Marissa DuBois in Slow Motion Full Fashion Week 2023, Fashion Channel Vlog,

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Houthis warn against 'human disaster' in northern Yemen


Houthis Spokesman Mohammed Abdel-Salam has warned against a "humanitarian disaster" caused by Saudi Arabia's bombing civilian areas in north of Yemen.

In an exclusive interview with Al-Alam on Saturday evening, Abdel-Salam said Saudi Arabia's raids target civilian and densely populated areas.

"The number of the homeless has increased due to escalation of Saudi attacks, and civilians, particularly children and old people suffer lack of food, drugs and shelter in the cold season. They are deprived of all kinds of humanitarian aids," he said.

The Saudi warplanes on Saturday targeted a home of a Yemeni citizen in the Saqein region, killing members of the family and inflicting extensive damage.

Abdel-Salam described as "unjustifiable" the Saudi attacks on residential areas tens of kilometers far from the battle front.

The Houthis spokesman further rejected the Saudi claims that their warplanes only target Houthi fighters, saying the "targeted areas are populated residential districts in Sa'da, Hajje and Omran regions.

Saudi Arabia has recently intensified its attacks on villages and civilian areas within Yemen border on the pretext of targeting Houthi fighters.

The Houthis say they have no interest in opening up another front against Saudi Arabia as they are only fighting against the government in Yemen.

Houthis say the government in Sana'a has ignored their plight for so long that they had no choice but to fight against injustices.

The battle in northern Yemen began in 2004 between Sana'a and Houthi fighters.

On August 11, the Yemeni army decided to launch a major offensive, dubbed Operation Scorched Earth, against Sa'ada.

The government claims that the fighters, who are named after their leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi, seek to restore the Shiite imamate system, which was overthrown in a 1962 military coup.

Source:alalam.ir/

US to check Al-Qaeda fallout on Yemen, Somalia

WASHINGTON, Dec 6, 2009 (AFP) - The Obama administration is on guard against an Al-Qaeda buildup in Yemen and Somalia as it expects the militants to seek refuge there as Washington turns the screws on Afghanistan and Pakistan.

"The struggle against violent extremism will not be finished quickly, and it extends well beyond Afghanistan and Pakistan," President Barack Obama warned Tuesday as he unveiled his revamped strategy for central Asia.

"Where Al-Qaeda and its allies attempt to establish a foothold -- whether in Somalia or Yemen or elsewhere -- they must be confronted by growing pressure and strong partnerships."

Obama did not say his Afghanistan troop surge and planned strategic partnership with Pakistan would cause Al-Qaeda to seek more secure hideouts in Yemen and Somalia, but his national security adviser did make the link.

"Our best information is that Al-Qaeda is feeling increasingly uncomfortable in Pakistan," General James Jones said Wednesday after Obama's speech.

US media accounts say remotely piloted CIA drone strikes, with tacit Pakistani support, have taken a toll on Al-Qaeda in lawless northwest Pakistan, where the group's leadership found sanctuary after US forces drove them from Afghanistan in 2001.

"Our goal is to make sure that they're very uncomfortable in Pakistan and Afghanistan. And we have evidence that they're moving, at least in some part, to Yemen and Somalia," Jones told CNN.

"This organization will always seek the ungoverned spaces or the areas where they perceive they can operate under the radar."

The top national security aide insisted there were not yet more Al-Qaeda operatives in Yemen and Somalia than in Afghanistan. He has previously indicated there are less than 100 Al-Qaeda fighters operating in Afghanistan.

"But it is something that is worrisome in the sense that if we are really successful, as we expect to be in Afghanistan and Pakistan, they will ultimately want to go somewhere, and we need to track them," he added.

Jones did not rule out using military action as the fighters seek to relocate.

He said Washington will work with other governments, including Yemen and neighboring Saudi Arabia, to "make sure they understand what's happening."

Michael Leiter, director of the US National Counterterrorism Center, told lawmakers in September that Yemen could become a base for Al-Qaeda to train and plot anti-US attacks and that Somalia's Islamist Shebab movement had some worrisome links with Al-Qaeda operatives in east Africa.

"We are in the process of providing the TFG with 40 tons (36 tonnes) of weapons to use against al-Shebab and other militants," a senior State Department official told AFP, stressing the importance of supporting Somalia's Transitional Federal Government.

"The more the situation in Somalia deteriorates, the greater the likelihood Al-Qaeda will find a foothold."

"That is why we have to do our best to support the TFG," the official said.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, hinted at US frustration with the Yemeni government.

"Al-Qaeda is also trying to gain a foothold (in Yemen), and the Yemenis face a serious challenge. We continue to urge the Yemenis to do more to counter the threat. They clearly need to do more, and we remain willing to help," he said.

Analysts have painted an alarming picture of growing instability in Yemen as it grapples with a secessionist movement in the south, a Shiite rebellion in the north, a water shortage and a crippling economic crisis.

Al-Qaeda, experts agree, often thrives in regions where central governments are weak or virtually absent.

Given the pressure in Pakistan, it would not be surprising if layers of Al-Qaeda's leadership set up "toeholds" in places like Yemen and Somalia, according to Michael O'Hanlon, a national security analyst with The Brookings Institution.

Still, he noted that Al-Qaeda may not "come out on top" if it becomes enmeshed in power struggles within Yemen and Somalia as it may antagonize local players, much as it did in Iraq in recent years.

Source:haveeru.com.mv/

Yemen to partake in 4th International Conference in Cairo


SANA'A, Dec.06 (Saba) - A Yemeni parliamentary delegation headed for Egypt on Sunday to take part in the 4th International Conference and the 1st Permanent Forum for Arab-African Dialogue on Democracy and Human Rights to be held in Egypt's capital, Cairo, from 7 to 9 December 2009.

The conference would discuss a number of topics relating to migration in the Arab world and Africa to make common visions and policies to deal better with the inter-migration between the Arab and African countries, the parliamentarian and Head of the delegation Mohammed al-Alimi told Saba.

Al-Alimi made it clear that, during the conference, the delegation would review Yemen's efforts in receiving the Somali refugees, which their number reaches nearly one million, and the burdens and difficulties faced by Yemen due to the refugee's influx.

