Armies of Liberation

This all began months ago when the villagers locked down the RG camp as forces were deploying to attack some protesters. The villagers also captured and burned three helicopters in Nehm. The Saleh forces began randomly bombing residential areas and infrastructure in retaliation, a standard tactic. Arhab was also the site of the December 2009 US air strike and al Zindani is around there somewhere.

Yemen Post: A citizen was killed and three others injured when the republican guard continued shelling the district of Arhab on the outskirts of Yemen’s capital Sana’a on Saturday.

Local sources said the republican guard brigade 61 heavily shelled the village of Al-Obowa with artilleries and Katyusha rockets leading to the casualties and destroying homes and properties. (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 …)

Saleh will never agree to an orderly transition of power. Al Ahmar is not exploiting the situation by firing back when Saleh’s forces attacked.

Today 1) snipers firing on protesters in Taiz and artillery, 2) bombing al Habiylan, Lahj 3) bombing Zanzibar, Abyan after handing it over to militants 4) the bombing in Nehm, Sanaa yesterday destroyed dozens of homes. 5) bombing in Arhab, Sanaa today.

Youth Rev Organizing Com: Delay in discussing Saleh’s crimes at the UN Security Council gives him more time to commit massacres against Yemeni people

Reuters: “We are very concerned that the unsettled situation in Yemen is bringing longstanding tribal rivalries to the surface, which is further complicating the process of reaching an agreement on an orderly transfer of power,” one senior official said, offering the U.S. position on condition of anonymity.

“Tribal as well as extremist elements are attempting to exploit the current instability in order to advance their own parochial interests.”

While U.S. support for Saleh has eroded, Washington also has serious misgivings about the wealthy and powerful Ahmar clan and considers it unlikely to help bring about sweeping reform should it gain further clout,

Sweeping reform?? The US is now seeking sweeping reform but but the GCC plan that the US is married to guarantees no reforms at all.

Many foreigners, dozens, have been kidnapped in Yemen by tribes over the last decade and all have been returned without harm. The timing of this is off though. Some are saying that since the “AQAP take-over of Abyan” didn’t generate a US reversal, Saleh is continuing to play on AQ fears with this incident. Maybe his forces will find and rescue them into order to put Saleh in a good light.

BBC: Three French aid workers are feared kidnapped after going missing in southern Yemen, officials say. The three are reported to have gone missing in Hadramawt in the south-east.

They had been in Seyun since mid-April working for Triangle Generation Humanitaire, a French NGO working in Yemen since 1998. (Read on …)

Saleh will likely approach the conflict with tribesmen in Nehm the same way he did in Saada, by committing massive human rights violations in order to pressure the fighters.

During the Saada War, 2004-2010, Saleh bombed civilian refugees, villages and hospitals. The state systematically blocked food, gas and medical supplies as a matter of policy. The state refused permission to international aid organizations to treat wounded civilians (not to mention Houthis).

Journalists were banned from the region for five years and punished when they wrote about the conflict. Saleh redeployed US trained counter-terror units to the region and used US supplied equipment in the conflict.

Internal refugees were about 56,000 in 2005 and grew to over 300,000 by 2009. The few UN refugee camps established were so poorly stocked that infants died of malnutrition within the camps. However the vast majority of refugees sheltered in the mountains or fields or with relatives. Child malnutrition in Saada remains well over the national average of 50%.

Saleh operated with complete impunity and little criticism from the US, under both Bush and Obama, even though he was deploying al Qaeda fighters, because he was the only game in town. As it feigned ignorance of the slaughter, the US’s primary concern in Yemen was and remains counter-terrorism. Somewhere around 2009, the EU and UN began making some noise.

The Saada War was not a civil war. Human Rights Watch said the state’s actions warranted an international inquiry into violations of international law, specifically collective punishment of the civilian population.

Saleh really is a butcher as Sadiq al Ahmar said. While many circumstances are different in the current situation, that basic fact is not.

