Press Review [Archives:2002/43/Press Review]

Al-Wahdawi weekly, organ of the Nasserite People’s Unionist Organization, 15 Oct,2002.
Main Headlines:
-Unidentified dead body found during investigations into Limburg incident
-Saudi Emirs behind Yemen failure in fighting terror
-Joint Meeting parties head to boycott elections in response to ruling party breaches
-A citizen killed in clashes in the capital
-Members from the ruling party in Hodeidah attack a Nasserite activist
Columnist Rahma Hujeira says in an article that al-Qaeda organization appears to have adopted the attack on the French oil tanker Limburg in Yemen, Failaka operation in Kuwait and Bali explosions in Indonesia when Sheik Osama bin Laden congratulated Muslims on those operations, describing them as heroic. He mentioned that timing of the three incidents, a year after America pledged to destroy al-Qaeda and Taliban, were not by a chance a clear and strong message to all enemies. Al-Qaeda organization tries to benefit from all that happen of counterattacks and responses to the Zionist massacres in Palestine and American support for them, and also America’s increasing aggressions on Islamic peoples. The organization wants to prove that it is still alive and running the battle which has begun.
The writer hoped that it would be better for bin Laden to have realized the effects of his statement, especially on Yemen. She says there would be an economic bill too expensive for Yemen to pay. Politically, the statements would force more concessions and submission to American demands. Moreover, the statement could kill the hope of release many detainees suspected to have links to al-Qaeda. There would be a worse consequences resulting in adding further hundreds of innocent detainees to those who are already behind bars.
 

Al-Balagh weekly, Oct. 2002.
Main Headlines:
-American troops arrest Yemeni soldiers in Qatar
-Bin Laden confirms America’s failure in realizing its major goals in Afghanistan
-Yemeni, French investigators preponderate possibilities of French oil tanker Limburg as hit by American rocket
-Non-Governmental organizations offer their help to bear part of losses resulted from Limburg incident
-Law suit against Proctle & Gamble field by its employees
-UNDP resident representative: We will not observe the elections unless Yemen asks us
The newspaper’s editorial affirms that Yemen’s relation with America has been characterized by contradiction. America tries to keep various files open at a time Yemen has earlier got aware of that and it worked hard to close the files the U.S wants to keep open. Our country’s policy has been characterized by calmness which enabled it make the U.S miss many chances, the latest of which is closure of the file of those suspected to be involved in USS Cole incident and referred the case to justice. Yemen has now gone further by holding a tripartite summit grouping it with Sudan and Ethiopia. This will snatch from America one of the most important cards it playing with the region.
ATTARIQ weekly, 15 Oct.2002.
Main Headlines:
-A big power intelligence organization, could be behind the attack on the French vessel Limburg
-Expectations of 40 personalities to compete in Abyan constituencies
-Yafie forum preparatory committee, announced
-What’s behind Sana’a tripartite summit?
-Chasing and fire shots in Attaq streets
Columnist Khalid Ali Tuaiman says that the helpless citizen under the burden of living difficulties, find it difficult to discover that the opposition in this country is of the type that obeys the authority’s orders. Leaders of the opposition seize all opportunities to express their allegiance and obedience to the regime. They confirm that their objective is not the democratic transfer of power, but rather obtaining a portion of the “political cake” , improving living and position conditions of the some who are close to them and gagging their mouths. He describes the opposition as “merely one of the landmarks and elements of the democratic décor in the country”. The ruling elite is keen to make this décor as prominent for political gains inside and outside the country. Such a type of opposition arouse the citizens ‘s ridicule as they are sure it only acts as a false witness on unreal rituals of democracy.
Al-Shoura weekly, organ of Yemen People’s Forces,13 Oct.2002.
Main Headlines:
-America stresses importance of a military base in Aden
-Dutch divers trey to solve French tanker puzzle
-Law suits against abusing rights of army and security men
-Rights and democratic freedoms defense organization begins watching election registration
-Security committees in Aden confiscate electoral committees duties
-Eight Islah members arrested in Hodeidah, other ten pursued
-Al-Zahir district governor, in Jawf governorate , killed
The political editor writes that excesses and breaches carried out within the registration process dictate on the political opposition and all forces in society to confront this miserable situations and stop the tampering that could torpedo the democratic experiment and margin of freedom in this country.
At the Joint Meeting Parties undertake the responsibility of confrontation to preserve the democratic experiment, the ruling party’s insistence on considering the JMP as conspiracy reaching an extent of betrayal imposed a new challenge on the opposition and democracy supporters in the Yemeni society. It is the kind of challenge that requires from all to exert more efforts rescue democracy by curbing forgery in the new election register and the use of the state capabilities for serving the ruling party. Unless the Supreme Committee for Elections plays its role it is entrusted with constitutionally and legally and prevents irresponsible behavior of the ruling party, it would be considered as working to change the elections into a referendum, if it accepts to be partners of the ruling party in ousting its opponents and rivals by following illegitimate ways.
RAY weekly, organ of Sons of Yemen League party, 15 Oct.2002
Main Headlines:
-Bin Laden adopts the two incident in Kuwait and Mukalla
-In Limburg vessel incident, a second dead body found
-Political forces citizens election registration process
-Yemen signs agreement on its joining the GCC
-Tripartite summit, coordination in fighting terror, a message to Eritrea
In its editorial the newspaper says that the opposition, ruling politicians and the public say the present way of election registration process is a kind of force mocking its actors and audience. It was a great victory for democracy when the political forces reached an agreement on canceling the previous records of voters and replacing it by another one. But the hustle and bustle of dividing the shares at registration committees has revealed repetition of the same factors which produced the previous record. The new modality of election registration caused about forty thousand voters to be away from their homes for more than a month and spending large amounts of money, and the result is re-introduction of election record we have refused earlier. In conclusion the editorial urged to stop the farce and restore credibility the elections process.
26 September weekly, organ of Yemen Armed Forces, 17, Oct.2002.
Main Headlines:
-Interior minister: Limburg incident, a terrorist act.
-Official source at Defense Ministry : Armed forces and security men, citizens having the right to exercise democracy
-The president confirms Yemen keenness on enhancing relations with the GCC states
-Agreement on Yemen acceding to GCC institutions, signed in Sana’a
-America court decides release of five Yemenis and payment of USD 3 million as guarantee
Columnist Ahmed al-Zubairi says in article that the Arab, Islamic, European and African stand opposing the U.S. intention to launch a new war on Iraq and to interfere in Iraq’s internal affairs by toppling president Saddam Husein? regime, all that reflects a world comprehension of dangers of this war on Iraq, the Middle East and peace and stability of the entire world. Iraq’s decision of accepting return of UN weapons inspectors without conditions has stripped the U.S of its justifications of its war against Iraq. But president Bush surprises the world public opinion with new pretexts lacking the lowest degrees of convincing and keenness or peace, security and stability of the world.

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