Source:sabanews.net/

Yemen, WB discuss alleviating poverty, unemployment rates


SANA'A, Dec. 06 (Saba) - Yemen and World Bank (WB) discussed here on Sunday means to alleviate poverty and reducing the unemployment rates in the country.

Minister of Labour and Social Affaires Amat al-Razaq Hummad held talks with the WB delegation headed by senior advisor Nader Mohammed over the ministry's plans and programs to provide job opportunities for youth and equalize such opportunities for women.

Hummad and Mohammed reviewed the ministry's programs to tackle the childhood problems.

Moreover, the ministry's role in preparing the upcoming five-year development plan was reviewed.

The meeting also discussed mechanisms to carry out the activities and programs under the 2025 strategic vision, concerning the social affairs and labour sectors.

AF/AF


Saba

Source:sabanews.net/

Yemen, Iraq discuss vocational cooperation


SANA'A, Dec. 06 (Saba)- Minister of Technical Education and vocational training Ibrahim Hajari held talks on Sunday with culture attaché at Iraqi embassy in Sana'a Hifa Ibrahim over mutual cooperation between the two countries in fields of technical education.

They discussed means of benefiting from the Iraqi experience based on agreement signed between the two countries last April of 2008 in field of technical education and vocational training.

The Iraqi diplomat reviewed system and curriculums of the technical and vocational corporations in Iraq.

Hajari also pointed out to the system of the technical education in Yemen, affirming importance of carrying out articles of the cooperation agreement between Yemen and Iraq in this regard.

AH



Saba

Source:sabanews.net/

Yemen, EU discuss parliament capacities support


SANA'A, Dec.06 (Saba) - The parliament's Assistant Secretary-General Ahmed al-Khawi discussed here on Sunday with the European Union Representative Aaron Imperial the parliament capacities support in light of the EU-presented project.

The project aims to enhance the issues of operating and strategic planning of the parliament's technical and administrative system and sources of knowledge in order to develop the information network as well as coordinating efforts with the civil society organizations so as to promote the members' performance and enable them to perform their parliamentary missions.

Al-Khwai expressed his appreciation for the level of the current relations between the parliament and EU in supporting capacities of the parliamentary system to develop the technical and administrative staff so as to contribute to completing the parliamentary functions.

He affirmed the importance of developing these relations to serve the mutual interests and the partnership in promoting the democratic experience in Yemen including the parliamentary work.

For his part, the EU official expressed his admiration for the growing development of the democratic and parliamentary experience in Yemen, confirming the EU's readiness to present more support to this experience to achieve its goals.

BA



Saba

Source:sabanews.net/

Yemen rejects violence and all forms of terrorism, foreign ministry

Yemen is a peaceful country and rejects violence and all forms of terrorism, said First-Undersecretary for the Foreign Ministry, Mohi al-Deen al-Dhabi, the head of the National Committee for the Prohibition of Chemical, Biological and Toxic Weapons.


In the OPCW's (Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons) 14th session of the Conference of the States Parties held in The Hague, Netherlands, from November 30th to December 4th, al-Dhabi gave a speech in which he pointed out that Yemen is one of the countries that endorses a weapons-of-mass-destruction free Middle East, in addition to it being among the first countries to sign the Chemical Weapons Convention agreement in 1993.


Al-Dhabi noted that Yemen's efforts and intentions to make the Middle East a region free of weapons of mass destruction should be considered clear evidence that it is a peaceful country. At the same time, he called for the international community to gather together to make this goal a reality.


In The Hague al-Dhabi also held a separate meeting with the OPCW Director-General, Rogelio Pfirter, and the Director of the International Cooperation and Assistance Division of the OPCW, Kalimi Mworia, to discuss the bilateral cooperation between Yemen and the OCPW.

Source:yobserver.com/

Child brides' enduring plight


Arwa Elrabee, a gynecologist, speaks on the phone as Rihab al-Askari, 17, waits with her son, Haitham, 1. Askari's parents forced her into marriage at age 13. When that marriage failed, she was wed again, at 15. (Sudarsan Raghavan/the Washington Post)










SANAA, YEMEN -- Ayesha rested her head on the doctor's desk. She had removed her black veil, revealing a round face contorted in pain. She had married a 53-year-old man when she was 13. Now 15, she wanted her childhood back. She clutched her sides and groaned.

It was 3:30 p.m. in Arwa Elrabee's office. The gynecologist looked at Ayesha and shook her head. She knew Ayesha's pain was as much psychological as it was physical.

"I don't want to be married," Ayesha explained, her mother standing next to her.

"Why did you marry her off so early?" the doctor demanded. "Why didn't you allow her to continue her education?"

"It wasn't me. It was her father," Ayesha's mother replied. "He wanted to marry her off."

Yemen has no minimum age for marriage, and girls as young as 8 are often forced to wed. Many become mothers soon after they reach puberty. The country has one of the highest rates of maternal mortality in the world. The death of a 12-year-old in childbirth this fall highlighted the health risks.

Child brides and young mothers are the most vivid manifestations of how tribal doctrines prevail over modern attitudes in the Middle East's poorest country.

The only place many young women here can vent their frustrations is among other sympathetic women, such as Elrabee, a former deputy health minister who has tried to alter perceptions about early marriages.

"Hopefully, my life will get better, God willing," Ayesha said.

"Life. This is the life," said Elrabee, as she watched Ayesha and her mother leave, dark blurs floating through a tangle of other black-clad women.

Source:washingtonpost.com/

Saudi king visits area of Yemen border conflict


RIYADH — Saudi King Abdullah ordered on Wednesday that 10,000 new housing units be built for people relocated from the Yemeni border because of fighting with Shiite rebels, SPA news agency reported.

The king visited front-line troops and other installations in the southern province of Jizan, where Saudi forces have been battling the Yemeni militants along the frontier for four weeks.

Thousands of Saudis who live along the rugged border have been relocated to tent camps inland as the Saudis aim to set up 10 kilometre (six mile) buffer zones on either side of the border.

The order to build new housing appears to confirm reports that Riyadh intends the buffer to be permanent, at least on the Saudi side.

It is the king's first visit to the area since Saudi forces began shelling the Zaidi Shiite militants along the rugged border with northwest Yemen in early November.

