Al- Houthi seeks US intervention [Archives:2005/844/Front Page]
Mohammed bin Sallam
In an interview to the Arabia Satellite TV channel from his residence in the Swedish capital Stockholm last Friday, Yemeni MP Yahya al-Houthi said, “I have contacts with the United States of America and several states asking them to intervene for resolving the issue between the authority and al-Houthi group and we have presented files on the issue to international courts.” Parliamentarian al-Houthi has also called on every human and international organization to intervene for solving the crisis and putting an end to the war.
Mr al-Houthi also mentioned that the ruling party ” General People's Congress”, of which he is a member, was following a policy of fighting some of its members and that most of those killed in the events of Saada were from the ruling party that is practicing suppressive policy against them and their families.
On the reasons why the GPC was fighting them, he said there were many reasons that pushed the authority to act against them, citing sheikh Abdullah Al-Ahmar's saying that the authority is living inside a dark tunnel and that it wants to get out of that dark tunnel by killing and destroying the people and us.
Al-Houthi also says we have not formed an independent organization or political party with a definite title but rather citizens reconciled with all people, whether in authority or not, adding that his brother Hussein al-Houthi was embracing an ideology, leading a cultural movement and that he was not after toppling the ruling regime as well as not having any ambitions in power.
Mr Yahya al-Houthi had said in earlier press statements that he had not asked from the Swedish government to be granted political asylum and that he would go back to Yemen after ending his tour and his medical checking. He confirmed he would inevitably return to his country and was not afraid of being arrested at Sana'a airport.
Yahya al-Houthi, 45, is the brother of Hussein al-Houthi, leader of the ” Believing Youth” organization, who was killed on 10 September 2004 in the first military confrontations between government troops and his followers in mountainous regions in north Yemen. He says the solution of the problem that the Yemeni government calls the ” armed insurgency” is in the hand of president Ali Abdullah Saleh alone, asking him to put an end to the killing and arrests among the citizens in the area. Al-Houthi says” We appeal the president to have mercy on us and to be merciful with my elderly ailing father Badruduin al-Houthi, 86 years old.” MP Yahya says he does not have any telephone contacts with his father but he was assured about him because his father is under the care of one of his brothers. He added that the government forces had killed four of his thirteen brothers, three of them were in Yemeni prisons and others were at large.
On the other hand, sheikh Badruddin al-Houthi and his followers have termed six conditions to accept the initiative made by President Ali Abdullah Saleh for granting them pardon, whereas judge Hamopud al-Hattar said the pardon did not include those who had fought the government forces. According a presidential source the sheikh al-Houthi and his followers demanded an unconditional amnesty including reparations to the inhabitants of the area during the war, reconstruction of the places destroyed during battles and evacuation of army troops from their area. Al-Houthin also set as condition the recognition of the freedom of thought, ideology and that of reviving religious occasions as well as the release of all detainees, provided that acceptance of those conditions are announced on television and official press.
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