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The Facts As They Are
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President Addresses Women, Remains Defiant
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President Saleh, Ali Muhsin, and the Lost Inner Circle
Photo Essay: Saleh Attempts to Live Down “Mixing” Comments
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SUNDAY , Apr 23, 2011 I ISSUE 39 PRICE : YER 30 WWW . NAT IONALYEMEN. COM
Yemen’s Saleh Relies on Family's Military Units for Power
Crowds rally in Yemen for and against Saleh NY Staff
Yemenis flooded the streets of Sanaa and Taiz on Friday in rival demonstrations for and against President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who gave a guarded welcome to a Gulf Arab plan for a three-month transition of power. He told supporters in Sanaa any arrangements had to be "within the framework of the Yemen constitution" -language which could mask objections to the plan -- and also vowed to "confront challenge with challenge," but without bloodshed. "Guns can be used today
but you cannot use them to rule tomorrow. We reject war," Saleh declared. Ten soldiers were killed in three attacks by tribesmen and al Qaeda militants in several provinces, officials said. In the southern city of Taiz, riot police fired in the air to keep vast, unruly crowds of pro and anti-Saleh demonstrators apart, but there were no serious injuries, witnesses said. A sea of anti-Saleh protesters, perhaps in the hundreds of thousands, inundated the streets of Taiz, Yemen's third
city and an epicenter of opposition to the 69-year-old president. But in Yemen's northwestern city of Hajja, a 12-year-old boy was shot dead when security forces opened fire to prevent a crowd of anti-government protesters entering the city, witnesses told Reuters by telephone. Tens of thousands of Saleh loyalists turned out in Sanaa, the capital, for what they called a "Friday of Reconciliation," waving Continued on Page (6)
Eight dead in Lahj Clashes By Abdulmalik Alassar / Lahaj Eight people were killed, including six soldiers and five others were injured in clashes on Thursday April 21st, 2011 between units of the Republican Guard and armed elements of the Hirak in Lahj governorate, southern Yemen. A security official said that the clashes took place between armed Hirak elements from Labu’s region,
Yafe’ governorate, and a unit from the republican guard led by Saleh’s son and continued until the dawn of Friday Hirak elements launched a surprise attack on Thursday morning on a military post, killing two of its guards, prompting the guards to respond to the attack with volleys of gunfire. A soldier said that Labu’s
area experienced tension on Friday morning and people were of afraid that outlaws might continue their attacks. He also added that clashes are mostly happening between the armed Hirak and soldiers in Lahj were at short range, as a guard from Labu’s a was killed and 12 other were injured in clashes with Southernist elements.
Members of the First Armoured Division protect anti-government protestors amid Friday Prayers
Respected Journalist Resigns from Al Jazeera Lebanese As-Safir newspaper quoted reliable sources as saying that journalist Ghassan bin Jeddo, Director of Al Jazeera TV in Beirut, resigned after the TV station had shifted from being a media source into an operation room for instigation. "Bin Jeddo tendered his resignation several days ago," the sources said, adding that the reason behind this step was because Al Jazeera has abandoned profession and objectively and turned into "a room for instigation and mobilization." Still, Bin Jeddo did not confirm or deny the news on his resignation. The sources underlined that one of the reasons that pushed Bin Jeddo to resign is the provocative policy of Al Jazeera which is unacceptable, particu-
GPC Defectors Announce New Party Dissidents from the ruling GPC party have announced the establishment of a new bloc which calls for the support of the peaceful revolution of change The “Justice and Building” bloc was announced in Sana’a on Monday April 18th, 2011. The bloc includes top leaders from the ruling party in Yemen, among them members from the general committee and members of the House of Representatives and the Shura Council as well as local and civil society figures. This bloc also includes Minister of Tourism Nabil al-Faqih, Minister of Human Rights Huda al-Ban, Transport Minister in the Caretaker
Government Khaled al-Wazeer and Muhammad Abu Lahoum, Chairman of the External Relations department in the GPC, parliament members Abdulaziz Jubari, Abdulkarim Alaslami and Yahya Mohammad Alshami, chairman of the Department of Inspection and Control Most of the ministers and parliament members announced their resignations and joined the young demonstrators in the beginning of March, 2011, protesting the use of lethal against protestors. The bloc called in a press conference to support the peaceful revolution of change and confirmed that the bloc
Protests Paralyze Aden Civil disobedience continues regularly on Saturdays and Wednesdays in Aden. This is the third week since protestors in Aden declared a campaign of civil disobedience and froze all commercial and business life in the city. A group of activists roamed the main streets and neighborhoods and warned all shop owners and vendors from operating their business through loudspeakers from 8:00am to 12:00 pm. The groups also promised firm consequences if anyone violates their rules. The army is attempting to impose control on the city with its tanks and military vehicles. Continued on Page (3)
Mohammad Ali Abu Lahoum
will work with other political partners in order to build a new Yemen The formation of the party by the group of activists came as a result of the country’s almost three-month-old crisis, which “requires everyone to Continued on Page (3)
Ten people were killed and Dozens Dead and another nineteen injured during attack carried out by an armed Injured in Clashes angroup against units from the republican guards in Haql Throughout Raidan Safer area in Marib governorate East of Sana’a. Yemen According to a tribal source,
Noman: No Terrorism and No al-Qaeda after Saleh The General Secretary of the opposition joint meeting party Yaseen Saeed Noman dismissed the fears which president Saleh has promoted when he said that Yemen might turn to another Somalia or Iraq if he left the office. Noman has attended the meetings of the opposition with ministers of the GCC in Riyadh last week and chairs the supreme council of the JMP. Noman also accused Saleh’s regime in phone statement to the Middle East newspaper of exaggerating the threat posed by terrorism, and that the current regime’s policy was deeply invested in the terrorism and in Al Qaeda, adding that Yemen without the current regime will be also likely be rid of terrorism and Al-Qaeda.