The Saudi military undertook its largest mobilisation since the 1990-91 Gulf War following a minor border incursion by the Huthis, deploying fighter bombers, heavy artillery, special forces and naval vessels against the rebels.

The Saudis say they are acting to prevent the Huthis and other threats from crossing into Saudi territory, after a band killed a Saudi border guard and temporarily occupied two Jizan villages on November 3.

Analysts say the Saudis are also closely assisting Yemen's government in its effort to crush the rebellion.

Saudi-owned regional daily Asharq al-Awsat reported on Wednesday that Saudi bombers and artillery continued to hit Huthi positions this week and that ground troops using Bradley armoured vehicles were patrolling the region to search for Huthi fighters.

Ten Saudi soldiers have died in the conflict, according to an unofficial toll.

Source:http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5i2vwLUvRbAa2HUvVVpxqaX0W6t0Q

Yemen, Russia to revive economic, technical cooperation


SANA'A, Dec. 05 (Saba) - The arrangements for holding a Yemeni-Russian talk session to revitalize the mutual economic and technical cooperation are underway, deputy Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Hisham Sharaf said on Saturday.

The state-run 26 September quoted Sharaf as saying that the Yemen has received a request from Russia to revive the Yemeni-Russian Joint Cooperation Committee presided by Foreign Ministers.

The Ministry of Planning has convened several meetings with other ministries and official corporations to prepare the issues that will be included in the agenda of the committee's meetings expected to held early next in 2010, Sharaf said.

He said that there is a real desire in the Russian side to enhance cooperation with the country in economic and investment areas.

Reviving the committee will assist in strengthen historical ties between Yemen and Russia, Sharaf said, highlighting the assistance Russia has presented to Yemen in development, scientific and military areas.

AF/AF


Saba

Source:sabanews.net/

Yemeni rebels say Saudis setting up buffer zone


SAN'A, Yemen — Saudi Arabia is trying to set up a buffer zone inside Yemen after its week-long offensive against the Yemeni Shiite insurgents along the border, a rebel spokesman said Wednesday.

Mohammed Abdel Salam said Saudi warplanes and artillery have been shelling deep into border areas to create the zone and drive the rebels away.

"Their goal seems to be establishing a buffer zone or a no man's land on the border," he said in a telephone interview from the rebels' strongholds in Yemen's northern Saada province. "It is obvious, they are trying to scare us and make us leave the area."

Saudi Arabia launched an air and ground offensive against the Yemeni rebels last week after skirmishes along the border. Both Saudi Arabia and Yemen have accused Shiite Iran of backing the rebels raising concerns of another proxy war in the Middle East between region's Shiite and Sunni powers.

Iran has denied the charge and warned against outside involvement in the impoverished Arabian Peninsula country. Iranian Foreign Minister Manochehr Mottaki said Tuesday regional countries should not "interfere in internal issues" in Yemen.

In San'a, the Foreign Ministry acknowledging Iran's comments and stressed in a statement Wednesday that no country has the right to interfere in Yemen's internal affairs.


On Tuesday, Prince Khaled bin Sultan, the Saudi assistant defense minister, said the rebels must "withdraw dozens of kilometers" inside Yemen before the Saudi military would halt its assault.

Abdel Salam described the Saudi bombardment as "random" and hitting residential areas.

The Yemeni army has also halted its four month-long offensive on the rebels positions after the Saudi assault, he said. "They are leaving the Saudis to do the job for them now."

The official Yemeni news agency, Saba, said earlier that the army has advanced into some rebel-controlled areas and inflicted "huge casualties" on the insurgents.

Yemen has been embroiled in a sporadic, five-year conflict with Shiite rebels in northern Saada province along the border with Saudi Arabia. The Shiites accuse authorities of neglecting their needs and of allying with hard-line Sunni fundamentalists.

Fighting has intensified since August, displacing tens of thousands of people and limited their access to humanitarian aid.

According to the U.N.'s refugee agency, some 175,000 people have been displaced since the fighting began.

On Tuesday, a Saudi government adviser said Saudi army had imposed a naval blockade on the Red Sea coast of northern Yemen to stem the flow of weapons and fighters to Shiite rebels along its border.

For their part, the rebels known as Hawthis have denied being backed by any of the regional players.

On Wednesday the state news agency reported that Yemen has signed a military cooperation agreement with the United States for "exchanging experiences, training and qualification in the military and security fields."

Abdel Salam, the rebel spokesman, also predicted the buffer zone won't prevent infiltrators from Yemen — the most impoverished Mideast nation — from crossing into Saudi Arabia. He suggested many of those who cross are destitute Yemenis in search of a better life on the other side of the boundary.

"Poor Yemenis will keep crossing," Abdel Salam said.

Source:http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jEc1918oQcQTIuIkGV8Oh2zbU56QD9BTEFC01

Saudi Arabia steps up fight against Yemen rebels

The rebels, called Houthis, are followers of the Zaidi sect of Shiite Islam, and the Saudis believe both that they have ties to Shiite-dominated Iran and have Al Qaeda members within their ranks.

Saudi Arabia said Saturday it has cleared a mountain foothold used by Yemeni rebels along the Saudi Arabia-Yemen border, in what appeared to be part of a larger battle against Al Qaeda's expansion.

The rebels, called Houthis, are followers of the Zaidi sect of Shiite Islam, and the Saudis believe both that they have ties to Shiite-dominated Iran and have Al Qaeda members within their ranks. Saudi Arabia fears they may destabilize Yemen, posing a major security threat to the world's largest oil exporter, reports Reuters.

The fighting near Jabal al Dood began earlier this month after the rebels announced they had killed two Saudi border guards. Last week, nine Saudi soldiers were taken prisoner, apparently by Houthis. The Jeddah-based Arab News said Sunday they had reportedly turned up and were receiving medical treatment inside Yemen, but couldn't confirm those reports.

A recent statement of the Ministry of Defense and Aviation said King Abdullah, the supreme commander, directed all military sectors to clean every inch of Saudi land of infiltrators without touching a single meter of the Yemeni territory.

The ministry denied media reports that the Saudi armed forces were "creeping" their way toward Yemen and said such heinous reports were circulated by parties hostile to both Saudi Arabia and Yemen.