Update: 120 homes destroyed in Nehm. In Yemen, extended families live together and a minimum of ten per home is realistic. Then nearly 1500 are displaced by one day of Saleh’s wrath. The other predictable factor in this conflict is that the tribesmen are the better fighters although under-equipped. They seized nine tanks and three helicopters in one day. Thats how the Houthis got most of their weapons–from the state.

Yemen Post Local in Nehm said that the government was attacking the villages with Meg 29 warplanes. Nehm tribal leader Sheikh Saleh Najeed said that the government forces have until now destroyed more than 120 homes in Nehm with the air attacks.
He said that two of the military bombers landed in villages of Nehm and refused to attack the tribes. The planes are now in the control of the Nehm tribes and the soldiers who were aboard the helicpters are now with the tribes. They are in total 24 soldiers in total.
The death toll from Nehm tribes is 18, while more than 65 are injured.
Tribes confirmed that they have taken 9 tanks from the republican guards.

Summary: there is no civil war in Yemen or even the immediate prospect of one; the Bakil and Hashid tribes are on the same side against Saleh. Bakil tribesmen took over one of the largest Republican Guard bases, Salah has been shelling their villages for six hours in Nehm, Sanaa. AQAP did not take over Abyan. As it looks at the moment, state jihaddists were given the green light by the National Security to burn the bank in Zanzibar. The danger is of Saleh shelling.

Original: Maybe I’m jaded from all the years of the bloody Saada War, but what’s going on today seems rather controlled. Yemeni tribes in various locations are attacking the Republican Guard, and there’s no civilians in the middle. Only the state forces will deliberately or indiscriminately attack civilians; the tribes will make efforts to avoid them. The danger is not civil war but indiscriminate bombing by the Yemeni Air force. The more Saleh bombs, the less likely civil war becomes. The military capacity of Yemeni tribesmen is substantial. To follow are loose reports from multiple sources; check back for updates.

Sanaa City- Yemen Post reports no clashes overnight. Huge anti-government protests, the 16th Friday of the rev, but no protest by Saleh supporters; attack on mediators caused a significant peel away. 24 hour truce in effect after mediation, security taking potshots but al Ahmar forces not responding.

In speech at protest, Sadiq al Ahmar says mediation is ongoing and he fully backs the peaceful protest movement. Al-Ahmar told protesters in At-Taghir, “We are now in mediation and there has been a ceasefire between the two sides. But if Ali Abdullah Saleh returns (to fighting) then we are ready. We are steadfast and victorious. We wanted it (revolution) to be peaceful but Saleh, his sons and his clique wanted war. We will not leave them the opportunity to turn it into a civil war.”

Some Islahis agitating to take up arms but most protesters remain committed to a peaceful rev, and a (non-partisan) civil coalition moved to an adjacent site.

Info Min: eight ministries are in hands of the Al Ahmar forces.

*Saleh forces lose or give up 5 compounds in Ammeran, Arhab, Nahim and other areas around Sanaa. 10 am EST

Context: Backgrounder on the al Ahmar bros by at BBC by Ginny Hill .

Nehm, Sanaa north of Sanaa- 12 dead (5 tribesmen, 7 RG), dozens injured in fighting a/o 8:30 est. Three military units surrender. Commander of the RG 26 Brigade was killed *in helicopter crash. Retaliatory MIG 29 air strikes ongoing for six hours. RG 26 Brigade regional HQ w/ oversees Sanaa, al Jawf and Marib. *According to tribesmen, the camp contains a large arsenal of military tanks, armored vehicles, missiles, Katyusha rockets, in addition to a huge stockpile of ammunition and military equipment.

Tribe confiscates 3 helicopters. For more details, including helicopter crash, paratrooper fail and death of commander, see Mareb press. *Tribes retaliated after helicopters bombed villagers houses near a military position.

CNN: Defense Min official: 7 Air Force bombers deployed to Nehm, where 2 military compounds were overtaken by tribal fighters.