larly in light of the historical juncture the region is passing through. The sources further said the action Bin Jeddo took indicates his ethical logic, criticizing how Al Jazeera shed light on what
Noman added that he didn’t lend credence to Saleh’s warning that Yemen could turn into another Iraq or Somalia, and also his comments on the possibility of having Yemen divided into four regions after his departure. Yemen’s opposition representatives adhered to its commitment to Saleh’s immediate resignation. At the conclusion of the conference, a statement was issued by the JMP confirming that the gulf initiative of April 3rd, which insisted on Saleh’s departure without the later provision that he give his powers to a hand-picked deputy, as the only way out of the current Yemeni crisis. Representatives of the opposition continue to think that the details of their exceptional
Yaseen Saeed Noman meeting in April 10th announced by GCC ambassadors to Yemen doesn’t call for an immediate resignation, and had been met with outrage by JMP representatives. Continued on Page (3)
was happening in Libya, Yemen, and Syria while completely ignored the events in Bahrain despite all the bloodshed taking place. courtesy moqawama.org violent clashes took place Friday morning between the Jahm tribe and army forces of the republican guards on the Sana’a – Marib road, resulting in the casualties. Continued on Page (3)
Convicts Sentenced to Death Escape Prison About thirty prisoners sentenced to death escaped from Amran central prison 50 km north of Sana’a last Friday after killing three prison guards. According to local sources in Amran governorate central security guard were surprised before Fridays’ down with gunshots by the prisoners in the cells leading to the death of three soldiers and injury of four others That security forces responded to the source of the fire and killed a prisoner and wounded another while another thirty managed to escape sentences issued against them and according to eyewitnesses, security forces and armored vehicles were on their way to the prison following the
incident. The local sources added that Abdulaziz Yahya Alabdi was among the escaped prisoners; Alabdy was sentenced for killing a Jewish citizen, Masha Yaesh Nahari near Amran in 2008 and was convicted in June 2010. Alabd who was a former pilot in the air forces, has admitted before the court in 2009 of killing the Jewish man after threatening Jews that if they did not convert to Islam they would be killed. He also killed his wife five years ago and was released because he was considered mentally unstable. Amran central prison Continued on Page (3)
National Yemen President Addresses Women, Remains Defiant
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Sunday, Apr. 23, 2011 Issue 39
"We will continue to resist (...) undaunted and committed to constitutional legitimacy, while rejecting the plots and coups," Saba quoted the embattled president as saying. Addressing a women's group in Sana’a, Saleh reiterated he would relinquish power only through elections. "Let those who want to attain power rely on the ballot box. Change can only come about through elections and within the framework of constitutional legitimacy," said Saleh, whose term runs until 2013. The President continued to insist that he would relinquish power only through elections. Saleh's statement comes after members of the UN
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Security Council failed to come up with a joint statement on Yemen after adding the country's crisis to their agenda for the first time. Foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) held talks on Tuesday with representatives of Saleh's regime as part of efforts to hammer out a deal under which the veteran president would step down. But the meeting in Abu Dhabi appeared to have made no significant progress. A brief, vague statement issued afterwards referred to the talks as "constructive," vowing to "exert more effort to preserve security, stability and the unity of the Yemeni state." "During the meeting both
COMMUNITY
sides exchanged opinions over the Gulf initiative," it said. The spokesman of the Yemeni delegation, Ahmed bin Dagher, told reporters any solution should not violate the constitution. "We adhere to the constitution which we cannot breach," he said, signaling that Saleh could serve out his term -- a position stated previously by his ruling party, the General People's Congress. Saba quoted him as saying that the Abu Dhabi talks "focused on ways to preserve the stability of Yemen while at the same time assuring a peaceful transfer of power." But the spokesman told Al-Arabiya television that "no immediate solution has come
out of the meeting." The meeting followed talks in Riyadh on Sunday between foreign ministers of Yemen's oil-rich Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) neighbors and representatives of the parliamentary opposition, who are adamant Saleh should step down immediately.
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"We adhere to the constitution which we cannot breach," he said, signaling that Saleh could serve out his term -- a position stated previously by his ruling party, the General People's Congress” Saleh, who has been in power since 1978, has faced protests since late January
calling for his departure that have cost more than 130 lives. On April 10, the GCC appealed to Saleh to "announce the transfer of his powers" to his deputy, Yemen's vice president. It also called for the formation in Yemen of "a government of national unity led by the opposition" which would be responsible for "establishing a constitution and organizing elections." The opposition objected to the wording of the proposal, insisting on Saleh stepping down completely and not just handing over authority to his deputy. Last week, Saleh's office said in response to the GCC mediation bid that the president has "no reservation about transferring power peacefully and smoothly within the framework of the constitution".