The Houthis have been battling the Yemeni government of Ali Abdullah Saleh since 2004, "citing political, economic and religious marginalization," reports Al Jazeera. The Houthis also accuse Saudi Arabia of allowing the Yemeni military to launch strikes against the rebels from within its territory, a claim denied by both nations, according to the BBC.

The Yemeni government launched a new offensive against the rebels in August 2009, the BBC says, leading to a wave of intense fighting. Reuters reports the Yemeni military tried to rout Houthi rebels near Saada, Yemen, leading up to the weekend.

Yemeni forces and Shiite rebels waged pitched battles on the outskirts of Saada on Saturday after regular troops thwarted an attempt by the insurgents to enter the northern city, a Yemeni military official said.

The Army stopped the rebel advance on Friday and fighting was still taking place in the suburbs of the capital of the rebels' mountainous stronghold province, the official told Reuters.

A Saudi official said Saudi planes carried out renewed strikes in the Jabal Dukhan area on Friday, where rebels carried out a cross-border incursion earlier this month in which two Saudi border guards were killed. ...

The rebels said on their website Saudi air raids in an area outside Saada killed an unspecified number of civilians.

According to PRESS TV of Iran, which denies any involvement with the Houthis, the rebels accuse Riyadh and the Yemeni government itself of funding Al Qaeda and Wahhabi extremists to help quell their resistance – countering the kingdom's claims.

Source:csmonitor.com/

Yemen the new training ground for terrorists


US President Barack Obama warned in his speech about Afghanistan this week that the world would face new threats as Al Qaeda established a foothold in other parts of the world.

One of the countries he singled out was Yemen.

It is the poorest state in the Arab world and is rapidly running out of oil and water. There are now growing fears that the impoverished nation could become an increasingly attractive Al Qaeda base.

During his speech, Mr Obama singled out Yemen and Somalia as two nations where Al Qaeda's influence was increasing

"We'll have to be nimble and precise in our use of military power," he said.

"Where Al Qaeda and its allies attempt to establish a foothold, whether in Somalia or Yemen or elsewhere, they must be confronted by growing pressure and strong partnerships."

For many years, Yemen has faced political and economic crises. With a population of 23 million people, it is the poorest Arabic nation and security is a growing concern.

Dr Sarah Phillips works at the Centre for International Security Studies at the University of Sydney.

She has just written a paper on Al Qaeda in Yemen for the Lowy Institute and says the country is an increasingly attractive base for the terrorist group.

"Yemen is quite a desirable operating environment in a number of ways," she said.

"For one, there is a strong tribal structure there, which if approached sensitively by people affiliated with Al Qaeda can afford some opportunity, particularly with regard to refuge, being able to hide while they plan operations both within Yemen but also abroad.

"It seems what they are doing now is, they are using Yemen largely as a place to plan operations and they now seem to be focusing their attentions more on conducting operations within Saudi Arabia."

Al Qaeda has had a presence in Yemen for years but Dr Phillips says it is now clear that Al Qaeda members are working hard to engage with local tribes and win their support.


Oil crisis

While the Yemeni Government has tried in the past to weed out Al Qaeda members, it is a task which is becoming increasingly difficult.

"The Yemeni Government is going through an extraordinary crisis at the moment and it's losing control over a number of areas of its periphery," says Dr Phillips.

"[The oil trade is drying up and it] is the biggest driver of Yemen's current crises. The oil production peaked in around about 2004 and it's now dropped substantially from that point.

"They're pumping around about 280,000 barrels a day at the moment, whereas back in 2004 it went to around 465,000, so it's a huge decline in a very short period of time.

"The Government gets about 75 per cent of its budget funding from oil, so that's really, really cutting at the Government's bottom line."

Professor Amin Saikal heads the Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies at the Australian National University.

"The West, in particular the United States, have taken serious interest in Yemen for some time and we know that there have been American drone attacks in Yemen which have targeted members of Al Qaeda, or at least the ones that are suspected to be members of Al Qaeda," he said.

"And also we know that there is closer intelligence collaboration or cooperation between the Yemeni authorities and the US authorities in terms of hunting down members of Al Qaeda.

"I think that process can now really enhance and I think the Americans would be very keen to see an enhancement of that process."

But Dr Phillips says defeating Al Qaeda in Yemen will not be straightforward.

"It's very difficult terrain for the West to operate in. I think the worst thing that the West could do would be to go in too heavy handed," she said.

"There's been, I understand, some talk the West could become a lot more involved in targeting leaders or perhaps even targeting them through the drones.

"I think that would really inflame the situation. I think local government really needs to take the lead on this. The problem of that is the local government's not really taking the lead."

Source:abc.net.au/

Yemen, France talk on cooperation in coastguard field


ADEN, Dec.05 (Saba) – Aden Governor Adnan al-Jeffri met on Saturday with French ambassador to Yemen Joseph Silva and the commander of the French frigate that arrived in Aden seaport in a several-day visit to the port.

The two sides reviewed the current cooperation relations between Yemen and France and horizons of boosting them, particularly in fields of coastguard and combating piracy and terrorism.

Al-Jeffri praised the developed relations between the two friendly countries, stressing the importance to create twining relations between city of Aden and one of the French cities so as to cope with the relations development between Yemen and France.

For his part, the French ambassador affirmed his country's desire to develop cooperation relations with Yemen in all fields, especially academic field including enhancing cooperation between Aden University and French universities.

BA

Saba

Source:sabanews.net/

Sri Lankan Former President in Yemen soon


SANA'A, Dec. 05 (Saba) - The Sri Lankan Former President Chandrika Bandaranaiake Kumarathunga is to arrive in Yemen soon, the state-run 26 September said on Saturday.

Sources in the Yemeni Women Union (YWU) said that the Sri Lankan Former President would take part in a conference to increase Yemeni women empowerment politically to be held in Sana'a on December 7 – 9.

It is said that Ms. Jacqueline Witherspoon, advisor of the US President Barack Obama, will attend also the conference.

About 40 Yemeni women from partisan and independent bodies will be gathered for the conference that will be held in the presence of Minister of Human Rights Huda Alban, Minister of Social Affairs Amat al-Razaq Hummad and YWU chairwoman Ramziah al-Eryani.

