Yemen Observer : 12 January 2013

S A N A’ A

Article by Yemeni journalist for London-based Al Quds Al Arabi sparks furious response from Yemeni Defence Ministry newspaper.

BY HAYKAL BAFANA

An article about the Yemeni President Abdo Rabbo Mansur Hadi in London-based Al Quds Al Arabi has sparked an angry response from the Yemeni Defence Ministry newspaper “26 September.”

Veteran Yemeni journalist Khaled Al Hammadi’s article in Al Quds Al Arabi newspaper levelled several serious allegations at President Hadi.

Al Hammadi wrote that within a period of 10 months after becoming President, Hadi had appointed 180 military and security officers, all of whom were either his relatives, his tribesmen or from the Abyan region that Hadi is from. 25 of these positions were senior leadership posts.

Al Hammadi credited these claims to “several political sources” who were alarmed by what they allege is Hadi’s bid to recreate a new “ruling family”, just like what his predecessor Ali Abdullah Saleh attempted to do.

An unnamed “military source” was said to have confirmed to Al Hammadi the appointment of these 182 officers by Hadi.

In his article, Al Hammadi also accused President Hadi’s sons of usurping power without legal basis.

Al Hammadi claimed that the President’s son Mansur Hadi was in de facto command of the military units known as the Presidential Protection Forces, and through his extensive network in the National Security Agency, exercises control over the land, air and naval forces of the Republic of Yemen.

Al Hammadi also accuses Hadi’s other son Jalal of exercising his father’s Presidential powers, by meeting Ministers as if he himself was the President and even issuing orders to them. Al Hammadi wrote that 11 ministers had made complaints to President Hadi about this matter, and some had threatened to resign.

These allegations are not new. Similar claims were made by multiple press outlets in Yemen from as early as April 2012, just

SATURDAY 12 JANUARY 2013 VOL. XVI - ISSUE 3WWW.YOBSERVER.COM

4 BUSINESS

MINISTER : NATIONAL OIL FIRM IN 2013

JOURNALIST ANGERS THE YEMENI MILITARY

6 PHOTOS

OUR BEST SHOTS FROM 2012

3 NEWS

JUDGE JAILS LADY CLEANER

NEWS STAND PRICE YEMEN 40 RiyalsYemen Observer is an English language news-paper published 2 times weekly in the Republic of Yemen. We have been reporting the news in Yemen since 1996.

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PUBLISHER & CEOFARIS SANABANIEDITOR IN CHIEFSHUAIB AL MOSSAWAEDITORIAL ADVISERMOHAMED AL KIBSI

JOURNALISTSFARES ANAMMOHAMMED SHARHANFAISAL DAREMHASNA ABDUL MAJID

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11 HERITAGE

ANCIENT SURPRISE IN SANAA MOSQUE

S A N A’ A

Yemen’s National Security Agency chief holds first ever press conference.

BY SHUAIB AL MOSSAWA

The chief of Yemen’s National Security Agency (NSA) said that cooperation with the U.S. government will continue until al-Qaeda is finished in Yemen.

In a press conference held on 8 January, General Ali al-Ahmadi said that the counter-terrorism program with the United States will continue as long as Al Qaeda continues to operate in Yemen.

When asked by a reporter why the government is allowing U.S. drone attacks in Yemen, Al Ahmadi said, “If we were rid of terrorism, we would not want to see a single plane or any type of help from any country.” But Al Ahmadi said that this cooperation was part of the international coalition against Al Qaeda that Yemen has been a part of since 2001.

Al Ahmadi said that relations between Yemen and Iran have never been cut, despite Iran’s backing for some parties in Yemen, but it is time that Iran restores relations on a proper basis with the state of Yemen, instead of dealing with factions within the country.

Relations with Iran have been in the spotlight in Yemen. Iranian ambassador to Yemen Mahmoud Hassan Ali Zada had said on January 7 that there were “parties that seek to spoil our relationship and Yemen should be aware of what is going on”. President Hadi had accused Iran of running an

espionage network in Yemen, which Iran had denied.

Al Ahmadi said that Iran supported the Houthis on both official and ideological levels. “While Iran has not sent weapons to Yemen, they have sent money as well as moral support.” Al Ahmadi said, “The seven wars were absurd and many Yemenis were killed. For over a thousand years, Shafii and Zaydi lived in peace. I would say that the right path now is for the Houthis to put down their weapons and to engage in the National Dialogue.”

Commenting on media reports of illegal arrests by the NSA in 2011, Al Ahmadi said “If there are mistakes made, they do not reflect the NSA policy.” He denied that the NSA operated special prisons.

“Whenever we arrest people for interrogation, we send them immediately to the Political Security Organization for detention and we make sure that the detainee’s family is informed” Al Ahmadi said, adding that currently, the NSA has 25 suspects in PSO detention, some of whom have been referred to the prosecution.

GRAPHIC DESIGNERNABEEL SALEH

NSA CHIEF : U.S. COOPERATION WILL CONTINUE UNTIL AL QAEDA IS FINISHED IN YEMEN

© US DEPARTMENT OF DEFENCE

© HUMBER JOURNALISM

6 INTERVIEW

KHALED AL HAMMADI HAYKAL BAFANA SPEAKS TO YEMEN’S RENOWNED JOURNALIST KHALED AL HAMMADI.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

S A N A’ A

Yemen’s National Security Agency chief holds first ever press conference.


