Critics don’t like US ambassador Hull eitherYemeni-Saudi relations need mending [Archives:2004/708/Local News]
Mohammed bin Sallam
Al-Ra'ie Al-A'am weekly newspaper said in its Jan. 20 edition that many people have expressed resentment to the behaviour of both American and Saudi ambassadors to Yemen; Edmond Hull and Mohammed Bin Mardas al-Qahtani. They see their behaviour as irresponsible and incompatible with rules and morals and norms of diplomats.
Some circles have demanded expulsion of the two ambassadors, believing that their behaviour are violating norms and suspicious and exceeding the limits of their basic tasks for which they have been accredited to Yemen to represent their countries as ambassadors. They have made themselves high commissioners and began behaving in a way implying they are working for their own or for intelligence sides.
These circles consider the two ambassadors as persona non grata, because they do damage to relations of their countries with Yemen instead of serving them.''
The newspaper mentioned that the ambassador al-Qahtani is a man who does not understand anything of the political job, for otherwise he would have been keen to embody a good image as representative and ambassador of the Kingdom of sisterly Saudi Arabia, a place that has strong historical bonds and relations with Yemen based on fraternity, neighbourhood and common destiny, and not as representative of the special committee for which he works.
Regarding the American ambassador to Yemen, the newspaper said some critics have expressed their indignation towards his behaviour and dubious movements and his arrogant conduct through which he tries to interfere in Yemen's internal affairs, all under the pretext of fighting terror. They say Edmund Hull behaves in a manner that hurts the good relations between the Yemeni Republic and the United States of America.
In the same issue the newspaper has also mentioned that a number of citizens demanded to grant the Yemeni foreign minister the title of his highness the prince so that he would be a matching to his princes counterparts and given reception when he visits their countries.
The paper has added that the demand came in the light of the latest visit he made to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and was not received by his Saudi counterpart prince Saud al-Faisal, but by his assistant Ayad Madani, perhaps Dr al-Qirbi, who does not hold the title of prince.
On the other hand various media have mentioned that Saudi authorities refused entrance of Yemeni pilgrims to their territories via al-Wadeea' inlet, on which Saudi officials said the inlet, was not agreed upon between the two countries to be used by the pilgrims.
More 422 Yemeni pilgrims had returned from al-Wadeea' crossing via Sana'a and entered the Saudi territories across Hardh inlet which is hundreds of km away.
This measure comes abut a week after the Saudi authorities have allowed the entrance of Yemeni agricultural products after they had prevented them under allegation of being contaminated with pollution. Some political observers say it seems the Saudi Arabia intentionally tries to create crises with Yemen for political purposes.
And within the framework of the new Saudi-Gulf hostile campaign against Yemen the Saudi interior minister prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz confirmed last Wednesday his county's refusal to have Yemen join the GCC because, to his opinion, it is not a Gulf state.
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