Saleh has so far insisted on overseeing any transition. Saleh's statement comes after members of the UN Security Council failed to come up with a joint statement on Yemen after adding the country's crisis to their agenda for the first time. Meanwhile, a press statement on Yemen drawn up by Germany and Lebanon, both temporary members of the 15-nation UN Security Council, was blocked by a minority of states at a meeting in New York on Tuesday, diplomats said. German envoy Peter Wittig said, however, that discussing Yemen in the council "sends an important signal by the international community: the negotiations should not stall and further bloodshed has to be avoided."
National Yemen Canadian Nexen Staff Start Partial Strike The syndicate committee of Canadian Nexen Petroleum plans for a partial strike starting from Sunday 24th, 2011. The strike was based on the demands of staff for more workers' rights, both in the field and the headquarter in Sana'a which they say totally ignored by the head management of Canadian Nexen Petroleum Yemen (CNPY). Citing "Yemen's labor laws on the oil sector and our belied in the ownership of the resources for Yemen" the representatives of the syndicate committee said their strike will continue and they will upgrade the strike by holding up red signs for three days for three hours a day in front of Sana'a's Nexen headquarters, ending by the 26th of April. In case they get no positive response, organizers promise to
upgrade their movement by a period of seven days, six hours a day. The negotiations will continue in order to solve the matter amicably, or else it will turn into a full strike throughout the different departments of CNPY Company, organizers promised. The partial strike plan will consist take into consideration the exception of Central Production Unit, security management and facilities protection, health, safety department, food and beverages, production department, and power generation by providing the minimum possible staff and engineers. The production team will stay at minimum along with the maintenance and drilling staff, who will not take part in the full strike. Strike organizers plan to keep low-level managerial work operating on a reduced level.
Continued From Page (1) The tribal source accused the soldiers of the al-Buza camp affiliated to the republican guard led by Ahmed Ali Abdullah Saleh of provoking the incident, saying that they shot in the direction of a meeting of sheikhs from the area with the military area’s commander. Security sources reported that “members of the JMP and Al-Qaeda” ambushed a military patrol of the 107 Infantry Brigade in a region Located between Safer and Raidan oil field and opened fire on the patrol leading to the death of Soldiers. Marib is witnessing unprecedented tension since the outbreak of protests three months ago when loyal tribes of the regime blocked the main
road which prevented the arrival of gas to the capital leading to a massive crisis. Marib is known for its powerful and armed tribes and the past years it witnessed illegal acts, foreigners kidnap, blocking ways and blowing pipelines. In the same context three soldiers were killed including a Major in an attack executed by an armed group on a military check point in Hajjah north of Yemen. Security sources reported that armed militias of the Islah party and the JMP assaulted and shot at a checkpoint to in the al-Aman area of Najra directorate, Hajjah governorate, leading to the death of 3 soldiers including Major Hamud Aldubai and the injury of several soldiers.
Continued From Page (1) contains more than two thousand prisoners located at a distance of 25 kilometers from the road leading to the capital Sana'a. Yemeni Authorities have stepped up security at the rest of the prisons, especially the central prison in the capital Sana’a which endorses terrorist
elements of al-Qaeda who got arrested and are serving their sentences. Last month in the beginning of the protests and sit ins, the central prison in Sana’a witnessed a riot between prisoners and prison guards resulting in the deaths of two prisoners and various injuries.
Continued From Page (1) Asked whether the opposition had a clear plan for a transition, Noman replied, “The April 3rd initiative was more clear in addressing the situation in general; what came in from our side in response to the initiative of April 10th was a statement based on the previous initiative. “We continue to hold fast to the first initiative, and we continue to try to explain our position to the Foreign Ministers of the GGC. “We consider that the effort is relying upon the Gulf at the Current moment.” He also made some remarks to the effect that the Gulf initiative is not subject to negotiation with the authority, which
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would manipulate terms to its advantage. “Issues stated in the initiative are not subjected to negotiation; the initiative will look for mechanisms to implement, not to negotiate. “Then, if there is any dialogue on Yemen’s future after the crisis, we and all political parties are ready to talk,: said Noman. He also added, “There are a lot of ideas to be discussed after the president’s departure, such as the transfer of power to his deputy and then forming a government of national unity which drafts the constitution and parliamentary and presidential elections.”
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Sunday, Apr. 23, 2011 Issue 39 www.nationalyemen.com
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Saleh’s Speech a Boon to Extremists By Abdulrazzaq Al-Azazy The “11th of October Movement” demands punishment of elements responsible for attack on women. The “11th of October Movement for human rights” announced that security committee members of the Islah Party in charge of guarding and protecting the change square in Sana’a, along with the First Armored Division soldiers of the brigade Ali Mohsen have beaten human rights activist and writer Professor
Huda Al-Attas , writer Ms. Arwa Abdu Othman, journalist Widad Albadawi and Ambassador Jmailah Ali Raja’a with rifle butts during a rally which came out to denounce the president’s commenced on mixed gender gatherings. The assault did not stop at violence, but soldiers also reportedly used abusive words and broke their cameras and took their phones and handbags. The attacks on the activists
came one day after the president’s speech which demanded the JMP to prevent the mixing of men and women in marches and opposition protests. Many suspect that the comments are a signal for extremist groups to carry out attacks against female protestors in order to force them to abandon their revolution and their freedom of expression. The movement condemned this “systematic act of terror” and requested all civil society
organizations and revolutionary groups in the change square to undertake a practical stance by demanding Ali Mohsen punish perpetrators according to law or hand them over to the attorney general. It also held the Islah Party responsible for the incident and previous attacks on the protestors and demanded them to stop controlling the squares, as various committees pointed out that the revolution is not theirs but is a people’s revolution.
