Sana'a, Jan, 5 (BNA) – An official presidential source said here today that the Yemeni leadership is committed to implementing the GCC initiative and relevant mechanisms as well as the UN Security Council's Resolution No.: 2014.
The same source, in a statement to the Yemeni News Agency, demanded the block Yemeni opposition parties to be committed and to accurately implement the GCC initiative in line with its timetable in order to achieve security and stability for Yemen before early presidential elections can be conducted on 21st of February, and urged them to ignore any statements or remarks issued by hostile sources which attempt to foil the political reconciliation process in Yemen.
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Thursday, January 5, 2012
Yemen - Despite Saleh departure plan, supporters and security forces still targeting journalists
January 5, 2012
December was a particularly black month for media freedom violations in Yemen although President Ali Abdallah Saleh agreed to a plan proposed by Gulf Cooperation Council in Riyadh on 23 November under which he is to stand down as president in February.
Reporters Without Borders firmly condemns the continuing violations and urges the international community to intercede. December was above all marked by violence by government troops and Saleh supporters against journalists covering the “March for Life,” which set off from Taiz, a city 270 km south of the capital, on 20 December.
There were many attacks on the marchers on 24 and 25 December as they arrived at the Sanaa district of Dar Salm. Security forces opened fire on the crowd. At least 13 demonstrators were killed and 50 were wounded. Journalists were among the victims. Among other demands, the protesters had been calling for President Saleh to be prosecuted for his use of violence against earlier demonstrations.
On 24 December, Ahmed Al-Mussibli, a journalist with the opposition TV station Suhail TV, was beaten and arrested by security forces, and was held overnight. BBC correspondent Abdallah Ghorab narrowly avoided being arrested. Suhail TV cameraman Kamal Al-Mahfadi and reporter Walid Ablan sustained serious head injuries.
Ahmed Al-Jabar, a member of the Yemeni Journalists’ Syndicate and reporter for the state-owned Saba News Agency, was hit in the face with a rifle butt by a Saleh supporter, sustaining an injuries below one eye. Soldiers also broke the windows of the car that members of the Journalists’ Syndicate were using to cover the march.
Three journalists – Samia Al-Aghbary, Arwa Abdu Othman (a writer) and Marwan Ismail, who works for the Imanate news website – were accosted and arrested by members of the Republican Guard at a checkpoint on Sanaa’s 50th Street while accompanying the March for Life on 24 December. Two activists who were with them, Marwan Al-Wajihi and Nabil Soua’i, were also arrested. The soldiers searched their car and took their mobile phones and three cameras. All five were released that evening.
Earlier this week, a group of gunmen tried to storm the Press Foundation in Taiz for the third time in three days on 2 January in defiance of clear instructions from the province’s governor. The foundation’s headquarters is located near the military police building and just a few metres from the provincial security directorate.
Nasser Taha Mustafa, a former head of the Journalists’ Syndicate, was threatened in late December by Tarek Mohamed Abdallah Saleh, President Saleh’s nephew and commander of his personal guard, over his articles in support of the revolutionary movement.
Two journalists with the 26 September newspaper, Ali Ghaleb Al-Harazi and Yahiya Al-Sadmi, were threatened for calling for the resignation of the newspaper’s editor, Ali Hassan Al-Chatr, who has a reputation for high-handed treatment of his employees and has had some of them thrown in prison in the past. The journalists began a sit-in at the newspaper to demand Chatr’s departure.
Firing in the air, gunmen in civilian dress attacked an Al-Alam TV crew at around 2:15 p.m. on 23 December in Al-Qaedi, a neighbourhood on the outskirts of the capital. They grabbed cameraman Mohamed Hamran’s camera, hit him, took his identity card and, threatening to shoot the tyres of their car, forced the journalists to return to the city centre.
Armed baltajiyas (pro-Saleh thugs) stormed the headquarters of the government newspaper in Sanaa on 20 December, threatening journalists at gunpoint and stopping the next day’s issue from coming out. The raid was prompted by new information minister Ali Al-Umrani’s decision to rename Hassan Abdel Warath as the editor of the newspaper, which is published by the “Revolution for the Press” foundation. Warath had resigned at the height of the anti-Saleh protests.
Gunmen burst into the office of the Arab Information Agency in Sanaa on the night of 13 December, pointing their firearms at its director, Issam Al-Khaled, and his employees. The office houses more than a dozen Arab and international TV stations and news agencies.
The prosecutor’s office ordered the journalist Omar Al-Amuqi’s release on 8 December on the grounds that there had been no justification for his arrest two days before.
The journalist Abdelhakim Thi’il was freed at the end of December after being kidnapped in October and held incommunicado for two months in a national security prison operated by the intelligences services. His whereabouts were unknown until 12 December, when he was transferred to a regular prison centre and the head of the Journalists’ Syndicate, Marwan Damaj, was able to visit him.
The precise reasons for his abduction and detention are still unknown. The authorities examined his computer and found photos and videos of baltajiyas and gunmen attacking and killing demonstrators in Sanaa’s Change Square.
December was a particularly black month for media freedom violations in Yemen although President Ali Abdallah Saleh agreed to a plan proposed by Gulf Cooperation Council in Riyadh on 23 November under which he is to stand down as president in February.
Reporters Without Borders firmly condemns the continuing violations and urges the international community to intercede. December was above all marked by violence by government troops and Saleh supporters against journalists covering the “March for Life,” which set off from Taiz, a city 270 km south of the capital, on 20 December.
There were many attacks on the marchers on 24 and 25 December as they arrived at the Sanaa district of Dar Salm. Security forces opened fire on the crowd. At least 13 demonstrators were killed and 50 were wounded. Journalists were among the victims. Among other demands, the protesters had been calling for President Saleh to be prosecuted for his use of violence against earlier demonstrations.
On 24 December, Ahmed Al-Mussibli, a journalist with the opposition TV station Suhail TV, was beaten and arrested by security forces, and was held overnight. BBC correspondent Abdallah Ghorab narrowly avoided being arrested. Suhail TV cameraman Kamal Al-Mahfadi and reporter Walid Ablan sustained serious head injuries.
Ahmed Al-Jabar, a member of the Yemeni Journalists’ Syndicate and reporter for the state-owned Saba News Agency, was hit in the face with a rifle butt by a Saleh supporter, sustaining an injuries below one eye. Soldiers also broke the windows of the car that members of the Journalists’ Syndicate were using to cover the march.
Three journalists – Samia Al-Aghbary, Arwa Abdu Othman (a writer) and Marwan Ismail, who works for the Imanate news website – were accosted and arrested by members of the Republican Guard at a checkpoint on Sanaa’s 50th Street while accompanying the March for Life on 24 December. Two activists who were with them, Marwan Al-Wajihi and Nabil Soua’i, were also arrested. The soldiers searched their car and took their mobile phones and three cameras. All five were released that evening.
Earlier this week, a group of gunmen tried to storm the Press Foundation in Taiz for the third time in three days on 2 January in defiance of clear instructions from the province’s governor. The foundation’s headquarters is located near the military police building and just a few metres from the provincial security directorate.
Nasser Taha Mustafa, a former head of the Journalists’ Syndicate, was threatened in late December by Tarek Mohamed Abdallah Saleh, President Saleh’s nephew and commander of his personal guard, over his articles in support of the revolutionary movement.
Two journalists with the 26 September newspaper, Ali Ghaleb Al-Harazi and Yahiya Al-Sadmi, were threatened for calling for the resignation of the newspaper’s editor, Ali Hassan Al-Chatr, who has a reputation for high-handed treatment of his employees and has had some of them thrown in prison in the past. The journalists began a sit-in at the newspaper to demand Chatr’s departure.
Firing in the air, gunmen in civilian dress attacked an Al-Alam TV crew at around 2:15 p.m. on 23 December in Al-Qaedi, a neighbourhood on the outskirts of the capital. They grabbed cameraman Mohamed Hamran’s camera, hit him, took his identity card and, threatening to shoot the tyres of their car, forced the journalists to return to the city centre.
Armed baltajiyas (pro-Saleh thugs) stormed the headquarters of the government newspaper in Sanaa on 20 December, threatening journalists at gunpoint and stopping the next day’s issue from coming out. The raid was prompted by new information minister Ali Al-Umrani’s decision to rename Hassan Abdel Warath as the editor of the newspaper, which is published by the “Revolution for the Press” foundation. Warath had resigned at the height of the anti-Saleh protests.
Gunmen burst into the office of the Arab Information Agency in Sanaa on the night of 13 December, pointing their firearms at its director, Issam Al-Khaled, and his employees. The office houses more than a dozen Arab and international TV stations and news agencies.
The prosecutor’s office ordered the journalist Omar Al-Amuqi’s release on 8 December on the grounds that there had been no justification for his arrest two days before.
The journalist Abdelhakim Thi’il was freed at the end of December after being kidnapped in October and held incommunicado for two months in a national security prison operated by the intelligences services. His whereabouts were unknown until 12 December, when he was transferred to a regular prison centre and the head of the Journalists’ Syndicate, Marwan Damaj, was able to visit him.
