In-depth report released Government talks tough on terror [Archives:2003/02/Reportage]

BY ISMAIL AL-GHABIRI &
YASER AL-MAYASI
YEMEN TIMES STAFF
In fact, the government report threw the ball back into the field of these parties warning them that if they encourage extremism they are endangering the whole country.
The government report said the terrorist acts started with kidnapping foreigners and tourists then committing explosions and exploding oil pipes, before it developed to larger actions such as bombing the USS Cole and French tanker Limburg, shooting at a helicopter belonging to the Hunt oil company and finally assassinating a political leader plus three American aid workers in Jeblah.
The report mentioned the various measures adopted by the government even before the USS Cole and the September 11 events, when Yemen called on its friendly countries and the international community to help Yemen in its fight against terror before it becomes an international threat.
But the response of the international community started after the USS Cole incident, and was intensified after the September 11 terrorist act.
Concerning its coordination with the Americans, the government report justified its cooperation and with the USA and other friendly countries in the fight against terror for the interest of Yemen and its people.
The report affirmed that the Nov. 4 killing of Abu Sunyan Al-Harithi by a CIA drone plane was a result of full coordination with the Americans and was done after confirmed reports of his plans to commit a number of terrorist attacks all over country, to harm Yemen, damage its reputation and its relations with its friendly countries.
Moreover, the report reiterated that the government was tolerant and adopted all necessary peaceful measures for democracy and democratic rights, that the people of Yemen are given chances and the extremists have the chance repent of their sins, but neither the extremists nor their parties and people behind them have done so.
Instead they’re committing more dangerous and awful terrorist crimes that contradict with the values of the Yemeni society and the values of Islam which they have been using as an umbrella.
The prime minister then called on MPS to approve the law of controlling weapons, the law of money launbring, and to ratify a number of international and bilateral agreements of concern to fight terror.
The government also called on the parliament to help it amend necessary laws to help in the fight against terror.
The government promised to adopt firm measures at all levels to contain weapons, to track down all suspected terrors or criminals and to present them to justice.
The government also pledged to adopt some extraordinary precautionary measures to protect its air marine and land borders and to develop its intelligence apparatus.
On the political, cultural and information issue, the government pledged to reconsider the laws and legislations that organize media and prevent the publishing or preaching of hatred or intimidation.
The government also pledged to reinforce the roles of Dar Al Ifta and all media education and social institutions and all governmental and non governmental institutions to work together for tolerance and moderation and stop all campaigns of political and religious nature that all call for hatred and intimidating others or agitate inhumanitarian feelings towards others.
The government also pledged its commitment as a partner in the international coalitions against terror and therefore it will work for increasing cooperation with all countries and aspects of cooperation in the security military and inelegance affairs.
It will ask the influencial countries to shoulder their responsibilities and help Yemen in the boarders of the fight against terror.
The government also will work for establishing a regional security network and will work for joining more coalitions that help in getting more mutual economical and security benefits.
The report to the parliament concluded by calling for unifying all groups to combat terrorism and ensure the state of law and order.
After also realizing the threat of terrorist groups to destroy oil, economical and strategic installations, the Yemeni government proved to be swift to coordinate with the US in the field of security cooperation.
The coordination between the two governments, has come after the September 11 terrorist attacks and the anti-terror campaign.
The terror campaign has been high on the agenda of the international community. This entails mobilizing efforts of entire nations, including Yemen, to encounter this global issue.
The report has aimed at disclosing facts regarding the sabotage acts and explosions that took place from time to time against the country and citizens. Those terrorist acts have destabilized the security of the country and put Yemen near the edge of terror-targeted countries.
Yemen has for a long time suffered from terrorist acts. In 1998, an Islamic terrorist group called Abyan-Aden Islamic Army killed some foreigners in Abyan.
The public and private interests have become the main targets for those groups without any justifications.
Those acts have negatively affected the economical and developmental growth and thus the Yemen’s good reputation have been also affected by such terrorist attacks.
The report has indicated as a result of sabotage and terrorist acts, political pluralism, the freedom of press and expressions have been also exploited by those groups to achieve their selfish ambitions which are against the country’s benefits and interests.
They have supported terrorism in all its forms.
The terror acts haven’t all been conducted by Yemeni individuals. There are also other groups from different nationalities who took part and supervised attacks.
The terror networks discovered in 1997 intended to conduct assassination operations against a number of officials in the government and against foreign interests in the country.
In 1998, ten people were arrested in Aden and Shabwa governorate and in their possession of explosives and telecom equipment sent by Abu Alhamza al-Masri.
These groups didn’t conducted terror operations by themselves, they also could coordinate with the influential tribes and they could seek protection with them.
That could be detected when a group of security men were fanned out to Marib governorate to track down some of the terror groups. Around 19 soldiers were killed and more than 28 were injured as they attempted to rein in suspects.
Those groups according to the report use advanced use various technology and means such as telecommunication means, fancy dress, cosmetics to disguise themselves, tape recorders, cameras and remote control machines.
The report also has indicated that most of the terrorist acts have come as a result of some religious extremists to issue religious decrees, or fatwas through mosque sermons, cassettes, calling youths from multi-racial nationalities from the four corners of the world to come to Yemen with the aim of joining universities, schools, and religious institutions to receive extremist ideas.
In addition to this, the report says that terrorist elements have also been wanted by their governments.
Some of those elements were in Afghanistan, financed by some religious and charitable institutions and others from abroad.
Most of the report deals with the losses in different spheres of terror operations, including security, media, investment, tourism and environment as a result of the explosion of the French super tanker, Limburg. More than 150 thousands barrels of crude oil flows to the sea and has caused massive environmental pollution to sea waters.


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