Press Review [Archives:2001/49/Press Review]
Al-Ayyam daily, 28 Nov. 2001 In his article titled ” A cold war”, columnist Ali Salem Al-Yazeedi says in the light of the realities felt by any discerning observer, it could be confirmed that there is a real confrontation and strong differences between the Yemeni Congregation for Reform party (Islah) and the ruling party.
Some of these differences are pivoted around expanding traditional interests in preparation for the coming stage and its changeables, while others are based on religious and ideological and political convictions.
The one time tense and relaxed on the other time between the two close rivals has become very familiar. But if such engagements or cold war between the ruling party and Islah remain confined to the authority, they would not be very detrimental. The harmful aspect is that such engagements take more than one aspect and become tangible part of our life.
RAY weekly, organ of Sons of Yemen League party, 27 Nov. 2001
The newspaper’s editorial says president Ali Abdulla Saleh to the United States at this particular time, is an extension for his approach of reading present realities and comprehending their effects locally. The president proceeds from his understanding of the inevitability of change, let alone his desire to lead it for the country’s interest.
President Saleh is the man most capable of leading the process of change due to the distinguished abilities he possesses. He also possesses a deep understanding of the necessity of change and requirements of the present. All we hop that his will for change overcomes all attempts by forces of backwardness while there is still an opportunity for the homeland to reap its fruits.
Annas weekly, 28 Nov. 2001
In an article by Dr Husni al-Jawsha’aie he raises some questions about is going to happen next and what would be America’s next steps, especially after the unexpected speedy collapse of he Taliban in Afghanistan.
The writer says that since assumption of power four years ago the Taliban leaders began to behave like amateurs rather than statesmen and politicians. The began antagonizing the people of Afghanistan before the outside world. They used to beat people for smoking and for not growing beards. They prevented women from work and forced non-Moslem minorities to put on yellow clothes. They had antagonized the west with their bombastic statements and suggestions of possessing a great force of destructive weapons. For more than once they refused to negotiate with their enemies in the northern alliance and talks hosted by Saudi Arabia resulted in failure as did the talks hosted by Pakistan.
Regarding he speedy fall of the Taliban government, the writer ascribes it to the fact that the movement has not established a popular base for it. The movement had lost its popularity since the first day of entering Kabul and controlled administration of everything there. Instead of trying to get closer to the people it began treating them in a bad way that generated peoples’ hatred toward the movement.
Now the new rulers are representing a group that is inconsistent ideologically and intellectually. As soon as they would assume power it is expected that differences battles would begin to surface among them.
As-Sahwa weekly, 29 Nov. 2001
Editor of the newspaper has written an article devoted to president Ali Abdulla Saleh’s visit to Washington. He says the visit and the memorandums of understanding and cooperation agreements that would result from it are considered the first practical and strongest answer that silences and aborts the attempts aimed at pushing Yemen into a target angle of combating terror operations. The visit comes at a critical time governed by the U.S. criterion i.e. ” with us or with terror”. All realize that president Saleh is the very keen on that the development battle in our country would not be dragged to be hostage to certain options that could impinge on the national sovereignty.
As all Yemeni political forces have confirmed their rejection of terror which means imposition of options and convictions by force and terrorizing the peaceful whether in America or in any other place, we have to realize that there are challenges against which only the Arab system stands in an imbalanced battle. Some Arab leaders have utilized the world events to describe their opponents as ”stray dogs” while others said with confidence that there is no terrorism in dictatorial regimes. It should be comprehended that those leaders have no relationship with development and independence which have no foundation without broad freedoms, actual pluralism and legitimate difference in views.
It is important to point out the necessity of Arab coordination on part of regimes, bilaterally and collectively so that to give preponderance to Arab independence.
An-Nahar fortnightly, 28 Nov. 2001
In his article Mr Shihab Al-Ahdal says day by day the opposition and the Yemeni Congregation for Reform party introduce to us a new political acrobat in dealing with political events and stands.
Actually, the belief in opposition under such a situation has become a kind of bluffing. How one would respect an opposition that every day discharges its cadres who have struggled for long years just at a mood of anger only to be an easy victim of the authority? We are quite aware that the Supreme Elections Committee was formed with a majority in favor of the ruling party but this majority would not have been achieved had the opposition taken a stand truly proving what it had loudly stated.
The opposition has not raised to the level of its responsibility when it had secretly approved the amendments and overtly criticize those amendments just as an act of face-saving. It is an opposition investing innocent generations at the expense of principles. Al-Wahda weekly, 28 Nov. 2001 Mr Khalid Salman writes in an article that what is eye-catching is that in the American policy that its facing the variables of the area, specifically when there are violent confrontations, the American action comes enveloped with promises of resolving the Middle East problem. They are promises that up till now have not brought forth any just political balanced settlement to the Arab-Israeli conflict in general and the Palestinian-Israeli one in particular.