The precise reasons for his abduction and detention are still unknown. The authorities examined his computer and found photos and videos of baltajiyas and gunmen attacking and killing demonstrators in Sanaa’s Change Square.
Yemen – the second Somalia?
January 5, 2012
Ongoing anti-government protests, attacks by Islamic extremists and desires in the south to break from the north, have fueled concerns that Yemen could become another Somalia.
Yemen is a tourist's dream with wild and rugged mountains, picturesque medieval homes in the capital, Sana'a, and the Yemeni's famous hospitality. For a long time, the country was a popular destination among globetrotters looking for a different experience.
But, foreign tourists haven't been going there for some time. Most foreign businesses have pulled out, aid organizations have quit the country and embassies have reduced personnel to a minimum.
The situation in Yemen, on the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, is too dangerous.
Somewhere between hope and dread
Most Yemenis themselves cannot leave the country. They are left dangling between hope and dread. They are hoping for an end to the authoritarian regime of President Ali Abdullah Saleh and a new, democratic, beginning. What they dread is a violent escalation of the internal power struggle and a full-blown civil war.
For months, people have been demonstrating on the streets demanding the ouster of President Saleh. In November, after long, drawn-out negotiations chaired by the Arab Gulf states, Saleh signed an agreement obligating him to step down. In return, Saleh, his family and closest aides were assured exemption from prosecution.
Since then, Saleh has officially handed over power to his deputy, Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi, but the return to normalcy that everyone had hoped this would bring has failed to materialize.
There are still regular demonstrations, mostly in the capital and Yemen's second largest city, Taizz. Protesters are still dying. At the end of December, government troops in Sana'a fired shots at a crowd of demonstrators, killing at least 13 people.
In the meantime, government workers and civil servants have joined the protests with their own demonstrations. Even members of the security forces have risen up against their superiors.
Public wants punishment for Saleh
Horst Kopp, a geographer and long-time observer of Yemen, is not surprised that the protests are continuing.
"The deal with Saleh ignores the most important demand of the demonstrators. They oppose Saleh's exemption from punishment," he says.
The protesters want Saleh to answer for the shots that were fired at peaceful demonstrators. Hundreds of people have been killed in Yemen since the protests began early last year.
Günter Meyer, a Yemen expert at the University of Mainz in Germany, pointed to another shortcoming of the Saleh agreement.
"The old elite in the country, the Saleh supporters and the tribal and clan leaders have agreed to set up a new transitional government. However, those that triggered the protests – the young people, the intellectuals – are not part of that new government," he stressed.
"The real power in Yemen," notes Horst Kopp, "belongs to the military and the security apparatus."
Whether the elite Republican Guards, or the secret police: "Everywhere at the top are relatives of Saleh, his son, his brother, his nephews. The whole system has been tailored to Saleh's extended family in the last few years. Even the economy, as a whole, is controlled by this family," Kopp says.
For the protesters, it is not enough that just the man at the top is switched; the system remains the same. They want an entirely new beginning. Even if Saleh were to leave the country - which has been a topic of discussion lately – that would not pacify the situation. Besides, Saleh has since declared that he will not be leaving right away.
Election with no choice
The agreement reached with Saleh calls for a new president to be elected on February 21. So far, there is only one candidate: the transitional leader, Mansour Hadi, Saleh's long-time confidante.
"The elections won't change anything. He is only a puppet. Power will remain in the hands of the Saleh family," says Kopp.
Günter Meyer is somewhat more optimistic. Mansour Hadi is considered weak and does not have his own power base, notes Meyer, but he could act as an integration figure. Furthermore, says Meyer, Mansour Hadi comes from southern Yemen and could temper the desires there to secede from the rest of the country.
Until 1990, Yemen was divided between a capitalist north and communist south. After unification, the south has felt disadvantaged by the central government in the north. The south is home to the country's largest oil reserves and a large part of the national income is earned there. The center of power, however, is in the hands of the Saleh clan, which comes from the north.
"We have given the regime an ultimatum," the leader of the secessionist movement, Nasser al-Taweel said recently. "Either they recognize our legitimate demands for self-rule, or Yemen will soon disintegrate into two countries."
Shiites vs. Sunnis
But, if that weren't enough, Northern Yemen, which borders on Saudi Arabia, is seething. For weeks, the Huthis, a Shi'ite group, have been skirmishing with the majority Sunnis.
The conflict has escalated before on several occasions. In 2009, the Saudis found themselves forced to intervene. Riyadh views the Huthis as the henchmen of Iran. Until recently, the Huthis protested peacefully with the opposition against Saleh.
At the same time, the terrorist organization, Al-Qaeda, has been trying to extend its influence inside Yemen. Last year, Al-Qaeda fighters took control of Zinjibar, the capital of southern Abjan province. Government troops have since regained control of some parts of the city but have failed, so far, to drive the rebels out completely.
The situation is reminiscent of Mogadishu. Is Yemen heading toward being another failed state, like Somalia?
"The country has hit rock bottom. Without generous outside help, the destabilization will continue," warns Günter Meyer.
"I am very pessimistic about the future of the country," adds Horst Kopp, "more pessimistic than a year ago." Kopp fears "Somali conditions" and "a break-up" of Yemen.
The people of Yemen have also suffered dearly under the crisis. The economic situation is a disaster, notes Kopp. Half the population lives below the poverty level. More than 40 percent of the children are malnourished. Water and electricity supplies are interrupted regularly. "There is a terrible humanitarian disaster going on there," warns Kopp, "but the rest of the world has hardly noticed."
Author: Nils Naumann /gb
Editor: Michael Knigge
Ongoing anti-government protests, attacks by Islamic extremists and desires in the south to break from the north, have fueled concerns that Yemen could become another Somalia.
Yemen is a tourist's dream with wild and rugged mountains, picturesque medieval homes in the capital, Sana'a, and the Yemeni's famous hospitality. For a long time, the country was a popular destination among globetrotters looking for a different experience.
But, foreign tourists haven't been going there for some time. Most foreign businesses have pulled out, aid organizations have quit the country and embassies have reduced personnel to a minimum.
The situation in Yemen, on the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, is too dangerous.
Somewhere between hope and dread
Most Yemenis themselves cannot leave the country. They are left dangling between hope and dread. They are hoping for an end to the authoritarian regime of President Ali Abdullah Saleh and a new, democratic, beginning. What they dread is a violent escalation of the internal power struggle and a full-blown civil war.
For months, people have been demonstrating on the streets demanding the ouster of President Saleh. In November, after long, drawn-out negotiations chaired by the Arab Gulf states, Saleh signed an agreement obligating him to step down. In return, Saleh, his family and closest aides were assured exemption from prosecution.
Since then, Saleh has officially handed over power to his deputy, Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi, but the return to normalcy that everyone had hoped this would bring has failed to materialize.
There are still regular demonstrations, mostly in the capital and Yemen's second largest city, Taizz. Protesters are still dying. At the end of December, government troops in Sana'a fired shots at a crowd of demonstrators, killing at least 13 people.
In the meantime, government workers and civil servants have joined the protests with their own demonstrations. Even members of the security forces have risen up against their superiors.
Public wants punishment for Saleh
Horst Kopp, a geographer and long-time observer of Yemen, is not surprised that the protests are continuing.
"The deal with Saleh ignores the most important demand of the demonstrators. They oppose Saleh's exemption from punishment," he says.
The protesters want Saleh to answer for the shots that were fired at peaceful demonstrators. Hundreds of people have been killed in Yemen since the protests began early last year.
Günter Meyer, a Yemen expert at the University of Mainz in Germany, pointed to another shortcoming of the Saleh agreement.
"The old elite in the country, the Saleh supporters and the tribal and clan leaders have agreed to set up a new transitional government. However, those that triggered the protests – the young people, the intellectuals – are not part of that new government," he stressed.
"The real power in Yemen," notes Horst Kopp, "belongs to the military and the security apparatus."
Whether the elite Republican Guards, or the secret police: "Everywhere at the top are relatives of Saleh, his son, his brother, his nephews. The whole system has been tailored to Saleh's extended family in the last few years. Even the economy, as a whole, is controlled by this family," Kopp says.
For the protesters, it is not enough that just the man at the top is switched; the system remains the same. They want an entirely new beginning. Even if Saleh were to leave the country - which has been a topic of discussion lately – that would not pacify the situation. Besides, Saleh has since declared that he will not be leaving right away.
Election with no choice
The agreement reached with Saleh calls for a new president to be elected on February 21. So far, there is only one candidate: the transitional leader, Mansour Hadi, Saleh's long-time confidante.
"The elections won't change anything. He is only a puppet. Power will remain in the hands of the Saleh family," says Kopp.
Günter Meyer is somewhat more optimistic. Mansour Hadi is considered weak and does not have his own power base, notes Meyer, but he could act as an integration figure. Furthermore, says Meyer, Mansour Hadi comes from southern Yemen and could temper the desires there to secede from the rest of the country.
Until 1990, Yemen was divided between a capitalist north and communist south. After unification, the south has felt disadvantaged by the central government in the north. The south is home to the country's largest oil reserves and a large part of the national income is earned there. The center of power, however, is in the hands of the Saleh clan, which comes from the north.