The constant stream of accusations and criticisms between the media arms of the political parties in Yemen continues unabated.

In the latest salvo, the Islah-led opposition coalition criticized Saleh’s political party for attacking General Ali Muhsin al-Ahmar who is the “national symbol of the peaceful revolution for change,” according to a statement issued on January 10.

The Islah-led opposition coalition statement was in response to articles in pro-GPC media which accused General al-Ahmar’s media of insulting President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi.

In the Akhbar al-Youm newspaper, a January 5 article by al-Ahmar’s spokesperson Abdullah al-Hadiri had stated, “Oh my God, all that has been going on while “President Abdo” is living in another planet. We have not seen his bold decisions. We sometimes feel he is a president against us. God, “Abdo” is following in his predecessors’ footsteps.”

Hadi’s first name “Abdo” means “his slave” in Arabic, and was never used in the Yemeni press prior to al-Hadiri’s article.

General Ali Muhsin al-Ahmar, seen as a pillar of the Islah party, had defected from Saleh in March 2011 to join the anti-Saleh coalition and had pledged to protect the youth protesters who camped near his First Armed Division camp in the capital Sana’a.

Our national history will commemorate the heroic stance

of the First Armored Division and its brave commander along with Revolution,” the statement said.

The opposition coalition formed in 2011 under the name of National Council of Forces for the Peaceful Revolution” was an Islah-led coalition which rallied protests against former president Saleh. The GCC Deal signed in November 2011 resulted in the coalition forming a “Unity Government” with Saleh’s General Peoples Congress (GPC).

Nevertheless, the rivalries between the coalition and the GPC have remained. Tensions between political parties Islah and GPC have increased as mutual accusations are regularly exchanged about hindering the implementation of the GCC Deal.

MEDIA WAR BETWEEN ISLAH AND THE GPC CONTINUES

PROFILE▌G E N E R A L A L I A L A H M A D IBorn in 1956, in Al Saeed district, Shabwah

Ph D in International Relations

Appointed as National Security Agency chief in 2012.

Previous appointments :

• Governor of Baydha’• Governor of Hajjah• Minister of Fisheries• Governor of Shabwah

2 months after Hadi became the President of Yemen. The earliest allegations were made by Al Ahale newspaper in April 2012.

However, these earlier claims were made through small Yemeni media outlets, with anonymous reporters citing unnamed sources, and did not elicit a response from government linked media.

2 Saturday 12 January 2013

N E W S

HADI TACKLES SOUTHERN COMPLAINTS

S A N A’ A

New decisions are first move to resolve grievances in southern Yemen.

BY HAYKAL BAFANA

President Hadi has issued a decree which signals for the first time the Yemeni government’s intent to resolve major Southern grievances.

Southern complaints center on events which happened after the 1994 civil war. More than 60,000 Southern military, police & civil service employees were sacked without legal basis. Further, vast swathes of land in southern areas were confiscated by the state and given to influential tribal and military personalities.

Hadi’s decree of 8 January creates 2 committees tasked with investigating and recommending solutions to the Government. One committee will look into the issue of dismissed Southern employees, while the other will investigate all land issues.

Quarterly reports will be made to the President, and the committees are to recommend legal solutions which are fair, compensate the injured parties and redress any wrongs committed in the period from 1990 to date. The committees are to complete these tasks within one year, according to the decree.

While there are other factors causing Southern discontent, the twin issues of sacked employees and land “looting” are at the forefront of Southern grievances.

This conciliatory move by Hadi comes at a critical stage of the planned National Dialogue. All major Southern factions have so far publicly rejected any participation. It is clear that this latest measure by Hadi is a bid to convince some Southern leaders to attend the National Dialogue and to “achieve reconciliation” between all factions in Yemen.

N AT I O N A LPOLITICS

S A N A’ A

Denial comes after allegations by a newspaper that 3 American military bases will be built in Yemen.

BY MOHAMMED SHARHAN

The Ministry of Defense has denied the news published by “Al-Sharea newspaper” recently which claimed that the United States plans to build 3 military bases in Yemen with more than a thousand housing units for its troops.

Government news agency SABA quoted a Defence Ministry official who said that Yemen is a sovereign country and would not allow any country to establish military bases on its territory.

The Defence Ministry official also said that the deployment of Marines n the U.S. Embassy is a temporary measure, and the responsibility for protecting the U.S. Embassy and other embassies in the capital Sana’a lies with the Yemeni security forces.

The source pointed out that cooperation in the military and security fields between Yemen and the United States is limited to the exchange of information and providing the necessary support for Yemen in combating terrorism.

DEFENCE MINISTRY : NO U.S. BASES IN YEMEN

SECURITY

MILITARY TENSION IN THE CAPITAL SANAA

S A N A’ A

Deployment of army troops on streets signal increasing tension between rival military forces.

BY NASSER ARRABYEE

President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi’s office denied that Hadi is in disagreement with General Ali Muhsen Al Ahmar, despite the deployment of tanks and armored vehicles around the 1st Armore Division headquarters.

