Yemen needs action, not just talk

Oct 9, 2011

By Ibrahim Sharqieh and Courtney Freer

The recent killing in Yemen of the American-born al-Qaeda figure Anwar al-Awlaki, the return of the country's president, and a brutal crackdown on peaceful antigovernment protesters have brought tensions there to a dangerous level, threatening to plunge the country into civil war. But the international community has failed to take a stand, revealing a cold-blooded double standard on the Arab Spring uprisings. It's clear that the United States and its allies are interested only in "regime renovation" in Yemen, not regime change.

While coordinated international intervention took place in oil-rich Libya, Yemen, the region's poorest nation, sinks deeper into disarray. The regime's crackdown continues in the capital, San'a, and violent clashes between government forces and militias rage in Abyan province.

Several states share responsibility for the unconscionable neglect of Yemen, though the United States and Saudi Arabia have been particularly disappointing. In the absence of leadership from those countries, other players - including the Arab League, the United Nations, and Turkey - have failed to step in.

U.S. officials have claimed a steadfast commitment to democratic values amid the Arab Spring uprisings, but it seems to stop short of Yemen. In his milestone May speech on the Middle East, Obama barely mentioned the country, saying only, "President Saleh needs to follow through on his commitment to transfer power." Since then, official U.S. statements have endorsed a transition plan backed by the Gulf states, which would grant Ali Abdullah Saleh three months to transfer power to his vice president.

The Obama administration is clearly not ready to endorse regime change outright. Because Saleh has been a loyal ally in U.S. efforts against al-Qaeda - most recently in the operation against Awlaki - the administration appears to hope it can salvage at least part of the government, perhaps leaving its bureaucratic and security systems in place while a new presidency appeases the opposition. That Saleh was allowed to return to his country after the crackdown further shows that the United States is hesitating to hold him and his regime responsible for the brutality.

Saudi Arabia, which has worked closely with the United States to try to manage the Yemeni uprising, also supports regime renovation rather than outright change. Having led the charge to quash a destabilizing movement in Bahrain in March, the kingdom's rulers also hope to avoid unrest along their southern border. While the Saudi-led Gulf states proposed the plan for a transfer of power, Saudi Arabia also allowed the president to spend almost four months in the kingdom recovering from injuries incurred in a bombing of his palace.

In the absence of a strong U.S. or Saudi response, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has been active in recent events in Syria, Libya, and Egypt, seemed a likely alternative. Yet he has remained silent on Yemen. An official statement from his government last month merely stressed the importance of ending violence, and it did not condemn the government crackdown.

The Arab League, meanwhile, has been perhaps the most impotent international organization when it comes to events in the region. It has failed to take a position on many major developments there, particularly in Yemen. As long ago as March, Arab League representatives condemned "crimes against civilians" in Yemen, and the organization vowed to monitor "the grave situation." But it has done little more than support the Gulf states' transition plan.

Although a U.N. team that visited Yemen in June reported that a "wide range of human rights violations and abuses have allegedly taken place throughout the country," Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon released a statement last month strongly condemning "the excessive use of force by government security forces against unarmed protesters." Yet, again, no action has followed, showing a dangerous lack of commitment on the part of the international community.

Internally, the traditional parliamentary opposition has failed the country as well. It has yet to present a viable alternative to the regime, and it has not been a reliable ally to the protesters. While the protesters call for regime change, the opposition parties negotiate with regime elements, losing credibility in the eyes of many of the protesters. The opposition has done little besides sign on to the Gulf states' dubious transition plan.

Yemen needs regime change and representative government. Its young people have done their part, using peaceful means to oppose a brutal regime, and the international community owes them its full support.

The United States should abandon the notion that the Saleh regime is stable and will serve its interests. And Saudi Arabia should recognize that change is afoot in Yemen, and that prolonging the crisis will only endanger its security and lead to long-term instability on its southern border.

If peaceful protests are not rewarded, Yemenis may resort to arms. On the border of the world's largest oil exporter, that could destabilize the region and affect energy prices worldwide. More important, the international community must not allow its moral standards to disintegrate while a country slides into what could be a very long and bloody civil war.

Opposition urges UN to break Yemen deadlock

October 9, 2011

An opposition spokesperson on Sunday urged the UN Security Council to break the political deadlock in Yemen, scoffing at a statement from President Ali Abdullah Saleh that he was ready to step down.