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Saba

Source:sabanews.net/

Yemen Sees ‘Mounting Evidence’ Iran Is Arming Rebels


Nov. 25 (Bloomberg) -- Yemen sees increasing evidence that Iran is arming Shiite Muslim rebels who seized territory on the 1,500-kilometer (930-mile) border with Saudi Arabia, Yemeni Foreign Minister Abu Bakr al-Qirbi said.

“There is mounting evidence but we are dealing with it very responsibly,” al-Qirbi said in an interview in Berlin today after meeting with German government officials. He declined to say what measures Yemen or its allies might take in response.

Yemen, a U.S. ally, has steered clear of directly accusing Iran’s government of providing weapons to the insurgents. The Yemeni authorities recently began investigating the matter after boarding an Iranian ship in Yemeni waters, he said. While no arms were found on board, they may already have been unloaded, al-Qirbi said.

Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil exporter, began air attacks on the Yemeni rebels earlier this month and fighting is continuing. Iran’s top general denounced the air strikes on Nov. 18 as the start of “state terrorism” that might have consequences for the entire Middle East. Shiite-led Iran is the main regional rival of Sunni Muslim-ruled Saudi Arabia.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards are ferrying weapons from Asab port in Eritrea across the Red Sea to Yemen, Stratfor, an Austin, Texas-based intelligence-consulting group, reported Nov. 16, citing unidentified people familiar with the matter.

Shipping Route

The Iranians buy weapons in Somalia and Eritrea and then load them onto ships at Asab, Stratfor said. They are now taking a longer route that skirts around the tip of the Arabian Peninsula in the Gulf of Aden since Saudi Arabia this month mounted a naval blockade along the coast of Yemen opposite Eritrea, it said.

The Revolutionary Guards have also transported fighters from the Iranian-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah to Yemen to support the Houthis, the Stratfor report said. The Houthi rebels have been fighting the government in the northwestern province of Saada since 2004.

The Yemeni navy said it seized an Iranian-crewed ship loaded with weapons off the coast from a stronghold of the rebels on Oct. 26. Iran denied any involvement.

If the reports of Iranian military aid for the Houthis are true, it will likely force Saudi Arabia to accelerate its military drive against the insurgents, said Theodore Karasik, director of research at the Dubai-based Institute of Near East and Gulf Military Analysis.

“The Saudis will not tolerate the formation of a Houthi state with close ties to Iran close to its borders,” Karasik said today in a telephone interview.

Saudi Forces

Saudi security forces struck the Yemeni rebels with Apache helicopters, made by Chicago-based Boeing Co., and artillery as the military secured villages inside the kingdom’s border region with Yemen, al-Watan reported yesterday, without saying where it got the information.

There are “indications” the rebels are getting support from religious groups in Iran and Shiite organizations in Arab countries and Europe, al-Qirbi said, without elaborating.

“Once the evidence mounts and it is made public, then I am sure Iran will rethink its position because they know the implications of it,” al-Qirbi said. “Everybody will understand the danger of such a role.”

The U.S. Fifth Fleet, based in Bahrain, which is involved in patrolling the Gulf of Aden, declined to comment on the reports of Iranian arms shipments.

Yemen’s government accuses the Houthis of trying to reinstall the rule of Shiite imams who were toppled by a republican revolution in northern Yemen in 1962. The rebels, named after their leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, say they want a greater role for their Zaydi version of Shiite Islam and are rebelling against corruption in the government and Yemen’s alliance with the U.S.

Source:bloomberg.com/

Yemen, Malaysia to set up Limkokwing University branch in Sana'a


SANA'A, Dec. 05 (Saba) - Minister of Technical Education and Vocational Training Ibrahim Omer Hajri held talks on Saturday with a delegation of the Malaysian Limkokwing University headed by Dr. Abdul-Rahman Abdullah over possibilities of opening a branch of the university in Sana'a.

The meeting discussed location of establishing the branch of the university in Sana'a to meet needs and requirements of the market as well as facilities which the ministry provides in this regard.

Al-Hajri confirmed the importance of improving cooperation ties among Yemeni training institutions and Malaysian universities make use of the Malaysian universities experiences, especially in the technological and engineering aspects, showing the ministry's readiness to support and facilitate all problems for the university to set up its branch in Sana'a.

NN/AM

Saba

Source:sabanews.net/

Yemen to take part in International Human Rights conference


SANA'A, Dec. 05 (Saba)-Yemen is to take part in the fourth International Conference on Human Rights, scheduled to start in the Egyptian capital Cairo next Sunday.

Human Rights Minister Huda al-Ban said to Saba that the conference will discuss several issues regarding human rights and Arab and African migrations.

"Yemen will present its experience and achievements regarding human rights issues, including a Yemeni national report on Human rights which was approved by UN Human Rights Council last September" said she, adding there are around one million refugees from Somalia living in Yemen which affects Yemeni economic and social status.

Al-Ban also pointed out that Yemen will urge the international community to bare responsibility toward the refugees who arrive on a daily basis into Yemen through the sea coming from the Horn of Africa.

MD/YA
Saba

Source:sabanews.net/

One dead in gunfight at Yemen separatist rally


SANAA — A shootout erupted on Thursday at a separatist rally in southern Yemen, killing one civilian, while a senior police officer was injured in clashes in a neighbouring province, witnesses and police said.

The death occurred in Zinjibar, capital of Abyan province south of Sanaa, during a demonstration marking former South Yemen's independence and calling for the release of arrested southern activists.

Witnesses said two people were also wounded in the firefight.

Meanwhile, in Qatabah in Dhaleh province, a deputy police chief and a civilian were wounded in clashes, residents and police said.

The violence broke out between security forces and protestors who had prevented the smooth staging of a partial legislative election in Qatabah, residents said.

The demonstrators also demanded the release of all of the southern movement's members arrested in recent months.

The opposition-boycotted vote on Thursday was to elect 12 deputies to fill parliamentary seats that had become vacant through death.

It could not be conducted in Qatabah and two districts of the northern province of Saada, where the government and Saudi forces have been fighting Shiite Zaidi rebels intensively since August.

Separately, hundreds marched through the streets of Dhaleh and Al-Habilayn, north of the main southern city of Aden, protesting a ban by authorities of a rally that had been planned for November 30.

