Hot stories... Fighting terrorism, foreign investment, and end of war in Sada'a the year’s key events (Part II)

This year’s news was dominated by security issues, including terrorist attacks against western interests and government buildings, the resurgence of fighting in Sa'dah and a number of high profile kidnappings by tribesmen.  The double attacks against western interests in April resulted in the tightening of security and the evacuation of non-essential staff. The Yemen government has also suffered attacks both in Sana'a and Sayoun city against ministries and police buildings. In Sana and Bani Hushaish Districts the government successfully liquidated many al-Huthi stongholds that had infringed on security and public order, but it failed to deter the kidnappings and attacks on foreigners. These have resulted in the death of two Belgian nationals, and cost the country millions of YR in ransom payments this year.  On a positive note the security situation has still failed to thwart investment in the country, and a number of substantial property development projects were signed with foreign investors, including a $500 million Qatari project in the south. The current government has also been working hard to promote democracy through the amendment of the electoral register and support of equal opportunities and human rights. Yemen has seen its status grow in international affairs with an increased involvement within the GCC, the issue of piracy in the Gulf of Aden has highlighted the important role of Yemen in regional security and Yemen showed its growing maturity in regional affairs by hosting delegations from both Fatah and Hamas under the auspices of President Ali Abdullah Saleh to promote the resumption of dialogue between the two parties.  
 
Local Affairs
Killer of Amran worshippers confesses in court
 At the beginning of June, 25-year-old defendant Abdullah Saleh Zaid al-Quhali, accused of murdering 7 men and injuring 12 in an attack on Friday prayers in Ayal Syreh district in Amran confessed in court. Al-Quhali had recently shown signs of mental instability, suggesting some kind of behavioural disorder which made his neighbours cautious around him. Months later, the court sentenced al-Quhali to death.

Jibla Primary Court divorces 9-year-old girl from her husband
 Jibla’s Primary Court has permitted 9-year-old Arwa Abdu Mohammed Ali al-Shahli to divorce her husband, Khalil Mohammed Abdullah al-Furas, aged 35, Monday June 23. In the presence of Arwa, her parents and spectators, Khalil Ali Ahmed Mosleh, the legal representative for the husband, consented to the annulment. 

Chinese restaurant selling alcohol closed
 A number of Chinese restaurants were forced by officials from the Sana’a Secretariat to close Thursday July 3. Al-Harazi affirmed that the Prosecution Office for the South West quarter of Sana’a was the authority enforcing the closure, but he did not deny that the new established religious organization ‘Vice and Virtue’ played a role in encouraging it.  

Minister announces new tourism strategy for Yemen
 Yemeni tourism is currently suffering from an assortment of social, political, economic, cultural and security challenges.  The new strategy aims to generate a positive culture which supports tourism awareness and to embrace the social, cultural and human tourism perspectives,  said al-Faqih. The minister added that this strategy will focus on news and information.

Leading drug dealer arrested in Shabwa
 Police have arrested one of the most notorious drug traffickers in Rafdoum district of Shabwa province, said a police source on July 15. One of the biggest drug traffickers in Yemen, named “Ali Abdullah bin Hatefan al-Suyeri’ was in his Hummer at Ayn Bamabd security check-point, the source told the al-motamar.net website. Al-Suyeri is high on the wanted list of the Specialized Criminal Court. 

Yemen achieved 3.2 per cent economic growth, PM
 Prime Minister Ali Mohammed Mujawar read a statement during Parliament’s session in July on the state of the Yemeni economy and the security situation. The economy grew at an impressive rate, with the non-oil sectors achieving development rates during the two previous years of 4.7 and 5.5 consecutively.
Frenchman accused of smuggling Yemeni antiquities acquitted
 Yves Lebourgeois, the 58-year-old French national accused of attempting to smuggle rare Yemeni antiquities out of the country was set free by the Capital East Court of Sana’a in middle of June because all charges against him were dropped. Security forces at Sana’a Airport arrested him as he was intending to travel to Paris, but the lawyer for Lebourgeois, Taha al-Ja’afri claimed that he was arrested when he returned from his company that is working in Shabwa province during the second session of the trial.

