Al-Nahar [Archives:2004/701/Press Review]

1 Jan. 2004
Main headlines:
– Saudi Arabia announces surrender of leading extremists
– Official discloses corruption; Drought threatens residents of Jihaf, al-Azzariq with migrating to al-Dhalie
– Chamber of Commerce warns against sales law
The Yemeni enthusiasm to obtain full membership of the GCC has retreated after two years since the Muscat summit decision of joining Yemen to four ministerial councils. It seems that Sana'a is no longer wagering on the possibility of having a decision issued by the GCC summit modifying the frame that it has placed Yemen in and has become determining the relationship with the GCC. Hat has made Yemen casting its attention towards the Horn of Africa to establish a new alliance.
A senior government official has recently said the many meetings held by the committee assigned with implementing the Gulf Summit decision and determining the frame of the relationship between the two sides, revealed that there is no real intention to take this relation to the level of full membership. This could be either because of the GCC statute or because some of its members are not so enthusiastic to end two decades of tug of war on Yemen's position in the Gulf system.
——
[archive-e:701-v:13-y:2004-d:2004-01-08-p:press]