Press Review [Archives:2002/42/Press Review]

Al-Balagh Weekly, 8 Oct. 2002
Main Headlines:
-International intelligence behind French vessel incident
-Prospects of failure of Qatari mediation between Yemen & Eritrea
-Saudi Arabia considers boycotting GCC summit
-Political advisor of German embassy in Yemen: Germany sees no reason between inspectors return and changing the Iraqi’s regime.
-Joint Meeting Parties demand barring armed forces members from taking part in the elections
-War of statements between ruling party and opposition
The editor in chief says in his article that the blast occurred in the French oil tanker Limburg offshore Hadramout Coasts arouse many questions concerning its timing and its results. If we consider the French statements and reports published in the Israeli enemy press we find that speedy jumping to conclusions was their prevalent characteristic. Those statements and news have quickly confirmed that it was a terrorist act. Hence we are before a speedy attempt to put the charge on “terrorists” and this would lead to presume they have started from the Yemeni shores. This means attacking the accusation of terrorists presence in Yemen, which according to American statements, is a suitable environment for their presence. Thus the only beneficiary such a theory is the American intelligence that has always sought to attack accusation of terror to Yemen as a great pressure on the regime to attain some yet undeclared goals. Confirming that the alleged terrorists targeted a French oil tanker would perhaps excite the French public opinion against the Arabs and Muslims. It could lead to a French popular pressure on the French stand that refuses the American policy of hitting Iraq. Here all indications point that the beneficiary of there explanations of the incident is the U.S intelligence. Indications, therefore, do not rule out that the explosion in the tanker was carried out by someone from inside the vessel after it had been planned by the U.S intelligence or the Israeli Mosad.
Al-Wahdawi Weekly, organ of the Nasserite people’s Unionist Organization, 8 Oct.2002.