Yemen to receive prisoners from Guantanamo
 Members of the American delegation representing the State and Defence Departments praised Wednesday Yemen’s successful experiment in rehabilitating many detainees caught for terrorism-related issues. The Minister also asked the American delegation to speed up the return of Yemeni detainees, expressing his confidence that the dialogue to be conducted with the detainees will eliminate any nefarious ideas in their minds, which are contradictory to Islam.

12 houses destroyed in Ja’ar fire
 Twelve houses were destroyed in a fire in Ja’ar, which was started by a band of 8 people. Colonel Saleh Saeed al- Shamasi, Ja’ar security manager said that the costs of the fire were YR 15 million, though there were no human casualties. Al-Shamsi said that the suspects do not belong to al-Qaeda or any other similar organization. 

One million visitors for the Town Tourist Festival in Hadhramout
 One million visitors headed to Hadhramaut province during the summer to attend the Fifth Town (al-Baldah) Tourist Festival held in August, reported Aideed Taha director of the Expatriate Affairs Office in the province. The festival concluded after two weeks of cultural exchange and creative communication. It concluded its activities with a performance by Yemeni singer Karamh Mersal on Khor Al-Mukalla, along with a group of young singers who participated in this ceremony.

Daily thousand infiltrators captured at Saudi boarder
 Saudi authorities confirmed that their boarder guards capture over 1000 infiltrators into Saudi territories each day to beg during Ramadan. The Saudi Okadh paper quoted Jazan passport commander as saying  Our patrols are intensified to capture infiltrators and resident visa system violators, whose numbers increase during the month of Ramadan for begging.”

2.6 million Keptagon drug pills captured in Hodeidah
 The police of Hodiedah governorate on the western coast of Yemen have captured a large shipment of drugs, loaded in a van, on the highway linking al-Qanawes district to al-Zaydia district 60 kilometers to the north of Hodeidah city in August, said a security source in the Hodiedah security office. The drug shipment contained 361,000 tablets of Keptagon, a prohibited drug. The security source, who preferred to remain anonymous, believed that both drug shipments were on their way to Saudi Arabia.

Committee of Vice and Virtue elects leadership
 The newly established Committee for Vice and Virtue has elected Sheikh Abdulmajid al-Zindani as its president, Sheikh Sadiq Bin Abdullah Bin Hussein al-Ahmar as vice-president and Sheikh Hamoud al-Tharihi as secretary general, said new Secretary General al-Tharihi. He added that Ali Abdu Rabo al-Awadhi, Abdullah Hasan Khairat and Sheikh Mohammed al-Baidhani were also elected as assistant secretaries general.  The committee will also keep tabs on the government’s implementation of its duties fighting vice and promoting virtue because it is the government’s responsibility,  said Sheikh al-Tharihi. Many civil society organizations have opposed the creation of the Vice and Virtue Committee, among them the Yemeni Women Union, which launched a sit-in and submitted a complaint to the parliament about a booklet circulated during the forum. The booklet recommended prohibiting the proposed parliamentary quota system for women and they accused it of includ mingany insults directed at women.

Republican decree forms SCER, rejected by JMP
 By the end of August, the president issued a republican decree forming the Supreme Committee for Election and Referendum (SCER) The opposition (JMP) rejected the republican decree issued by the president last Tuesday, appointing 9 members for SCER- amongst them three JMP members; two Islah, one Nasserite. Sources in JMP said that this decree will make the political crisis deeper because it forces the General Peoples Congress to deal with election affairs alone, who have demanded participation from opposition in the coming parliament elections next year.