"We have given the regime an ultimatum," the leader of the secessionist movement, Nasser al-Taweel said recently. "Either they recognize our legitimate demands for self-rule, or Yemen will soon disintegrate into two countries."
Shiites vs. Sunnis
But, if that weren't enough, Northern Yemen, which borders on Saudi Arabia, is seething. For weeks, the Huthis, a Shi'ite group, have been skirmishing with the majority Sunnis.
The conflict has escalated before on several occasions. In 2009, the Saudis found themselves forced to intervene. Riyadh views the Huthis as the henchmen of Iran. Until recently, the Huthis protested peacefully with the opposition against Saleh.
At the same time, the terrorist organization, Al-Qaeda, has been trying to extend its influence inside Yemen. Last year, Al-Qaeda fighters took control of Zinjibar, the capital of southern Abjan province. Government troops have since regained control of some parts of the city but have failed, so far, to drive the rebels out completely.
The situation is reminiscent of Mogadishu. Is Yemen heading toward being another failed state, like Somalia?
"The country has hit rock bottom. Without generous outside help, the destabilization will continue," warns Günter Meyer.
"I am very pessimistic about the future of the country," adds Horst Kopp, "more pessimistic than a year ago." Kopp fears "Somali conditions" and "a break-up" of Yemen.
The people of Yemen have also suffered dearly under the crisis. The economic situation is a disaster, notes Kopp. Half the population lives below the poverty level. More than 40 percent of the children are malnourished. Water and electricity supplies are interrupted regularly. "There is a terrible humanitarian disaster going on there," warns Kopp, "but the rest of the world has hardly noticed."
Author: Nils Naumann /gb
Editor: Michael Knigge
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Militants Raid Yemen Hotel Serving Alcohol, Kill 2
Wednesday, Jan 4, 2012
By Ahmed Al-haj
SANAA, Yemen (AP) — Islamic militants stormed a hotel where alcohol is served in a southern Yemeni city on Wednesday, setting the building on fire, killing two people and wounding 20.
The brazen attack illustrated how the militants, including Yemen’s dangerous al-Qaida branch, have gained strength and are showing increased boldness in southern Yemen.
The militants have taken advantage of a security vacuum resulting from nearly a year of internal political turmoil over demands that President Ali Abdullah Saleh step down. His agreement to a power transfer plan has not quelled the unrest.
The hotel became a target for the militants because Muslims are forbidden from drinking alcohol.
By Ahmed Al-haj
SANAA, Yemen (AP) — Islamic militants stormed a hotel where alcohol is served in a southern Yemeni city on Wednesday, setting the building on fire, killing two people and wounding 20.
The brazen attack illustrated how the militants, including Yemen’s dangerous al-Qaida branch, have gained strength and are showing increased boldness in southern Yemen.
The militants have taken advantage of a security vacuum resulting from nearly a year of internal political turmoil over demands that President Ali Abdullah Saleh step down. His agreement to a power transfer plan has not quelled the unrest.
The hotel became a target for the militants because Muslims are forbidden from drinking alcohol.
Yemen official says Saleh will not travel to U.S.
SANAA Jan 4 (Reuters) - Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh will not travel to the United States, a senior aide said on Wednesday, reversing a pledge by the leader who has withstood nearly a year of protests and military challenges from rivals seeking to topple him.
Saleh announced he would visit the United States last month, hours after forces loyal to him killed protesters demanding he face trial for killings during an uprising aimed at ending his 33-year rule.
He would enjoy immunity from prosecution under a deal crafted by his wealthier neighbours and backed by Washington - which long backed Saleh as a pillar of its "counter-terrorism" strategy - aimed at averting civil war by easing him from power.
The United States has said it is considering giving Saleh a visa for medical treatment, a decision critics of the U.S. administration's Yemen policy have said lends the impression that Washington is sheltering Saleh.
"The idea of President Saleh's visit to America is now unlikely," Abdu al-Janadi, who is a senior figure in Saleh's political party and Yemen's deputy information minister, told reporters on Wednesday.
He said members of Saleh's party asked him to remain and help ensure that the deputy to whom Saleh has formally transferred power succeeds him in an election set for February.
"(They)...have asked the president not to travel under these circumstances because they fear that if he does, implementation of the Gulf initiative will bog down and the presidential election will be a failure," Janadi said.
"His staying helps guarantee the success of the national unity candidate, (acting leader) Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi."
Washington and oil giant Saudi Arabia fear uncertainty over Saleh's fate could push the country into chaos and embolden Yemen's al Qaeda wing, which has plotted attacks abroad.
Saleh announced he would visit the United States last month, hours after forces loyal to him killed protesters demanding he face trial for killings during an uprising aimed at ending his 33-year rule.
He would enjoy immunity from prosecution under a deal crafted by his wealthier neighbours and backed by Washington - which long backed Saleh as a pillar of its "counter-terrorism" strategy - aimed at averting civil war by easing him from power.
The United States has said it is considering giving Saleh a visa for medical treatment, a decision critics of the U.S. administration's Yemen policy have said lends the impression that Washington is sheltering Saleh.
"The idea of President Saleh's visit to America is now unlikely," Abdu al-Janadi, who is a senior figure in Saleh's political party and Yemen's deputy information minister, told reporters on Wednesday.
He said members of Saleh's party asked him to remain and help ensure that the deputy to whom Saleh has formally transferred power succeeds him in an election set for February.
"(They)...have asked the president not to travel under these circumstances because they fear that if he does, implementation of the Gulf initiative will bog down and the presidential election will be a failure," Janadi said.
"His staying helps guarantee the success of the national unity candidate, (acting leader) Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi."
Washington and oil giant Saudi Arabia fear uncertainty over Saleh's fate could push the country into chaos and embolden Yemen's al Qaeda wing, which has plotted attacks abroad.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
No Surrender, No Peace
January 3, 2012: President Saleh is apparently trying to use the recent peace deal, which has him resigning in February, to weaken the opposition and cancel the peace deal. Saleh is using the ceasefire to reinforce military units loyal to him, while insisting that armed rebels withdraw from cities and roadblocks. Saleh was apparently influenced by close allies, who point out that Saleh supporters will suffer great economic losses, and many will be killed, when the new government takes complete power (especially of the security forces). So Saleh is apparently once more changing his mind and trying to hang onto control of the country. This includes an effort, led by his son (who commands key security units) to purge disloyal officers and troops from the security forces. This is the fourth time Saleh has reneged on a peace deal, and this time the issue may have to be decided by a more intense civil war, ended only when Saleh is captured or killed.
Meanwhile, large demonstrations continue, calling for Saleh to be prosecuted for the deaths of over a thousand demonstrators. The killings continue, especially in the capital and a few other large cities. But most of the civil war is over, or at least halted, and the army (except for the pro-Saleh Republican Guard) has turned to hunting down and killing the thousands of Islamic terrorists on the loose in the south. In the last few weeks, over 500 Islamic terrorists have been killed, wounded or captured in the south.
The November peace deal has led to many government departments coming under the control of anti-Saleh officials. This means that many pro-Saleh workers are getting fired.
December 31, 2011: President met with his key aides and political allies and was convinced to stay in the country.
December 30, 2011: For the first time since president Saleh signed the peace deal on November 23rd, thousands of pro-Saleh demonstrators came out in the capital, demanding that Saleh remain in power.
Saudi Arabia has again come forward with free fuel for Yemen. This helps deal with the severe fuel shortage caused by rebels shutting down oil pumping and refining in Yemen.
December 28, 2011: The U.S. agreed to allow president Saleh to come to the United States for medical treatment. This request, made a week ago, seemed to be more for getting Saleh into a safe place of exile. In any event, Saleh changed his mind.
December 25, 2011: In the southern port of Aden, the local chief of military intelligence was shot dead.
December 24, 2011: The Republican Guard continues to open fire on unarmed demonstrators.
December 22, 2011: Outside the southern city of Zinjibar, a missile from an American UAV apparently killed the brother of the al Qaeda leader in Yemen (along with five other terrorists).
Meanwhile, large demonstrations continue, calling for Saleh to be prosecuted for the deaths of over a thousand demonstrators. The killings continue, especially in the capital and a few other large cities. But most of the civil war is over, or at least halted, and the army (except for the pro-Saleh Republican Guard) has turned to hunting down and killing the thousands of Islamic terrorists on the loose in the south. In the last few weeks, over 500 Islamic terrorists have been killed, wounded or captured in the south.
The November peace deal has led to many government departments coming under the control of anti-Saleh officials. This means that many pro-Saleh workers are getting fired.
December 31, 2011: President met with his key aides and political allies and was convinced to stay in the country.
December 30, 2011: For the first time since president Saleh signed the peace deal on November 23rd, thousands of pro-Saleh demonstrators came out in the capital, demanding that Saleh remain in power.
Saudi Arabia has again come forward with free fuel for Yemen. This helps deal with the severe fuel shortage caused by rebels shutting down oil pumping and refining in Yemen.