Mohammed Qahtan, spokesperson for the parliamentary opposition Common Forum, said regional efforts to resolve the months-long political crisis in Yemen, in particular by Yemen's neighbors in the Gulf, had reached a deadlock.

The United Nations, especially its Security Council, would be " more effective" in ending the crisis and serve as a "continuation of the regional efforts" already underway, he told AFP in a telephone interview.

Qahtan was speaking ahead of Tuesday's planned report to the United Nations by Yemen envoy Jamal Benomar on his failure to broker agreement on a Gulf Cooperation Council deal for a transition of power in Yemen.

In a televised speech on Saturday, Saleh said: "I don't want power and I will give it up in the coming days."

The opposition, however, has dismissed his declaration as a sham, citing numerous other occasions when Saleh said he would resign but later refused to do so.

"Very simply, Saleh does not want to resign from power," Qahtan said, charging that the speech was merely a ploy to divert attention from Benomar's report to the UN.

"There is nothing new [in Saleh's declaration] … Saleh will never hand over power willingly," he said.

Yemenis shrug off Saleh's talk of stepping down

Sun Oct 9, 2011

By Erika Solomon and Mohammed Ghobari

SANAA (Reuters) - Yemeni protesters camped out in Sanaa's central square said on Sunday that President Ali Abdullah Saleh's suggestion that he would step down in the coming days was another promise that they were sure would be broken.

Analysts mostly agree that the vow, made three times already this year by Yemen's long-time ruler, was a stalling tactic in a succession crisis that has spread turmoil through the country.

A government official said Saleh was merely indicating readiness in a speech on Saturday night to reach a deal to end months of popular unrest.

"Saleh is a liar, nothing has changed since his speech," said Mohammed al-Asl, a protest organiser. "We're used to this type of thing now. He just says anything to fool his own people, the world, and everyone. We're not paying any attention to this."

Protesters, camped out in tents in the area in Sanna now dubbed as "Change Square" were going about their usual business of buying food, cooking and chewing wads of qat, a popular mild leaf stimulant common in Yemen.

Saleh's foreign minister met the U.S. ambassador for talks on Sunday, part of what many expect to be a diplomatic push to deflect any action by the U.N. Security Council when it is briefed on the Yemen situation in the coming days.

The wily leader, who came to power in 1978, is under pressure from international allies, street protesters, armed opponents and opposition parties to make good on promises to hand over power and end a crisis that has raised the spectre of a failed Arab state overrun by militants.

Confusion over Saleh's intent has been familiar fare in a conflict that has dragged on since January when protesters first took to the streets to demand reform and end the authoritarian grip of Saleh and his family.

"I reject power and I will continue to reject it, and I will be leaving power in the coming days," the 69-year-old Saleh said on state television.

He has already pulled back three times from signing a Gulf Arab peace initiative that would have seen him form an opposition-led cabinet and then hand power to his deputy before early parliamentary and presidential elections.

Officials said often during his convalescence in Riyadh after an assassination attempt in June that he would return "in days" or "soon." He flew back unannounced in late September.

"He said this to show his commitment to this plan, but there is no plan for a resignation or transfer of powers before we have agreed and signed a deal. That would just plunge the country into chaos or even war," Deputy Information Minister Abdu al-Janadi told Reuters.

"He is ready to leave power in days, yes, but whether this happens in the coming days or months will depend on the success of negotiations for a deal."

Protests against Saleh's rule have eroded government control over parts Yemen and fanned fears al Qaeda's regional wing may use the upheaval to expand its foothold near oil-shipping routes through the Red Sea.

"Everyone thinks he's just a liar," said Rani, a 19 year-old protester. "Maybe he wants to step down but just as likely he doesn't. As for us it's just a normal day."

U.N. DISCUSSES YEMEN

Saleh's comments may been aimed at forestalling intervention from the United Nations headquarters in New York.

Diplomats have said they are close to getting international consensus on a Security Council resolution, which could come as early as next week, that would call on the government to implement the Gulf plan, which has U.S. backing.

A U.N. envoy, Jamal Beomar, left Yemen to brief the council last week after a fruitless two weeks trying to mediate between Saleh's government and the opposition.

On Sunday, U.S. Ambassador Gerald Feierstein met Yemeni Foreign Minister Abubakr Abdullah Al-Qirbi and discussed the power transfer plan, Yemen's official news agency SABA reported.