Hammer Forum threatens to quit Yemen
 In September, The German Hammer Forum threatened to leave Yemen if the sequestration of the organization’s containers continued at the port of Hodiedah. The organization’s coordinator, Dr. Ali Al-Zakhmi, said that the organization is studying pulling out from Yemen if the health sector’s authorities continued their rigidity against them, despite the charitable health services they provide to Yemeni children.

President orders release of detainees from violent protests
 President Saleh issued a pardon for detainees charged with instigating secession during riots. Sources said that the 12 detainees were released the 13th of September following their pledge to observe the country’s laws and constitution. The released detainees have the right to enjoy all their political rights pursuant to the constitution.

Yemen forms anti-piracy force
 Yemen has formed a maritime unit to fight piracy in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea. The Yemeni Coast Guard has established an anti-piracy unit to battle an increase in piracy in the Arabian and Red Sea. Officials said the unit would contain 1,600 Special Forces soldiers who are well trained to fight piracy, and 16 high speed patrol boats purchased from Australia. The aim of the deployment is to enhance the protection of ships and stop Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden and Bab Al Mandab Strait,  a Coast Guard official said. Last June, the Security Council had adopted a resolution empowering states to send warships into Somalia’s territorial waters with the government’s consent to combat piracy and armed robbery at sea.

Espionage network for Israel arrested in Yemen
 President Saleh revealed October 6 that security forces in Yemen had caught an espionage network for Israel made up of Arab nationals. This announcement came during his speech in front of MP’s, Shura Council members, local council members, scholars and military and security leaders at Hadhramout University. According to the president, the suspected spies will be brought before the courts shortly in a public trial after investigations are complete. The network was comprised of 40 people from different Arab nationalities spying for Mossad, the Israeli international intelligence said sources from National and Political Security Units. 

Possible ties between Islamic Jihad Organization and Israeli Intelligence discovered, says security
 Investigations conducted by security forces have revealed that a recently apprehended terrorist cell has ties with Israeli intelligence organizations. The cell belongs to the Islamic Jihad Organization in Yemen, which in turn belongs to the larger al-Qaeda Organization, said a security source. Further investigations of the members of the terrorist cell and seized materials have yielded interesting discoveries. A computer seized from one of the suspects revealed correspondences between a cell member, Bassm Abdullah Fadhel al-Haidri, and a member of an Israeli intelligence organization. In his emails, al-Haidri requested support and funds from Israeli intelligence to carry out terrorist acts in Yemen, said the source, who added that the investigation is ongoing and when completed it will be referred to the judicial authority. 

Court of appeal upholds death penalty against espionage suspect
 In a session presided over by Judges Mohammed al-Hakimi, Musid al-Omisi and Najib al-Faqih, the appeals court sustained the death penalty against Hamad Ali al-Dahouk, who is charged with espionage against the Egyptian embassy. The appeals court acquitted suspect Abdulaziz Hassan al-Hatabani in October.

Yemen approves YR1.5 trillion budget for 2009
 The Cabinet, during an extraordinary session held in October, and presided over by PM Dr. Ali Mohammed Mujawar, endorsed the country’s budget which would apply on both a central and decentralized level. It included independent and annexed budget drafts, the special funds, and the economic units for the year 2009. It will now be referred to parliament for the completion of constitutional procedures. 

Fears over electoral registration process increase
 The High Security Committee has warned against attempts to prevent people from practicing their constitutional rights because of disruptions of voter registration list amendments process following demonstrations by supporters of the Joint Meeting Parties in some areas of Sana’a and Amran in November. In a statement, the High Security Committee said,  the committee is closely watching outlaw elements which have been encouraged by some party leaders, who have called on supporters to hold sit-ins and create crowds in order to disrupt the people’s constitutional electoral right to amend the voter registry lists. The committee condemned attempts at preventing people from reaching the centers of the electoral committees, calling them irresponsible. Demonstrators attacked some of the committee’s centres, committee members as well as the Security Committee in a desperate attempt to prevent the holding of elections on time . 