Locals to Marebpress : Two of the pilots who landed with their planes in Nahm refused to fire & now they are our guests

Context: Nehm tribes attacked RG in revenge for the death of mediator Mohammed Abulhoom at the compound of Sadiq al Ahmar. Nehm are of the Bakil tribal confederation, the largest in Yemen, although the Hasid confederation more politically powerful. The RG is under the command of Ahmed, Saleh’s son. This is one of the largest RG compounds in Yemen.

US delivered four Hueys to Yemen 2/2/11.

Nehm tribe on 5/13 took tanks from 101 Infantry Brigade when they tried to redeploy to Hadramout. Nehm and al Haima were bombed on 5/16 in retaliation. See al Tagheer’s article today for more on the Nehm locking down the RG for several weeks.

Arhab, Sanaa- fighting yesterday between tribesmen and RG, RG defeated or set back. Six people killed in clashes Wednesday, when fighters tried to prevent security officers from leaving two bases in Arhab to reinforce government troops in the capital, about 20 miles away.

Context: tribesmen across Yemen have repeatedly prevented the RG from redeploying to Sanaa and other protest sites from various bases. Arhab is the home of Abdulmagid al Zindani, longtime Saleh loyallist recently an oppositionist, and was the location of one of the US airstrikes targeting al Qaeda in December. I wrote about it years ago as a way station for al Qaeda training, under Saleh’s protection. Also home to Abdulelah Haider Shayer, al Zindani’s brother in law and close associate of Awlaki, who is currently in jail.

Amran- Under al Ahmar control, tribe has 600 pick-ups

Taiz- many citizens came from outlying areas to join today’s protests

Abyan- falling to tribesmen, Yemeni air force retaliates. Alnajda camp fell to armed men, ongoing fighting for control of the military brigade stationed in Abyan city.

Looting: “Scores of deaths in clashes in Zanzibar and Abyan. Military aircraft bombed a mountain about an hour before Khanfar Bdjaar with two missiles. Loose security is unprecedented in the Abyan and looted the central bank and mail in Zanzibar and Ahrachma and fomenting strife there in order to start a civil war.” See photo below.

*Alsahwa net: National Security director coordinates with militants to create chaos in Abyan and AQAP fears in west: “Saleh hands over areas of Abyan to gunmen, saying they are al Qaeda, and this delivery is under the supervision of the director of the National Security.”

al Masdar: militants burn bank, buildings in Zanzibar with no intervention from nearby military units. Residents accuse regime of complicity as Saleh fulfills his promise that Abyan will fall to terrorists.

Context: The state withdrew some military forces weeks ago, the day before the awful explosion at the ammo dump. An online statement from AQAP today regarding Abyan should be taken with a grain of salt. Salah has online stooges in FB, twitter, blogs and for sure in the jihaddis forums. Saleh also has loyalist jihaddists like al Nabi and Sami Dhayan who do his dirty work for money.

al Jawf- heavy clashes reported between al Houthis and tribesmen ongoing for weeks

Lahj- Habalean held a march and protest Thursday. The normally scheduled “prisoners day” protest by the southern independence movement commemorated the fallen, with many speakers and poetry.

Ibb- Huge anti-government protest Vid here

Hadramout- pro-independence protest, “prisoners day,” from the looks of the photos, a significant crowd attended

Marib- state reconnects electrical line, power restored to many part of Yemen.

Al-Baydah- Massive marches

Saada-Hundreds of thousands of Saada province in a massive march confirms the meanings of national cohesion, vids:

(1) http://www.4shared.com/video/BkefsRQR/___27__2011___1.html

(2) http://www.4shared.com/video/kcSxOqpb/___27__2011___2.html

(3) http://www.4shared.com/video/eFW_CBJU/___29__2011___3.html

(4) http://www.4shared.com/video/MpVRRq0b/___27__2011___4.html

(5) http://www.4shared.com/video/r5nqwyT8/___27__2011___5.html

International- G8 condemns violence against protesters and says Saleh needs to go immediately. Protest today at UN in NY, joint Syrian, Yemeni pro-democracy.