General Ali Muhsen also held a meeting with a number military leaders under the umbrella of “Supporters of the Revolution”. In the meeting, General Ali Muhsin vowed to continue the revolution, a step seen by observers as a rebellion against the legitimacy of President Hadi.

Earlier in the week, the army was deployed in the main cities of Yemen. The process started early morning of Monday January, 7th, 2013 in the capital Sanaa.

President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi ordered the military deployment partly as a response to a series of assassinations of security and military officers in 2012, including 17 in the capital Sanaa.

The step was understood as recognition by President Hadi that the security forces under the Minister of Interior had failed completely to maintain security in the country including the capital.

However, military deployments in the streets will not reassure Yemenis who feel the insecurity every day.

“The people want stability, and stability comes from functioning

SECURITY

institutions not from deployment of troops in the streets,” said the political analyst Nabil Al Sufi.

“What did the army do in Abyan, or Mareb or Al Baidha?” Al Sufi wondered in an obvious reference to the places where the troops also failed to defeat Al Qaeda.

It is not only the hidden forces like Al Qaeda that make Yemenis feel insecure. Despite the military deployment, tribal militants were still sighted in the capital Sanaa. These militants are in the employ of influential tribal and religious leaders, who appear to be immune from any security or military measures.

The army is apparently incapable of ordering the cessation of tribal checkpoints like those in Al Hasaba or Sufan areas of the capital Sanaa. “If the militants are still behind their barricades, then what are the troops doing in the streets?” wondered journalist Mohammed Al Qadi.

These security and military developments came weeks after President Hadi issued decrees to unify and restructure the armed forces which is split between the ex President’s son Ahmed Ali and General Ali Muhsen.

General Ali Muhsen seems to be in disagreement with President Hadi about the position he will hold after his units have been restructured.

General Ahmed Ali is still on his vacation in Italy. Sources told the Yemen Observer that President Hadi has ordered Ahmed Ali to cut short his vacation and return immediately after the latest military developments which may lead to failure of the whole transitional process.

FURORE IN PARLIAMENT OVER TRANSITIONAL JUSTICE LAW

S A N A’ A


BY NASSER ARRABYEE

The five political parties under the coalition of Joint Meeting Parties (JMP) attended on Wednesday the debates over the draft of the transitional justice law referred to Parliament by President Hadi.

The JMP block had walked out from the Parliament a day earlier, refusing to discuss the draft of the law.

The draft of the controversial law of transitional justice and national reconciliation is expected to be passed and approved by President over the few coming days before the national dialogue starts.

However, the Socialist minister of Legal Affairs Dr Mohammed Al Mekhlafi criticized the draft law.

The most controversial point for the parties is the period of time which the transitional justice law covers.

“I can not believe that President Hadi referred the draft to the Parliament. The draft ignored the conflicts from 1994.” said Minister of Legal Affairs Dr Al Mekhlafi, referring to the civil war of 1994.

The draft law submitted by President Hadi includes only events happening in 2011. In any event, the final decision willl rest on President Hadi, if the Parliament fails to approve the draft.

“The Socialist minister focuses on the 1994 conflicts because the victims were from his party,” said Hafez Al Bukari, political activist.

“President Hadi does not want the transitional period to include the 1994 conflicts because this period will include Saleh’s partners, and Hadi was one of Saleh’s partners,” said Al Bukari.

POLITICS

H O D E I DA H

City of Zabid threatened with removal from World Heritage list due to incursions of modern buildings.

BY FAISAL DAREM

The Cabinet ordered the local authority of Hodaida governorate to immediately eliminate all building violations in the historical town of Zabid.

The Deputy Culture Minister stated that UNESCO had warned Zabid would be removed from the World Heritage list because of building violations which distort the town's architectural heritage.

The violations occur at Zabid because there is no law to regulate the protection of historical landmarks.

According to UNESCO, the outstanding archaeological and historical heritage of Zabid has seriously deteriorated in recent years. Indeed, 40% of its original houses have been replaced by concrete buildings, the organization said.

Zabid was inscribed on the World Heritage list in 1993. In 2000, the town was included on the List of World Heritage in Danger. UNESCO is helping the local authorities to develop an urban conservation plan and to adopt a strategic approach for the preservation of this World Heritage site.

GOVERNMENT ORDERS PROTECTION OF ZABID TOWN

HERITAGE

S A N A’ A

Denial comes after allegations by a newspaper that 3 American military bases will be built in Yemen.

BY NASSER ARRABYEE

The family of a slain tribal leader demanded the Yemeni government to investigate into the assassination of their son Mulla Zabara who was killed in an area between Shabwah and Abyan Thursday.

Abu Bakr Abdul Salam said they would not bury the remains of Mulla Zabara until the killed is identified. “We will keep the remains in Ataq, capital of Shabwah, until we know who killed him - the killer must be put on trial,” said the brother Abu Bakr.

“My brother was a peace maker between tribesmen everywhere, as everybody knows,” the brother added over phone from Ataq.

Earlier, the tribal leader, Sheikh Ali Abdul Salam, Mulla Zabara Was killed and one of his bodyguards injured in Thaykah area in the mountainous district of Al Mahfad, one of the most important strongholds of Al Qaeda in the south, said relatives.

