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Below are articles chosen from some of those published by leading newspapers in Yemen during the last week. 27 January 2001, tri-Weekly, Independent The Ministry of Interior announced earlier that it had taken 6 security officials from their work for interrogation last Tuesday. Two employees working at the Civil State of Affairs Department in the Third Region in the Capital Secretariat, as they were the ones who guaranteed the hijacker when he obtained his ID on January 6th. A source told the AFP that the investigations revealed that the hijacker was not aided by anyone at the airport, but there still remains the question about the points of weakness in the airport's security that resulted in the incident. The source did not deny or confirm the "pen gun" that the hijacker used in the plane, but had indicated that the airport may not be equipped with the machines necessary to identify such advanced weapons. In Washington, D.C., the Foreign Secretary Office stated that it would revise its protection and security procedures applying to the US ambassador in Yemen. It is worth noting that no escorts professionally trained to deal with these issues accompanied Ms. Barbara Bodine on this particular flight, and that she usually takes regular local flights during her local trips. Parliament Refuses Voting on Developmental Loan Agreement Parliamentary members refused to vote on the developmental loan agreement between the Republic of Yemen and the International Development Authority to support privatization projects in the session of Tuesday 23 January 2001. The session included a lengthy debate between parliamentarians and government ministers. The main reasons behind the refusal of the parliament to vote was that most of the projects that were to be privatized were the most successful ones, they also disapproved of the voting process because the privatization process may lead to taking hundreds of workers out of their jobs. In the very same session, the Development, Oil and Natural Resources Committee and the Commerce and Industry Committee of the parliament presented many recommendations to the government so as to revise such privatization agreements. The main concern of the two committees was the consequences of privatization in these establishments, possible job loss for those working in these establishments, not approving the general subscription methodology, and privatization of those companies the loan targeted. The consequences of these actions may lead to monopoly or negative social or economic effects. 24 January 2001, Weekly, Independent DR. Abubakr Al-Qirbi, the Head of the Political Circle of the People's General Congress (PGC) and member of the consultative council, emphasized the importance of voting in the constitutional amendments and participating in the upcoming local council elections. In a statement to Al-Wahdah newspaper, he stated that the PGC's main concern is to work in coordination with other political parties and entities in the national interest, and work on finding common grounds and taking strong steps regarding that. He added, "We stress to all parties that the PGC is eager to have all political parties participate, and that the PGC is not intending, as some claim, to control local councils, and that it opens the door to all other parties and entities to participate freely in the upcoming elections without the involvement of any political motives or interests." 22 January 2001, Weekly, mouthpiece of the PGC Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Abdulqadir Bajammal described the parties opposing the constitutional amendments approved by the parliament last November as going through a period of political bankruptcy. In a statement broadcasted by Saba News Agency, he said that the powers that try today to cast doubt on the constitutional amendments have suffered from political bankruptcy, which is strange for parties claiming to be democratic while behaving in a contrary style in reality. Hr also mentioned that the constitutional amendments are the right beginning in re-comprehending the Yemeni reality, and that stagnant articles should not be maintained. 23 January 2001, Weekly, mouthpiece of the Public Nasserite Unionist Movement In a scandalous fraud attempt Number of Registered Voters for Local Elections More than Population The Supreme Elections Committee (SEC) issued yesterday (22 Jan.) schedules including information about the candidates for different regions of the country, the number of voters in each region and their respective populations. The information provided within these schedules has revealed problems in the process of registering voters for local elections in these areas. It was seen that in many provinces, the number of voters registered exceeded by far the population of the province, as in the case of Mareb City, in which the SEC openly and scandalously declared that the number of voters registered was 3,171 more than the total population in the province. On the other hand, in the province of Al-Abr, the number of voters was 580 more than the population. In the Thamood province, the difference was 560 names. In Taff Alawamir, the difference was 927 names. Incredibly, in many other provinces the difference between the number of voters registered and people living in the respected area was simply illogical. In the Kamaran province for example, the number of voters was 584, which means it also