"This is all an effort to calm the international community before the briefing before the Security Council," said Asl.

In Saturday's speech, Saleh repeated his condition that he will not cede power to long-time rivals from the opposition parties, who he says have hijacked the youth activists' protests and aim to subvert the constitutional process.

Saleh's presidential term ends in 2013 and he has said he will not run again, but analysts suspect he would like to outlast the crisis until then. The state of his health is not clear, though, after he was badly burnt in the June attack.

"This is new propaganda from Saleh before Yemen is discussed at the Security Council," said Mohammed al-Sabri, a opposition coalition spokesman. "Four months have passed since he said he accepted the Gulf transition deal, so what is stopping him? He doesn't even need a few days to do it."

New pressure came from an unexpected quarter on Friday when the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Tawakul Karman, one of the leading activists who has been on the street at "Change Square" outside Sanaa University since February.

The recognition of a Yemeni democracy activist could refocus global attention on the struggle in Yemen, an impoverished state of 23 million with problems ranging from declining water resources to al Qaeda militants taking advantage of the chaos.

Public U.S. pressure has been lacking even as he cooperates with Washington in its covert war on militants in Yemen.

A CIA drone killed American-Yemeni cleric Anwar al-Awlaki in Yemen last month in what was seen as a major coup for U.S. President Barack Obama in the battle against al Qaeda.

Saudi Arabia, a vital financial backer of Saleh's government, shares U.S. concerns about al Qaeda and is as keen as Saleh is to control the succession process.

Analysts say a power transition involving Saleh stepping down and early elections will not be feasible while much of Yemen is under the military and security thumb of his relatives.

US State Dept: condolences to NC parents for killing of their son, an al-Qaida propagandist

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
October 08, 2011
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The U.S. State Department is offering the government's condolences to a North Carolina family whose son became an al-Qaida propagandist and was killed in a drone attack in Yemen.
The Charlotte Observer reported Saturday the call came nearly a week after 25-year-old Samir Khan was killed along with cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, a leader of al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula. Both men were American citizens.
Family spokesman Jibril Hough said a State Department official called Khan's father Zafar on Thursday, a day after the family released a statement condemning Khan's extra-judicial "assassination."
State Department spokesman Harry Edwards confirmed the call to Khan's family but declined to offer details.
Khan authored a radical blog while living in Charlotte, then left to join al-Qaida and produce its English-language online magazine.

Timeline: Protests against Saleh rule in Yemen

October 8, 2011

(Reuters) - Below is a timeline of events since protests against Saleh's 33-year rule began in January this year:

Jan 29 - Yemen's ruling party calls for dialogue with the opposition in a bid to stem anti-government protests.

-- Saleh supporters attack, disperse Yemenis trying to march to the Egyptian embassy to express solidarity with Egyptian anti-government demonstrators. Yemeni protesters chant "the people want the regime to fall".

Feb 3 - A day of anti-government protests brings more than 20,000 people onto the streets in Sanaa.

March 2 - The opposition presents Saleh with a plan for a transition of power, offering him a graceful exit.

-- Saleh says he will draw up a new constitution to create a parliamentary system. The opposition rejects the proposal.

March 18 - Snipers kill 52 protesters at Sanaa University after Friday prayers. Saleh declares a state of emergency.

March 20 - Saleh dismisses his government.

March 21 - Senior army commanders, including Saleh ally General Ali Mohsen, commander of the northwest military zone, say they have switched support to pro-democracy activists.

March 23 - Saleh offers to step down by the end of 2011. He proposes to hold a referendum on a new constitution, then a parliamentary election and presidential vote.

March 25 - Saleh says he is ready to cede power to stop more bloodshed. Thousands rally in "Day of Departure" protests.

March 29 - Saleh holds talks with Mohammed al-Yadoumi, head of the Islamist Islah party, once a partner in government. Saleh proposes staying in office until elections but transferring his powers to a caretaker.

-- The opposition rejects the offer.

April 2 - The opposition proposes a five-point plan for the army and security forces to be restructured by a vice-president acting as temporary president.

April 6 - Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani says the regional Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) will strike a deal for Saleh to leave.

April 18 - Ruling party members form Justice and Development Bloc to support protests.

April 23 - Saleh agrees to step down in weeks in return for immunity from prosecution. The opposition agrees to the plan.