MULLA ZABARA KILLED IN ABYANSECURITY

Mulla Zabara previously had links with Al Qaeda. He was on his way from Aden to Shabwah when three gunmen riding a pick up met him in Thaykah area. They talked with him for sometime before they shot him dead, said his brother Abu Bakr Abdul Salam.

One of his bodyguards, called Mohammed Ahmed Saleh Al Shaibi, was injured in the operation. Now the remains of Mualla Zabarah and the injured Al Shaibah are in the hospital in Al Mahfad, said the brother, for transfer to Ataq later in the day.

Zabarah mediated between Al Qaeda and the government many times.

He was the main mediator between Al Qaeda and French organizations when Al Qaeda released three French hostages in 2011 in return for ransom.

His brother Abu Bakr did not accuse any one, but he said there must be investigations.

However, Mulla Zabara said one week ago that his life was in danger and he wanted to seek asylum in a European country.

“My life is in danger now here in Shabwah, I want to seek asylum in one of the European countries,” he told the journalist Nasser Arrabyee, over phone from Shabwah one week before he was killed.

© THENATION.COM

MULLA ZABARA

DEFENSE MINISTER PRAISES FORMER PRESIDENT AND BRIGADIER GENERAL AHMED ALI ABDULLAH SALEH

S A N A’ A


BY ABDUL-AZIZ OUDAH

Defense Minister Major General Mohammed Nasser Ahmed praised former President Ali Abdullah Saleh and Brigadier General Ahmed Ali Abdullah Saleh for their role in the establishment of the Special Forces and their highly professional standards.

“We have a great hope that the Special Forces will remain to be a distinctive category, acquiring all successes and go ahead in development, modernization and upgrading of its combat abilities,” the Minister said at the ceremony of the inauguration of

DEFENCE

the annual training session of the Special Forces, reiterating the special forces will receive special attention and will be given huge potentials so that they remains strong and effective.

The minister pointed to the honorable role played by the special forces together with their colleagues in the other armed forces, the security forces and the popular committees and their ability to destroy the evil forces in Abyan Province and to lift the siege on a number of military units in Zanjibar District, and their ability to achieve victory due to their brave responsible attitudes

The minister inspected the study points, so as to see the readiness of the Special Forces’ equipments and the military vehicles for combat.

S A N A’ A


BY FARES ANAM

The Criminal Court of First Specialized Instance sentenced last Sunday 5 Al Qaeda members to prison for participating in an armed gang to do criminal acts targeting the interests and government installations and attacking military leaders in a number of areas in the country.

The verdict read in the court session, which was held under the chairmanship of Chief Judge Hilal Mahfel sentenced Mohammed Abdullah Maoudah for 10 years, and 6 years each for Bilal Mohammed Saleh al-Hababi, Saddam Hussein Saleh and Mohamed Ahmed Abdel Jalil Ghalib, and four years for Shamsan Ahmed Hussein Harazi.

Nofal Mosleh Sa'ad, Abdul Wahab Hassan Ali, Ahmed Nasser Algebra, Akram Hassan Abu Thaebah and Fawaz Yahya al-Shawiesh were put under police surveillance for a year.

IMPRISONMENT FOR FIVE AL QAEDA MEMBERS OF AL-QAEDA TO 4 -10 YEARS

SECURITY

Saturday 12 January 2013 3

26 SEA CUCUMBER THIEVES CAUGHT IN SOCOTRAS O C O T R A I S L A N D

Group accused of illegal harvesting of sea cucumbers for export.

BY HAYKAL BAFANA

Police arrested 16 Somalis and 10 Yemenis in Socotra island for the illegal harvesting of sea cucumbers.

Hona Hadhramaut reported that the defendants were equipped with diving equipment and were collecting the sea cucumbers from the sea around Socotra.

The defendants will be charged not having a permit to harvest the sea cucumbers, which are a valuable delicacy in the Far East. The Somalis had entered Yemen illegally, and will be charged accordingly.

Police said investigations had shown that the group had come to Socotra on multiple occasions in the past without permits to harvest sea cucumbers for export.

HADHRAMAUT

N E W S

5 MURDER SUSPECTS ARRESTED IN AIRPORTA L M U K A L L A

5 passengers on Yemenia flight arrested in Al Mukalla airport.

BY FARES ANAM

Police at Al Mukalla airport in Hadhramaut arrested 5 passengers upon their arrival from abroad on a Yemenia Airways flight.

The police said that the Immigration and Passports Department had listed the 5 persons in a list of wanted persons, as they were accused of intentional murder.

The 5 persons are currently in police custody, while procedures for their deportation to the capital Sana’a are being carried out.

HADHRAMAUT

GUNMEN POSE AS QAT TAX COLLECTORSS A N A’ A

2 injured by gunfire in failed extortion bid.

BY MOHAMMED SHARHAN

Gunmen injured two citizens on Tuesday in Zubairi Street in the capital Sana’a, according to Al Motamar Net.

Witnesses said that the gunmen told qat sellers at Zubairi street that they were from the Tax Authority and demanded five hundred riyals from every qat seller.