December 28, 2011: The U.S. agreed to allow president Saleh to come to the United States for medical treatment. This request, made a week ago, seemed to be more for getting Saleh into a safe place of exile. In any event, Saleh changed his mind.
December 25, 2011: In the southern port of Aden, the local chief of military intelligence was shot dead.
December 24, 2011: The Republican Guard continues to open fire on unarmed demonstrators.
December 22, 2011: Outside the southern city of Zinjibar, a missile from an American UAV apparently killed the brother of the al Qaeda leader in Yemen (along with five other terrorists).
Five Islamists, 2 soldiers die in S.Yemen fighting
Tue Jan 3, 2012
ADEN (Reuters) - Five Islamist fighters and two Yemeni soldiers were killed on Tuesday, a local official said, in fighting between government forces and an Islamist group that has controlled the capital of a southern province since May.
The official said the army shelled fighters from a group calling itself Ansar al-Sharia and exchanged gunfire with them in Zinjibar, in Abyan province. A colonel and another soldier were killed and three other soldiers wounded, he said.
Yemen's central government says the group is linked to al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, which has plotted abortive attacks on other countries from bases in Yemen.
Opponents of Ali Abdullah Saleh - who has agreed to step down as president after nearly a year of protests pushed the country to the brink of civil war - accuse him of ceding territory to Islamists to bolster his assertion that his rule keeps al Qaeda in check.
Nonetheless, the fighting illustrates the chaos that neighbouring oil giant Saudi Arabia and Washington fear may envelop Yemen and embolden its al Qaeda wing.
Months of fighting have forced out much of the population of the province and deepened a humanitarian crisis in an impoverished country with numerous local conflicts.
ADEN (Reuters) - Five Islamist fighters and two Yemeni soldiers were killed on Tuesday, a local official said, in fighting between government forces and an Islamist group that has controlled the capital of a southern province since May.
The official said the army shelled fighters from a group calling itself Ansar al-Sharia and exchanged gunfire with them in Zinjibar, in Abyan province. A colonel and another soldier were killed and three other soldiers wounded, he said.
Yemen's central government says the group is linked to al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, which has plotted abortive attacks on other countries from bases in Yemen.
Opponents of Ali Abdullah Saleh - who has agreed to step down as president after nearly a year of protests pushed the country to the brink of civil war - accuse him of ceding territory to Islamists to bolster his assertion that his rule keeps al Qaeda in check.
Nonetheless, the fighting illustrates the chaos that neighbouring oil giant Saudi Arabia and Washington fear may envelop Yemen and embolden its al Qaeda wing.
Months of fighting have forced out much of the population of the province and deepened a humanitarian crisis in an impoverished country with numerous local conflicts.
Monday, January 2, 2012
Eleven Yemeni coastguards drowned
Eleven Yemeni coastguards, including three officers, were found dead and six others rescued when their boat capsized
By Saeed Al Batati, Correspondent
January 2, 2012
Sana'a: Eleven Yemeni coastguards, including three officers, were found dead and six others rescued when their boat capsized in the Red Sea off the western port province of Hudieda, Yemen Ministry of Defence reported on Monday.
The 17-crew boat had a machine fault before it was struck by a tidal wave, which turned it upside down. The coast guards found three bodies.
The ministry accused media affiliated with the opposition of exploiting the incident to incite the soldiers to revolt against their commanders. Also, a protester was killed outside a government facility in the southern port city of Aden. He was standing with a group of workers staging a sit-in outside their offices to demand the resignation of their manager.
A local journalist from the city told Gulf News that the protester was shot dead by the manager's nephew. The killing of the worker only further angered the protesters who demanded the prosecution of the manager.
Yemen is experiencing a surge of protests and public strikes against government officials appointed during the reign of outgoing Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh. A couple of days ago, Saleh denounced the public strikes and indirectly accused the opposition of encouraging workers to take over the public offices.
"There is a growing chaos spreading across some ministries and government offices. We are working to contain them as to stop them from bringing down these institutes," he said in a meeting with the party.
By Saeed Al Batati, Correspondent
January 2, 2012
Sana'a: Eleven Yemeni coastguards, including three officers, were found dead and six others rescued when their boat capsized in the Red Sea off the western port province of Hudieda, Yemen Ministry of Defence reported on Monday.
The 17-crew boat had a machine fault before it was struck by a tidal wave, which turned it upside down. The coast guards found three bodies.
The ministry accused media affiliated with the opposition of exploiting the incident to incite the soldiers to revolt against their commanders. Also, a protester was killed outside a government facility in the southern port city of Aden. He was standing with a group of workers staging a sit-in outside their offices to demand the resignation of their manager.
A local journalist from the city told Gulf News that the protester was shot dead by the manager's nephew. The killing of the worker only further angered the protesters who demanded the prosecution of the manager.
Yemen is experiencing a surge of protests and public strikes against government officials appointed during the reign of outgoing Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh. A couple of days ago, Saleh denounced the public strikes and indirectly accused the opposition of encouraging workers to take over the public offices.
"There is a growing chaos spreading across some ministries and government offices. We are working to contain them as to stop them from bringing down these institutes," he said in a meeting with the party.
Missing French Journalist Found Strangled in Yemen
December 2, 2011
A French-Algerian journalist who was found strangled by an electrical cord in a hotel room in the Yemeni Capital of Sanaa had been missing for four days before his body was discovered on Monday. The journalist hasn't yet been named, nor has the media company for which he worked. France 24 denied an early report that he worked there, after Reuters reported that police had found a France 24 identification card on him. The man was found in the hotel Al-Maali, which is "near the presidential palace in an area controlled by Yemen's Republican Guard, an elite force commanded by the son of President Ali Abdullah Saleh," the Associated Press reports. "The guards have been battling renegade troops and armed tribesmen in Sanaa for months as Saleh tries to cling to power in the face of a popular uprising demanding he step down and stand trial.
" On Twitter, a fellow Yemen-based French journalist, Benjamin Wiacek, has already started suggesting a conspiracy theory, positing that the man was not a journalist at all, but some kind of government agent carrying a fake identification card. With so little information released, however, the case remains a mystery to almost everybody.
A French-Algerian journalist who was found strangled by an electrical cord in a hotel room in the Yemeni Capital of Sanaa had been missing for four days before his body was discovered on Monday. The journalist hasn't yet been named, nor has the media company for which he worked. France 24 denied an early report that he worked there, after Reuters reported that police had found a France 24 identification card on him. The man was found in the hotel Al-Maali, which is "near the presidential palace in an area controlled by Yemen's Republican Guard, an elite force commanded by the son of President Ali Abdullah Saleh," the Associated Press reports. "The guards have been battling renegade troops and armed tribesmen in Sanaa for months as Saleh tries to cling to power in the face of a popular uprising demanding he step down and stand trial.
" On Twitter, a fellow Yemen-based French journalist, Benjamin Wiacek, has already started suggesting a conspiracy theory, positing that the man was not a journalist at all, but some kind of government agent carrying a fake identification card. With so little information released, however, the case remains a mystery to almost everybody.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Saudi Diesel Grant Covers Two Months-Yemen Oilmin
January 1, 2012
Yemen's oil minister said on Saturday a grant of diesel from Saudi Arabia would be enough to cover the country's needs for two months.
“Yemen’s diesel consumption is 260,000 tonnes monthly, worth $280 million,” oil minister Hisham Sharaf told Reuters.
“We sell it at 25 percent of its cost because of the government subsidy on diesel. The Saudi grant will cover Yemen’s diesel needs for two months.”
Industry sources said on Thursday Saudi Arabia’s Aramco was seeking to buy fuel in order to donate about 500,000 tonnes of products to Yemen in January.
It would be the second time in six months Saudi Arabia has thrown a fuel lifeline to its impoverished neighbour, where a political crisis over demands for the ouster of President Ali Abdullah Saleh drags on. Saudi Arabia fears Yemen could slip into civil war.
Saleh has agreed to step down after 11 months of mass protests. A government split between members of his party and opposition figures is to work with the acting leader, Saleh’s deputy, to lead Yemen to a presidential election in February.
Sharaf said production at the Masila oilfield, now under Yemeni administration after Canada’s Nexen had one of its production contracts expire without renewal, was 70,000 barrels per day.
Yemen relied on 3 million barrels of Saudi-donated crude oil to run its refinery in June, when its main pipeline was shut after blasts, unleashing a fuel shortage that degenerated into clashes in which people were killed at dry petrol stations.
The pipeline, which was repaired during the summer, is shut once again after attacks in October. The lack of crude flow in the pipeline has also forced the Aden refinery, where production mainly meets domestic fuel demand, to halt operations.
Yemen's oil minister said on Saturday a grant of diesel from Saudi Arabia would be enough to cover the country's needs for two months.
“Yemen’s diesel consumption is 260,000 tonnes monthly, worth $280 million,” oil minister Hisham Sharaf told Reuters.
“We sell it at 25 percent of its cost because of the government subsidy on diesel. The Saudi grant will cover Yemen’s diesel needs for two months.”
Industry sources said on Thursday Saudi Arabia’s Aramco was seeking to buy fuel in order to donate about 500,000 tonnes of products to Yemen in January.