Minister of Local Administration resigns after 24 years
 In an unexpected move, the resignation of Minister of Local Administration, Abdul-Qader Ali Hilal was accepted and Vice-PM for Defense Affairs Dr.Rashad al-Alimi was appointed as his replacement in the middle of November. Informed sources with close links to the resigning Minister Hilal, who was unreachable by phone and refused to speak with the media, said the reason for his resignation was due to the arrest of several of his aides. His aides were arrested while he was presiding over the government’s Arbitration Committee seeking to end the Sa’adah war following the end of hostilities with the Houthis. He was also accused of working with the Muslim Brotherhood, the JMP and the Southern Movement.

Iranians sentenced to death, 12 others jailed for drug smuggling
 An Iranian man was sentenced to death on November 10, and 12 others, including a Pakistani national, were sentenced to 25 years in prison each after being convicted of smuggling drugs from Iran to Yemen. The prosecutor, Kais Hemyar, demanded the death sentence for the other 12 convicts saying the 25 years in prison was not enough.   We demand the death sentence for the other 12 convicts, because the punishment they received does not fit the crimes they committed,  said the prosecutor. The convicted men asked for an appeal through their translator. No lawyers or representatives from the Iranian or Pakistani embassies attended the final hearing.    Chaired by Judge Muhsen Alwan, the Special State Security Court handed the death sentence to Ayoob Mohammed Hood, 33.

Political rallies met by strong opposition - and strong apathy
 The Joint Meeting Parties (JMP) organized a rally that went through the streets of Sana’a in November 29 protesting the so called faking of the electoral registry list. Hundreds of JMP followers, mostly secondary school students, joined in the rally. Yemen Observer correspondents did not report arrests or violence against the demonstrators; however, various media sources stated that some demonstrators were injured in different parts in Yemen’s capital Sana’a. Security forces were deployed around the Central bank area and around other commercial banks. A security source speaking under condition of anonymity said that the security measures around the banks were deployed for fear of looting, as some of the JMP elements tried to force their way into the Tahrir area.

Zandani declares solidarity ship to break Gaza blockade
 December 6, the festival for solidarity with the Palestinians has called on all Arab countries and Egypt in particular to try and end the blockade against the Palestinians in Gaza. They have also called for the opening of the Rafah crossing to allow supplies of medicine and food to enter Gaza, and to allow the sick and other people in need of medical attention to depart, so they may enjoy their rights like everyone else in the world. 

Industrial conference cites need for stock company to develop industrial areas
The Future of Yemen’s Industry Conference hopes to draw from Malaysian experience to develop its own strategy and executive plan to promote national industries and advance industrial activities. Former Malaysian Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir Mohammed, guest of honour at the conference held Dec 22-23 stressed the importance of a strong infrastructure as a prerequisite to industrial development alongside the existence of a strong education system, ease of licensing, political stability and transparency. 
Youth calls on Arab governments to allow their citizens to join Gazan resistance
 
Thousands of Yemeni and Palestinian women and schoolgirls gather to demand a stop to Israel’s attacks against the Gaza Strip. The women were led by the Yemen-based Hamas Women, and blamed Arab leaders for what they called an  Arab conspiracy  against the Palestinians.


TERRORISM 
16 thousand terrorism suspects deported from Yemen
 More than 16 thousand terrorist suspects accused of being members of al-Qaeda have been deported from Yemen in the past three years as part of efforts to fight terrorism, said vice president Abdu Raboo Mansour Hadi at the middle of June. Many were former veterans of the Afganistan conflict “Arab Mujahideen” and were made up of a range of nationalities.

Eleven insurgent suspects captured
 This June also saw the arrest of four suspects wanted by security authorities and the capture of two of the most dangerous leaders of al-Huthi group, who had led the conflict against the army in Bani Hushish near Sana’a, and had later escaped to Marib. 