The qat sellers refused, as tax on qat is paid at check points at entrances to the capital Sana’a/ The gunmen began shooting randomly, causing injuries to Yemeni citizens Fouad Yahya Kotaina and Motia Mohammed Thabet.

According to witnesses, a security checkpoint close to the scene did not respond to the shooting.

THE CAPITAL

GARBAGE PILES UP AS HYGIENE WORKERS STRIKE

H O D E I DA H C I T Y

Workers demand that prior labour agreements be honoured.

BY HAYKAL BAFANA

Hygiene workers in Hodeidah City continued a full labour strike that had started on 30 December last year.

Akhbar Al Sa’ah reported that the workers allege that previous promises to improve their salary, employment status as well as living conditions have been repeatedly broken by the authorities.

In the meantime, the piles of garbage have been getting larger, exacerbated by a poor sewerage system which frequently overflows on many of the streets of Hodeidah City.

Labour actions by hygiene workers have taken place in many other Yemeni cities, including the capital Sana’a. The salary for an average hygiene worker is less than US$100 monthly. They are hired as daily labourers, and are not accorded the benefits which accrue to government employees.

HODEIDAH

STUDENTS DEMAND DISMISSAL OF PRINCIPAL

A L K A D H A , H AY S

Three students hurt during sit-in at the school.

BY HAYKAL BAFANA

Dozens of students of Khalid Bin Al Walid school in Al Kadha district staged a sit-in demanding the dismissal of their principal.

According to Al Tagheer, the students allege that the school had obtained no benefit during the principal’s tenure of over 20 years. However, three students were injured when relatives of the principal attempted to disperse the demonstration by force.

HODEIDAH

LOCK-UP NOT CLEAN - JUDGE JAILS CLEANER

I B B C I T Y

Workers demand that prior labour agreements be honoured.

BY HAYKAL BAFANA

Human rights activists are up in arms over the conduct of a judge in Ibb.

Mareb Press reports that the judge ordered a female cleaner working in the court complex be jailed for failing to keep the detention cells clean enough. The cleaner was only released after the intervention of the President of Court of Appeal in Ibb.

Activists as well as lawyers have called for the judge’s conduct to be investigated by the authorities.

IBB

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MAIN ROADS INTO THE CAPITAL BLOCKED BY TRIBESMEN SETTLING OLD SCORES

B A N I H U S H A I S H

Three students hurt during sit-in at the school.


Main roads of Capital blocked by tribesmen that settle old scores

Nearly a hundred vehicles were looted and many key roads in Sana’a were blocked during last six month of past year as tribesmen were settling their disputes in a security a vacuum.

Random official records of interior ministry showed that 98 vehicles, including oil tankers, were looted during the last six months of 2012 as tribesmen in the suburbs of Sana’a capital and beyond had rivalries.

According to the records, tribesmen of Bani Hushaish looted on September 18, 2012 nine cars from a Nihm tribe that retaliated in the dame day by looting 14 cars that belong to the Bani Hushaish tribe. The record did not say the reason, adding that a tribal mediation resolved the dispute and gave back all cars to their owners, which was the only case to be resolved.

In another record, al-Haima tribesmen set a roadblock on May 30, 2012 and managed to loot 23 vehicles including oil tankers that belong to a tribe

SANAA

from Amran province, some 50 kms to the north of the capital Sana’a. The reason was not mentioned in the record but said that 10 oil tankers were given back while the others remained.

In a recent roadblock, a tribe of Bani Hushaish disputed with a neighboring tribe from Bani al-Harith on November 27, 2012. This time Bani al-Harith looted 23 cars that belong to Bani Hushaish which retaliated by looting three cars. The tribe of Bani Hushaish, some 10 km to northeast of the capital Sana’a, are still blocking the main road linking Bani Hushaish to other areas including a road to Marib province.

Ali Ahmed Rafeeq, a tribal sheikh from Bani Hushaish said he blocked the road to protest the government’s ignorance of his tribesmen’s grievances. “Bani al-Harith looted us 14 cars a year ago,” Rafeeq said, “but we appealed to the state’s justice.”

Rafeeq said that bureaucracy took the government a year to respond to their problem by imprisoning one tribesman from Bani al-Harith but that Bani al-Harith looted the police car and forced them to release their man. In the end of December 2012, the problem remained and one deputy of Sana’a governor intervened to resolve

the problem. “We told them a month ago that our cars are still with our rival… they [Sana’a officials] had sympathy for them and free the prisoner. They are portrayed as revolutionaries while we are ‘remnants of the regime’,” Rafeeq said.

Unarmed locals are also gathering along the roadblock. “The roadblock is good”, Ali Ahmed, a local, said, “so that Bani Hushaish sheikhs coalesce and see how the government retracted its decision and freed our rival from prison.”

Amran province’s main road, which links other four provinces’, has been frequently blocked by different tribesmen since the popular protest broke out in 2011. One traveler who came from Sa’ada two weeks ago said he stayed for two hours at a check point set up in Amran main road by armed men. “They [armed men] did not loot anything from us,” said Muhammed al-Shami, “but were checking our identity cards, probably looking for certain people.” The same road had other checkpoints set up by tribes, said al-Shami who were leaving neighboring Sa’ada province through Amran’s road.

