US Welcomes Yemeni Political Reforms

WASHINGTON- Mar 11, 2011- US President Barack Obama's top anti-terror advisor John Brennan on Friday called Yemen's President Ali Abdullah Saleh to welcome his pledge to devolve power and urged the opposition to support the plan.

The call, the latest of a series of contacts between the White House and key anti-terror ally Yemen since a popular revolt erupted, followed a major concession by Saleh designed to end the political crisis.

"Brennan reiterated that representatives of all sectors of the Yemeni opposition should respond constructively to President Saleh?s call to engage in a serious dialogue to end the current impasse," the White House said in a statement.

"Brennan noted that the government and the opposition share responsibility for achieving a peaceful resolution of the crisis.

"Brennan also stated that a commitment by all sides to participate in an open and transparent process that addresses the legitimate concerns of the Yemeni people provides an orderly path to a stronger and more prosperous nation."

The White House said that Saleh reiterated his hope that the opposition will take part in an immediate dialogue.

Saleh on Thursday bowed to pressure after a month of violent protests, but his pledge to devolve power to parliament was swiftly rejected as too late by the opposition.

He also ordered his security forces to ensure the safety of anti-government protesters after weeks of unrest in which some 30 people have been killed, part of a wave of popular unrest across the Arab world.

He said he would hold a "referendum before the end of the year on a new constitution clearly stipulating the separation of powers" between the president and the parliament.

The new charter would "install a parliamentary regime giving all executive powers to a government elected by parliament," he added.

Yemen is a crucial partner of the United States in the fight against Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), which has plotted attacks against US targets from its redoubts in the country's unruly tribal regions.

It is also battling sectarian and secessionist violence, which undermine stability and development in one of the poorest countries in the region.

US involvement in Yemen, including special forces advisors, has depended entirely on Saleh, who has dominated the country since coming to power in a military coup in 1978. He became president of a reunified Yemen in 1990.

Washington has expressed concern about violence but Obama's administration has not pressured Saleh to leave office in the way it leaned on Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak before his ouster.

Source: AFP

Youth protesters at Sana'a University Campus call on General Strike

By Fatik Al-Rodaini

Sana'a, Mar 11, 2011- Youth protesters at Sana'a University campus called Yemeni people to start a nationwide strike in all Yemen's provinces from Saturday against President Ali Abdullah Saleh's regime.

Source: Yemen 24 News

U.S. intel worried of homegrown threat

WASHINGTON, March 11, 2011- Al-Qaida remains a top concern for the U.S. intelligence community though incidents of homegrown terror are emerging threats, an intelligence official said.

U.S. National Intelligence Director James Clapper told the Senate Armed Services Committee that U.S. national security was challenged by the "multiplicity and interconnectedness" of potential threats that didn't exist during the Cold War.

He singled out al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, Yemen's al-Qaida branch, as a key threat to U.S. national security. He said that while AQAP was directing its energy on Yemen and Saudi Arabia, it's "increasingly devoted" to inspiring attacks on the United States.

"We also see disturbing instances of self-radicalization among our own citizens," he said in his prepared remarks.

AQAP leader Anwar al-Awlaki said he was in contact with the alleged triggerman in a shooting rampage in 2009 in Fort Hood, Texas, before the assault. AQAP was also linked to a failed plot to down a U.S. passenger plane over Detroit on Christmas Day 2009 and several bombing attempts targeting international freight carriers last year.

American extremists, said Clapper, will likely be a small part of the global terrorism community but will play a "disproportionately large role" in the threat to the United States.

Source: (UPI)

Four Protesters Wounded in Sana'a

By Fatik Al-Rodaini

Sana'a, Mar 11, 2011- At least four anti-regime protesters were in Sana'a in violence by anti-riot police on Friday, eyewitnesses said.

In Sana'a University campus protesters were trying to extend their camp by setting more tents when anti-riot police attacked them by electric shocks and batons to push them back.

Eyewitnesses said that some thugs carrying Kalashnikov rifles were deployed on the roof of some houses next to the square, expecting more attacks on protesters.

Protesters, estimated tens of thousands rallied in Sana'a to demand the departure of the regime.

Source: Yemen 24 News

Yemeni president presents reform initiative

SANA’A, Mar 11, 2011- The text of speech by President Ali Abdullah Saleh on a reform initiative.

Our brothers in the General National Conference, the scholars, members of the parliament, members of the Shura Council, commanders of the Armed forces, chieftains, social figures, officials in the local authorities, civil society representatives, leaders of the parties participating in the conference;

Brothers and sisters, young men and women;

I would like first of all to express my thanks and appreciation to all the Yemeni people, including the men, chieftains, and women, who took to the streets in millions and expressed in various means their stance and visions and said yes to security, stability, and constitutional legitimacy. I would also like to thank the millions of masses that took to the streets in 2006 and said yes to constitutional legitimacy and granted us their trust. We want to also thank those citizens who took to the streets and demonstrated peacefully and said no to constitutional legitimacy for they have expressed their point of view under the freedom of expression and the democratic, pluralistic approach, which was adopted by our country. We have ordered the security forces to continue to provide protection for all protesters, whether they are supporters of our legitimacy or from the opposition.

Brothers and sisters, O great people of Yemen, I am happy to welcome you on the occasion of holding the National General Conference, which comprises political, cultural, and social figures, as well as youth groups to address the current developments taking place throughout the Arab world and Yemen. There is a storm targeting the Arab world at large and our country in particular.

O brothers and sisters, this conference is taking place at a critical time and amid great challenges facing the nation. We have listened to the report presented by the political consultant Dr Abd al-Karim al-Iryani, in which he explained the initiatives for national dialogue intended to ease political tensions.

Based on my responsibility before all Yemenis as the president, we have been and still are exerting efforts in order to ensure a smooth and peaceful transition of power so as to protect the nation and its security, and preserve its accomplishments as part of our continuous keenness to guard our nation against sedition, for the sake of the higher national interests. We bring to you today this new initiative which embraces all developments taking place in the nation. This new initiative - and I can assure you in advance - will be rejected by the opposition like the previous initiatives.

However, this [initiative] is my duty towards the Yemeni people, who are the source of authority.

I present this initiative to the great Yemeni people, the source of authority and the arbitrators during decision making.

This initiative is based on the following:

-Formation of a committee from the parliament and the Shura Council, including social figures, to draw up a new constitution - to be completed by the end of 2011 - to separate authorities;

-Switching into a parliamentary system, in which all executive powers are given to an elected government that will come through the parliamentary elections scheduled to take place in late 2011-early 2012. All powers will be given to the government.

We will adopt the following mechanism:

-Improving the local governance system by giving it vast powers based on decentralized administrative and financial systems;

- Establishing provinces based on geographical and economic measures;

-Forming a national unity government to draft a new electoral law based on proportional representation.

We ask the members of the parliament from the ruling party and the opposition to prepare the electoral law and referendum and pass it. We also ask them to form the higher committee for elections and referendum.

We have ordered the government to address the demands of the protesting youth present at the gate of Sanaa University, Safir Station in Ta'izz, and in Aden as well as in any other governorate for they are the youth of the future and the hope of this nation. This government will work on meeting all of their demands without the need for demonstrations, protests, or chaos.

Those youth are the nation's youth, its hope, and future; like the youth of 22 May, 26 September, and 14 October.

We call on the national committee to select from this conference a representation from all governorates including chieftains, scholars, civil society organizations, members of parliament, and Shura Council members to follow up on the decisions and recommendations of this conference.

At the end, may God guide everyone to what is good for the nation.

Source: (Saba)