Comic relief: even UBL thought Awlaki is an idiot. Documents indicate UBL was in direct contact with Attiyatullah al-Libi and dismissed Awlaki as AQ leader in Yemen, ie-AQAP wanted to name him as head and UBL nixed it.

Australian: Bin Laden’s Yemeni wife tipped off the US or was tracked, older wives accuse. “The joke in Pakistan is that Bin Laden called in his location to CIA because he was being driven mad cooped up for five years with so many wives and children.”

Abyan National Bank

The Saleh regime topple watch has begun: Tomorrow’s Friday pro-Saleh rally has been canceled and no Saleh speech either. Republican Guard commander defected and called to the troops to join the protests. Tribal mediators working on exit for Saleh after tribes declared Saleh’s blood is free. Tomorrow will be the 16th week of peaceful protests in Yemen, and likely see the largest yet.

Original: After Sheikh Sadiq al Ahmar said today Saleh is leaving Yemen barefoot, Ali Mohsen al Ahmar says Saleh doens’t even have a fig leaf to cover himself with. At Mareb Press Ali Mohsen also said in an interview that Saleh orchestrated the assassination of Sheikh Shabwani in Marib who was thought killed by a US drone. Maybe Saleh deliberately misled the US, like when Saleh gave the Saudi Air Force the coordinates Ali Mohsen’s camp as a Houthi compound. I hope Mohsen keeps talking.

Revealed Mohsen that President Saleh is behind the machinations of the events of the stone that targeted elders Taiz and it is who is behind the events of 13 January 1986 that led to the fighting between factions of the Socialist Party, said: “This feline is raised Vtantha and fueled its horrors among our fellow members of the Socialist , a mastermind of the assassination of Sheikh Jaber Shabwani who sent in the mediation of Marib. “

Saleh really has a long history of killing or jailing mediators. Update: Another phenomenal post in the Trench, small teaser:

This dependency encouraged his bad behavior, antagonized Yemen’s populace, accelerated the revolution, and expanded AQAP’s area of operations. (Read on …)

If he is going without being killed, this is the way–tribal mediation. The mediators working to end the fighting between Saleh’s forces and al Ahmar’s are also working on an exit strategy for Saleh. See the earlier posts today for more on the tribes as the only check on executive authority in Yemen. This is the one negotiation Saleh can’t BS his way out of.

I’m not really worried about a civil war among the population, ongoing fighting between the forces maybe. Yemenis remember better than anyone the bloodbaths that came before, and this new generation has internalized principles of democracy.

Socially the protesters became akin to a new tribe, but with a protected status by all tribes, like every Yemeni woman has a protected status. When snipers murdered 58 protesters on March 18, literally half the regime resigned as a matter of personal honor not as a political statement. When Saleh shelled Sheikh al Ahmar’s house, it was another affront to the personal honor of every tribesman in Yemen, even opposing tribes. I’m hoping he’s gone by tonight. Earlier Saleh ordered the arrest of Sheikh Sadia al Hamar and his brothers. It doesn’t mean much.

Update: The mediators are Abdulqader Hilal and other prominent sheikhs including Fayez Mannaa, Ismail Abu Huriah and Awad Ba Wazir.

3feb.com: (Saleh decides to leave) sources: the new mediation work to find a way out of the Sana’a airport security for his family
(Read on …)

The only way Saleh will leave is by force, that’s been clear for years. The only effective check on executive authority in Yemen is the tribes, and they may just do it now. Beyond “the call” from al Ahmar, I am tracking down another tribal statement that the death of Saleh is now halal.

Update: its here at al Masdar: Sheikh Khalid Al Awadi said if the fighting is not ended in two days, tribesmen are ordered to leave the military and join the youth revolution in the squares of change and freedom, ie- Sanaa and Taiz. The title of the article is The blood is free after the killing of President Saleh meaning halal. Sheikh Sadiq al Ahmar said to Reuters, “Saleh will leave Yemen barefoot.”