BRITISH COUNCIL & EDUCATION MINISTRY CONDUCT “ TRAINER DEVELOPMENT COURSE”

IBB

The British Council and the Education Ministry conducted courses for Teachers of English in five governorates : Almahweet, Hajja, outskirt of sana’a, Lahj and Dhamar.

Another series of courses will be held this month in Albaidha, Aldhale’ Shabwah, Almahra, Sana’a, Mareb and Amran.

TRIBESMEN FROM BANI HUSHAISH AT THE TENT MAN A ROADBLOCK NEARBY.

ONE OF THE MANY ROADBLOCKS IN THE BANI HUSHAISH DISTRICT

G O V E R N O R AT E


▌T E L E C O M S

New Internet RatesTelecommunications Minister Ahmad Bin Daghr announced that ADSL internet subscription charges will be reduced by 25% starting from 1 January 2013.

The Minister also said that a further 25% reduction in the prices will be implemented by July 2013. In March 2012, ADSL subscription charges were reduced by approximately 27%.

▌O I L

Arcadia Wins February 2013 Crude Oil Tender UK firm Arcadia was awarded the tender to purchase 1.9 million barrels of Masila crude oil at a price per barrel of US$0.94 above Brent. The crude oil cargo is for lifting in February 2013.

Marib Oil Export Pipeline Attacked AgainAfter only 9 days of operation, the Marib oil export pipeline was bombed again on 10 January. The latest attack in Sarwah district of Marib governorate took place less than 150 meters from an army base. The identity of the saboteurs is unknown.

The Defence Ministry announced on 11 January that the latest damage had been repaired. It was not clear whether pumping has resumed.

Taxmen at oil export portsFor the first time since Yemeni crude oil exports commenced, the Finance Ministry will set up customs offices at the main crude oil export ports of Dhabba in Hadhramaut and Bir Ali in Shabwah. The move is likely aimed at certifying accurate figures for crude oil exports.

Oil Search Divests Block 3 Interest To Total Oil Search has completed the sale of its 40% interest in Block 3 (Gardan) to French company Total for US$44 million. Total is now the operator of Block 3, located in Shabwah. Oil Search announced that an after-tax profit of US$28 million will be recorded in its 2012 accounts from the sale.

Oil Search maintains a 34% interest in Block 7 (Al Barqa), in “force majeure” since 2011.

▌F I N A N C E

Treasury Bond SaleThe Central Bank of Yemen auctioned off 88.23 billion riyals (US$412M) of treasury bonds in December 2012. The 3/6/12 month term bonds will yield purchasers between 19.08-19.50% per annum.

2012 : Inflation rate was 7%The Finance Ministry announced a surprisingly low 7% inflation rate for 2012, a substantial improvement from 19.3% in 2011. In 2010, the figure was 12.6%.

▌T R A V E L

Sheraton Hotel After many decades of being one of the few luxury hotels in Yemen, Sheraton Hotel Sanaa closed at the end of 2012. The owner, a Kuwaiti government-owned firm, has leased the hotel to the United States Department of State for up to 5 years.

▌C U R R E N C Y Exchange Rate Yemeni Riyal (YER) 10 January 2013

Currency Sell Buy

USD U.S. Dollar 214.8700 214.9100

SAR Saudi Riyal 57.1400 57.1500

OMR Omani Riyal 558.1000 558.2100

GBP British Pound 347.4600 347.5200

EUR European Euro 284.0300 284.0800

CHF Swiss Franc 235.2300 235.2700

SEK Swedish Krona 32.9800 32.9800

JPY Japanese Yen 2.4981 2.4985

KWD Kuwaiti Dinar 764.2500 764.4000

AED UAE Dirham 58.5000 58.5100

EGP Egyptian Pound 34.7000 34.7100

BHD Bahraini Dinar 569.9500 570.0500

QAR Qatari Riyal 59.0100 59.0200

JOD Jordanian Dinar 303.1700 303.2200

Term Yield

91 19.50%

182 19.22%

364 19.08%

▌F I N A N C E Treasury Bonds Central Bank of YemenDecember 2012

▌C U R R E N C Y 12 Month Chart US Dollar to Yemeni Riyal10 January 2013

MARKETS

Grade US$ YER

Pri

ce

pe

r g

ram 24K Gold 56.15 11,974.11

22K Gold 51.51 10,976.27

18K Gold 42.22 8,980.61

14K Gold 32.93 6,984.94

24K Gold (1 ounce) 1,733.82 372,433.21

24K Gold (1 kilogram) 55,742.31 11,973,727.54

▌P R E C I O U S M E T A L S Gold Market Price (Sana’a)10 January 2013

IN THE NEWS OIL MINISTER : WE WILL ESTABLISH 2 NATIONAL COMPANIES IN 2013

S A N A’ A

Government owned companies will be set up for petroleum exploration and mining.

BY FAISAL DAREM

Minister of Oil and Minerals Ahmed Dares announced that 2 national oil and mineral companies will be set up in 2013.

Dares was speaking at the opening ceremony of the annual meeting of the Petroleum Exploration and Production Authority (PEPA).

Dares said that the establishment of two national companies for petroleum and mining is one of the main priorities of the ministry during the next phase, as well as amending the convention on liquefied natural gas.

