US Promises annual $40 million aid to Yemen [Archives:2005/894/Front Page]
BY HAKIM ALMASMARI
YEMEN TIMES STAFF
REPORTING FROM WASHINGTON
President Saleh ended his visit to Washington on Monday after meeting with President Bush at the White House on this week. During his visit, the president met with numerous high-ranking U.S officials including U.S. secretary of state Condoleezza Rice as they discussed bilateral cooperation between the two countries. Discussions on numerous regional issues took place with the U.S counterparts, including the war on terrorism, economic cooperation between the two countries, the Palestinian cause, the situations in Iraq and the current developments with Syria.
President Saleh promised American President George W. Bush more democratic reforms in Yemen. Yemeni Foreign Minister, Dr. Abubakr Al-Qirbi told news sources that during discussions with US State Department Condoleezza Rice, the President called upon the US to support Yemen in its reforms particularly in the political and economic sectors.
Many Yemeni intellectuals and dignitaries throughout the United States visited Washington during the weekend to welcome president Saleh during his visit. They discussed numerous issues concerning the status of Yemeni Americans with President Saleh. On the other hand, Yemeni citizens across America were hoping that the president tours Yemeni populated cities to keep them in touch with the growing bilateral relations between the two countries. “We want to know the latest developments between the two countries and how we as Yemeni Americans could help them achieve these certain goals”, said Mohsen Abdo, a Yemeni American activist.
According to observers, America has been hinting that it will maintain the same level of cooperation with Yemen regardless of who leads the country; Yemen receives an annual economic aid of about USD 40 million. The Yemeni government had requested that the US doubles this aid, but doing as such is more complicated and will need the approval of the US congress.
Yemeni opposition members had planned to protest in front of the White House during the president's visit to Washington, but no traces of such activities were seen. Last week, many Yemeni opposition members pledged to stage a protest calling for a new regime, and to put an end to the ongoing backwardness and poverty of the country. However, reasons behind the cancellation of the protest could not be clarified. According to sources in Washington, the US administration encouraged opposition against Saleh more openly in the last few years, but do not endorse it fully, mainly because of the strong alliance in the war on terror between the U.S. and Yemen under Saleh's leadership.
Earlier last month, a war of words broke out between U.S ambassador to Yemen Thomas Krajeski, and the local government officials when the ambassador commented that Yemen's democracy had 'stalled'. High-ranking Yemeni officials fired back at the comments immediately and clarified that America should first work on improving its own democratic development rather then enforcing it on other countries. Days later, Ambassador Krajeski reworded himself and quoted that what he meant was that the progress of democracy in Yemen was proceeding in a slow pace comparing to American expectations. These comments were taken seriously by local officials for its crucial timing which was only weeks prior the president's visit to Washington.
On the other hand, opposition parties are waiting anxiously to see the outcomes of this visit, and find out if president Saleh will stick to his promise and not run for presidency. Also, rumors around Washington's role in suggesting who is to run as the ruling party's candidate in the upcoming elections if the president decides not to run. “Many issues of cooperation were discussed by the two presidents, and surely the next presidential candidate for Yemen was discussed in an indirect manner as all of us know”, said Saleh Al-Ba'dani a Yemeni American activist. ” In two weeks everything will come out in the open when the ruling party announces its candidate to run in the presidential elections”, he added.
Numerous government officials were describing this visit as a pivotal point in Yemen change in the future as it could open ways for wider bilateral relations between the two countries as well as economic aid. The last presidential visit to Washington in 2001 was given the same hype and intensity, but in return the country took even more steps backwards in economic and political reforms, freedom of the press, human rights, and the microeconomic situation became worse. In August, Foreign Policy magazine mentioned Yemen as one of the countries at the brink of collapse as it ranked it in the top ten is this category, due to the continuous signs of failure only out beating countries like Somalia, Iraq and sierra Leone, while in the same time threatens the stability of the United States.
Currently, Yemen is an important partner in the global war on terrorism, providing assistance in the military, diplomatic, and financial arenas. In late November 2001, Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh visited Washington to strengthen U.S.-Yemen relations. Since that time, Yemen has stepped up its counter-terrorism cooperation efforts with the United States, achieving significant results and increased security of the country. The president returned to Washington in June 2004 where he was invited to attend the G-8 Sea Island Summit.
While world analysts expect president Saleh to seek the Unites States' trust and support for the Yemeni regime's efforts concerning freedom of the press, democracy, reform and other issues, the president as expected faced considerable pressure during his visit to the White House last this week..
Opinions among the Yemeni Americans community have little variance with regards to the president's visit to Washington, due to the sensitive timing of the visit, which came prior the naming of the replacement candidate to run for presidency next year; According to Saleh Al-Baidani, a Yemeni-American opinion leader in Detroit: “Is he [president Saleh] here to ask president Bush who is allowed to rule the country and run for presidency in the next presidential elections or what?”
Opinions among Yemeni Americans reflect a lost hope and trust in Yemeni authorities, especially as the authorities do not demonstrate any real signs of positive or keeping up to their promises and lip service, driving the country to becoming a failed state politically and suffering from economic hardships in the micro and macro levels; “What does the president expect to get out of this visit? If his own people have lost hope in him and his regime, does he expect that we will welcome him with arms wide open here?” said Khalil Ibrahim, a Yemeni university graduate and a recent immigrant to the United States.
While inquiring in Detroit, where the highest concentration of Yemenis resides; the Yemeni community did not give any importance or consideration to the presidents' visit even among second generation Yemeni Americans. Indeed, losing hope in the development of Yemen under the governance of the current regime has pushed a considerable percentage of the community to disconnect themselves from their homeland. Indeed, only a few know about the Presidents visit; “It makes no difference to us if he is here or not, we know that the current government lacks honest governance”, said Ramzy Khalid another Yemeni American. Asma Ali, a nurse originally from Rada'a adds: “He [Saleh] has not done our country any good. He's busying himself building mansions for high ranking officials, while the majority of the people starve from hunger”.
A recent academic survey with a sample size of 813 Yemeni-American respondents indicated that the majority 78% of respondents feel that the political and economic situation in Yemen is deteriorating while only 12% admitted to a number of significant improvements. In the same survey 87% thought that corruption within governmental circles is the main reason for poverty, discrimination and unemployment in the country, young Mohammed Ali says: “I gave life no meaning until I left Yemen, I felt like a door for opportunity was opened, at least over here I have a chance for a brighter future”, he Adds: “I only feel sorry for those left behind”.
All the same, Yemeni Americans find no substance of the president's visit; as they believe that currpution is deep rooted to the extant that the next government will not be able to improve the economic and political situation in the country; Qaed Abdu Nagi, a Yemeni American Activist and advocator of democracy said “Change must come from within the government. The Yemeni people must ponder around the world and learn from the successes of other developing countries have accomplished; its time to wake up and face reality”.
Summing up, the Yemeni American community realizes that that Yemen have made some significant developments, but the pace is development is far slower than what is averaged globally and can't live up to the needs and expectations of the Yemeni people, in return forcing Yemenis to escape the harsh reality of corruption and economic and political deterioration and reside abroad in search of a better tomorrow for themselves and their families in their homeland, But can't help but suffer the agony of watching their country suffer the consequences of poor governance and take a few steps backwards.
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