Main Headlines:
-Elections Supreme Committee, military sides distribute army men among constituencies
-Limburg pollution spread to 30 miles in the sea
-Joint Meeting Parties discuss option of boycotting elections
-Yemeni-French team begins investigations into Limburg incident
-Iraqi preparations to confront invaders warplanes
-Zionist occupation forces perpetrate fresh massacre against the Palestinians in Khan Younis city
Columnist Ahmed al-Fakieh says registration process for citizens legally eligible to cast their votes in the coming elections has already begun. What should be stressed is the importance of carrying out an awareness campaign towards the citizens on the importance of exercising his constitutional and legal right. The awareness campaign in this regard seems week.
The mass media, on their part, are also lagging behind in the process of awareness especially after founding new polling centers according to the new electoral division conducted by the Supreme Committee for Elections.
The election process is a very important national activity requires from all political forces, mass organizations and local councils to join forces to contribute to spread awareness among the citizens on the importance of registration and obtaining their election cards.
Ray weekly, organ of the Sons of Yemen League party, 8 Oct.2002.
Main Headlines:
-Yemenis, French, American, Dutch conduct investigation into causes oil tankers blast
-Leaked crude oil threatens marine’s life in the Arabian Sea
-RAY party leader al-Jifri: All indicators confirm our return home soon
Editor in chief Mohammed Jassar writes that the French Oil Tanker incident may be accidental caused by factors having no relation to terror or sabotage. Nevertheless, many of organizations, bodies and individuals would not be convinced it was an accidental event. Regretfully, the reason is that Yemen has become accused of terror. According to statements by the some, it is a haven for extremists and some assume it is a harbor for terrorists. Others have gone further to claim it is another version of Afghanistan.
Many oil tankers have on various occasions caught fire and have been given limited news coverage, but the new incident is not something ordinary for it took place in Yemen, the country that attracted world attention in this particular example. Yemen has captured world attention after it had been an arena for a terrorist act in October,2002 when the destroyer USS Cole was attacked. I do not think this time is appropriate for the some to bury their heads in the sand and show the negative keenness on the homeland reputation through attempting to hide the symptoms. There must be an initiative to threat and reform the social environment via a comprehensive reform operation responding reasonably to requirements of change.
Attariq weekly, 8 Oct.2002.
Main Headlines:
-Fishermen saw smoke rise from the French tankers before the blast
-Numbers of Islah party members sacked from schools administrations
-Training and fighting terror, discussed by Yemen and Britain
-65 thousands registered their names election in Aden
-YSP in Hadramout refuses pressures practiced on the citizens
-Transport vehicles drivers appeal to Oil Minister.
Columnist Khalid Ali Tuainman discusses the U.S. politics, describing it as Neo-Nazism. A scrutinizing look at the international scene, the basic features of which have become clear in the wake of New York and Washington events on 11 September, would be enough to rule out the possibility of the U.S. backing off from its plans to launch war on Iraq. All political indicators point that the U.S is going ahead in beating drums of war for aims having nothing to do the war against the so-called war on terror and disarming Iraq of mass destruction weapons, but rather connected to undeclared goals of the American strategy according to drawing up a new world map. The military and politically scenario the United States intends to implement in Iraq comes in harmony with the objectives of establishing an American colonialist empire. This American strategy that takes the so-called war against terror as its faced and pretext to attain its impossible targets, would lead to a dark international stage dominated with instability and diminishing state of coexistence among peoples.
The American insane dream of founding an Anglo-Saxon empire, dragging the world to those dark historical periods, seems a farfetched one and could not be seen as isolated from the cowboys culture still in control of the American policy orientations. This policy does not appear to dissimilar to the Nazist Policy. The German minister of justice was not exaggerated when she said that the U.S president Bush is dealing with the international community similar to the way Hitler was doing.
26 September weekly, organ of Yemen Armed Forces, 10 Oct. 2002.
Main Headlines:
-Yemeni-Sudanese-Ethiopian summit in Sana’a
-Iranian president visits Yemen on 27 Oct.
-Vice-president confirms strength of Yemeni-Chinese relations
-Investigations continue to unveil ambiguity of the French oil tankers Limburg
The newspaper’s editorial says whatever the causes of the incident that befall the French oil tankers Limburg, Yemen has been the party most harmed. It is now facing a huge environmental disaster with the spreading of the oil slick leaked from oil spilled from the vessel. The leaked oil has caused destruction of marine life at the site of the incident and adjacent areas. Hundreds of fishermen have become deprived of resources of their living, let alone the resulting economic burdens. Nevertheless, Yemen will continue its efforts for understanding the responsibility for protecting its shores and territorial waters and encountering this painful ecological disaster. Undoubtedly, the Limburg incident has revealed an important fact related to the Yemeni-French relations. That has been clearly demonstrated in the telephone conversation between both countries presidents who emphasized joint keenness on searching the truth and making the incident a way for more cementing of strong relations of the two countries.
Until investigations effort are completed and its results are announced, all efforts should be unified for containment of the catastrophe’s caused by leakage of big quantities of crude oil. This is a regional and international responsibility as much as a Yemeni responsibility because environment concerns all.
Al-Sahwa weekly, 10 Oct.2002
Main Headlines:
-350 thousands crude oil barrels threaten coasts with ecological catastrophe
-Islah party refuses attack on Iraq, denounces the U.S resolution towards al-Quds and Syria
-Opposition: Elections Supreme Committee biased to the GPC.
Columnist Zaid bin Ali al-Shami says in his article this week there has been much criticism to the previous electoral register due to mistakes and excuses it contained. All political forces, including the ruling party, have reached a conclusion on the necessity of effecting a new reliable electoral register.
Presently we are at the beginning of a stage of election registration process. We have hoped that all would be keen to bringing about a register empty of excesses and opportunity would be available for all citizens eligible to run voting to register themselves indiscriminately. Unfortunately, all indications do not augur well. The new elections register contains mistakes and excesses more than those in the previous one.

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