includes children younger than 18 years old, over-aged, immigrants, and god knows who else, as those make up more than 50% of the population of the area. 22 January 2001, Weekly, Independent A Conspiracy Against the President Yesterday, it was proven to me that the public changes, and that there is a change in the mood of the nation. Ten years ago for example, who would ever dare to curse the president Ðmay God bless him. The admirers of the president would roughly beat up whoever would dare Ð by the time Ð to do that. Approximately five years ago, a few dared to harm the image of the president. Whoever did that would receive a strong response from others. Just two years ago, stating anything bad about the president would make many defend him vigorously. However, the motive of defending the president weakened further with time until the public became unconvinced of the idea of holding the ones below the president responsible for the deteriorating economic conditions. Just yesterday, while I was on a minibus 'Dabbab' on the Hayel-Tahrir route, one of the passengers violently started to curse the president, and in no time, all the rest starting cursing with him. They all held the president responsible for the corruption spread all over the country because he keeps silent against all the corrupt. When no one defended the president, I decided to do so myself, but the rest of the passengers stopped me roughly and one of them even swore at me and considered me part of the corruption because I am defending the president. What happened made me upset because the president is not a regular person who could be cursed, because that is like cursing the whole nation, because the president is the symbol of the whole nation. Even normal Yemeni citizens were not exempted from the rain of curses and malediction because this is a country that is cursed by God and its people are cowards. This event was the reason for writing this editorial at this particular time. This editorial is not for the readers of this paper, but it is aimed at the president only. I do hope that he would read it without taking any prejudgments. It is just a word of truth and is not among the articles used in political plots or parties' affairs. It is just from a citizen who wanted to defend the president but couldn't, no more than that and no less. To the Yemeni citizen who became president, and became responsible of all affairs in the country in front of Allah, history, and people, I say, If the corrupt, Mr. President, in your country, think that the improvement of their conditions and securing of their children's future means the improvement of all Yemenis and securing the generations' futures for all people, then they are wrong and also deceivers because the people are in their worst conditions! The people have been robbed of the food from their mouths and are tortured by the sick economy, failing heath, deteriorating education, overall disorganization and chaos, which made power over justice, above constitution, and even above the Holy Book and Sunnet. Whoever says to you that things are going fine, are liars, liars, liars. There is nothing all right, and if you did not notice this, the country is heading towards a dead end that may lead to a catastrophe. We, the normal simple citizens emphasize that getting closer to you by praising the situation of the country is a conspiracy against you. Maintaining and keeping corruption is threatening your popularity and your place within the Yemeni people. People are fed up, and happiness has became scarce, and a clean morsel has become tough to get. All routes to adequate life have all been blocked. What should they do? As they look at the different qualities of life and the luxury of the few, who are chasing after your convoy with greed and desire, and the total poverty of millions who chant your name and line up to guard your escort. Mr. President, the influential figures, whose influence ends when reaching you, under the absence of law and justice have robbed the people of their sources of living, and let their and their children's greed break free into the world of business and hard cash, and ruined the businesses of the people, and used their authorities and influence to win bids, make deals, grab authorizations, and seize land piece by piece. They have exhausted the national budget with their messing about, defalcation, and wasting. They have become rich on the expenses of development. To hell with the development that they keep drawling on about, while we are witnessing that society is falling apart, while their welfare is in continuous growth and expansion. The one who stays silent while seeing wrongdoings is a speechless devil. Oh, how large is the number of devils we have in this country! The reality that we want H.E. the President to see with his own eyes, and not with the eyes of the corrupt, is the fact that our people, who are sinking in the darkness of backwardness, are no longer unaware of what is going on, as it used to be. Hunger and poverty have taught the nation where the problem is, and to a large extent they have now realized whom to hold accountable. The Yemeni citizen still believes in the one ruler and realizes with his political intelligence the falseness of the ruling establishment. He only knows one ruler, who when orders, he has the right to do so in this country, and he is the only decision maker. Corruption is causing decay to everything, and the law of power is imposing itself