“17 companies competed to invest in the five oil sectors which were announced recently, despite the current circumstances in Yemen. This shows that our country is rich with promising investment opportunities.” Dares said.

B U S I N E S S

▌E C O N O M YInflation in Yemen

▌C O M M O D I T I E SCrude Oil Market Price10 January 2013

$111.36+0.0.5 +0.04%

MEETING ON PROPOSED EXPATRIATE BANK

S A N A’ A

New bank to tap into Yemeni expatriate funds.

BY FAISAL DAREM

The Ministry of Expatriate Affairs organized on Thursday the first consultative meeting for the establishment of the Expatriates Bank, with the participation of a number of Yemeni businessmen who are emigrants as well as representatives of banks.

Participants in the meeting agreed to form a committee to communicate and promote with businessmen and banks as well as targeted companies in order to hold the first constituent meeting to elect the Committee Foundation of the Bank.

Abdul Qader Ayedh, assistant undersecretary at the ministry said the ministry included the bank’s establishment plan in its program for the transitional period, and held several meetings with expatriates.

Ayedh said the third expatriate conference held in October 2009 recommended the establishment of this bank.

250 HAND REAPING MACHINES TO FARMERS AT HALF PRICE

The Committee of Japanese aid approved on January 9th in Sana'a headed by the Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation Fared Mujawar, the mechanism for distributing 250 hand reapers from Japanese aid to farmers in the provinces where cultivate wheat and barley.

Abdel Malik al-Thor, undersecretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation said the ministry will distribute 250 hand reaping machines at half their price as a sort of the incentives to encourage farming in general, expecting the next year's harvest would be better than previous ones.

$65 MILLION LOAN AGREEMENT APPROVED

The law No. 1 for 2013 was issued on Monday approving a loan agreement to finance establishing a wind farm in the country.

The loan agreement worth of $65 million was signed by the government and Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development (AFESD) on 17 April 2012.

The sum is to contribute in a project of wind farm with a 60 MW capacity to be built in Mocha city of Taiz governorate.

2.1 MILLION OIL BARRELS TO BE SOLD IN MARCH

The Supreme Committee on Crude Oil Marketing sealed Sunday the crude oil sales of March 2013, estimated to be 4.1 million barrels, Sabanews Agency reported.

In its meeting chaired by Prime Minister Mohammed Salem Basindwa, the committee approved to sell the full quantity of Masila crude oil expected to be 2.1 million barrels to Unibic Company, which has presented the best bid.

Concerning Marib crude oil, the committee approved selling the full estimated quantity of 2 million barrels to Aden Refinery Company.

Moreover, the committee reviewed a report of Petroleum Exploration and Production Authority (PEPA) on the oil production and the current condition of the productive blocks in the country.

The report included a detailed statement on the daily and annual oil production, underway projects in the productive blocks, explanation on the reasons behind the production decline and the proposed solutions and plans to maintain production level.

YEMEN COMPLETES ALLOCATION OF GRANTS FROM GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL

The Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Mohammed al-Sa’adi announced about the completion of the majority of the allocations of most Gulf grants to Yemen as the outcome of donors meeting held in Riyadh city.

Al-Sa’adi said that during his meeting held January 9th with the Director General of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Office in Sana’a Sa’ad al-Arifi.

The two sides reviewed a number of issues related to the promotion of cooperation between Yemen and the GCC countries.

Al-Sa’adi said that there is a keenness shown GCC in supporting Yemen during the current critical stage.

For his part, al-Arifi stressed the need to accelerate the completion of projects funded by donors and to serve existing

efforts to assist the Government of National Reconciliation in providing a significant improvement in the lives of citizens.

At the meeting, thy agreed to adopt a regular mechanism for regular meetings between specialists at the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation and the GCC Office in Yemen to improve joint coordination between the two sides.

YEMEN SEEKS TO SPEED UP ALLOCATION OF DONORS GRANTS

Prime Minister Mohammed Salem Basindwa confirmed importance of allocation of financial pledges to Yemen by donors as soon as possible to help the government fulfill the transitional stage requirements.

This came in a meeting held on January 7th between Basindwa and EU ambassador to Yemen Ms. Bettina Muscheidt, to discuss the joint mechanisms to speed up the allocation of the grants donors have announced for Yemen’s development

They also reviewed the EU efforts to support the political settlement process in the country, particularly the arrangements for the national dialogue conference.

The Premier indicated to the generous financial pledges the EU alongside the GCC states and the international community have made to Yemen, hoping to be allocated as soon as possible to help the government fulfills the transitional stage requirements.

The EU ambassador lauded the government and Premier’s effective efforts to maintain Yemen’s security and stability and to address the current difficult situations.

Ms. Muscheidt reiterated the European firm attitude to support Yemen, saying that the EU would continue to fully stand by the Yemeni government and people to overcome existing conditions.

ECONOMIC SNAPSHOTSBY FAISAL DAREM

YEMEN PETROLEUM AUTHORITY CHIEF PLANS NATIONAL OIL COMPANY

S A N A’ A

New oil company will supervise, control and operate the oil sector in Yemen.

