Saudi Press Barrage Continues [Archives:1999/51/Front Page]

The tension and strain in relations between Yemen and Saudi Arabia has increased these days, especially after some military confrontations took place between the two sides in Al-Aber area, located in Hadramout governorate, upon the Saudi attempts to capture new sites.
Political sources said that it is a likelihood that matters dealt with by the committees would be complicated, especially after Dr. Abdul Karim Al-Aryani, chairman of the Cabinet, sent a message to Saudi officials last week in which he condemned the committees of not really being serious about carrying out any of their tasks over the past four years. The first response to Dr. Al-Aryani’s letter has been a heavy press barrage on Dr. Al-Aryani, condemning him for impairing relations between the two neighboring countries.
Al-Gazirah newspaper in its editorial said that what is being said by Dr. Al-Aryani was not correct, and that there are some Saudi officials who approve of what has been accomplished by the committees to specify the boarders.
Another press barrage against some opposition newspapers was also conducted by the same newspaper, upon publishing pieces of news that were to be found damaging to Saudi-Yemeni relations by the Saudi authorities.
At another level, on a press conference held Saturday evening his Excellency Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz, minister of defense talked about this issue and said that “This is just a cloud that is agitated by you and your brother “journalists,” both in Yemen or Saudi Arabia. What we hope is that the newspapers in both countries remain calm and hold fast to our ties to the benefit of both countries.” 
At another level, a Yemeni official said that the current violent campaign conducted by some Saudi newspapers against Yemen will do nothing but negatively affect relations and interests between the two brotherly countries, unless officials in the two countries work together to retrieve the best that may brought about as a result of this campaign. The attacks seem to lack objectivity and reason, to the extent that they are offending Yemen, its people, its parties and its newspapers.
If the Yemeni newspapers talk about the borders issue freely and openly, – which the Saudis do not approve of – we find that this comes as a clear result of the democratic atmosphere and freedom of expression that is allowed to the Yemeni newspapers. The Saudis should have both realized and appreciated this. It is worth mentioning that there is a special law that specifies how these newspapers work, pointing out their duties as well as their limits.
It is something promising that the Saudi newspapers can talk in such an atmosphere of freedom even though there are not any rules to control and regulate this.
However, if the borders issue is the only incentive for these violent campaigns, then why do not we apply reason to solve this problem, rather than applying a one sided vision and fighting against each other?
It is then reasonable that discussions and negotiations should be the basis for deciding any controversial issue among brothers. There should never be exaggeration or falsification of the facts or arguments, or attempts to make everything into a political battle. So we feel that it is urgent to draw the attention of those who offended Yemen, its people, leadership, parties and its democratic system to the fact that when we do not respond to such offenses, this doesn’t mean that we are not able to do so, but it rather means that we really do respect relations and do not get involved in pointless one sided disputes. This is done out of our strong belief in not interfering with other people’s affairs.
We do hope that what has happened was just a “cloud,” as it was described by his Excellency Sultan bin Abdul Aziz when he commented about what has been published by these newspapers. We also hope that the commitment to keep good relations between these two brotherly countries is as strong and healthy as it may be.

——
[archive-e:51-v:1999-y:1999-d:1999-12-20-p:./1999/iss51/front.htm]