It would be the second time in six months Saudi Arabia has thrown a fuel lifeline to its impoverished neighbour, where a political crisis over demands for the ouster of President Ali Abdullah Saleh drags on. Saudi Arabia fears Yemen could slip into civil war.
Saleh has agreed to step down after 11 months of mass protests. A government split between members of his party and opposition figures is to work with the acting leader, Saleh’s deputy, to lead Yemen to a presidential election in February.
Sharaf said production at the Masila oilfield, now under Yemeni administration after Canada’s Nexen had one of its production contracts expire without renewal, was 70,000 barrels per day.
Yemen relied on 3 million barrels of Saudi-donated crude oil to run its refinery in June, when its main pipeline was shut after blasts, unleashing a fuel shortage that degenerated into clashes in which people were killed at dry petrol stations.
The pipeline, which was repaired during the summer, is shut once again after attacks in October. The lack of crude flow in the pipeline has also forced the Aden refinery, where production mainly meets domestic fuel demand, to halt operations.
Al-Qaida flexing its muscle in Yemen
ZINJIBAR, Yemen, Jan. 1 (UPI) -- Yemeni government military commanders say an al-Qaida faction is consolidating its control over a worrisome region in the south of the nation.
Militants with al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula have been sparring with beleaguered government forces and unilaterally imposing strict Sharia law in the rural area in manner reminiscent of the Taliban in Afghanistan.
"They are already acting like they are rulers of a state," Brig. Gen. Muhammed al-Somli, commander of a government brigade in the al-Qaida stronghold of Abyan, told The Washington Post.
The Post said in a dispatch from one of it reporters in Abyan -- a first for a Western media outlet -- that much of Abyan and the city of Zinjibar were in the hands of al-Qaida. The militants, including fighters from other Middle East nations, have made it clear they want to establish a base for terrorist attacks on the United States.
Somli said his first priority was to keep al-Qaida out of the Yemeni capital of Aden, which has been in turmoil due to pro-democracy demonstrations in the past months.
He said the United States has been helping by training counter-terrorism units and using unmanned drones to take out al-Qaida leaders, but the assistance has so far not been enough to turn the tide.
Militants with al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula have been sparring with beleaguered government forces and unilaterally imposing strict Sharia law in the rural area in manner reminiscent of the Taliban in Afghanistan.
"They are already acting like they are rulers of a state," Brig. Gen. Muhammed al-Somli, commander of a government brigade in the al-Qaida stronghold of Abyan, told The Washington Post.
The Post said in a dispatch from one of it reporters in Abyan -- a first for a Western media outlet -- that much of Abyan and the city of Zinjibar were in the hands of al-Qaida. The militants, including fighters from other Middle East nations, have made it clear they want to establish a base for terrorist attacks on the United States.
Somli said his first priority was to keep al-Qaida out of the Yemeni capital of Aden, which has been in turmoil due to pro-democracy demonstrations in the past months.
He said the United States has been helping by training counter-terrorism units and using unmanned drones to take out al-Qaida leaders, but the assistance has so far not been enough to turn the tide.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Islamist fighters halt Yemen peace march-witnesses
Sat Dec 31, 2011
* Almost 100,000 displaced by army, militant fighting
* Militants block march, talks underway
* Saudi oil grant will cover needs for two months-min (Recasts with militants stopping march)
ADEN, Yemen, Dec 31 (Reuters) - Islamist militants fired into the air on Saturday to halt a peace march by thousands of Yemenis who were demanding an end to fighting that has forced them to flee their homes in the south, witnesses said.
Marchers told Reuters they were stopped on a 50 km (31 mile) walk from the port city of Aden to Zinjibar, capital of southern Abyan province where the army has been battling fighters suspected of having links with al Qaeda.
The southern fighting is one of many challenges facing the impoverished state, which has also been rocked by nearly a year of protests against the 33-year rule of outgoing President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
The United States, and top oil producer Saudi Arabia, are both concerned about the growing chaos in the country, which is close to oil shipping routes.
Analysts fear the unrest could be exploited by al Qaeda's arm in Yemen, seen as the group's most powerful branch.
The marchers said they were calling on both sides to lay down their arms in the south and demanding the government open the Aden-Zinjibar coastal highway, a key trade route which has remained closed during the conflict.
The protesters, who said 20,000 people took part in the march including women and children, told Reuters they forced their way through a military check-point on the road before meeting the militants.
"About 20 armed men shot in the air to stop us. They told us they had nothing against our returning home as long as we did not get involved in the conflict," Mahmoud al-Sayyed, one the marchers, told Reuters.
Some of the marchers turned back, while others were holding talks with the militants to convince them to allow the march to continue, Sayyed said. The militants said they wanted to keep the marchers away from the fighting for their own safety, said marchers.
"Our march is a message to the regime, the army and al Qaeda that we are the sons of Abyan ... and we are determined to return to our homes," said one marcher earlier, declining to give his name.
Saudi Arabia has backed a Gulf Arab peace plan to resolve the anti-Saleh uprising, under which the president handed power to his deputy. A presidential election is scheduled for February.
But the fighting against the Islamist militants in the south has continued, forcing about 97,000 people to flee. More than 300,000 others have been displaced by a conflict in the north, according to U.N. estimates.
FUEL LIFELINE
Separately, Yemen's oil minister said a grant of diesel from neighbouring Saudi Arabia would be enough to cover the country's needs for two months, easing some fears about the strife-hit economy.
Industry sources said on Thursday Saudi Arabia's state oil company Aramco was seeking to buy fuel in order to donate about 500,000 tonnes of products to Yemen in January.
It would be the second time in six months Saudi Arabia has thrown a fuel lifeline to its impoverished neighbour.
Sharaf also told Reuters production at the Masila oilfield - now under Yemeni administration after Canada's Nexen had one of its production contracts expire without renewal - was 70,000 barrels per day.
* Almost 100,000 displaced by army, militant fighting
* Militants block march, talks underway
* Saudi oil grant will cover needs for two months-min (Recasts with militants stopping march)
ADEN, Yemen, Dec 31 (Reuters) - Islamist militants fired into the air on Saturday to halt a peace march by thousands of Yemenis who were demanding an end to fighting that has forced them to flee their homes in the south, witnesses said.
Marchers told Reuters they were stopped on a 50 km (31 mile) walk from the port city of Aden to Zinjibar, capital of southern Abyan province where the army has been battling fighters suspected of having links with al Qaeda.
The southern fighting is one of many challenges facing the impoverished state, which has also been rocked by nearly a year of protests against the 33-year rule of outgoing President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
The United States, and top oil producer Saudi Arabia, are both concerned about the growing chaos in the country, which is close to oil shipping routes.
Analysts fear the unrest could be exploited by al Qaeda's arm in Yemen, seen as the group's most powerful branch.
The marchers said they were calling on both sides to lay down their arms in the south and demanding the government open the Aden-Zinjibar coastal highway, a key trade route which has remained closed during the conflict.
The protesters, who said 20,000 people took part in the march including women and children, told Reuters they forced their way through a military check-point on the road before meeting the militants.
"About 20 armed men shot in the air to stop us. They told us they had nothing against our returning home as long as we did not get involved in the conflict," Mahmoud al-Sayyed, one the marchers, told Reuters.
Some of the marchers turned back, while others were holding talks with the militants to convince them to allow the march to continue, Sayyed said. The militants said they wanted to keep the marchers away from the fighting for their own safety, said marchers.
"Our march is a message to the regime, the army and al Qaeda that we are the sons of Abyan ... and we are determined to return to our homes," said one marcher earlier, declining to give his name.
Saudi Arabia has backed a Gulf Arab peace plan to resolve the anti-Saleh uprising, under which the president handed power to his deputy. A presidential election is scheduled for February.
But the fighting against the Islamist militants in the south has continued, forcing about 97,000 people to flee. More than 300,000 others have been displaced by a conflict in the north, according to U.N. estimates.
FUEL LIFELINE
Separately, Yemen's oil minister said a grant of diesel from neighbouring Saudi Arabia would be enough to cover the country's needs for two months, easing some fears about the strife-hit economy.
Industry sources said on Thursday Saudi Arabia's state oil company Aramco was seeking to buy fuel in order to donate about 500,000 tonnes of products to Yemen in January.
It would be the second time in six months Saudi Arabia has thrown a fuel lifeline to its impoverished neighbour.
Sharaf also told Reuters production at the Masila oilfield - now under Yemeni administration after Canada's Nexen had one of its production contracts expire without renewal - was 70,000 barrels per day.
President Saleh now plans to stay in Yemen
(AP) December 31, 2011
SANAA, Yemen — Yemen's president now plans to remain in the country even after he steps down because protests that have spread to include employees of government agencies are threatening the rest of his regime, a senior member of the ruling party said Saturday.
President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who has ruled for 33 years, had said he would travel to the United States in an attempt to calm tensions in his country after 10 months of protests seeking his ouster. Saleh signed a deal last month to transfer power in exchange for immunity from prosecution over the deadly crackdown on protesters.