GCC Holds Talks with Ruling Party, Opposition The Yemeni president delegated Monday evening his consultant Abdulkareem Aleryani to the United Arab Emirates in order to meet the minister of foreign affairs in the Gulf Cooperation Council, as part of the second round of talks held by the Council after its meeting on Monday with a number of Opposition representatives. According to state media, the delegation headed by Dr Abdulkareem Aleryani included several leaders from the GPC party and the National Alliance Parties. The delegation worked with the GCC in order to reach a solution to the crisis in Yemen. Aleryani left Sana’a as Saleh’s government expressed its support of the latest Gulf
initiative. Aleryani is known as one of the best politicians on foreign policy in President Saleh’s administration and managed throughout the years to provide stability for Saleh’s regime in the face of many crises. This comes after the opposition adhered the GCC’s first initiative, which suggested Saleh stepping down immediately, and a new round of dialogue was decided among the GGC and the Yemeni government. The meeting of the opposition with the GCC which was held on April 17th in the Saudi capital Riyadh and discussed the opposition’s reply to the Gulf initiative. A statement was issued after the meeting that the Yemeni opposition repre-
UNICEF Condemns Harm To Yemeni Children NEW YORK, 20 April 2011 – “UNICEF is greatly concerned about the effects of violence on children caught in escalating conflicts in the Middle East and North Africa. We continue to condemn the targeting of civilians by armed groups, and call on all parties to provide humanitarian aid workers with immediate access to all areas and children in need. In Libya, the ongoing conflict has claimed children’s lives and deprived many more of their basic needs. In Misrata alone, at least 20 children have been killed and countless others injured. Reports of the use of cluster munitions are particularly alarming. In Yemen, at least 26 children have been killed and more than 800 injured since early February. In Syria, reports indicate that nine children were killed and many injured over the last few weeks. In Bahrain, many demonMohammed Al-Asaadi Editorial Consultant
Shukri Hussein Abyan Correspondent
government to determine their position. The statement issued also mentioned that the Yemeni opposition explained to the gulf ministers its point of view on the crisis in Yemen and their desire to find a political solution.
Continued From Page (1)
strators have been killed or injured, including young students. In Southern Israel, rocket attacks from Gaza continue to affect children. This week, a 16- year old Israeli boy died from injuries after a rocket hit a school bus. In the occupied Palestinian territory, since the beginning of the year, more than eight Palestinian children have been killed and at least 48 injured both by Israeli security forces and by Palestinian armed groups. Even before the violence began, many children in these countries faced multiple challenges to their survival, health and wellbeing. Now, these children are at still greater risk. UNICEF urges all parties to meet their obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child and international humanitarian law, and to take all necessary steps to protect children from the direct and indirect effects of violence.”
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sented in the JMP bloc still adhered the Gulf initiative offered on the third of April and agreed on continuing dialogue and consultation in the near future. They also said that there will be another round of talks with the GGC and the Yemeni
On April 16th, Aden has witnessed armed clashed, in which no cases of injury were reported. Civil disobedience came as a response to the call of the youth protest movement in the city, resulted in a complete paralysis in the districts of Ma'alla, Mansoura and Crater, while it varied in other areas. A National Yemen journalist reported that armed confrontations took place in one of the neighborhoods between unidentified gunmen and security patrols – a familiar scenario to Aden city. The NY reporter also mentioned that people of Aden are complaining about the security chaos and a shortage of gas, as well as the dip in economic activity, which many described as “nonexistent.”
Aden has experienced severe troubles after a period of economic stability for Gulf 20. Arms are witnessed daily in some neighborhoods for both individuals and southern Hirak activists. Tanks are widely deployed in Aden International Airport and May 22nd stadium. Activists of the youth change movement said that an armed group of thugs was hired by the regime to spread a state of terror among people and distort the image of the peaceful revolution. They cited as confirmation the fact that army forces do not confront the gunmen, and if they do, the confrontations do not result in any injuries, unlike when the army forces confront the peaceful protestors and cause death and injuries among them.
Continued From Page (1) be honest about the events,” said Abu Lahoum. He also confirmed that the bloc will include members from all the governorates in support of the national revolution, and that it will be opened to all political parties without exception and will ensure that
Jihan Anwar Staff Journalist
the youth will be included in all its activities, as they are the revolution’s pioneers, who will continue to build Yemen’s future. Abu Lahoum also called all political, social and academic figures as well as youth and businessmen to join their bloc.