Al-Qaeda responsible for Sayoun blast
 Al-Qaeda’s organization in Yemen claims responsibility for the suicide terrorist blast that targeted the central security forces in Sayoun, Hadramout Governorate, in the east of Yemen at the end of July. In a statement published on the Islamic Ikhlas website al-Qaeda claimed that the operation was carried out by the suicide bomber Ahmad Bin Saeed Bin Omar al-Mashjari, alias Abu Dujanah al-Hadrami. The group also demanded the cancellation of all tourism festivals, specifically the Sana’a Summer Tourism Festival, and asked for a US$ 5 million cash bribe to stop similar operations

High-profile Al-Qaeda suspect arrested
 A high profile al-Qaeda suspect is arrested by Yemeni security forces. The announcement was made on the military website June 5. The statement said that the suspect was from Indonesia and that he was detained after a long pursuit across the governorates of Marib and Aden. The detainee is thought to be a high-profile al-Qaeda militant and has provided important information during interrogations. 

Elbaneh behind bars  
In June this year Abdul Aziz al-Samawi, the lawyer representing an al-Qaeda suspect, Jaber Elbaneh, challenges the appeal courts decision that orders Elbaneh back to prison. Elbaneh’s lawyer challenged the appeal court decision which he said contradicted Yemeni law, since Elbaneh had surrendered himself to the authorities and committed himself to attend the court’s sessions and presented the necessary bail sum.

Five members of al-Qaeda cell killed and two detained
 Five terrorists are killed and two others are detained by security forces in Tarim district, Hadramout province, in the south east of Yemen in August. The security authorities also uncovered large amounts of weapons, explosives and devices that were going to be used to prepare car-bombs in the Ideedhasat al-Maqateel area and information including dangerous plans that targeted not only Yemen but the whole region. Also found amongst the ceased materials were the passports of three individuals, one belonging to Ahmad Saeed Omar al-Mashjari, who launched the suicide operation at the security complex in Sayoun last month.

Al Qaeda threatens to retaliate
 Five members of an al-Qaeda cell are arrested in Qatan district of Hadramout governorate in the southeast of Yemen in August, said a source at the Hadramout governorate security office. The security source confirmed that the police forces arrested five members of al-Tawheed battalions affiliated with al-Qaeda in Qatan district to the west of Sayoun. It is believed that the members were part of a 35 member al-Qaeda terrorist cell operating in the country. In a statement published on al-Ikhlas Islamic website the group promised they  will launch a retaliation operation soon, God willing. The news is what you see not what you hear,  said the statement.

Yemen Police Arrest 36 Al-Qaeda Suspects
 Also during the month of August Al-Qaeda confirmed the arrest of 30 of its organizations members in Mukalla. An official statement from Yemen’s security services confirmed that  a series of security operations  had taken place that included a fire-fight in the town of Tarim on August 11 in which a prominent Al-Qaeda fugitive and four other militants were killed and two others wounded and arrested. Officials said the Tarim cell had been plotting attacks in neighbouring Saudi Arabia. Al-Qaeda stated that they would launch a retaliatory operation.

Yemeni Security Breaks New Terrorist Cell
 On August 15, security sources revealed that large-scale operations to hunt down terrorist cells linked to al-Qaeda was carried out by security authorities resulting in the arrest of 35 people in a number of governorates across Yemen. The operations were carried out based on security information obtained during investigations with members of the uprooted terrorist cells. Members were arrested in governorates of Sana’a, Hadramout, and Abyan. 

Dozens arrested in the aftermath of US embassy attack
 More than 28 suspects affiliated with al-Qaeda were detained in the aftermath of the deadly attack that targeted the US Embassy in Sana’a in the middle of September, said a security source. The attack which included two car bombs and a militant shooting tried to breach the security of the US Embassy but was foiled by the Yemeni security forces. Sixteen people were killed in the attack and dozens of others were wounded. Among those killed were six Yemeni police officers, four civilians, an Embassy security guard and six of the attackers. 

