, information and administrative and development.

The NDC approved referring all that was mentioned in the report to government authorities, the local authority and the judicial authority for taking executive measures that would lead to achieving public peace and safeguarding the social peace as well as to speed up development efforts in various Yemeni governorates.

The council also studied proposals on developing the local authority system and the moving to the local rule of wide-range powers. As a first step the council approved acceleration of the legal measures for amending the law of the local authority concerning the election of governors of provinces via elector body in each governorate composed of members of local councils of governorates and districts and that is due to the dictates f the public interest and for expansion of the people’s participation in running local affairs in embodiment of the democratic exercise and in service of goals of development. The candidates to the governor post are the chairman of the local council provided he meets the legal provisions. This would be a first step to be followed by election of the heads of districts.

The council also studied the fabrication of demonstrations for destructive motives aimed at impeding the march of development and investment and directed the concerned authorities to take the executive and security measures for preventing unlicensed demonstrations. The council also approved the basic goals of the strategy of the political and executive work and the information address of the next period and directed to the speeding of finalizing the plan and to be referred to the cabinet to approval and execution.

The council also listened to report on the terrorist events and operations perpetrated by some terrorist elements and the measures that have been taken about them and the council emphasized on the security apparatuses to take measures of investigation and arrest perpetrators of those acts and to send them to court as well as taking precautionary and preventive measures.

Yemen Observer

Principals of all girls’ schools in Sana’a staged a sit-in at the 7th of July school on Wednesday, condemning the attack and at the same time condemning the silence of official authorities and the teachers syndicate about the previous attack that targeted 7th of July school principal Shafia’a al-Seragi. Supporters of al-Seragi said that this silence encouraged the terrorists to launch the second brutal attack.

“Any man that beats a woman, whether she is a teacher, a principal or even an ordinary woman is a coward, as are the officials that close their eyes to violence committed against women,” said the principal of al-Nizari girls’ school.

Three principals of girls’ schools, including al-Seragi, have been attacked in the past two weeks. The three attacked principals are believed to be political and social activists that promote girls’ education and the adoption of new educational methods that prohibit violence in schools.

In addition to the beating of Shafia’a al-Seragi by three men, a principal of a school in Hodeidah was beaten by five women from the Islah Islamic party and also received threats of having her house blown up. A third principal’s car was stolen and had its seats and tires stripped. Her house electricity was cut off by unidentified persons at the same time that the other two female principals were attacked.

In April 2007, there were 60 injuries in Saada from landmines, as opposed to the normal 4 per month. Its good work to clear them.

Landmines

SANAA, 21 March 2008 (IRIN) - The UN Development Programme (UNDP) office in Yemen has said areas with a high density of landmines have been cleared, but challenges remain.

Yuka Ogata, UNDP’s Crisis Prevention and Recovery programme officer, told IRIN that landmines were still a big problem: “There were many victims, often women and children, and they either became handicapped or were killed,” she said, adding that affected agricultural land lay idle.

The Yemen Mine Action Centre (YMAC) plans to rid the country of landmines by March 2009, but Yuka said Yemen would probably be unable to achieve that goal because of lack of funds.

(Read on …)

This is all so not good:

Aden, Wednesday, small bomb

ADEN, Yemen (Reuters) - A small bomb exploded in a market in Yemen’s southern port city of Aden on Wednesday but caused no casualties, witnesses said, a day after three mortars hit a school near the U.S. embassy in Sanaa.

It was not immediately clear who was behind the bomb, which went off near a bank, but residents said that the market was not busy at the time.

Abyan, Tuesday, bomb at a police station (possibly a local council office) wounds five soliders.

Sana’a, Tuesday, three mortars launched at US Embassy

Amran, grenade, Sunday

One soldier died and 12 security men were seriously injured when grenades were detonated in a qat market in Amran, north of the capital Sana’a, a security source said.

The security source in Amran province told the September26.net website, a news source of the Yemeni army, that the incident took place around midnight on Sunday after security services received reports of an armed presence in the market.

More on the Aden Bomb:

Almotamar.net - An explosion of an explosive charge shook Wednesday Crator district in Aden governorate. The explosive charge went off beside the Yemeni National Bank but did not cause any human or material losses.

Local sources told almotamar.net mentioned that the explosion happened at 1:40 pm on Wednesday. Eyewitnesses related to almotamar.net that security men imposed security cordon in the area and hastened for investigation into complications of the incident and hunt down the perpetrators to learn motives of the criminal act.

A number of Aden city inhabitants expressed to almotamar.net their condemnation of such criminal acts that are alien to the Yemeni society and aim at destabilizing security and public peace.

It is to be recalled that security apparatuses had last week defused an explosive charge put close to the headquarters of Aden governorate along the road to Al-Mualla.

No injuries were reported Wednesday from a midday bombing in Aden, southern Yemen near the National Bank. Yesterday in Abyan, an early morning explosion wounded five solders at a government building. Last week in Aden, security forces defused an explosive device near a main road. Seventeen protesters were killed in South Yemen since regional unrest began in May. Al-Qaeda claimed two lethal attacks on tourists since July.

Its getting more accurate I think.

Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
March 11, 2008

UNHCR

Yemen, with a population of more than 21 million, is a republic whose law provides that the president be elected by popular vote from among at least two candidates endorsed by parliament. In September 2006 citizens re-elected President Ali Abdullah Saleh to another seven-year term in a generally open and competitive election, characterized by multiple problems with the voting process and the use of state resources on behalf of the ruling party. Saleh has led the country since 1978. The president appoints the prime minister, who is the head of government. The prime minister, in consultation with the president, selects the Cabinet, or Council of Ministers. Although there is a multiparty system, the General People’s Congress Party (GPC) dominates the government. While civilian authorities generally maintained effective control of the security forces, there were a few instances in which elements of the security forces acted independently of government authority.

During a January-to-June third round of conflict which began in 2004, the government used heavy force in an attempt to suppress the al-Houthi rebels of Saada Governorate. Although there were no reliable estimates of numbers of rebels and civilians killed at year’s end, an estimated 700 to 1,000 government troops were killed and more than 5,000 were wounded.

Significant human rights problems existed. There were limitations on citizens’ ability to change their government due to corruption, fraudulent voter registration, and administrative weakness. There were reports that government forces committed arbitrary and unlawful killings, and torture and poor conditions existed in many prisons. Prolonged pretrial detention and judicial weakness and serious corruption were also problems. During the year, arbitrary arrest and detention increased, particularly of individuals with suspected links to the al-Houthi movement, who were forcibly removed from Saada and imprisoned in neighboring governorates. Restrictions on freedoms of speech, press, and peaceful assembly increased significantly. Pervasive discrimination against women also occurred, as well as child labor and child trafficking.

RESPECT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS

(Read on …)

Since August, 17 protesters in the South were killed and none of the security forces have been held accountable, only the protest organizers in some bizarre legal theory. But the repetitive killings are either premeditiated or the security forces are our of control entirely. Apparently people are still being fired for political reasons and the land theft continues unabated.

Alsahwa.net

March 3, 2008 – Aden province witnessed Monday two political marches in which participators demanded to prosecute the involved of murdering two demonstrators in January as well as protesting price hike of commodities .

In a statement, the Joint Meeting Parties said that they arranged the protest in order to demand their political and civil rights.

The statement also accused the authorities of provoking troubles in the South and refusing to bring the killers of protestors to justice and continue in land plundering and southerners firing policies.

The statement further condemned all crimes practiced against southerners as well as targeting peaceful struggles.

Freedom House

Yemen is not an electoral democracy. The country appears to have a relatively open democratic system, with citizens voting for president and members of Parliament. However, Yemen’s politics are dominated by the ruling GPC party, which has increased the number of elected Parliament seats it holds from 145 in 1993 to 237 in the current Parliament. The government structure suffers from the absence of any significant limits on the executive’s authority.

Yemen (2007)
Population: 21,600,000

Capital: Sanaa

Political Rights Score: 5
Civil Liberties Score: 5
Status: Partly Free

Overview

Yemen held presidential and local council elections in September 2006. President Ali Abdullah Saleh was reelected with 77 percent of the vote, and his party, the General People’s Congress, overwhelmingly won the municipal elections. The balloting was marred by some violence and opposition accusations of fraud. Serious press freedom violations, including the closure of newspapers and detention of journalists, also accompanied the election season.

(Read on …)

First Yemen Portal’s car gets smashed, then Yemen Post’s, now its Yemen Online:

Attacking the car of Yemenonline’s Managing Editor-
March 5, 2008-Unknown persons smashed car windows of managing editor of Yemen Online Ali Moqbil .This came after many threats received by Yemenonline dialy news site as suspicious and it works against the Yemeni regime for the benefit of the West. The site stopped updating news for a week until the accident occurred today. Yemenonline has issued press statement confirmed the intention of the news site to continue the publishing of daily news and that these threats will not stop yemenOnline to keep looking for the truth everywhere in Yemen.Yemen had phblished special daily news focusing on Sadda war via its correspondent there.

I remember this guy. He was kidnapped in 2005 or 2006, and then they spread some false allegations about him.

Yemen Times
SANA’A, Feb. 5 — The Presidential Office has agreed to execute a court verdict regarding the case of journalist and government worker Abdurrahim Mohsen and his three colleagues, in addition to approving financial compensation for them effective from the first day of their banishment from their government posts following the 1994 Civil War, according to attorney Jamal Al-Ja’abi.

Additionally, “The Presidential Office has decreed that Mohsen cease criticizing it in newspapers and other media outlets,” Al-Ja’abi stated during his defense of Mohsen and his colleagues before the court.

The West Capital Court issued a preliminary ruling 10 days ago regarding the cases of those government employees transferred from Yemen’s southern governorates to Sana’a following reunification in May 1990. Among them were Abdurrahim Mohsen, Fadhl Mohammed Al-Abdali, Labib Abdurrahman Al-Absi and Kamal Mohammed Al-Hakimi.

The court’s ruling cancels 2003’s administrative decision No. 20, which transferred Mohsen, former press officer and manager of the Presidential Office’s Foreign Media Department, and his co-workers to the Information Ministry.

The court verdict states that Mohsen and his colleagues must receive compensation, allowances and other entitlements effective from 2003, according to the law. It further obliges the Presidential Office to pay their allowances and compensation, as well as reimburse their court costs.

Their attorneys maintain that the P