Southern separatists are demanding secession in response to what they say is discrimination by northerners and a lack of financial aid.

Source:http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/slideshow/ALeqM5hBR8eWDhAfgzPxNWfdw7u8v17-YQ?index=0&ned=en_pk

Largest personal library in Yemen unveiled


In its 55th issue, Dubai Cultural Magazine unveiled the largest personal library in Yemen, owned by the great Yemeni poet, Dr. Abdul Aziz al-Maqaleh. The discovery was made during an interview with Dr. al-Maqaleh. He revealed the story of his library that stayed closed for more than twenty years, elaborating on the stages of formation, its contents, and the shared family passion in reading of the owner and his family.


Dubai Cultural Magazine visited Dr. al-Maqaleh’s library, toured between books that almost occupies most of the great poet’s house in Sana’a. The library contains 40,000 titles in various fields of knowledge, in addition to a number of manuscripts, documents, correspondence, photographs, and other contents; revealing more of the creative experience of the owner and his role in the cultural reformation in Yemen. It is also worth mentioning that this issue was accompanied by the newest book of the known Arab critic Dr. Hatem al-Sakr, entitled “In the coma of memory.”

Source:yobserver.com/

Dhali’ and Shabwa celebrates Yemen’s Independence Day

Honoring the occasion of Independence Day, the county office of Cultural Dhali’ celebrated the 42nd anniversary of Yemen’s freedom on November 30th, by arranging a speech and musical ceremonial event.


During the ceremony, attended by the mayor of the province, local authority, social figures and a large crowd of citizens, Mayor Ali Qassem explained, the importance of this event, and the achievement made by the people who fought against colonization and their sacrifices during the heroic struggle of the liberation missions. Qassem also prayed for the martyrs souls, and called the people of the province to unite to face the challenges and conspiracies hatched against the nation, its security and stability, and to seek to preserve the unity of the homeland.The ceremony included musical programs and poetry readings.


In related news, the cultural office of Shabwa held another evening ceremony to mark the same anniversary.
In the ceremony, attended by the leadership of the governorate, local authority officials, executive officers, and social figures, Shabwa Mayor, Dr. Ali Hassan al-Ahmadi, said “Shabwa have received in this era of blessed unity, an outstanding equity and sustainable development. A grant never earned in its past period of existence.”


The Mayor of Shabwa also emphasized the absolute loyalty of the citizens to the historic accomplishment of national unity, against what he called, “the conspiracy of mercenaries that threatens the cohesiveness of the people and country.”
Director of the cultural office, Rahman Mujawar, noted the importance of this national occasion. He explained the realignment of people from every corner of the country, which shows heroism, sacrifice, and redemption.


The ceremony was attended by Shabwa’s Deputies Salim al-Taiwsli, Ali al-Harthy, and Director of Security, Brigadier Dr. al-Mekdish. Many musical bands and folk dance teams from Aden’s cultural office provided entertainment. In addition, a poetry jam of three young up-and-coming poets was offered to the audience.

Source:yobserver.com/

Kuwait supports Yemen's unity and stability


SANA'A, Dec.05 (Saba) – Kuwaiti ambassador to Yemen Salem al-Zamanan affirmed on Saturday his country's support to Yemen's unity, security and stability.

This came during a meeting gathered Minister of Defense Brig. Gen. Mohammad Nasser Ahmed and the Kuwaiti ambassador.

In the meeting, the two sides discussed the bilateral cooperation and ways of enhancing them in the military field, especially in exchanging experiences in the field of training as well as providing opportunities for Yemenis to join the military colleges and schools in Kuwait.

BA

Saba

Source:sabanews.net/

Launching ceremony of Yemen’s Gourmet Coffee brand held

By staff reporter
KARACHI: A function was held at the Avari towers hotel to mark the launch of the of the Gourmet Coffee brand. This premium brand of coffee is being imported from Yemen which is the birth place of coffee. Coffee was first grown and exported from Al Makah, an ancient sea port in Yemen to Europe several hundred years ago. The word Mocca is derived from Al Makah. The specialty of this coffee is that it is grown 2500 meters above sea level and because of this, it takes more time to ripe, but once it fully ripens it becomes of premium quality. It may be also be mentioned that Dr Syedna Mohammad Burhanuddin, the leader of the Dawoodi Bohra community is actively associated with development work in Yemen. He has initiated a drive where by QAT ( a very harmful drug) is uprooted from local farms and coffee is planted in its place. The whole vertical process from the plantation of the coffee beans to the harvesting to finally packaging is closely monitored by Al Ezzi industries. To grace the occasion of the launch, the Yemeni Honorary Consul General, Dr Ikhtiar Baig came to Avari towers and assured Mr Murtaza Abdeali director of Gourmet Coffee of all his assistance for enhancing trade ties between Pakistan and Yemen.

Source:regionaltimes.com/

Iran military denounces Saudi "killing" in Yemen

* Signs of Tehran-Riyadh tension over fighting in Yemen

* Iran parliament suspends tax cooperation deal with Sanaa

TEHRAN, Nov 17 (Reuters) - A senior Iranian military official on Tuesday accused Saudi Arabia of killing Shi'ite Muslims in Yemen and denounced it as the onset of "Wahhabi state terrorism," the official IRNA news agency reported.

In another sign of increased regional tension over fighting in northern Yemen, Iran's parliament shelved a bill on tax cooperation with Sanaa in protest at its treatment of Yemen's minority Shi'ites, Iranian state broadcaster IRIB said.

Riyadh launched an assault on neighbouring Yemen's Houthi rebels about two weeks ago after they staged a cross-border incursion that killed two Saudi border guards.

The rebels of the Zaidi Shi'ite sect have accused Saudi Arabia, whose Wahhabi brand of Islam regards Shi'ites as heretics, of backing the Yemen government, while the government sees Iran's hand behind the rebels.

Saudi Arabia, the world's top oil producer and a U.S. ally which sees itself as the guardian of Sunni Islam, has often been at odds with Shi'ite Iran.

"The killing of Yemeni Shi'ites by Saudi Arabia is the onset of Wahhabi state terrorism, which is very dangerous for Islam and the region," said Major General Hassan Firouzabadi, chief of staff of Iran's armed forces, IRNA reported.

