Interior Minister in a Press Conference: “J’accuse!” [Archives:1998/30/Local News]

Interior Minister Major-General Mohammed Hussain Arab pointed the finger at Saudi Arabia. In a press conference held in Sanaa on Saturday, July 25, the minister announced that Saudi Arabia had violated bilateral treaties, agreements, Memoranda of Understanding, and whatever was between the two nations 73 times in less than one month.
Violations enumerated by the minister included the recurrent violations by Saudi forces of Yemeni territory. He indicated that during the period from 13 June to 15 July, there were 73 violations of Yemeni border territory in the air, on land and in the sea. “These violations were mainly concentrated in the eastern and western border regions of Yemen,” announced the minister.
Speaking about the island of Duwaima, he insisted it was 100% Yemeni. “Saudi Arabia has absolutely no historical or legal rights to the island,” he asserted. Sharing the island – as Saudi Interior Minister Prince Nayif Bin Abdulaziz had suggested – “was totally of out of the question” the Yemeni official said.
One particular incident narrated by Mr. Arab involved besieging the Saudi troops that drove into Yemeni territory. Contacts were made with Saudi authorities, which resulted in securing the release of their troops unharmed and with their full weaponry. “This was a good-will gesture by the Yemeni leadership to keep the good neighborly relationship between the two countries.”
Another issue touched upon by the minister is car theft and smuggling. He indicated that there are specialized gangs operating from Saudi territory. They steal cars – usually belonging to oil companies operating in Yemen, take them over the border into the Saudi region of Najran, change their bodies or chassis, re-paint them and sell them back in Yemen!
“Saudi Arabia is also always trying to introduce dé facto installations and army positions over the border into Yemeni territory.”
According to Mr. Arab, Yemeni has requested Saudi Arabia to hand over a number of elements involved in acts of violence and subversion on Yemeni soil. “Five people were named to the Saudi Authorities who are believed to be in Najran.
On another level, he talked about the ambush, which he himself, the Minister of Local Administration, the chief of the Political Security Organization, and the Governor of Al-Jawf had incurred while returning from an inspection visit to Matamma, Al-Jawf.
“A number of suspects have been apprehended, and army troops are surrounding the area where the rest of the armed gang is believed to be holed up.” Some of the wounded perpetrators are thought be now in Saudi Arabia being treated at Najran military hospitals.
By: Ismail Al-Ghabry,
Yemen Times.
——
[archive-e:30-v:1998-y:1998-d:1998-07-27-p:./1998/iss30/ln.htm]