AMRAN, 30 Jul -- Backed by most of the tribes in Harf Sufian, the Houthi rebels advanced steadily last week, gaining momentum and more territories and shattering the prospects for peace in the war-ravaged northern region of Harf Sufian, Marib Press website said in an analysis of the recent events in the north. Sheik Saqer Bin Aziz and his tribesmen loyal to the government were forced out of the region allowing the insurgents full control of the government’s stronghold of al-Amashiyah district hence the rebels consolidated their sway over the borders with Hashid tribes. Is Hashid now the target of the rebels? What is next for the Houthis now that they are 100 kilometers away from Sanaa? Bin Aziz and his tribes fought pitched battles with the rebels for four months waiting for government aid but it never came. What happened to him had happened to many tribal chieftains who allied with the government in its war with the rebels in the north but he was the government’s last ally in the region. Was he a common enemy for both the rebels and the state? Why was he forsaken and why did the regime break its pledges to support him?Top News
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ANALYSIS - Will Shiite Rebels Target Hashid Tribes Next?
AMRAN, 30 Jul -- Backed by most of the tribes in Harf Sufian, the Houthi rebels advanced steadily last week, gaining momentum and more territories and shattering the prospects for peace in the war-ravaged northern region of Harf Sufian, Marib Press website said in an analysis of the recent events in the north. Sheik Saqer Bin Aziz and his tribesmen loyal to the government were forced out of the region allowing the insurgents full control of the government’s stronghold of al-Amashiyah district hence the rebels consolidated their sway over the borders with Hashid tribes. Is Hashid now the target of the rebels? What is next for the Houthis now that they are 100 kilometers away from Sanaa? Bin Aziz and his tribes fought pitched battles with the rebels for four months waiting for government aid but it never came. What happened to him had happened to many tribal chieftains who allied with the government in its war with the rebels in the north but he was the government’s last ally in the region. Was he a common enemy for both the rebels and the state? Why was he forsaken and why did the regime break its pledges to support him?Mustaffa: Iran Seeking to Create Shiite Proxy State in North Yemen
SANAA, 30 Jul -- Director of the state official Saba news agency Naser Taha Mustaffa said in an interview with the Egyptian October newspaper published on Friday the picture of what is happening in Yemen as depicted in the foreign press is murky and blamed “meager capabilities and lack of expertise,” for the failure of the official press to clarify the picture. He described press freedom in Yemen as fairly free and on the government closure of opposition newspapers and websites, he said “this is normal and happens based on judicial orders,” and lamented the status of Arab media saying “we need more freedom in general and to be bolder and we as members of the official press ought to criticize government policies that hurt the man in the street,” and lambasted al-Jazeera TV “for criticizing the Yemeni government while keeping quiet about other Arab countries where press freedom is non-existent.”Sliding Riyal Sparks Fear as Consumers Brace for Higher Prices
SANAA, 30 Jul -- As the battered riyal continued to plunge to a record low of 243 for a single U.S. dollar on Friday, prices of basic commodities surged. The drooping riyal has been on a slide against major currencies for the past three weeks as import demand ahead of Ramadan soared amid reports most retail shops have increased prices by more than 10 percent over the weekend. The plummet has been more dramatic in some areas and the parallel exchange rate of $1.0 was 237.0 at the beginning of the month now it is 243. The impact is being felt by the ordinary man in the street as goods and services are being priced according to rate speculations and consumers are facing higher prices for imported goods.Government Plans to Increase Fuel Prices Before Ramadan
SANAA, 13 Jul -- The government is planning to increase the price of gasoline by 30 percent and diesel fuel by 25 percent, Marib Press news website said. Economists have urged the government not to cave in to international pressures to cut fuel subsidies saying the Yemeni economy “is suffering from structural flaws seen in the 14.2 percent decline of investment spending compared with general spending,” adding “Yemen’s ability to absorb donations, aid and foreign loans is weak amid an employment rate of 35.9 percent in urban areas and 40.0 percent in rural areas.” Local economists say “non-oil sectors grew by only 1.39 percent as GDP growth dropped by 2.93 percent in 2007,” and emphasized the importance of non-oil sector growth, adding “tax revenues on commodities and services dropped by 2.7 percent because the sales tax law was not fully enforced.”President Saleh Says No Seventh War with Rebels in North Yemen
SANAA, 13 Jul -- President Ali Abdullah Saleh Tuesday told a news conference after a meeting with the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al- Thani “there will be no new war in the north,” the state official Saba news agency reported, adding “this is inconceivable and totally unacceptable.” Tension has been mounting between the government troops and Shiite rebels as both sides traded accusations despite a complementary agreement reached late June to revive the peace accord and the President said “Sanaa is keen to establish peace and security in Sadaa and there are no indicators for a seventh war,” adding “what has been implemented so far is good and the Houthis will start Wednesday implementing the six-point truce including the withdrawal from districts” currently under their control and “will hand everything over to local authorities.”Third Fire in a Week at Southern Power Stations
ADEN, 09 Jul -- A third power station in southern Yemen caught fire on Thursday just days after two others were engulfed in flames, Marib Press said. Local sources said al-Hasoua power station in Aden caught fire causing blackouts in large parts of the city and sparking protests in the crowded neighbourhood of Kriter. Sources said the fire was caused by an explosion but the power station manager, Muhsen Saed Thabet blamed what he said “a flaw in the connection between al-Hasoua thermal station and al-Mansoura station.”Yemen Invites Oil Companies to Explore 50 Blocks
SANAA, 09 Jul -- Oil Minister, Ameer al-Aidrous Friday invited oil companies worldwide to explore Yemen’s oil and gas reserves in 50 new blocks, the state official Saba news agency reported. The minister said “this invitation is open to all oil companies in the world and designed to expand oil and gas explorations in light of a new competition list approved by the Cabinet,” adding “the Cabinet has granted the ministry of oil the right to negotiate directly with international companies that possess proven expertise in the field of oil exploration and production.”Rebels Say Military Buildup Marks State Aggression
SADAA, 09 Jul -- A statement posted by the Shiite rebels on their website Friday accused the government of gearing up for war saying “the new military buildup in Sadaa clearly reflects the aggressive intents of the regime and the arrival of military backup is a message of aggression not peace.” Tanks, armored vehicles and hundreds of soldiers from battalion-25 have arrived in Sadaa coming from Sanaa and the statement said “we want peace but this military mobilization compels everyone to think about the future and the likelihood of a new round of war,” adding “the regime cannot obtain any results from the use of force ... we need to create an atmosphere of trust between us and the regime needs to demonstrate its desire for peace. Sadaa is in dire and urgent need for reconstruction, food, medicine, supplies, health care, education and development. Sadaa has just recently came out of six crushing rounds of wars and need to be allowed to breath and for the implications of war to be resolved.”Tribesmen Fail to Bomb Oil Pipeline after al-Qaeda Verdict
MARIB, 09 Jul -- Two days after Sanaa security court sentenced two al-Qaeda members of al-Shabwan tribes in Marib to death for killing eight soldiers and a civilian last year, fellow clan members attempted to blow up a section of the oil pipeline passing through al-Shabwan region in Marib, al-Masder Online said. The ministry of interior said in a statement on its website “gunmen of al-Shabwan tribes excavated under the pipeline in Kilometer-48 in a bid to damage it but their attempt failed after security members tasked with protecting the pipeline forced them to flee,” adding “the pipeline was not damaged and the technicians put it back in place,” and vowed to “hunt down the perpetrators and bring them to justice.”Page 1 of 9