The only thing the US can do in this situation is issue a clear, multi-sentence statement against Saleh, promising US humanitarian aid to the following government, in order to demoralize any of Saleh’s followers who are wavering. Freezing his funds would be a good step as well initiating any action at the UN, today. Then the USG, the Yemeni protesters, tribes, opposition parties would all be on the same side, a good place when Saleh is dethroned, which is coming, wrought with destruction and blood in its path, but its coming.

In the last decade, whenever Saleh initiated hostilities against domestic groups like the Houthis or Southerners, the way he did it increased the opposition forces substantially. There are strong norms supporting civilian immunity and the tribal concept of protected places in Yemen. That was the thesis of my 15 page report at MERIA, Comparative Counter-Insurgency in Yemen, September 2010.

The following is a good article as usual from Ahmed al Hajj for the AP. The Hashid tribal confederation is the most powerful in Yemen, but the Bakil is the larges. The mortar attack on the compound of the paramount sheikh of the Hashid, Sadiq al Amhar, killed Saleh’s own mediators. Moreover it was also extremely rude by Yemen standards. They are an extremely polite people, quite lovely actually.

SANAA, Yemen (AP) - Intense battles spread across Yemen’s capital Thursday between government forces and opposition militiamen from powerful tribes that warn of civil war unless embattled President Ali Abdullah Saleh steps down. At least 28 people were killed as the four-day death toll neared 110…

Under Yemen’s ancient codes, tribal leaders can declare that members follow their orders above all others. This potentially gives tribal chiefs the power to order government soldiers from their clans to stand down. (Read on …)

President Saleh never had any intention of stepping down and played the international community very well for three months. He drew out negotiations, and reneged three times on signing the agreement he dictated to the US and Gulf countries. Then he attacked the mediators, besieging the US ambassador on Sunday with an armed mob of ruling party loyalists. Monday Saleh began shelling the compound of his main tribal rival, Sadiq al Ahmar in Sanaa the capital.

Clashes raged for hours. Tuesday Saleh sent his negotiators to the al Ahmar home (some say with a tracking device serendipitously planted on one of them) to mediate an end to the violence that he started. Then he bombed the compound, killing his own people who were still in the home. This of course triggered more clashes between the military and defected military with tribesmen on both sides that continues today. Saleh is claiming to be the victim, another standard tactic in the wake of state violence.

Saleh is now showing his true face to the world and his intention to retain power at all costs. President Saleh devastated the northern province of Saada, bombing for years (2004-2010), displacing 300,000 citizens and then blocking aid to the internal refugees. He ravaged the south and openly slaughtered hundreds of unarmed pro-independence protesters (2007-2010). He will do it to the capital Sana’a without a twinge of conscience.

After three months of nationwide pro-democracy protests, over 100 casualties mostly by head shots, and over 10,000 injuries among the unarmed protesters, yesterday President Obama finally said, as a one line throw-in during a press conference in the UK, “We call upon President Saleh to move immediately on his commitment to transfer power.” The only way Saleh will go is by force. The important impact of a clear Obama statement, if it ever occurs, will be to demoralize Saleh’s supporters not encourage any rationality on Saleh’s part.

During Obama’s hour long Middle East policy speech a week ago, huge throngs of protesters around Yemen waited as Obama ticked through the nations in the region, expounding on each. When he got to Yemen, Obama called Saleh his friend. Yemen also only had one line in that speech: “President Saleh needs to follow through on his commitment to transfer power.” The deal Saleh turned down afforded him immunity from prosecution and scheduled presidential elections in two months, a shoe-in for his son, Ahmed, head of the Republican Guard and the counter-terror unit.

Update, US position remains wimpy. There is a blackout of both news and electricity in Sanaa, besides the language barrier. This limp statement is not going to even penetrate: May 26 (Reuters) – The United States condemns the violence in Yemen and believes it underscores the need for a peaceful transfer of power, White House deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes said on Thursday.

Yemen Post: The head of office for Sadeq Ahmar, Abdul Qawi Qaisi said that more than 50 people were killed and 110 injured in last nights clashes between Hashed tribes and republican guards.