The deal, brokered by Yemen's neighbors on the Arabian Peninsula, has failed to end the unrest, however, because protesters in the streets want to see Saleh stand trial over the killings of hundreds of demonstrators. Instead, demonstrations have widened as employees stage sit-ins at government agencies and more members of the security forces rebel against commanders they accuse of corruption and playing a role in the crackdown.
"It is not possible in any way, shape or form to allow the collapse of state establishments and institutions that have been built over the last 49 years," Saleh said in a statement addressing the new threats.
He did not mention his plans to stay in Yemen, but Mohammed al-Shayekh, a leading member of Saleh's People's Congress Party, said separately that the president had decided to remain.
Meanwhile, the president's son, Ahmed, is leading a crackdown to purge the Republican Guard, which he commands, of any rebellious officers found to be siding with anti-government protesters, a military official said Saturday.
The Republican Guard is a pillar of Saleh's rule, and the attempts to ensure it remains loyal also point to an effort to keep the entire regime from unraveling in the wake of the deal for Saleh to transfer power.
Ahmed Saleh has had dozens of members of the powerful military force arrested so far, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.
The Republican Guard has helped President Saleh maintain power despite the months of protests, intense international pressure and an assassination attempt in June that forced him to leave the country for weeks of medical treatment in neighboring Saudi Arabia.
The Guard, one of the best trained elements of Yemen's military, has not suffered a high number of defections like some other military units whose soldiers and commanders left to join the protest movement.
But with more frequent and serious acts of rebellion breaking out in other parts of the security services, the Guard's commanders are moving to prevent their ranks from doing the same.
The military official said Ahmed warned at a Guard meeting over the past week against "copying" the actions of others. They are searching units, barracks and have banned the use of cell phones inside the camp, the official said.
"We will not permit copying here. Force will be the way to deal with any protest," the official quoted Saleh's son as saying.
Some renegade units in other parts of the military have locked their commanders out of military installations and demanded the removal of officers accused of corruption or involvement in the deadly crackdown on protesters.
In a significant concession, the defense minister ordered the removal of a longtime Saleh confident within the armed forces, Ali al-Shater, known as one of the regime's strongmen. Protests by subordinates accused al-Shater of corruption and using his connections with the president to illegally amass wealth.
Another sweep in search of rebellious soldiers took place within the ranks of the Central Security forces, led by Saleh's nephew, Yahia, according to a Central Security official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity because of the secretive nature of the security measures.
Hundreds of men in military uniform marched on Saturday through the southern city of Taiz, a center of the uprising, calling for trials of top commanders over the killings of unarmed protesters in the regime's crackdown.
Also Saturday, hundreds of thousands of protesters held demonstrations in the capital city of Sanaa and in several other cities. They vowed to stop Saleh from leaving the country and to force him to stand trial.
SANAA, Yemen — Yemen's president now plans to remain in the country even after he steps down because protests that have spread to include employees of government agencies are threatening the rest of his regime, a senior member of the ruling party said Saturday.
President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who has ruled for 33 years, had said he would travel to the United States in an attempt to calm tensions in his country after 10 months of protests seeking his ouster. Saleh signed a deal last month to transfer power in exchange for immunity from prosecution over the deadly crackdown on protesters.
The deal, brokered by Yemen's neighbors on the Arabian Peninsula, has failed to end the unrest, however, because protesters in the streets want to see Saleh stand trial over the killings of hundreds of demonstrators. Instead, demonstrations have widened as employees stage sit-ins at government agencies and more members of the security forces rebel against commanders they accuse of corruption and playing a role in the crackdown.
"It is not possible in any way, shape or form to allow the collapse of state establishments and institutions that have been built over the last 49 years," Saleh said in a statement addressing the new threats.
He did not mention his plans to stay in Yemen, but Mohammed al-Shayekh, a leading member of Saleh's People's Congress Party, said separately that the president had decided to remain.
Meanwhile, the president's son, Ahmed, is leading a crackdown to purge the Republican Guard, which he commands, of any rebellious officers found to be siding with anti-government protesters, a military official said Saturday.
The Republican Guard is a pillar of Saleh's rule, and the attempts to ensure it remains loyal also point to an effort to keep the entire regime from unraveling in the wake of the deal for Saleh to transfer power.
Ahmed Saleh has had dozens of members of the powerful military force arrested so far, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.
The Republican Guard has helped President Saleh maintain power despite the months of protests, intense international pressure and an assassination attempt in June that forced him to leave the country for weeks of medical treatment in neighboring Saudi Arabia.
The Guard, one of the best trained elements of Yemen's military, has not suffered a high number of defections like some other military units whose soldiers and commanders left to join the protest movement.
But with more frequent and serious acts of rebellion breaking out in other parts of the security services, the Guard's commanders are moving to prevent their ranks from doing the same.
The military official said Ahmed warned at a Guard meeting over the past week against "copying" the actions of others. They are searching units, barracks and have banned the use of cell phones inside the camp, the official said.
"We will not permit copying here. Force will be the way to deal with any protest," the official quoted Saleh's son as saying.
Some renegade units in other parts of the military have locked their commanders out of military installations and demanded the removal of officers accused of corruption or involvement in the deadly crackdown on protesters.
In a significant concession, the defense minister ordered the removal of a longtime Saleh confident within the armed forces, Ali al-Shater, known as one of the regime's strongmen. Protests by subordinates accused al-Shater of corruption and using his connections with the president to illegally amass wealth.
Another sweep in search of rebellious soldiers took place within the ranks of the Central Security forces, led by Saleh's nephew, Yahia, according to a Central Security official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity because of the secretive nature of the security measures.
Hundreds of men in military uniform marched on Saturday through the southern city of Taiz, a center of the uprising, calling for trials of top commanders over the killings of unarmed protesters in the regime's crackdown.
Also Saturday, hundreds of thousands of protesters held demonstrations in the capital city of Sanaa and in several other cities. They vowed to stop Saleh from leaving the country and to force him to stand trial.
Yemen protesters demand end to southern fighting
ADEN | Sat Dec 31
(Reuters) - Thousands of Yemenis began a 50 km (31 mile) march on Saturday to demand an end to a conflict which has forced nearly 100,000 people to flee southern Yemen, residents said, a day after seven militants were killed in fighting there with the army.
Up to 20,000 activists set out from the port city of Aden towards Zinjibar, the capital of Abyan province where the army has been battling Islamist militants suspected of having links with al Qaeda, residents said.
The marchers called on both sides to lay down their arms and demanded the government open the Aden-Zinjibar coastal highway, a key trade route which has remained closed during the conflict.
The militants and the Yemen-based regional wing of al Qaeda -- seen by the United States as the group's most dangerous branch -- have thrived during the instability caused by nearly a year of protests against the 33-year rule of outgoing President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
Top oil exporter Saudi Arabia, which shares U.S. concerns over more instability in a country sitting next to oil shipping routes, has backed a Gulf Arab plan to ease Saleh out of power.
Since Saleh handed over the reins to his deputy under the Gulf peace accord, a new government headed by an opposition leader has been formed. A presidential election is scheduled for February.
But the fighting against the Islamist militants in the south has continued, forcing about 97,000 people to flee. More than 300,000 others have been displaced by a conflict in the north and nearly 200,000 have sought refuge from Somalia, according to U.N. estimates.
FUEL LIFELINE
Separately, Yemen's oil minister said a grant of diesel from neighboring Saudi Arabia would be enough to cover the country's needs for two months, easing some fears about the strife-hit economy.
Industry sources said on Thursday Saudi Arabia's state oil company Aramco was seeking to buy fuel in order to donate about 500,000 tonnes of products to Yemen in January.
"Yemen's diesel consumption is 260,000 tonnes monthly, worth $280 million ... The Saudi grant will cover Yemen's diesel needs for two months," Oil Minister Hisham Sharaf told Reuters.
It would be the second time in six months Saudi Arabia has thrown a fuel lifeline to its impoverished neighbor, which Saudi officials fear could slip into civil war after a year of protests against outgoing President Saleh.
Sharaf also told Reuters production at the Masila oilfield - now under Yemeni administration after Canada's Nexen had one of its production contracts expire without renewal - was 70,000 barrels per day.
Yemen relied on 3 million barrels of Saudi-donated crude oil to run its refinery in June, when its main pipeline was shut after blasts, causing a fuel shortage.
The pipeline, which was repaired during the summer, was shut again after attacks in October. The lack of crude flow in the pipeline has also forced the Aden refinery, where production mainly meets domestic fuel demand, to halt operations.
(Reuters) - Thousands of Yemenis began a 50 km (31 mile) march on Saturday to demand an end to a conflict which has forced nearly 100,000 people to flee southern Yemen, residents said, a day after seven militants were killed in fighting there with the army.
Up to 20,000 activists set out from the port city of Aden towards Zinjibar, the capital of Abyan province where the army has been battling Islamist militants suspected of having links with al Qaeda, residents said.
The marchers called on both sides to lay down their arms and demanded the government open the Aden-Zinjibar coastal highway, a key trade route which has remained closed during the conflict.