He warned that the situation could spread and sooner or later "engulf all Muslims, everywhere."

Saudi clerics have accused the rebels in Yemen of working with Iran to try to spread Shi'ism in Sunni Islam's heartland.

Yemen said last month it had seized a vessel carrying weapons destined for the rebels and detained its Iranian crew at a port in Haja province bordering the area of conflict.

Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh has said Iranian religious figures provide funding for the rebels, and officials have also accused Iranian media of backing them.

Iran has denied the allegations and called on Yemen's government to end the fighting through negotiations.

Yemen, which is mostly Sunni Muslim, is battling al Qaeda militants and secessionist discontent in the south, as well as the rebellion in the north that borders Saudi Arabia.

Both the Yemen government and the rebels have said that the conflict between them is not sectarian.

Yemen stepped up a military campaign against Houthi rebels in August. Fighting between Yemeni troops and Houthis, who belong to Yemen's Zaidi Shi'ite minority and say they suffer religious, economic and social marginalisation and neglect, has flared on and off since 2004 in the northern province of Saada. (Reporting by Hashem Kalantari; writing by Fredrik Dahl; editing by Samia Nakhoul )

Source:reuters.com/

Japanese engineer released by Yemeni tribesmen


SAN'A, Yemen — A Japanese engineer seized by Yemeni tribesmen seeking to swap him for a prisoner with al-Qaida links was released Monday after a week in captivity.

Takeo Mashimo returned to the capital, San'a, after a day of negotiations between the tribesmen and Yemeni authorities, said Natahiro Yamaguchi, the Japanese Embassy's deputy chief of mission. Mashimo was in good health and was received by the Japanese ambassador and the governor of San'a, Yamaguchi said.

In brief remarks Mashimo thanked the government's negotiating team and the tribesmen for letting him go.

Mashimo was working on the construction of a school about 12 miles (20 kilometers) northeast of the capital when he was kidnapped on Nov. 15.

He was taken by armed men from the Arhab tribe. One of its leaders, Sheik Nazih al-Hanaq, told The Associated Press Sunday that the tribe kidnapped the man in an attempt to force the government to release one of its members from prison — a common tactic by powerful tribes in large parts of Yemen where the central government has little or no control.

The prisoner was not immediately released Monday, but the tribe said it was continuing to negotiate with the government.

The Interior Ministry said last week that the imprisoned tribesman, Hussein Abdullah Qoob, has links to al-Qaida. It said he fought in Iraq for two years and was arrested four years ago.

Most kidnappings of foreigners in Yemen are by disgruntled tribesmen hoping to wrangle concessions from the government — including ransoms, the release of jailed relatives, or even promises to build local infrastructure.

Hostages are typically well treated and released unharmed.

The impoverished country in the south of the Arabian Peninsula has a weak central government that is struggling to battle rebels in the north and separatists in the south as well as confront a lingering threat from al-Qaida.

Source:http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jV3SzC1jneXxhqZ5xHDai54jEdGwD9C5FE000

Yemeni forces deploy in Aden to curb separatists

* Soldiers line streets to stop separatist festival

* Rebels report new Saudi air raids in north

(Adds new Saudi air raids, southern leader remarks)

ADEN, Yemen, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Yemeni security forces spread out across the southern port city of Aden on Monday, clamping down on any display of secessionist sentiment on the anniversary of the south's independence from Britain.

Residents said hundreds of soldiers lined the streets of Aden, where southern activists had been planning a festival to commemorate the day the last British soldier departed in 1967.

In the run-up to the anniversary several clashes erupted between the Sanaa government and southerners, who have long complained that northerners abused a 1990 unity agreement to exploit their resources and discriminate against them.

Southern activist websites said security forces had blocked off all entrances to Aden, where the authorities had told people not to hold gatherings or demonstrations without a permit.

Yemen's government is already fighting a revolt in the north by minority Zaidi Shi'ites, who also complain of neglect and oppression. Neighbouring Saudi Arabia was recently drawn into the northern conflict when rebels seized some Saudi territory.

The rebels said on their website (almenpar.com) that Saudi Arabia renewed its air and missile attacks on several locations near the border early on Monday. They accused Saudi forces of using phosphorus bombs and poison gas in the attacks.

There was no immediate reaction from Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil exporter, which fears growing instability in Yemen is giving al Qaeda an opportunity to strengthen its foothold there.

On Sunday, activists shot dead a soldier in the southern province of Shabwa. A second soldier died of wounds inflicted in fighting there on Wednesday, a security official said.

Secessionists also clashed with the armed forces in the Radfan region on Sunday, when one person was killed and a grenade hit the local intelligence headquarters, the same official said.

Members of the activist Southern Movement killed three northerners in two carjackings, the state-run website September 26 (26sep.net) said. But the pro-southern website adenpress.com quoted Nasser al-Khabji, a leader of the movement, as denying its members were involved in the incidents.

Violence erupted this year after an April 28 opposition rally to mark the 1994 civil war in which President Ali Abdullah Saleh's forces defeated the secessionist south, known before the unity deal as the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen.

Protests led by army officers, riled by their meagre pensions after forced retirement, turned violent in 2007.

Source:reuters.com/

Africans take Yemen to Geneva Global Launch

Representatives from Yemen attended the U.N.'s Global Launch for the 2010 Consolidated Humanitarian Appeals in order to address the country's humanitarian needs, on Monday.


The Yemeni delegation to the launch event was spearheaded by Deputy Prime Minister for Defense and Security Affairs Rashad al-Alimi. Al-Alimi is also the Minister of Local Administration. Along with al-Alimi, the Minister of Public Health and Population, Abdul Karim Rasa'a, the permanent Yemeni envoy to the U.N. Headquarters, Ibrahim al-Adoufi, and other officials attended the event.


Yemen's participation in the Global Launch is especially relevant now, as the country faces a large influx of African refugees, as well as a steadily increasing number of internally displaced persons from the war with al-Houthis in the north.


Tuesday's meeting of the Consolidated Appeals Process will be devoted to discussing the humanitarian issues in Yemen and how to address them.
The participants will listen to a summary of the humanitarian issues in Yemen including the needs of the refugees from Africa and the war in Sa'adah, as well as the flood disaster victims from 2008.