Clashes continued for more than eight hours near Sana’a International Airport and in Hasaba zone of Sana’a.

The Defense Ministry announced earlier today that four more were killed yesterday evening by Hashed tribes.

Tribes in Arhab confirmed that nine tribesmen were killed in clashes between Arhab tribesmen and republican guards last night.

The government has not yet announced its casualties from soldiers.

“5 rockets turned the dark night into daylight around 3 am today in Sanaa these rockets are supplied by the US to saleh and he used them on Sh. Sadeq’s house today they are preventing the people from leaving Sanaa, and the Hasaba district looks like Gaza or Beirut in the 80’s with buildings riddled with ammunition holes today the clashes did not stop and there are un confirmed roomers that Ahmed Ali Saleh was shot and seriously injured by one of his body guards.”

Qamish is now with the revolution. The documents from the interior ministry were seized and are in secure location.

1) They used a Howitzer canon to strike the al Ahmar house, where Saleh’s mediation committee was on the phone with him negotiating a cease fire. The committee are all injured with Sh. Mohammed Mohammed Abu-Louhoom announced dead a few minutes ago. PSO head Galeb Al-Qamesh is seriously injured. The attack brought new tribes into the battle on the side of the protester when their sheikhs were attacked. The ministries of Local Authority and Education fell. (Read on …)

Last update: Tribal mediation succeeded in ending the clashes. Saleh’s mediators were Sanhan Sheikh, Ahmad abu Horia and the Ghalib Al-Qamish, the head of the Political Security.

al Sahwa reports that heavy clashes using a variety of weapons have been raging in the vicinity of Sheikh Sadeq al-Ahmar’s house in Hasaba, Sana’a between Saleh’s militia, Republican Guards, Central Security and Sadeq’s guards for at least 2 hours as of 9:30am EST. Sadiq is paramount sheik of the Hasid tribal confederation, and in theory is Saleh’s sheik since Abdullah al Ahmar died. Update: the sides were CF and RG vs. Sadiq guards (Hashid tribesmen) and some military forces from Ali Mohsen al Ahmar.

Yemen Post reports 18 dead: Clashes started at 1pm local time when armed gunmen backed by central security forces attacked the residence of Yemen’s powerful Hashid tribe leader, Sheikh Sadeq Abdullah Ahmar eyewitnesses said. At least 100 gunmen have been shooting directly at the residence for hours now…

Headquarters for Yemenia airways in Sana’a caught on fire after tens of armed gunmen shot directly at the building, eyewitnesses said. In addition, tens of live bullets are being shot at Saba News Agency and dozens of employees are surrounded inside the building…Eyewitnesses and confirmed sources said that Ahmar tribes have seized the Commerce and trade Ministry building in Sana’a.

I believe the SABA building and likely Yemenia are being used by the CS to shoot from, which is why they are being shot at; its not an attack on the state media per se. Its going on for more than four hours already.

Updates: -Saleh attacked with the Najda (Emergency Police) as well as elements of Central Security and Republican Guards and hired mercenaries. – RPGs fired at Interior Ministry. -Salehs forces withdrew but its not fully over. -Injured includes a child - Video here -YPost: Hashed tribes seize the ruling GPC headquarters in Sana’a and Ministry of Trade and Commerce & 600 armed Ahmar tribesmen -road to the US embassy still blocked by armed GPC members

Timeline from a friend:

Republican Guard(RG) & CSF units attacked sh.Sadeq’s house at 1:12pm local time at the time leaders from the JMP were inside the house, sh. Sadeq was not.
at 3:00 pm the entire area was secured by sh.Sadeq’s men
the Al-Saeeda Airlines building fifth floor was in flames.
the RG are sending reinforcements to secure the ministry of interior which is now in flames.
At 5:00pm the Sh’s men have secured the building of the GPC head quarters, Ministry of trade, Saba news agency and were advancing towards the ministry of telecommunication.
at 5:30pm bombardment using Doshka, Tanks, and cannons are heard in the area.
sh. Hameed Al-Ahmer moved the past couple of days from his house in Hadda to the same house.
Sh. Sadeq issued the “Tribal Call” which in effect calls every tribesmen to join him in defending his honor, attacking one’s house is a great dishonor in tribal law.
at 6:30pm new clashed erupted at the entrance to Sanaa at the Azreqaen point as thousands of tribesmen are answering the tribal call are flooding towards Sanaa.