April 25 - The opposition agrees to join a transitional government under a Gulf-negotiated plan for Saleh to step aside.

April 30 - Saleh appears to sabotage the plan by refusing to sign in his capacity as president. GCC mediators tell the opposition Saleh will only sign the deal as leader of his party.

May 13 - Huge crowds across Yemen demand Saleh leave. Saleh declares: "We will confront a challenge with a challenge".

May 21 - The opposition signs the transition deal.

May 22 - Five members of the ruling party sign the deal, but Gulf Arab states suspend it after Saleh asks for additional conditions and diplomats fail to persuade him to sign it.

-- Loyalist gunmen trap Western and Arab diplomats in the UAE embassy in Sanaa, blocking mediators from going to the presidential palace. Diplomats later leave by helicopter.

May 23 - Saleh apologizes to the UAE, foreign governments criticize him for refusing to sign.

May 24 - Saleh's refusal to sign sparks street battles in Sanaa between security forces and a powerful tribal group, the Hashed tribal alliance, led by Sadeq al-Ahmar. At least 20 people are killed.

May 26 - Several countries, including United States, ask their diplomats to leave.

May 28 - Security forces and tribesmen agree to a truce.

May 30 - Truce breaks down, militants regain control of ruling party building in the Hasaba district of Sanaa.

June 3 - Opposition parades through Sanaa the bodies of 50 people it says were killed in clashes with Saleh's forces.

-- Death toll climbs to more than 370.

-- A bomb explodes at Saleh's palace in Sanaa, wounding the president, the prime minister, and the parliament speaker.

-- Saleh leaves for treatment in Riyadh

June 4 - Vice-President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi takes over as acting president and supreme commander of the armed forces.

June 5 - Saleh undergoes surgery to remove shrapnel from his chest. Crowds cheer what they hope is his exit from power.

June 6 - Opposition calls for official transfer of power to VP, U.S. pushes for immediate democratic transition.

June 13 - Suspects arrested over attack on Saleh.

July 7 - Saleh makes first televised appearance since attack, says he supports dialogue and welcomes power sharing.

July 25 - Opposition rejects government plan for dialogue, refusing to negotiate until Saleh signs transition deal.

Aug 15 - Government blames opposition tribal leader Hamid al-Ahmar for attack which wounded Saleh.

Aug 20 - Several opposition figures quit newly formed National Council, exposing division in anti-government movement.

Aug 29 - Saleh says he is committed to holding elections for a new president as soon as possible.

Sept 7 - Ruling party approves changes to power transfer plan, which would transfer Saleh's powers to his vice president but give him three months to formally step down.

Sept 12 - Saleh empowers vice president to sign deal. The opposition is skeptical of Saleh's call for further talks before the VP signs the deal.

Sept 18 - Protests escalate as security forces fire on demonstrators, killing 21 and wounding dozens.

Sept 21 - Yemeni forces clash again with soldiers loyal to defected top general Ali Mohsen, violating a short-lived truce.

-- GCC Secretary General Abdbullatif al-Zayani leaves Sanaa after failing to get a power transfer deal signed.

Sept 23 - Saleh returns from Saudi Arabia, greeted by gunfire and explosions.

Sept 24 - At least 17 people are killed when government forces attack the main opposition protest camp in Sanaa, raising death toll in five days of fighting to at least 100.

-- Saleh says he is "carrying the dove of peace and the olive branch".

Sept 27 - Defense Minister Mohammed Nasser Ali survives bomb attack on his convoy. Seven soldiers injured.

Sept 28 - Opposition tribesmen say they shoot down warplane outside capital and capture pilot. Tens of thousands protest in Sanaa against Saleh's return.

Sept 29 - Heavy clashes rock northern neighborhoods of Sanaa, breaking truce.

Sept 30 - Saleh says he will step down only if key rivals do not take over. Yemeni and U.S. officials say Anwar al-Awlaki, a U.S.-born Muslim preacher linked to al Qaeda's Yemen-based wing, has been killed in an air strike.

Oct 1 - Yemeni official attacks the United States, saying it showed a lack of respect for democracy by renewing its call for Saleh to step down.

Oct 3 - United Nations envoy Jamal Benomar leaves Yemen to brief the Security Council on what appeared to be a fruitless effort to end the crisis.

Oct 8 - Saleh said he would leave power in the coming days.