The U.N. has previously said that Yemen needs $177 million in humanitarian aid.


In an aside to the Global Launch conference, Deputy Prime Minister al-Alimi met with John Holmes, the U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, to discuss possible U.N. aid to Yemen to assist the country in its efforts to support its refugees.


Moreover, he met with Assistant High Commissioner for Refugees Janet Lim.
The two discussed aspects of cooperation and coordination between Yemen and the UNHCR to improve the conditions of the African refugees and the war displaced people in north Yemen.


There are more than 60,000 refugees as the army continues to cleanse up the north of al-Houthi rebels, who have been fighting the troops since 2004.
The refugees were of those affected by the fresh confrontations that erupted in August this year.


Yemen also says that the number of the Africans who fled their Horn of Africa countries has exceeded 700,000 people, calling on the international community to help cope with their needs.


In 2008, torrential rains hit many parts of Yemen, with the eastern provinces of Hadramout and Mahara the worst hit. More than 90 people were killed and over 2,000 houses destroyed.


Losses were estimated at almost $1 billion, triggering calls to help Yemen rebuild the hit areas.

Source:yobserver.com/

Yemen to partake in WTO ministerial meetings in Geneva

SANA'A, Nov. 26 (Saba) - Yemen is to participate in the 7th Ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organization (WTO) to be held in Geneva on November 30.

Minister of Trade and Industry Yahay al-Mutawakel, head of the Yemeni delegation to the meeting, told the weekly 26 September that the three-day meetings would focus on review the organization activities and its contributions to reinstate the world economic activity.

On the sidelines of the meetings, he will take part in the meeting of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) and in the meeting of the Group of Least Developed Countries, al-Mutawakel said.

AF/AF

Source:sabanews.net/

Yemenia Airway crew bodies arrive in Yemen

The eight bodies of the crewmembers of the ill-fated Yemenia Airway jetliner, which crashed into the Indian Ocean last June, arrived in Sana'a last Tuesday.


The relatives of the dead as well as Yemenia Airway officials accompanied the bodies flown in from the Comorian capital Moroni.


The Chairman of the Board of Directors of Yemenia Airways, Captain Abdul Khaliq al-Qadi, said that the bodies that arrived on board a Yemenia flight, were identified as late Captain Khalid Hajeb , Assistant Captain Ali Atif , three Yemeni hosts , two Moroccan hostesses and an Ethiopian hostess.


Al-Qadi indicated that the five bodies of the Yemeni crewmembers would be buried in their hometown of Aden, except for the body of the host Hamdi Wazea, which would be buried in Sana'a. He also explained that the bodies of the Moroccan hostesses would be sent to Morocco and the body of the Ethiopian hostess to Addis Ababa.


He added that three of the crew staff are still missing. The three missing are Yemeni engineer Ali Salem, and an Indonesian and Filipino hostess.


The head of the Yemenia Airway delegation that accompanied the bodies, Wazir al-Ya'abori, emphasized that the Yemenia delegation took part in the funerals held in Comoros for the other victims last Sunday and Monday.


“About 54 bodies were buried in Moroni, the capital of Comoros, last Sunday and Monday,” al-Ya'abori said, adding that the delegation met with Comorian President Ahmed Abdullah Sambi, where they discussed the resumption of Yemenia Airway flights to Moroni.


Yemenia was the sole airway operating flights to Moroni from Yemen, however all flights were cancelled following the crash.


In related news, Yemenia could avoid a EU blacklist despite the crash. The European Union added all airlines from Djibouti, the Republic of Congo and Sao Tome and Principe to its airline safety blacklist last Friday, while Yemenia Airways avoided inclusion despite the fatal crash in June.


"The efforts deployed by Yemenia Airways to correct the identified safety deficiencies in the various audits have been acknowledged," the European Commission said in a statement.


"The list was extended to include all air carriers certified in Djibouti, Republic of Congo and Sao Tome and Principe because of safety deficiencies identified in the system of oversight by the aviation authorities of these countries," the statement added.

Source:yobserver.com

Pirates seize Greek ship off Yemen


NAIROBI — Pirates have seized a Greek bulk carrier off Yemen, the latest in a spate of hijackings in recent weeks, a Kenyan maritime official told AFP on Sunday.

Andrew Mwangura of the Kenya-based East Africa Seafarers Assistance Programme said he had yet to determine the crew, destination and cargo of the Panama-flagged vessel, the Read Sea Spirit.

"It was hijacked off Yemen late Thursday but we heard of the reports yesterday," Mwangura said.

The latest seizure is one of the rare attacks in waters north of Somalia in the Gulf of Aden which have been patrolled by a flotilla of foreign navies since last year.

Pirate groups have since shifted their focus to the wider Indian Ocean, a huge area much more difficult to patrol, and now venture as far as the Seychelles and beyond.

Source:http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5h3y65QV61lCIyuSk76Uo3405xs1A

Fire ravages cloth market in central Yemen

BAIDHA'A, Dec. 04 (Saba) - A huge fire has broken out at a cloth market in central Yemen, with an estimate of YR 70 million in losses.

Some shopkeepers were sleeping inside their stores when the fire started on Thursday night and reported hurt.

According to the Alsahwa website, the fire ravaged all shops and goods at the market in the province of Baidha'a.

The cause of the blaze is still unclear, with some traders blaming an electrical fault.

Others confirmed there was a power outage when the fire broke out and complained a doer was behind the incident.

The website quoting eyewitnesses reported the fire fast spread, devastating every thing at the market within minutes.

It took firefighters a few hours before they brought it under control.

Source:sabanews.net/

Austria confirms support for unity of Yemen

VIENNA, Dec. 04 (Saba)- Austria confirmed on Friday its support for unity, security and stability of Yemen.

During his meeting with the head of the Middle East and near east and Maghrab countries, the first deputy foreign minister Muhyyedin al Dhabi discussed aspects of mutual cooperation between Yemen and Austria.

The Austrian official affirmed concern of his country to enhance its ties and fields of cooperation with Yemen to serve common interests of both nations.

In the meeting, they also discussed latest international and regional developments as well as efforts of both countries to reinforce security and stability in the region.

Source:sabanews.net/