Both sides are a mix of military/security, tribesmen and militia. As long as the state does not attack in Saada, maybe this can wind itself down. There are thousands of troops on the Marib/ al Jawf border, last estimate was over 10,000, eight brigades if that makes sense, maybe divisions. Update: the troops are still in the same locations along the border and road to Sanaa where they have been for more than two months. Fierce clashes are continuing in al Jawf though

Saleh has been storing weapons in schools and government buildings for a week supposedly (including possibly the Ramah girls school). Beyond the military stocks, the state has confiscated a quarter of a million weapons over the last two years in furtherance of the weapons ban. It was never likely he destroyed all of them. I figured he’s resell them; I hope he doesn’t have them stockpiled. The reports of distributing weapons to thugs and GPC members have been consistent and are further augmented by many leaked documents that indicate a nationwide strategy under the direction of the interior ministry.

Update an English round up from AP: (Read on …)

Its just so complicated and so dangerous. Apparently the tribesmen closed the road after the Republican Guard failed to retake a military camp occupied by the First Armored a/k/a Ali Mohsen’s forces

Yemen Times: A source in the area explained to the Yemen Times on Wednesday that the pro-Saleh tribesmen closed the road on Wednesday after another group of pro-Saleh tribesmen have failed to take control of a military base in the Bani Mater district, 35 km west of the capital Sana’a belongs to the First Armored Division last Friday. (Read on …)

Isn’t the 101st the brigade the state denied creating for Saleh’s son when the reports first came out some months ago? This is how the Houthis got a bulk of their weapons during the Saada Wars, from the Yemeni army.

5/10 News Yemen: Yemeni tribal gunmen from the tribes of Nehm, 40 km east of the capital Sana’a, prevented on Tuesday the army from passing to Hadramout province, southeastern Yemen, to repress anti-regime protests.

Local sources said that clashes broke out between forces of the 101 Infantry Brigade and the tribal gunmen who rejected to allow any military force to pass through their territory to crackdown protesters in Hadramout.

The sources added that the army used heavy weapons and warplanes to bomb the tribal men who blocked the main road in Nehm against the 101 Infantry Brigade’s forces, headed by son of President Saleh, but could not unblock the road.

There have been previous reports on casualties among tribesmen and soldiers, but local sources said that only one tribesman was wounded. Sources said that soldiers had surrendered and handed over personal weapons, armored military vehicles and tanks and returned to the capital.

Denial issued following the clash and Ali Mohsen al Ahmar’s statement. (Its the same way they killed Hussain al Houthi, an ambush during a supposed mediation.) According to al Ahmar’s statement, a flyover by two MIGs was the signal to open fire.

Yemen Post Staff: General Ali Mohsen Ahmar told media outlets that pro Saleh snipers were mixed with the mediation committee sent by President Saleh to help in solving the crises between Saleh and Ahmar. According to Ahmar, the snipers were preparing to assassinate him along with members of the mediation committee. “Gun shots were fired at our direction and I was a target of an assassination attempt,” said Ahmar.

Sanahan Sheikhs denies claims of attempting to assassinate Ali Muhsen
[07/April/2011] SANA’A, April 06 (Saba) – Sheikhs of Sanahan, Belad al-Ros and Bani Behlol tribes have denied the claims made by the 1st Armored Division’s Commander Ali Mohsen about attempting to assassinate him.

In a press release issued by them in the 26 September website, the sheiks said that such claims are sarcastic and untrue, affirming that the no one in the convoy has a weapon. (Read on …)

A huge development if true. The article says Hussein resigned from the GPC, a good first step.