We have witnessed this during and before the second Gulf war where the military action against Iraq was accompanied with a political address offering promises and making the act of destroying Iraq an associated condition for the settlement in the Middle East. Though the American scheme has succeeded in undermining the Iraqi regime and destroying its military power and weakening its economic capabilities and produced a humanitarian tragedy there accompanied with an Arab silence, but neither of those promises came to surface.
It is an American policy that has promised then outflanked its pledges to consequently keep the region in a state of no war, no peace, though it has weakened the Arab camp by taking out the Iraqi military power from the confrontation arena and tipped the balance in favor of Israel.
The present American administration under George W. Bush is doing the same and implementing the same scenario. While amidst its global war against terror, the American administration is working hard to burn the Palestinian card in the hands of its adversaries in al-Qaeda organization and stripping it of the force of the national and religious address and at the same time presenting assuring statements to the Palestinian street regarding the Palestinian cause. It displays an American resolution on taking unprecedented steps contradicting what is known of the American policy towards the Middle East and towards Israel.
Al-Wahdawi weekly, organ of the Nasserite People’s Unionist organization, 27 Nov. 2001
Columnist Ali Al- Saqqf says that we certainly have different views with those called the Afghan Arabs, but that absolutely does not mean that we ignore them in their present ordeal in Afghanistan.
Those young men who left for Afghanistan pushed by their belief in a case they see as deserving to leave their families and homelands, were not aware that a day will come when they would be killed at the hands of their comrades in arms and brothers in the jihad. They have not thought of the day when all forces of oppression and killing and evil join forces, considering them ( the young men) the sole evil that must be eliminated so that humanity entertains safety and peace.
The killing and oppression happening to those young men should provoke our nationalistic and humanitarian feelings. To leave alone facing their desperate destiny is a crime to be added to the crimes of the Arab regimes. Those young men are principally victims of the regimes of suppression drowned in the mire of corruption.
The writer adds by wondering if the regimes would act to bear their responsibility to rescue what remained of them or would they bless the operation of annihilating them and their families at the hands of the Northern alliance who are characterized by premonition of eagerness for revenge and rancor.
Al-Balagh weekly, 27 Nov. 2001 The chief editor of the newspaper has written a comment on president Ali Abdulla Saleh’s meeting and talks with the U.S. president George Bush in Washington. He says the meeting acquires a great importance as the world is witnessing a declared American war on terror and as some are trying to attach the charge of terror and harboring terrorists to Yemen. Therefore we find the Yemeni public and the political parties stand abreast behind the president in his talks with the American administration. They proceed from their knowledge that the American administration would try as much as possible to get the biggest amount of gains from the meeting.
The American side may attempt to use promises of offering assistance to support development in our country, especially in the remote areas, along with pressures. The importance of the meeting springs from the fact that its impact would be reflected on Yemen’s political, development and social future because any of the agreements to be concluded and the promises to be given would inevitably be reflected on the internal situation in our country.
The writer adds that the president’s visit to Germany and France gives some assurance because his talks there offers the president a scope of more than one option.
26 September weekly, organ of Yemeni Armed Forces, 29 Nov. 2001
The political editor has devoted his article to observing he 30th of November as a historic day in the history of the Yemeni people’s struggle and their national movement for independence.
The political editor elaborates in his article that 30 November of 1967 is a victory day for the Yemen revolution and a landmark of Yemen’s unity of struggle against the Imamite regime and colonialism. It has been embodied in the rally of all sons of Yemen behind the revolution of September 26 and their defense of it.
The 30 November is the day when our people had with their strife and their blood put an end to 129 years of foreign occupation. Now the 34th anniversary of independence comes while the homeland is going ahead, under leadership of the country’s unity architect, with steady steps towards a future characterized by more development and prosperity. Celebrating this occasion is a renewable confirmation of our joy in the day of freedom and independence.
Al-Umma weekly, 29 Nov. 2001 An article published by the newspaper on the attitude towards the Afghan Arabs says while Taliban movement is about to relinquish its control over the city of Kandahar, the last of its strongholds the main question remains to be where the American war machine would be heading as part of the campaign aimed at subjugating and blackmailing the Arab and Islamic world.
One of the preliminary outcomes of the American-western war in Afghanistan is the savagery and violence in dealing with those termed as Afghan Arabs. Despite the media blackout facts are unfolding about the massacres perpetrated by the northern alliance forces and the American and British troops against Taliban soldiers and their allies from Arabs, Pakistanis, Chechens and others.
Undoubtedly these crimes would deepen the mutual enmity between the Afghani, Pakistani, Chechan and Arab tribes. This enmity would be reflected negatively on the future of relations of any regime ruling in Kabul with its neighbors.
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