Yemen in Danger of Collapse If Pact Not Signed, Eryani Says

4/5/2011 -
 
Source : Bloomberg

By Donna Abu-Nasr

Yemen is in danger of collapse if a Gulf-brokered agreement that calls for President Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down within a month is not signed soon, said Abdul-Karim al-Eryani, Saleh’s political adviser.
 
Yemen’s ruling and opposition parties were expected to sign the accord in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, on May 1. The ceremony was canceled after Saleh said he would sign the accord as chairman of the ruling General People’s Congress and not in his capacity as president, according to the opposition.
“This is a technical issue,” al-Eryani said in a telephone interview from Madrid. “The world should not crucify Yemen on a cross of signatures.” He said he is still optimistic that the dispute will be resolved and “the signing will take place.”
 
The accord, brokered by members of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council, aims to end weeks of anti-government protests that began on Feb. 11, in which at least 100 people have died, according to the Arabic Sisters Forum for Human Rights.
 
GCC officials are seeking to avert an escalation of the violence in Yemen or a deadly military divide like the one in Libya. Rising social unrest also threatens to strengthen al- Qaeda as it seeks to use Yemen, the poorest Arab nation, as a base from which to destabilize neighboring Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest exporter of crude oil.
“Yemen cannot endure more weeks of protests,” said al- Eryani. “It should end soon or else the country’s economy and security will crash.”
 
Yemen’s opposition Joint Meeting Parties, which represents six opposition groups, wants Saleh to sign as head of state as stipulated in the agreement. Its members worry that Saleh may not abide by the terms of the accord if he signs only as chairman of the party.
 
“It’s a question of willingness,” Mohammed al-Mutawakkil, a member of the Joint Meeting Parties’ higher council, said in a telephone interview from Sana’a today. “Does he or doesn’t he want to sign? It’s all up to him.”

Opposition spokesman: We hail Russian support for GCC initiative

3/5/2011 - Sahwa Net

Sahwa Net-

The Yemeni opposition parties, has hailed the Russian support for a Gulf Cooperation Council's initiative about the power transition.
 
"The Russian support for the initiative is supplementary to the international consensus about the power transition in Yemen" Spokesman of the Joint Meeting Parties, Mohammed Qahtan, said on Tuesday.
 
"We trust in the Russian friends, and we sure their stances will be in favor of the Yemeni people" Qahtan added.  
 
A representative of the Russian President had arrived in Sana'a on Tuesday and it is set that he will meet the Yemeni authorities and the opposition.

Saleh admits of assassination attempt against defected commander

3/5/2011 - Sahwa Net
 
Sahwa Net-

The Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh has admitted of carrying out an assassination attempt against the defected commander of the First Armored Division, Ali Mohsen Al-Ahmar.
 
In a letter sent to Al-Ahmar and was aired in local Suhail TV, Saleh apologized to Al-Ahmar and sheikhs of some Yemeni tribes, citing that he personally responsible for the attempt.
 
The letter admitted that there were intriguers sent by Saleh among a mediation committee that aimed to convince Al-Hamar to end his defection.
 
The letter also apologized to Mohammad Esmaeel Abu Huria who led the mediation committee composed of figures from a number of Yemeni tribes.   
 
Ali Mohsin Al-Ahmar who defected lately of March was subjected to an assassination attempt last month by men who were among a mediation committee sent by Saleh to persuade Ali Mohsin to end his defection.

Secret Document: Weapons distributed to Saleh's supporters

4/5/2011 -
 
Sahwa Net-

A secret official document has revealed that the Yemeni Interior Minister ordered to distribute weapons to the supporters of Ali Adbullah Saleh and members of his party, the General People Congress.
 
In a letter sent by to the commander of the Special Guard, Khalid Mohammad Abdullah Saleh, the Interior Minister explained that he attached the final lists of persons eligible to receive weapons.   

GCC rejects Saleh's remarks against Qatar

2/5/2011 - Sahwa Net

Sahwa Net-

Ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council States on Sunday expressed sorrow about the Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh's remarks offending Qatar as he accused the state of planning conspiracies against Yemen.
 
"The assistance to brethren in Yemen to get out of the current political crisis represents the collective will of all the GCC states” GCC said in a statement issued on Sunday.
 
Saleh had said on Saturday in a TV interview that Qatar funds chaos and sabotage acts in Yemen, Egypt, Syria and all Arab worlds.
 
He threatened to not sign the GCC-brokered initiative which states that Saleh would step down, in case Qatar attends the singing ceremony.
 
In a meeting with GCC Secretary-General Abdullatif al-Zayani  on Saturday, Saleh  refused to sign the deal personally, and said he will sign it after representatives of his ruling party inks it in Riyadh's signing ceremony
 
Foreign Affairs Ministers of GCC states -- Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain -- held an informal meeting in Riyadh and said their chief will again travel to Yemen to renew mediation.

National Security kidnaps female activist in Sana'a

4/5/2011 - Sahwa Net
 
Sahwa Net-

The Yemeni Joint Meeting Parties has affirmed that the National Security kidnapped on Sunday a Yemeni female activist, Badria Ghailan, camped in front of Sana'a University along with those protesters who demand the ouster of the Yemeni regime.
 
JMP affirmed that this abduction contradicts all international conventions, laws, constitutions and traditions of the Yemeni people.   
 
JMP described the abduction as immoral act that shows that the Yemeni regime does not respect human rights, freedoms, conventions or traditions.
 
JMP demanded the Yemeni authorities to immediately release Ghailan and all other detainees and not repeat such acts, calling the Attorney General the Yemeni judiciary services to assume their responsibilities and bring those involved to justice.

Yemeni Pilots Syndicate supports Youth Revolution

2/5/2011 - Sahwa Net

Sahwa Net –

The Yemeni Pilot Syndicate has announced its support to what is called the Youth Revolution in Yemen demanding the ouster of the Yemeni regime.
 
In a statement issued on Sunday, it affirmed its support to the change, reforms, and creation of law and order, social justice, equal citizenship, resource share among all Yemenis.
 
The Syndicate said that this revolution would achieve the ambitions and expectations of all the Yemen people.   

Yemeni Pilots Syndicate supports Youth Revolution

2/5/2011 - Sahwa Net

Sahwa Net –

The Yemeni Pilot Syndicate has announced its support to what is called the Youth Revolution in Yemen demanding the ouster of the Yemeni regime.
 
In a statement issued on Sunday, it affirmed its support to the change, reforms, and creation of law and order, social justice, equal citizenship, resource share among all Yemenis.
 
The Syndicate said that this revolution would achieve the ambitions and expectations of all the Yemen people.