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Sunday, Apr. 23, 2011 Issue 39
National Yemen
REPORT
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President Saleh, Ali Muhsin, and the Lost Inner Circle By
President Saleh has ruled over Yemen for thirty-two years, which is the longest period for a president since the revolution in 1962. Saleh was able to deal with the structure of tribal Yemeni society and to lead coalitions to eliminate or exclude his political opponents. Ruling Yemen for over three decades has not been an easy task -- it is a “dance on the heads of snakes,” according to Saleh’s own phrase. In spite of the crises he has witnessed during his ruling period, still he always seemed to maintain control through the tribal and military alliances that have been cultivated for decades. Accession to the Presidency After assuming responsibility over Taiz governorate, Saleh became one of the most prominent, influential figures in North Yemen. His tenure coincided with the presidency of Ibrahim al-Hamdy, who ruled Yemen starting from 1974and adopted a new revolutionary agenda and alleviated the prevailing tension with South Yemen and sought a reconciliation, in addition to embracing a socialist vision for the development of North Yemen. On October 11th, 1979 al-Hamdy was assassinated along with his brother in mysterious circumstances prior to his travel to the south to Sign an agreement on the unification of Yemen. He and his brother were found dead in a hotel room with two dead French women and bottles of wine – the case remains unsolved. Ahmed al-Ghashmi who ruled Yemen after al-Hamdy, ruled Yemen for less than one year and was assassinated after less than a month after alHamdy’s killing, then president Saleh became member of the presidency board of the Yemeni Arabian Republic, then was elected unanimously to be the president and supreme leader of the Yemeni armed forces.
positions. Four major alliances have propped up Saleh’s regime since he assumed power in 1978. First among them was with the sheikh of Hashed tribe Abdullah Bin Hussein Al-Ahmar, head of House of Representatives, who ensured Saleh’s legitimacy and cash flow when he opened the way for him to Saudi Arabia and its support. As much was stated in the late sheikh’s diaries, in which he also mentioned the way which Saleh reached the presidency through the support of the sheikh and the Saudi Kingdom in Jeddah in 1978, and stood by him in wars in the central regions and the war of 1979 and the 1994 civil war. Moreover, the Sheikh’s support was a great boon to Saleh in the hotly contested 2006 elections. His Second ally was General Major Ali Mohsen Al-Ahmar, who contributed to his rule through military power and profound links to the tribes. Ali Mohsen is known by his loyalty and generosity and was one of the most prominent allies of President Ali Abdullah Saleh and was known as his “right hand” who helped him to extend his influence throughout the country. Ali Mohsen emerged as a strong man from the beginning of Saleh’s rule and was known for his strictness in combatting the military coup of the Nasserite Party in Yemen under the leadership Isa Mohammed Saif. Also, his leadership was key in preventing the coup to
take over Sanaa when the president was on a visit to Hodeida and Khalid ibn al-Walid camp in Taiz Governorate.
‘‘ Four major alliances have propped up Saleh’s regime since he assumed power in 1978
He also led the fighting in Sa’ada during for wars against the Shiite leader Hussein Badr ad-Deen al-Huthi, who announced his rebellion against the state, and mobilized his supporters to confront the army, which ended with his death in September 2004. Third are the military leaders among his relatives, most prominently the leader Mohammed Ismaeel, Ahmed Faraj, Mahdi Maqula, Mohammed Mohsen Al-Ahmar, Mohammed Saleh Alahmar
and others who were prominent leaders of the air force. Fourth is the Socialist Ali Nasser Mohammed (former President of South Yemen), who halted fighting between the North and South since he took power and sought to the Yemen to solidify the unity, as he stopped military activity and ended the battles in the central region during the 1994 war. At this time, the system in Sana'a was subject to collapse at the hands of the National Front which ruled Taiz, Ibb and Al-Baida, Marib and Al-Jouf. Thus he contributed to stability in northern Yemen, and oil and gas investment in Safer. Then the January events took place and thousands of soldiers and civilians emigrated to north of Yemen to enhance Saleh’s regime. Ali Nasser and his loyalist forces also helped to regain the yemeni unity and without them access to Aden would have been impossible in July,7th,1994.
with the rebels in the defense of the Revolution during the "siege of seventy" When the royalists surrounded Sana’a for 70 days and the Republicans were victorious. Later he joined the Armor School in 1964 to specialize in mechanized combat, and then assumed leadership tasks in the field of fighting in the same specialty. Saleh was known for his bravery, and was a troublemaker and was subjected to military sanction several times without fear; on the contrary, this appeared to only raise his courage which impressed his superiors and was promoted in the army ranks quickly. In 1975 Saleh became the military commander of the Taiz brigade and camp commander of Khalid bin al-Walid camp, which gained him great influence. Saleh also represented the Yemen Arab Republic in several forums outside the country.
Who is Ali Abdullah Saleh?
Unification
Saleh was born on March 21st, 1942 in Bait Al-Ahmar village in Sanhan, Sana’a governorate to a poor family after his parents’ divorce. He worked as a shepherd and received his early education in the village, then quit the village in 1958 to join the army at the age of sixteen. He joined the Officer’s School of the Armed Forces in 1960 and participated in the events of the revolution of September 26th, 1963 and was promoted to the rank of second lieutenant. Saleh also and participated
Yemeni unity was the overriding concern for all Yemenis, including President Saleh; it was within the objectives of the revolutions of both North and South. During the years that separate the two revolutions, the leaders of the two sides did not stop meeting and scheduling strategies for unity. The final agreement was to be soon signed several times, yet stopped by the differences between the Northern and Southern regimes, among them the socialist and capitalist camps as well as the Saudi
Arabia, which opposed the plan. After the killing of Salim Rabi’ Ali, the southern system suffered problems and violent disturbances that calmed down relatively in the years of separation between the North and the South when Ali Nasser Mohammed assumed the presidency of south. The parties continued their convergence toawrd Unity and increased convergence after the governance of Ali Nasser Mohammed in the South, who started his campaign of openness. This strategy made the radicals split, led by the Northerner Abdul Fattah Ismaeel and others. As a result of differing visions, a war took place in January 13 against President Ali Nasser Mohammed. A Russian intervention was in favor of the radicals and led to the departure of Ali Nasser, along with nearly twenty thousand refugees to the North, and Ali Salem Albeidh assumed control in the South.