Police arrest cell in connection with embassy attack
The security authorities arrest six members of a cell that claimed responsibility for launching the attack against the US Embassy in Sana’a that killed 19 people, said a security source in September 23. The source said that the group of six members headed by the so called Abu al-Ghaith al-Yamany that called itself the Islamic Jihad organization in Yemen was arrested. The source added that the six were detained for threatening to target other foreign embassies including the Saudi, Emirates, Dutch, and British embassies.

Yemen assures UN of safety
On October 16, Foreign Minister Abu Bakr al-Qirbi, assured the UN that the Yemeni security forces were taking all necessary measures to defend UN offices and personnel as well as those of other international agencies working in the country. Al-Qirbi called for coordination between the agencies working in Yemen and the relevant security bodies. The UN office demanded an increase in security precautions at their facilities in Sana’a and other major cities and ordered all essential staff in Yemen to stay at home

Al Qaeda behind Red Sea piracy, official
The head of Yemeni National Security claimed in October that al-Qaeda was probably behind the increasingly common acts of piracy along the Somali coast and in the Arabian Sea.  We don’t exclude that al-Qaeda has found an appropriate environment in Somalia to carry out its terrorist acts especially after its call for its members last April to move the battle into the sea to control sea outlets,  said Ali Al Ansi, head of National Security. Al-Ansi praised the efforts of his country’s coastguards for the steps they have taken to combat piracy.

German expert and her parents Kidnapped by Yemeni tribesmen
 A German and her parents are kidnapped in December on a trip to Bait Baws and taken to Bani Dhabian, a district 60 kilometers east of the capital. The three hostages were 43 year old Julia Tilabal, an expert at the German organization GTZ and her parents who were in their 70s. After some days the hostages were released and following a security operation in the area the kidnapers were captured and will be referred to the courts.  

FOREIGN AFFAIRS 
Sudanese in Yemen condemn ICC charges
 Thousands of Sudanese in Yemen have demanded the cancellation of a decision by the International Criminal Court to charge the Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir with war crimes in Sana’a on July 22. Many demonstrators gathered in front of the Sudanese Embassy in Sana’a to protest the decision. Ambassador Mohammed Adam Ismail stated that the General Attorney to this day has never paid a visit to Darfur, and his information he gained came from sources hostile to Sudan and its Government”.

US Department of State brings employees back to Yemen
 The U.S Department of State issued a new travel update in August which lifted the ordered departure status of non-essential American employees and adult family members of all employees at the U.S. Embassy in Sanaa in preparation for their return.  The decision came two days after the Yemeni security authorities stormed an al-Qaeda terrorist cell in Tarim, killing five of its members including the mastermind of the terrorist attacks against the US Embassy and a resident compound of US citizens, and arresting two others.   

AL-HUTHI CONFLICT
Leader of second Sana’a Huthi cell sentenced to death
 The Specialized Penal Court sentences to death Ja’far al-Murhibi, the first suspect in the second Sana’a Huthi cell case who was responsible for the deaths of two police officers. The other suspects received sentences ranging from three to ten years imprisonment in June 2008. 

War in Sa’ada ended declares Saleh
President Ali Abdullah Saleh declares the end of war in the Sa’adah governorates and states a commitment of all to the constitution and law and the importance of dialogue over violence (Saba). The announcement came during an inauguration ceremony of summer centers and youth camps. Following his announcement the Supreme Security Committee called on all citizens that abandoned their villages in Sa’adas districts to return to their homes.   President Saleh called on a focusing of efforts to moderate youths and re-instill a loyalty to the state and reject ideas of regionalism and sectarianism.  

YR10 Billion Allocated for Sa’adah reconstruction
Under the Instructions of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, the Board of Directors of Sa’adah Construction Fund (SCF) approved August the allocation of YR 10 billon for the reconstruction of damaged areas in the governorate. The meeting called upon donor countries and organizations to contribute to finance and support reconstruction efforts and hoped to provide the urgently needed basic suppliers to 20,000 people in Sa’adah governorate and Harf Sufain district of Amran governorate.

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