Yemen carries out damage control [Archives:2007/1068/Front Page]

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July 16 2007

Yemen Times Staff
SANA'A, July 15 ) The Yemeni Ministry of Tourism has never been more eager to enhance Yemen's image abroad than today. Especially with the death of the eighth Spanish tourist, two days ago, because of her injuries in the Marib terrorist attack beginning of this month.

Minister of tourism, Nabil al-Faqih has revealed in a press conference held Thursday, that around RY200 million (million US Dollar) has been allocated to highlight and improve Yemen's picture of Yemen abroad. “The government would allocate more in coming years,” he said.

The minister's statement came after he signed three agreements for tourism promotion with three European companies including the Kleber from German, TQC from Italy, and SRL from France.

According to these agreements, the companies will carry out promotion campaigns promoting tourism in Yemen targeting both Yemenis foreigners. In addition, the companies translate tourism promotion materials offered by the Yemen Tourism Promotion Board in different languages.

This intensive campaign to promote a more peaceful image of Yemen comes as a consequence of the attacks on Spanish tourists in Marib earlier this month. Al-Faqih stated that foreign tourism in Yemen was harmed after the latest terror suicide attack on Spanish tourists in Marib. He said that only some European and American tourists changed their programs and canceled reservations after the attack.

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According to statistics of immigration and passport authority, only 10 to 20 percent of reservations have been canceled. He mentioned that He said that Yemen is promoting tourism through its 28 embassies abroad as well as through 25 offices belong to the Yemenia Airways Company.

Security measures and one more victim

Security measures have been taken in cooperation with interior ministry “To deploy tourist police based on the Security Deployment Strategy. Emphasizing on the need to qualify tourist police and secure tourist sites.”

One of the Spanish victims of the recent terrorist attack, Mar”a Asuncion Vitorica, was pronounced dead last Saturday. Director of the intensive care unit, Dr. Nabil Youri, MD, said that Maria was pronounced dead around 3 a.m. Yemen time, two days after her brain activity stopped. The doctor said that her vital signs diminished thereafter and during the last few hours her heart started to show signs of weakness and failure.

Following the announcement of Vitorica's death, Spanish authorities sent an aircraft to Sana'a in order to transport the deceased back to Spain for burial.

On another front, investigations have revealed that Egyptian terror suspect, Ahmed Basyouni, who was killed during an exchange of fire with the police Thursday, July 5th, used to go by the alias Ahmed Mustafa, and was interrogated 11 days prior to his arrest on suspicion of links with Al-Qaeda. His house was searched based on a tip given by an informant who claimed that Basyouni was a terrorist. The search proved inconclusive and Basyouni was released from police custody.

According to Al-Wasat newspaper, eyewitness accounts indicate that police forces allowed Basyouni's family to evacuate the house, and promised to let him surrender himself, due to the statement of his wife who told the police that he was already injured and bleeding as a result of the exchange of fire. However, the police closed the door of the house and resumed the exchange of fire, which was followed by the explosion of a hand grenade that left Basyouni's body shattered and blood spatter all over the room.

Neighbors told Al-Wasat that Basyouni seemed to them an innocent man who suffered from several illnesses and his family suffered from poverty, his limited income as an accountant barely covering living expenses.

They added that a single solider could have arrested Basyouni and that the use of excessive force was unnecessary, raising suspicions amongst them.

Chief of Police for Mareb governorate, Mohammed Al-Ghodra, stated that the investigation and evidence from the scene of the terrorist attack indicate that the terrorists used mainly compressed oxygen cans, used in hospitals, to cause the explosion. Additionally, they utilized TNT packets to blow up the oxygen cans and used several 132mm-size bombshells to cause maximum damage. Al-Ghodra added that Yemeni authorities are cooperating with Spanish investigators and are working on using DNA evidence to figure out the exact identity of the terrorist.
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