‘‘ Saleh was known for his bravery, and was a troublemaker and was subjected to military sanction several times
Maintaining the Office Saleh counted on his family members to manage military, security institutions and he granted his brothers critical military positions such as over the air force, armored divisions, and the republican guard. He also included people from his home region and hired them in the army and in other important positions, among them al-Ahmar, al-Danin, and Al-Magulah and granted other prominent personalities from different regions other military, security and civil
Saleh took the advantage of the war and refused to side with any side, which ended with the collapse of the socialist dreams in the South. Saleh visited the South after the war, where he was enthusiastically welcomed. His abstention from the conflict and his relative popularity allowed him to reap the fruits of the efforts at unification made by leaders who had preceded on both sides of the divide. Then the final steps toward unity were initiated and final agreements were resolved.
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REPORT
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One of the conditions the South was the final exit out of Ali Nasser Mohammed from Yemen, and on 22nd of May 1990 leaders of North and South announced the establishment of unity, and the declaration was signed by Saleh and Al-Beidh. Under the unification agreement the two parts became one, and Ali Abdullah Saleh became president and Ali Salem Al-Beidh his vice-president and General People's Congress party and the Socialist party had equal share of a supposedly balanced power. After he fell out with many of his traditional allies, Saleh’s managerial style became more paranoid, and he started nominating his sons and the sons of his brother Mohammed to key positions. He appointed his son Ahmed instead Ali Saleh Al-Ahmar as the Republican Guard leader and appointed his brother’s sons Yahya head of the Central Security, and his nephew Tariq as a commander of the private guards, and Ammar an agent for the National Security Agency, and recently his son Khaled as leader First mountain infantry division. Last Ally Lost A secret memo issued by the U.S. embassy in Riyadh released by wikileaks indicated that Ali Abdullah Saleh tried to have Major General Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, the strong man of the army and Saleh’s most prominent military aid, killed during clashes with Shi'ite rebels in 2010. The operation was canceled when the Saudis warned their fighter pilots that they were about to hit the headquarters of Ali Muhsin al-Ahmar. It seems Saleh was caught trying to get rid of a potential adversary. This document was capable of raising a rift between President Saleh and Major General Ali Mohsen, and indicated that Ali Mohsen appeared to stand against the inheritance of the presidency. Arguments between the two reached to breaking point, particularly after the claim of the Ministry of Defense to move the central leadership of the first armored divisions, previously located in Sana’a, to Amran, which led to the departure of Ali Mohsen to Germany briefly. This departure enabled the president to further weaken the division, as part of his position as the Supreme Commander of
the Armed Forces. He ordered the transfer of most heavy equipment from the stores to the leadership of the Republican Guard. Having fulfilled his purpose, Saleh paid a visit to ask him to return along with his half-brother. Ali Mohsen was reportedly was reportedly taken aback by the degradation of his forces, and aked Saleh on how he could have so aggressively singled out his unit and depleted their abilities. Pro-Regime to Pro -Revolution Major General Ali Mohsen kept waiting for the opportunity to strike back at Saleh and ensure his own survival, till he managed to utilize the rest of the division’s forces for the purpose of protecting youth revolution in the change square. This likely came as a shock to the president. Or, as some have theorized, the move as an artifice by Saleh, who ordered the division to protect the youth protesters after the massacre on Friday and a loss of confidence in the security establishment. In reality however, it seems
that years of slights, insults, and tricks by the Saleh and his inner circle had finally succeeded in alienating the strong man, and ensuring that he had little choice in preserving his position except through joining the protestors.
‘‘
It seems Saleh was caught trying to get rid of a potential adversary
Some believe that the revolution was a great boon to General Ali Mohsen and his followers and the political exiles, past and present, especially among the military leaders. These days, they gather in
their meetings and Qat sessions marvelling at their newfound interests and opportunities, and seeking to coax or convince their peers into defecting against Saleh. Soldiers and leaders were divided by Saleh’s allies, and were united by the revolution in Change square in Sana’a, which received dozens of soldiers from the army and security forces who declared their resignations and joining of the young protests. Among them are Captain Yahya Mohammed Ismaeel, son of the east military division chief Major Mohammed Ahmed Ismaeel. Also, the leader of the east region Major Mohammad Ali Mohsen refused to turn over the leadership of his unit after a replacement was appointed for him by the authorities after he announced his joining with the revolution. Military sources confirmed the appointment of Major Ahmed Saeed Bin Braik as the new leader of the eastern area according to the website of the Ministry of Defense, the “26th of September.” The paper also noted that Colonel Hussein has also been appointed commander of the Fifteenth Infan-
try Brigade. These appointments come after the appointments of Major General Mohammad Ali Mohsen as eastern commander, Brigadier Thabet Muthanna Jawas as Major Brigadier of the Fifteenth Infantry Brigade of the Revolution of peaceful young people. A replacement was also named for the air base commander Brigadier General Ahmad al-Sanhani in Hodeida, who announced joining the youth revolution in change square. Finding a Way Out President Saleh's regime, which lasted for almost thirty three years, has depended on allies and the consolidation of his rule around an inner circle. Now, he has lost most of his allies as well as large swaths of territory in the North and South. The coincidence of regional upheaval with the strained relations between the president and his allies has blown up in Saleh’s face – with no friends, and no sure regional order to refer to, he finds himself facing his greatest challenge almost alone.