The militants and the Yemen-based regional wing of al Qaeda -- seen by the United States as the group's most dangerous branch -- have thrived during the instability caused by nearly a year of protests against the 33-year rule of outgoing President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
Top oil exporter Saudi Arabia, which shares U.S. concerns over more instability in a country sitting next to oil shipping routes, has backed a Gulf Arab plan to ease Saleh out of power.
Since Saleh handed over the reins to his deputy under the Gulf peace accord, a new government headed by an opposition leader has been formed. A presidential election is scheduled for February.
But the fighting against the Islamist militants in the south has continued, forcing about 97,000 people to flee. More than 300,000 others have been displaced by a conflict in the north and nearly 200,000 have sought refuge from Somalia, according to U.N. estimates.
FUEL LIFELINE
Separately, Yemen's oil minister said a grant of diesel from neighboring Saudi Arabia would be enough to cover the country's needs for two months, easing some fears about the strife-hit economy.
Industry sources said on Thursday Saudi Arabia's state oil company Aramco was seeking to buy fuel in order to donate about 500,000 tonnes of products to Yemen in January.
"Yemen's diesel consumption is 260,000 tonnes monthly, worth $280 million ... The Saudi grant will cover Yemen's diesel needs for two months," Oil Minister Hisham Sharaf told Reuters.
It would be the second time in six months Saudi Arabia has thrown a fuel lifeline to its impoverished neighbor, which Saudi officials fear could slip into civil war after a year of protests against outgoing President Saleh.
Sharaf also told Reuters production at the Masila oilfield - now under Yemeni administration after Canada's Nexen had one of its production contracts expire without renewal - was 70,000 barrels per day.
Yemen relied on 3 million barrels of Saudi-donated crude oil to run its refinery in June, when its main pipeline was shut after blasts, causing a fuel shortage.
The pipeline, which was repaired during the summer, was shut again after attacks in October. The lack of crude flow in the pipeline has also forced the Aden refinery, where production mainly meets domestic fuel demand, to halt operations.
Yemeni president's son purges rebellious officers
By AHMED AL-HAJ, Associated Press
December 31, 2011
SANAA, Yemen (AP) — The son of Yemen's outgoing president is leading a crackdown to purge the Republican Guard, which he commands, of any rebellious officers found to be siding with anti-government protesters, a military official said Saturday.
The Republican Guard is a pillar of the regime of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, and the attempts to ensure it remains loyal point to an effort to keep the regime from unraveling in the wake of a deal for Saleh to transfer power after 33 years as president.
His son, Ahmed, has had dozens of members of the powerful military force arrested so far, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.
The Republican Guard has helped Saleh maintain power despite 10 months of protests, intense international pressure and an assassination attempt in June that forced him to leave the country for medical treatment in neighboring Saudi Arabia.
The Guard, one of the best trained elements of Yemen's military, has not suffered a high number of defections like some other military units whose soldiers and commanders left to join the protest movement.
But with more frequent and serious acts of rebellion breaking out in other parts of the security services, the Guard's commanders are moving to prevent their ranks from doing the same.
The official said Ahmed warned at a Guard meeting over the past week against "copying" the actions of others. They are searching units, barracks, and have banned the use of cell phones inside the camp, the official said.
"We will not permit copying here. Force will be the way to deal with any protest," the official quoted Saleh's son as saying.
Some renegade units in other parts of the military have even locked their commanders out of military installations and demanded the removal of officers accused of corruption or involvement in the deadly crackdown on protesters.
In a significant concession, the defense minister ordered the removal of a longtime Saleh confident within the armed forces, Ali al-Shater, known as one of the regime's strongmen. Protests by subordinates accused al-Shater of corruption and using his connections with the president to illegally amass wealth.
Another sweep in search of rebellious soldiers took place within the ranks of the Central Security forces, led by Saleh's nephew, Yahia, according to a Central Security official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity because of the secretive nature of the security measures.
Hundreds of men in military uniform marched on Saturday through the southern city of Taiz, a center of the uprising, calling for trials of top commanders over the killings of unarmed protesters in the regime's crackdown
Labor protests have also swept Yemen since Saleh signed the power transfer deal last month. The deal, brokered by Yemen's neighbors on the Arabian Peninsula, grants him immunity from prosecution in return for stepping down.
He transferred power to his vice president and said he will leave the country and travel to the United States, though Washington has yet to say if he would be granted a visa.
The pact has failed to end street protests, however, because many still want to see Saleh stand trial.
On Saturday, hundreds of thousands of protesters held demonstrations in the capital city of Sanaa and in several other cities and vowed to stop Saleh from leaving the country.
December 31, 2011
SANAA, Yemen (AP) — The son of Yemen's outgoing president is leading a crackdown to purge the Republican Guard, which he commands, of any rebellious officers found to be siding with anti-government protesters, a military official said Saturday.
The Republican Guard is a pillar of the regime of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, and the attempts to ensure it remains loyal point to an effort to keep the regime from unraveling in the wake of a deal for Saleh to transfer power after 33 years as president.
His son, Ahmed, has had dozens of members of the powerful military force arrested so far, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.
The Republican Guard has helped Saleh maintain power despite 10 months of protests, intense international pressure and an assassination attempt in June that forced him to leave the country for medical treatment in neighboring Saudi Arabia.
The Guard, one of the best trained elements of Yemen's military, has not suffered a high number of defections like some other military units whose soldiers and commanders left to join the protest movement.
But with more frequent and serious acts of rebellion breaking out in other parts of the security services, the Guard's commanders are moving to prevent their ranks from doing the same.
The official said Ahmed warned at a Guard meeting over the past week against "copying" the actions of others. They are searching units, barracks, and have banned the use of cell phones inside the camp, the official said.
"We will not permit copying here. Force will be the way to deal with any protest," the official quoted Saleh's son as saying.
Some renegade units in other parts of the military have even locked their commanders out of military installations and demanded the removal of officers accused of corruption or involvement in the deadly crackdown on protesters.
In a significant concession, the defense minister ordered the removal of a longtime Saleh confident within the armed forces, Ali al-Shater, known as one of the regime's strongmen. Protests by subordinates accused al-Shater of corruption and using his connections with the president to illegally amass wealth.
Another sweep in search of rebellious soldiers took place within the ranks of the Central Security forces, led by Saleh's nephew, Yahia, according to a Central Security official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity because of the secretive nature of the security measures.
Hundreds of men in military uniform marched on Saturday through the southern city of Taiz, a center of the uprising, calling for trials of top commanders over the killings of unarmed protesters in the regime's crackdown
Labor protests have also swept Yemen since Saleh signed the power transfer deal last month. The deal, brokered by Yemen's neighbors on the Arabian Peninsula, grants him immunity from prosecution in return for stepping down.
He transferred power to his vice president and said he will leave the country and travel to the United States, though Washington has yet to say if he would be granted a visa.
The pact has failed to end street protests, however, because many still want to see Saleh stand trial.
On Saturday, hundreds of thousands of protesters held demonstrations in the capital city of Sanaa and in several other cities and vowed to stop Saleh from leaving the country.
Friday, December 30, 2011
New island appears off Yemen after volcanic eruption
December 30, 2011
A new island has appeared off the west coast of Yemen following a volcanic eruption, Nasa has announced.
The US space agency's Earth Observatory posted satellite photos showing a plume of white smoke rising from the ocean near the Zubair group of islands in the Red Sea on Dec 23.
"The image from December 2011 shows an apparent island where there had previously been an unbroken water surface," the observatory said in a statement.
"A thick plume rises from the island, dark near the bottom and light near the top, perhaps a mixture of volcanic ash and water vapour."
New islands are created by undersea volcanoes every few years, but many are not strong enough to withstand the wind and waves of the open sea, volcanologist Rick Wunderman told CNN on Thursday.
He added, however, that the volcanic material in the Red Sea tends to be more durable.
A new island has appeared off the west coast of Yemen following a volcanic eruption, Nasa has announced.
The US space agency's Earth Observatory posted satellite photos showing a plume of white smoke rising from the ocean near the Zubair group of islands in the Red Sea on Dec 23.
"The image from December 2011 shows an apparent island where there had previously been an unbroken water surface," the observatory said in a statement.
"A thick plume rises from the island, dark near the bottom and light near the top, perhaps a mixture of volcanic ash and water vapour."
New islands are created by undersea volcanoes every few years, but many are not strong enough to withstand the wind and waves of the open sea, volcanologist Rick Wunderman told CNN on Thursday.
He added, however, that the volcanic material in the Red Sea tends to be more durable.
Activists in south Yemen burn election cards
Friday, Dec 30, 2011
Gulf News
Sana’a The secessionist movement in Yemen’s south stepped up protests and called on its supporters to burn their election cards to raise the pitch for an independent southern state.
Thousands of protesters marched though Yemen’s southern cities of Aden, Dhale, Radfan, Hawta, Ateg and Mukalla hoisting the flag of the former communist state chanting slogans against the government in Sana’a and urging people in the south to boycott the presidential election scheduled for next year.
“We have called all of the people in the south to burn their election cards to express our rejection of the election. We have a special ceremony tonight for this purpose,” an activist taking part in the protests told Gulf News.
