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SANAA, 27 Jul -- In an audio recording published by Jihadist websites on Tuesday, al-Qaeda second in command, Ayman al-Zawahiri mocked Yemeni clerics who warned in January of calling for jihad if foreign troops joined Yemen’s war against so-called terrorism saying that US missiles had already killed Yemeni civilians in the south. “Sadly, these clerics do not have the courage of Human Rights Watch organization which said in its report early June that US Tomahawk missiles, carrying heads of cluster bombs, were used in the attack on Abyan,” he said, adding “it is known that such missiles are guided from a control room in the United States. What more do they need to see to call for Jihad? Are they waiting for missiles to rain on them to realize then that America had intervened? Or are they waiting to see American soldiers roaming around in Sanaa in their tanks?” In other news, US General James Mattis told the American Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday that “al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, as well as local insurgents and a deteriorating economy have stretched Yemen’s government and its military to the breaking point,” adding “to date, President Ali Abdullah Saleh has managed these crises through negotiation and by co-opting his opponents, but there are signs his ability to exert control is waning.”Space
Zawahiri Mocks Yemeni Clerics for not Calling for Jihad against America
SANAA, 27 Jul -- In an audio recording published by Jihadist websites on Tuesday, al-Qaeda second in command, Ayman al-Zawahiri mocked Yemeni clerics who warned in January of calling for jihad if foreign troops joined Yemen’s war against so-called terrorism saying that US missiles had already killed Yemeni civilians in the south. “Sadly, these clerics do not have the courage of Human Rights Watch organization which said in its report early June that US Tomahawk missiles, carrying heads of cluster bombs, were used in the attack on Abyan,” he said, adding “it is known that such missiles are guided from a control room in the United States. What more do they need to see to call for Jihad? Are they waiting for missiles to rain on them to realize then that America had intervened? Or are they waiting to see American soldiers roaming around in Sanaa in their tanks?” In other news, US General James Mattis told the American Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday that “al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, as well as local insurgents and a deteriorating economy have stretched Yemen’s government and its military to the breaking point,” adding “to date, President Ali Abdullah Saleh has managed these crises through negotiation and by co-opting his opponents, but there are signs his ability to exert control is waning.”GPC-led Alliance Accuses Opposition of ‘Conspiratorial Plots’
SANAA, 06 Jul -- The national alliance parties led by the ruling General Peoples Congress (GPC) Tuesday accused the opposition alliance, the Joint Meeting Parties (JMP) of “conspiring against their own country, and hampering development through their support of elements of sabotage, chaos and terrorism and via attempts to tarnish the efforts of the government to obtain aid for development and strategic projects that would reduce unemployment and poverty.”WB Chief Says Govt Failed to Protect Groundwater
SANAA, 30 May -- World Bank Country Manager in Yemen, Benson Ateng Sunday said the Yemeni government “failed to implement legislations concerning the protection of groundwater and the banning of haphazard drilling of water wells,” the Islamist al-Sahwa Net said. Benson who was speaking at the opening of a conference held in Sanaa to mark the completion of the first phase of Sanaa water aquifer administration project said “the cultivation of the Qat tree which is more profitable to the Yemeni citizen than other crops, is one of the main reasons behind the increase in haphazard drilling of groundwater wells in Yemen as this tree is consuming around 60 percent of groundwater.”JMP: GPC Went Insane, Targets Life of Sheik Hamid al-Ahmar
SANAA, 04 May -- A statement by the opposition alliance, the Joint Meeting Parties (JMP) Tuesday slammed what it said “the low performance of the regime and its pursuit to create more problems and crises,” adding “the regime has crossed the bounds of rational by insisting on moving in the wrong direction.” “Everyday, the regime introduces a number of evidences about its evil intentions that aim at breaching the constitution, violating the law, and confiscating the rights of the citizens to express themselves through peaceful means,” said the JMP statement, adding “the protests held in several regions across the nation in March and April make it clear that the people of Yemen can no longer stand corruption and the corrupt or tolerate their violations of the constitution and law.”Official: Separatists are the Military Wing of the Opposition
SANAA, 11 March -- Deputy Minister of Interior, Brig. Gen. Saleh al-Zawari Thursday said the separatists in south Yemen are part of the opposition’s military wing, adding “information we have indicate ties between outlaws and criminal activities they committed in some southern districts with the opposition Joint Meeting Parties (JMP).” He accused the opposition alliance of “instigating unrest, looting, theft and road blockades in the southern regions,” adding “the rally held by the JMP in Sanaa on Thursday was a green light for outlaws to continue their crimes of killing innocent souls in Radfan, al-Habeleen, al-Dhala and Zanjubar.”NSA Head: Yemen has Proof Iran is Backing Shiite Rebels