SMH: Yemen’s Hashed and Baqil tribal confederations announced on Saturday that they had joined protests to demand that President Ali Abdullah Saleh step down, tribal sources told AFP.

“I have announced my resignation from the (ruling) General People’s Congress (GPC) in protest at the repression of peaceful demonstrators in Sanaa, Taez and Aden,” the source quoted Sheikh Hussein bin Abdullah al-Ahmar, head of the Hashid confederation, as saying. (Read on …)

Hussein al Ahmar is head of the tribal grouping, the National Solidarity Grouping, not to be confused with Hamid al Ahmar head of the National Dialog Committee. Hussein is a bit of a polarizing figure to say the least. In my view, tribal power is one of the few existing effective checks on executive power in Yemen. These statements were made to journalists (not on the march to Sana’a and could be bargaining.) The statement by Zindani also reveals more allies peeling away from Saleh.

Al Hadath: The chairman of the National Solidarity Sheikh Hussein bin Abdullah bin Hussein Al-Ahmar said that a rally would intervene to protect the protesters in the governorate of Sana’a, if the regime continued to take down what have become known as “bullies” to abuse. (Read on …)

Short version: somebody took some shots at an army patrol in Radfan, al Dhalie, and the state randomly shelled the town, probably with mortars. In essence, the state is assigning guilt and punishing to the whole town for the actions of individuals, heightening unrest. The Saleh regime’s tribal norms are an underpinning in its dealings with citizens. Tribalism isn’t bad, in fact a sense of shared identity and duty is probably whats keeping a lot of people from starving to death today. But when the state assigns collective guilt and other tribal tenets here in 2011, it runs counter to the modern sense of justice.

During the Saada Wars, the motivation for cutting food supplies to Bani Hushaish and other towns was to encourage people to hand in Houthi rebels, one official stated openly, but it had the opposite effect. Throughout Yemen, family members are taken hostage in lieu of a person wanted by security forces and can remain in prison for months or years. The northern Yemeni Arab Republic evolved from the Immamate, a theocracy that depended on the tribes as enforcers. The British colonized Aden in the 19th century and, although the concept of protectorates reinforced tribal authority and paternalism, the PDRY to a degree replaced tribal norms with individualism. One constant refrain of southerners is that the unified state dragged the south back into tribalism and after unification, the state appointed tribal sheiks based on their loyalty to Saleh himself.

Yemen Post: At least three civilians were injured, one seriously, when the army shelled Radfan town, Lahj, on Wednesday.

A medical source at the Radfan Hospital was quoted by the News Yemen as saying that the three pedestrians were injured and taken to hospital after the forces randomly shelled the town following firing on a military vehicle by unknown armed people.

One of the victims had his hand cut off and another was wounded by shrapnel in different parts of his body, the website said.

Also, tens of houses were damaged and families are continuing to flee the town due to the deteriorating situation amid an acute fuel shortage and lack of phone services.

Military reinforcements have been deployed to Radfan in recent months to fight separatist militants who have stepped up their attacks, targeting military posts and public properties.

Lahj is one of the southern cities hit by violence where the separatist movement, Al-Harak, continues the anti-government protests that usually turn violent.

Its a google translation but I can read it.

after a member of its secretariat was attacked by gunmen from the Sanhan ..
The children of revolutionaries condemns the targeting of its leaders in the center of the capital, Sana’a

Through the Forum of National Democratic Party for the children of revolutionaries and freedom fighters and martyrs Yemenis (glory) Member of the International Alliance for Defending Rights and Freedoms for disapproval and strong condemnation of the attempted attack, who was a member of the Secretariat General and brother of the governor of Marib Sheikh / Abdullah bin Ali al-Zaidi, by armed groups of approximately two hundred people Region Boss House in the capital Sanaa on Thursday evening and Friday afternoon .. (Read on …)

Yemen Post: At least 12 Houthi followers were killed, and 15 others wounded in an exchange of gunfire that erupted between Houthi followers and tribesmen in Sa’ada Province. (Read on …)