Sanhan Tribe’s Rifts The divisions within Ali Saleh and Ali Muhsin’s tribe of Sanhan have grown and expanded after Saleh’s younger relatives boys were promoted and prospered expanded at the expense of the president’s traditional allies and leaders. Not only leadership positions in military establishment were allocated to this new generation, but key economic and financial positions. Still, elders of the tribe were treated well enough to enable the president to seek a mediation among Ali Mohsen’s relatives, especially after he joined the revolution, in order to convince him to abandon the First Armored Division’s newfound anti -government stance. Ali Mohsen considered the subsequent mediation attempt as a ploy by the president to assassinate him, which resulted to the killing of four of the prominent mediators and the wounding more than seventy people. Predictably, the government retorted, accusing Ali Muhsin of laying an ambush for the mediators and deliberately killing them.
National Yemen Photo Essay: Saleh Attempts to Live Down “Mixing� Comments 6
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Yemeni flags and pictures of the president. Their numbers were matched by protesters demanding Saleh's immediatedeparture, spilling out of their usual protest area around Sanaa University to mark a "Last Chance Friday" in nearby Siteen street, where there was a heavy security presence. That raised concern that Saleh's security forces and republican guards might clash with troops loyal to renegade general Ali Mohsen, protecting the protesters in Sanaa. Demonstrators voiced skepticism about the latest Gulf plan aimed at halting Yemen's descent into more violence and chaos. The proposal of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) calls for Saleh to hand power to his vice president one month after signing an agreement. He would appoint an opposition leader to lead an interimcabinet tasked with preparing for presidential elections two months later, a Yemeni official said. IMMUNITY FROM PROSECUTION The plan, presented on Thursday, also gives immunity from prosecution to Saleh, his family and aides -- anathema to his foes, who would also have to end protests under the proposal. "We won't depend on any initiative that doesn't demand
that this man leaves right away," said protester Manea Abdullah. "We are sticking to the demands of the revolution for an immediate departure and prosecution of those who killed our comrades." Saleh's long-time Gulf and Western allies, concerned that chaos in Yemen will open more opportunities for ambitious al Qaeda militants, are trying to broker an orderly transition after three months of protests against Saleh's 32-year rule. Protests in the southern port of Aden started up later in the evening on Friday, as thousands of demonstrators calling for Saleh's departure sought to avoid temperatures of over 40 degrees celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit). While organized opposition parties may still be ready to do a deal, many protesters do not trust Saleh to implement it. "This guy is a liar, we won't believe anything even if the opposition accepts the Gulf initiative," said Abdulnasser Ahmed. "Every time he agrees to something, then backs off. We know his ways and so does the rest of the world. That's why the world should support our demands that he go." In the lawless eastern province of Maarib, a local official said anti-Saleh tribesmen had ambushed troops trying to secure a key route for gas shipments, killing two soldiers, wounding 18 and destroying a tank and an armored vehicle.
Tribesmen disrupting the main road from Sanaa to Maarib, where most of Yemen's gas is produced, have made it impossible for trucks to distribute cooking gas to the rest of the country. Shortages have quadrupled cooking gas prices on the black market to 5,000 rials ($20) from 1,200. Infuriated residents have blocked roads in some Sanaa districts with empty gas bottles. The crisis has prompted others to join anti-Saleh protests, where they have scrawled "Leave" on gas canisters. Prolonged turmoil has driven the rial to near-record lows of around 250 to the dollar from 214 nine weeks ago. It has become harder to find outlets ready to sell dollars, residents say. Violence involving suspected al Qaeda militants also flared on Friday, with seven soldiers killed when their convoy came under fire in Maarib, a government official said. One soldier was killed and another wounded when the army clashed with gunmen thought to belong to al Qaeda's Yemen-based wing tried to seize a post office in Zinjibar, in the southeastern province of Abyan. The armed men later sped away on motorcycles. The toll in a Thursday night clash in the southern province of Lahej rose to five soldiers killed and three wounded, according to a local official. Two militants were also killed. courtesy reuters
Photos by Fuad al-Harazi
7 ANALYSIS National Yemen Yemen’s Saleh Relies on Family's Military Units for Power Sunday, Apr. 23, 2011 Issue 39 www.nationalyemen.com
Most of his allies have abandoned him, a popular uprising against him is now in its third month and is rapidly growing, but Yemen’s embattled president has so far defied gravity and managed to cling to power. The secret of Ali Abdullah Saleh’s survival is that Yemen’s best trained and equipped military units are led by his close family members who are unquestionably loyal, even troops that defected to the opposition are no match for them. A month ago, many believed Saleh’s fall was only a matter of days away. His own tribe demanded his ouster. A wave of party members, lawmakers, Cabinet members, police commanders and senior diplomats abandoned him. Most importantly, several top army commanders, including a longtime confidant who heads a powerful armored division, defected to the opposition and deployed their tanks in the streets of the capital Sanaa to back protesters. Yet on Wednesday, Saleh appeared as confident as ever. “We will remain steadfast like the mountains of Eidan, Nuqum and Zafar,” he proclaimed in a speech to women’s groups, referring to some of the region’s daunting mountain ranges. “We will not be shaken by the wind.” Many Yemenis fear that the political crisis could turn to an armed clash. Sanaa is already tensely divided between troops backing each rival camp in a tense standoff. Also, security officials say the regime has recently been handing out weap-