SANAA, 12 Dec -- Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a security conference held in Bahrain, head of the National Security Agency (NSA) Ali Mohammed al-Ansi Saturday said Yemen has ‘proof’ Iran is supporting the Shiite rebels in north Yemen. “GPC Says its Candidates Won Elections as Opposition Cries Fraud
SANAA, 04 Dec -- The ruling General Peoples Congress (GPC) Friday announced its candidates have won most of the vote staged on Thursday to elect 12 deputies to fill parliamentary seats that had become vacant through death. The opposition had boycotted the vote dubbing it “illegal, and unconstitutional,” and accused the ruling party of rigging the results. A number of independents ran for the elections and in a statement on its website, the GPC said its candidate in Taiz “Suhaib Hamoud al-Sufi won by 32,823 votes out of 33,745,” adding its candidate in Hodeida “Sheik Abdull-Aziz Abdul-Wahid al-Wahadi won by a sliding majority,” while its candiate in the southern region of al-Dhala “Sheik Abdul-Hamid Ahmad Ali Hariz won against the Nasserites’ party candiate Jamal Abdul-Hamid al-Khalagi.” The government official daily, al-Thawra Friday said GPC candidates in Aden, Hadramout, Sadaa and Sanaa also won the partial elections. Meanwhile, in the southern town of Qatabah in al-Dhala province, a deputy security chief and a civilian were wounded when clashes erupted between security forces and protesters who tried to prevent the staging of the legislative elections. The opposition alliance, the Joint Meeting Parties (JMP) issued a statement on Friday saying “the people in al-Shaher in Hadramout have answered the call of the opposition to boycott the theatrical show of the partial legislative elections and only 9 percent of the eligible voters cast their ballots.” Yemen’s Islamist Congregation for Reform (Islah) Friday said on its website “the partial elections were marred by widespread chaos and violence while several polls stations witnessed protests,” adding “the illegal elections staged by the ruling party were forged and members of the armed forces were among the first to boycott the elections in clear defiance of official orders for them to vote.”FM: We Did not Ask for Washington’s Help to Fight Shiite Rebels
SANAA, 14 Nov -- Foreign Minister Abu-Baker al-Qirbi Saturday said Yemeni intelligence agencies are investigating “the involvement of non-official Iranian individuals in supporting Shiite rebels in north Yemen.” He talked about Iranian media support of the rebels and said “Iran understands that it would never allow any group to raise arms inside its territories,” adding “by backing the insurgents, the Iranian media did not think of Iran’s interests and I told the Iranian foreign minister that Yemen wants a change in the
Interior Ministry Warns Islamist al-Fadhli for Backing al-Qaeda
SANAA, 13 Nov -- The Ministry of Interior Friday issued a stern warning to Islamist leader in Abyan, Sheik Tariq al-Fadhli saying “he won’t be allowed to turn the governorate of Abyan into a stronghold for al-Qaeda network,” and stressed “terrorists will be hunt down.” The ministry’s warning was published on its Press Centre website and said “al-Fadhli has become an umbrella for terror elements from al-Qaeda network and other outlaws in Abyan,” adding “latest sabotage and security breaches indicate the involvement of elements affiliated with al-Fadhli.”
Anti-Corruption Authority Says Will Investigate Corruption in Oil Sector
SANAA, 07 Nov - At the conclusion of a meeting on Saturday, the state-commissioned Supreme National Authority for Combating Corruption (SNACC) said it will investigate allegations of corruption in the oil sector in Yemen published by Elaph newspaper including claims of “unimaginable drilling costs, procurements, oil production expenses, salaries of foreign workers, transportations, flights and luxury spending in addition to allegations of corruption committed by sub-contractor companies in the country,”
Diplomats Say Impasse between GPC, JMP Threatens Region
SANAA, 02 Nov – The pro-government daily, Akhbar al-Youm Monday quoted unnamed Arab diplomats in Yemen as saying “countries in the region are worried about the on-going political impasse between the ruling General People’s Congress (GPC) and the opposition alliance, the Joint Meeting Parties (JMP),” warning “Yemen and the entire region are heading towards a volcano
Opposition Says Gov’t Claims of No Political Prisoners ‘False’
SANAA, 31 Oct -- Speaking in a seminar last week, Minister of Justice, Dr. Ghazi al-Agbari said Yemen has no political prisoners in its jails but “only prisoners that violated the constitution and law.” Spokesperson of the opposition alliance, the Joint Meeting Parties (JMP), Naif al-Qans Saturday said “the prisons of the Political Security Organization (PSO) and the National Security Agency (NSA) are
Parliament Debates Ownership of Economic Corporation
SANAA, 25 Oct -- In a stormy session, members of parliament Sunday demanded clarification on the ownership of the Economic Corporation of Yemen (ECY), and called for investigation into
Tribal Blockade in Marib Forces Gov’t to Buy Russian Arms Shipment
MARIB, 24 Oct -- Two arms dealers in Marib - backed by their henchmen - Friday blockaded the main Sanaa-Marib highway to press the government to buy a shipment of Russian arms that entered the country illegally, the independent online news website, Marib Press said quoting local sources in Marib.
Rebels Force 65,000 Students to Flee, Says Gov’t
SADAA, 23 Oct -- Some 65,000 Yemeni students were moved to makeshift study camps after Zaydi Shiite insurgents fighting government forces took over 63 schools, the state official news agency, Saba said on Thursday.
Civil Society Accuses Total, Nexen of Hiding Oil Revenues
