26 SEPTEMBER: Sanaa weekly, 5-3-98. [Archives:1998/10/Press Review]

(Yemen Armed Forces)   Main Headline:
1- Supervised by the President, a national committee to oversee Grand Mosque expansion starts its activities.
2- 15 cooperation agreements are signed by the Yemeni-Tunisian committee.
4- Yemen’s efforts to join GATT received an international boost during Monaco economic summit.
5- Ministry of Interior is to exempt EU citizens from entry visas into Yemen.
Article Summary:
Transparency & Optimism
By: Iskander Al-Asbahi
It was both saddening and optimism engendering to attend the special seminar organized by the US embassy in Sanaa to discuss the US State Department report on Yemen. It was saddening to see several Yemeni political figures enthusiastically flocking to be in the hands of “Mama America.” The US has lost its credibility as a defender of human rights around the world when it came to dealing with its beloved charge – Israel.
The report on human rights in Yemen did not present anything new. It is true that few violations of human rights do take place in Yemen. But the US report came with a lot of distorted, incorrect, or exaggerated information.
What creates optimism, on the other hand, is that such matters are now discussed publicly and through the media, indicating a true official desire to change things.

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