ons to hardcore supporters of the ruling party who have set up camp inside Sanaa. At the same time, members of tribes close to dissident commanders have also taken up arms and have entered the capital, said the officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the press. Already, a gunbattle between troops backing the rival sides erupted in a northern Sanaa neighborhood last week, killing one person and wounding several, the officials said. Saleh, Yemen’s leader of 32 years, is not new to adversity. His authority has over the years been threatened with collapse from challenges by unruly tribesmen, secessionists in the south of the country, Shiite rebels in the north or militants belonging to the most active branch of the terror al-Qaida network. He has survived by skillful maneuvering, pitting tribes against each other and wielding patronage. The current challenge to the 65-year-old Saleh began on Feb. 11 when youth groups inspired by the successful uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia held demonstrations demanding that Saleh immediately step down. The crowds have swelled to hundreds of thousands around the country. Saleh has over the past two months used violence to try to quell the unrest, with his security forces killing at least 120 protesters so far. He has also offered concessions, including a pledge not to run again for president or allow his son to succeed him, but to no avail.
Ahmed Ali Abdullah Saleh
Yahya M. Abdullah Saleh
Now his survival hinges almost entirely on the loyalty of the Republican Guard and Special Forces, two separate branches of the military led by his son and one-time heir apparent, Ahmed. Also loyal to Saleh is the anti-riot police led by his nephew, Yahya, as well as the president’s personal protection force led by another nephew, Tariq. A third nephew, Amar, heads the National Security Authority, a domestic intelligence agency with its own fighting force. The Air Force is led by Saleh’s stepbrother Mohammed Saleh al-Ahmar. Yemen’s armed forces are estimated to number around 800,000. Among them, the forces led by members of the president’s immediate family are thought to number roughly about 150,000-200,000 strong. But they are better equipped and trained than any other unit in the military and are mostly deployed on the hills overlooking Sanaa, giving them an advantage over any other force trying to seize the city as part of a coup. “The president’s money is on the strength of the security and military forces led by his
family,” said Ahmed Seif Hashed, an opposition lawmaker and a leader of the uprising. “I think he is convinced that he can still survive this and remain in power.” The main force pitted against them is the 1st Armored Division, commanded by Maj. Gen. Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, the Saleh confidant who defected to the uprising on March 21. The division, numbering about 50,000, is a veteran of the war against northern Shiite rebels between 2004-2009. It now controls western Sanaa, including Change Square, the public roundabout that protesters have made the epicenter of their movement. They are in a tense standoff with the Republican Guard deployed in the southern parts of the city to protect Saleh’s presidential palace. If it comes to a clash, however, other factors could come into play. A military analyst, retired Brig. Abdullah al-Subeihi, says tribal loyalties are far stronger than loyalty to the state or the armed forces. “It is true that the Republican Guard and anti-riot
police are larger and better armed. But in the case of conflict, they will do what their tribal leaders tell them,” he said. The uprising intensified Wednesday with a call by protesters for civil disobedience in four provinces — Aden, Lahj, Taiz and Ebb. Already, central government authority had virtually disappeared from the southern city of Aden, the country’s second largest city, where popular committees are guarding properties and directing traffic.
‘‘ “The president’s money is on the strength of the security and military forces led by his family,”
Aden, once the capital of an independent southern nation, is also a hotbed of an ongoing secessionist movement.
Saleh, according to opposition politicians and analysts, has also used the threat of a takeover by al-Qaida and Islamic militant groups if he were ousted as a tool aimed at weakening any Western pressure on him to go. Saleh has been a key, though not totally reliable, U.S. partner in the fight against al-Qaida, receiving millions of dollars to build up his counterterrorism units with arms and training. Diplomatic efforts to find a resolution have stalled. On Wednesday, a senior Yemeni government official said opposition representatives attending peace talks in the United Arab Emirates remained adamant that nothing short of Saleh’s immediate departure would satisfy them. That caused the collapse of a mediation bid launched by the Gulf Cooperation Council, a six-nation alliance that includes the Emirates. The GCC’s proposal calls for Saleh to step down, but does not present a timetable and offers him immunity from prosecution, something rejected by the opposition. The president wanted two months to oversee the handover of power, the official said, while the opposition would only permit a single week. The official spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because details of the mediation are confidential. “The president cannot accept being out of office,” said analyst Abdul-Bari Taher. “President Saleh thinks that he and Yemen are oneand the same.” courtesy Associated Press
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