in the time of absence of law and emergence of chaos. Whoever is able to get himself a piece of the nation's resources, did so, and whoever could oppress the people, did so, and whoever got the chance to defalcate, steal, or rob, did so. Everything is open and legitimate for them. It seems that the reports of your inspectors try to not to cause you to be concerned. Mr. President, you may have your own personal reasons for ruling this country the way you do, which we don't know. But the looseness in implementing the law, and enabling unfair competition, and demolishing the fairness of chances using the sword of influence, and honoring the corrupt, and afterwards thinking that Yemen is doing fine, and the nation is doing swell, according to what the corrupt are telling you, all of this threatens your prestige. Mr. President, your patience in eliminating corruption and the corrupt, who are guiding the country to abyss, has been taking too long. Do help us all to stay good citizens wishing you well. 23 January 2001, Weekly, Independent Former Secretary of Defense William Cohen concluded after three months of investigating that the USS Cole Destroyer explosion incident in Aden Port last October should be blamed on the US Military Forces as a whole. He also stated that the whole Military Forces, starting from himself as Secretary of Defense to the lowest ranking administration members in the USS Cole itself are to be blamed for not being alert enough to such dangers, so as to prevent the USS Cole bombing. He also stated that there was evidence of a threat, but this did not reach the USS Cole at the appropriate time. Hence, the US investigation bureau is not to be held responsible for what happened, but rather the Military Administration should be held accountable. Press sources have indicated that this may be a maneuver to cause a situation in which no single individual or entity could be prosecuted for negligence in the incident. 28 January 2001, Daily, Official Hijacked Plane and Securing the Safety of its Passengers President Ali Abdullah Saleh along with Vice President, Abdo Rabbo Mansour Hadi, praised the staff members of the IY 727 Yemenia aircraft, which went through a hijack attempt on January 22 while on its way from Sanaa to Taiz with 22 passengers on board. The President presented honorary medals to the team on Saturday January 28 for their sincere efforts to save the plane and secure the safety of the passengers with their skills and wisdom. The President Receives a Message of Gratitude from US President Bush: "We look forward to continuing cooperation and friendship links between Yemen and the USA" President Ali Abdullah Saleh received a cable from US President George W. Bush thanking him for his congratulatory cable on being elected as President of the USA. President Bush also mentioned in his letter that he is honored to be the president of the USA, and that he is determined to carry all the responsibilities of the presidency post, and looks forward to increasing the bilateral relationship between Yemen and the USA, and continuing cooperation and friendship links between the two countries. He also expressed his confidence that through the spirit of cooperation, respect, and open dialogue, we (Yemen and USA) will be able to successfully handle all the challenges of the future. Finally, he mentioned in his letter that the future will provide us many opportunities, of which we could take advantage in an effort to push the peace, freedom, and prosperity of both our nations. 23 January 2001, Weekly, Independent Secret negotiations are currently taking place these days between influential figures in the Jumhuri Hospital in Sanaa and the Mudhaffar Company for Medicine over a deal of rotten and smuggled goods blocked at Hodeidah airport after high orders from the Ministry of Health. A committee has been formed consisting of the General Medicine Authority and the Medicine Supervisory Authority, and Hodeidah Customs Office to reveal what is behind this deal. It was found that almost half of the amount of the drugs was smuggled, and a major part of it decayed because of improper preservation. According to the above committee's recommendation, the shipment has been blocked. However, the owners of Al-Mudhaffar Company turned to influential brokers at Jumhuri Hospital to try to release the decayed drugs from the port. Al-Arabi, 22 January 2001, Weekly, mouthpiece of Arab Baath Party Kidnappers of Maswari's son claims that the abducted owes him weapons for 40 million rial President Ali Abdullah Saleh ordered the Sheikhs of Khawlan to pressurize the kidnappers of the son of Hussein Al-Maswari, General Secretary of Sanaa City, so as to release him . On the other hand, the Sanaa Sheikhs have met and decided that Sheikh Dammani Nasser Al-Salami will mediate and negotiate with the kidnappers and learn their demands so as to arrive at a satisfactory solution for . Sheikh Dammani went to kidnapping area, but returned empty handed. The abductors, headed by Mohamed Ali Siraj, claim that the son of Maswari had bought weapons and other material costing around YR 40 million without paying him, hence he decided to kidnap him. Also, Bani Dhabian told Al-Ihya that they intend to file a lawsuit against Mohammed Ali Saleh Al-Salimi, one of the Sheikhs of Bani Dhabian in protest of what it had earlier published against the tribe in particular, and Khawlan in general. |
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