Since it took shape in 2007, the Southern Movement has been calling for the disengagement of the former southern state that united with the North in 1990. Dozens of people have been killed when the government tried to crush protests.
Clashes with Al Qaida
Elsewhere in the south of the country, two soldiers were killed and seven injured in the last couple of days in fierce clashes with Al Qaida militants in the restive district of Zinjibar in Abyan province, a local source told Gulf News. Three militants were also killed in the clashes.
The self-styled Proponent of Sharia, an offshoot of Al Qaida, has seized control of large swathes of the province of Abyan and a city in the neighbouring Shabwa province since May.
Meanwhile, protests against outgoing President Ali Abdullah Saleh escalated yesterday in the streets of Sana’a and Taez.
Anti-Saleh protests
In Sana’a, a huge number of protesters marched demanding that Saleh and his aides be tried for ordering the killing of protesters.
Meanwhile, workers across Yemen continued strikes yesterday to demand the dismissal of long-serving officials loyal to Saleh.
Eyewitnesses in Sana’a said dozens of policemen arranged a sit-in demanding the removal of general Mohammad Abdullah Al Qowsi, accusing him of withholding their wages.
The unity government urged the civil servants to call of strikes against their managers and be patient and give it time to put in place its programme, promising to look into their demands, Saba news agency reported.
Gulf News
Sana’a The secessionist movement in Yemen’s south stepped up protests and called on its supporters to burn their election cards to raise the pitch for an independent southern state.
Thousands of protesters marched though Yemen’s southern cities of Aden, Dhale, Radfan, Hawta, Ateg and Mukalla hoisting the flag of the former communist state chanting slogans against the government in Sana’a and urging people in the south to boycott the presidential election scheduled for next year.
“We have called all of the people in the south to burn their election cards to express our rejection of the election. We have a special ceremony tonight for this purpose,” an activist taking part in the protests told Gulf News.
Since it took shape in 2007, the Southern Movement has been calling for the disengagement of the former southern state that united with the North in 1990. Dozens of people have been killed when the government tried to crush protests.
Clashes with Al Qaida
Elsewhere in the south of the country, two soldiers were killed and seven injured in the last couple of days in fierce clashes with Al Qaida militants in the restive district of Zinjibar in Abyan province, a local source told Gulf News. Three militants were also killed in the clashes.
The self-styled Proponent of Sharia, an offshoot of Al Qaida, has seized control of large swathes of the province of Abyan and a city in the neighbouring Shabwa province since May.
Meanwhile, protests against outgoing President Ali Abdullah Saleh escalated yesterday in the streets of Sana’a and Taez.
Anti-Saleh protests
In Sana’a, a huge number of protesters marched demanding that Saleh and his aides be tried for ordering the killing of protesters.
Meanwhile, workers across Yemen continued strikes yesterday to demand the dismissal of long-serving officials loyal to Saleh.
Eyewitnesses in Sana’a said dozens of policemen arranged a sit-in demanding the removal of general Mohammad Abdullah Al Qowsi, accusing him of withholding their wages.
The unity government urged the civil servants to call of strikes against their managers and be patient and give it time to put in place its programme, promising to look into their demands, Saba news agency reported.
New island appears off Yemen after volcanic eruption
December 30, 2011
A new island has appeared off the west coast of Yemen following a volcanic eruption, Nasa has announced.
The US space agency's Earth Observatory posted satellite photos showing a plume of white smoke rising from the ocean near the Zubair group of islands in the Red Sea on Dec 23.
"The image from December 2011 shows an apparent island where there had previously been an unbroken water surface," the observatory said in a statement.
"A thick plume rises from the island, dark near the bottom and light near the top, perhaps a mixture of volcanic ash and water vapour."
New islands are created by undersea volcanoes every few years, but many are not strong enough to withstand the wind and waves of the open sea, volcanologist Rick Wunderman told CNN on Thursday.
He added, however, that the volcanic material in the Red Sea tends to be more durable.
A new island has appeared off the west coast of Yemen following a volcanic eruption, Nasa has announced.
The US space agency's Earth Observatory posted satellite photos showing a plume of white smoke rising from the ocean near the Zubair group of islands in the Red Sea on Dec 23.
"The image from December 2011 shows an apparent island where there had previously been an unbroken water surface," the observatory said in a statement.
"A thick plume rises from the island, dark near the bottom and light near the top, perhaps a mixture of volcanic ash and water vapour."
New islands are created by undersea volcanoes every few years, but many are not strong enough to withstand the wind and waves of the open sea, volcanologist Rick Wunderman told CNN on Thursday.
He added, however, that the volcanic material in the Red Sea tends to be more durable.
Yemen protesters demand trial of President Saleh
December 30, 2011
Tens of thousands of people in Yemen have called for President Ali Abdullah Saleh to face trial for the deaths of hundreds of anti-government protesters.
After nearly a year of protests, Mr Saleh handed over presidential powers to his deputy last month and agreed to leave office in February 2012.
The deal also granted Mr Saleh, who remains honorary president, immunity from prosecution.
He has asked the US for permission to travel there.
US officials said Mr Saleh would only be admitted "for legitimate medical treatment" and that the request was being considered.
Mr Saleh was badly injured in an attack in June after which he spent several months in Saudi Arabia for medical treatment.
He said last weekend that he would leave for the US "in the coming days... to get out of sight... to calm the atmosphere for the unity government to hold the presidential election" in February.
But he has also said he would return later as "an opposition figure".
The anti-Saleh protesters are concerned that the president's inner circle, including his son, will attempt to hold on to power.
Mr Saleh has ruled Yemen for more than 30 years.
He has co-operated with the US in fighting al-Qaeda militants based in the country but came under increasing pressure from street protests from early 2011 to step down.
Yemen also faces separatists in the south, Shia rebels in the north, chronic unemployment and corruption and dwindling oil reserves.
Tens of thousands of people in Yemen have called for President Ali Abdullah Saleh to face trial for the deaths of hundreds of anti-government protesters.
After nearly a year of protests, Mr Saleh handed over presidential powers to his deputy last month and agreed to leave office in February 2012.
The deal also granted Mr Saleh, who remains honorary president, immunity from prosecution.
He has asked the US for permission to travel there.
US officials said Mr Saleh would only be admitted "for legitimate medical treatment" and that the request was being considered.
Mr Saleh was badly injured in an attack in June after which he spent several months in Saudi Arabia for medical treatment.
He said last weekend that he would leave for the US "in the coming days... to get out of sight... to calm the atmosphere for the unity government to hold the presidential election" in February.
But he has also said he would return later as "an opposition figure".
The anti-Saleh protesters are concerned that the president's inner circle, including his son, will attempt to hold on to power.
Mr Saleh has ruled Yemen for more than 30 years.
He has co-operated with the US in fighting al-Qaeda militants based in the country but came under increasing pressure from street protests from early 2011 to step down.
Yemen also faces separatists in the south, Shia rebels in the north, chronic unemployment and corruption and dwindling oil reserves.
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Yemeni civilian killed in Sanaa clash
Clash between government troops and supporters of Al-Ahmar Wednesday leads to the death of a civilian as a military commission attempts to remove barriers near the interior ministry
AFP , Thursday 29 Dec 2011
A Yemeni civilian was shot dead Wednesday in a shootout between the Republican Guard and gunmen loyal to dissident tribal chief Sadiq al-Ahmar, witnesses said.
The clash broke out when a military commission attempted to remove barriers near the interior ministry in Amran Street, Hasaba neighbourhood, in an effort to return the capital to normalcy following unrest.
Three others were wounded in the gunbattle, witnesses said.
The commission plans to complete the lifting of barricades from the northern district of Hasaba by Thursday, said General Fadhel al-Qawassi, a member of the commission.
The commission was formed by Vice President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi who has been charged with managing the transfer of power and designated to serve as a consensus president after the expected departure of Ali Abdullah Saleh in February.
The aim of the commission is to restore stability, as well as reforming the security service controlled partly by Saleh loyalists, in accordance with the transition deal signed by Saleh in November after more than 10 months of protests against his 33-year rule.
Violence in Yemen has continued since the agreement was inked.
AFP , Thursday 29 Dec 2011
A Yemeni civilian was shot dead Wednesday in a shootout between the Republican Guard and gunmen loyal to dissident tribal chief Sadiq al-Ahmar, witnesses said.
The clash broke out when a military commission attempted to remove barriers near the interior ministry in Amran Street, Hasaba neighbourhood, in an effort to return the capital to normalcy following unrest.
Three others were wounded in the gunbattle, witnesses said.
The commission plans to complete the lifting of barricades from the northern district of Hasaba by Thursday, said General Fadhel al-Qawassi, a member of the commission.
The commission was formed by Vice President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi who has been charged with managing the transfer of power and designated to serve as a consensus president after the expected departure of Ali Abdullah Saleh in February.
The aim of the commission is to restore stability, as well as reforming the security service controlled partly by Saleh loyalists, in accordance with the transition deal signed by Saleh in November after more than 10 months of protests against his 33-year rule.
Violence in Yemen has continued since the agreement was inked.
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