BY ALA’ALLAH TAHER

Nasr Ali al-Hamidi, head of oil exploration and production authority hoped to create the National Company for Petroleum as a necessity, national and human need being is the only party that will supervise, monitor and operate all petroleum operations in all sectors of petroleum in the Republic of Yemen and beyond.

These hopes came during the annual meeting of the exploration and production of oil for 2013 in Sana'a on Monday.

Al-Hamidi told the Yemen Observer that the goal of establishing the company is attempt to collect all government companies or supervisors on the exploration and production in one national company and its functions are supervision, control and operation of the oil sectors in the country.

"These companies will be under one umbrella and have one vision and goal, which is the investment like the oil-producing countries that have national companies that performed the policy of the oil wealth," he said.

Ahmed Abdullah Daris, Minister of Oil and Minerals said that the year of 2013 is the year of the economy and there is an urgent need to re-house economically in order to stop the deterioration and revitalize the economy.

"The growing emergence of

petroleum indicators in several sectors carrying connotations positive and promising sectors will be announced shortly," he added.

Mohammed Ajeenah, delegate of TOTAL Yemen said that Yemen was and still has importance strategic for the Total Group.

Ajeenah also said that the presence of international oil companies operating in the country is beneficial for both Yemen and foreign companies and will lead to maximize oil and gas production from different regions and fields through providing technical expertise of the Technical Advisory companies.

He noted that the various projects operated by Total provided the Yemeni budget around 2 billion in 2011.

Among the objectives of the annual meeting is enabling the oil exploration and production authority to see the phase shift future strategic as it should be in the future to serve the process of petroleum.

The attendees praised the efforts of President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi to encourage investment in its various forms and modernization of infrastructure to find solutions and sustainable development, especially in the field of oil .

They urged his continued support to overcome all difficulties and obstacles facing the conduct of petroleum operations in the Republic of Yemen.

S A N A’ A

Conference will bring academics, politicians and activists to discuss Yemen’s options for the future.

BY SABA NEWS

Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Mohammed al-Saadi is in London for a conference on the future of Yemen, to be held Friday.

UN envoy to Yemen Jamal bin Omar will also take part in the meeting, which is organized by the Yemeni-British Friendship Association.

Al Saadi stated that he will review in the symposium the situation in Yemen and the future hopes and plans that the Yemeni government is seeking to apply in the future with regard to the national dialogue and the economic program of stability and development.

PLANNING MINISTER IN LONDON FOR CONFERENCE

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SOMETHING TO SAY?


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Y E M E N2 0 1 2Our Photographers Pick Their Favourite Shots.

BACKGROUND PICTURE : FALCON AT DAR AL HAJAR IN WADI DHAHR, SANA’A.

HOUSE IN OLD CITY OF SANA’A, AFTER RAINFALL.

BOY’S PLASTIC BAG PRINTED WITH THE INFAMOUS HOUTHI SLOGAN.

OLD MAN WRAPS UP WITH WARM CLOTHES FOR WINTER IN SANA’A.

A RIFLE LIKE THIS COST UP TO 600,000 YEMENI RIYALS (US$2,800) IN 2012.

VEGETABLE SELLER TAKES A BREAK IN SANA’A.

GRAPES READY FOR HARVEST IN NORTHERN YEMEN.


Y E M E N2 0 1 2Our Photographers Pick Their Favourite Shots.

VEGETABLE SELLER TAKES A BREAK IN SANA’A.

GRAPES READY FOR HARVEST IN NORTHERN YEMEN.

SUNSET OVER THE RED SEA OFF HODEIDAH COAST,


PROFILE▌K H A L E D A L H A M M A D I

• Native of Taiz, who spent many years in Aden.• Masters Degree in Political Science• Post-graduate Diploma in Journalism and Mass Communications.• Journalist for many international news and media outlets since 1996.• Correspondent for Al Quds Al Arabi newspaper based in London.• Producer and journalist for Al Jazeera English. • 2011 Winner of the International Press Freedom Award. • Founder of Freedom Foundation, a Yemeni NGO which monitors violations of press freedom. (Website at www.freedomfoundation-yemen.org)• First to interview Abu Jandal, Osama bin Laden’s former bodyguard upon his release from U.S. detention.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

JOURNALIST ANGERS THE YEMENI MILITARY

In contrast, the latest allegations were made by Khaled Al Hammadi, an award-winning Yemeni journalist known internationally, and his article was published in Al Quds Al Arabi, an influential international newspaper. It is therefore no surpise that Al Hammadi’s article saw a rapid response from the Defence Ministry 26 September newspaper.

Nevertheless, the fury of the Defence Ministry’s response shocked many in Yemen and abroad.

While the article defended President Hadi staunchly, it also accused Al Hammadi of “poisoning” Yemenis with skepticism about President Hadi’s efforts.

26 September quoted a “military source” who said Al Hammadi’s article was a racist diatribe against Southern military officers, who for decades had suffered disenfanchisement until Hadi’s recent military restructuring moves.

The Defence Ministry response vehemently denied the allegations made by Al Hammadi.

The Defence Ministry article has raised many eyebrows in Yemen and abroad. Qatar-based Doha Centre for Media Freedom condemned the move, and is “appalled that the Yemeni authorities are attempting to discredit an award-winning professional journalist in this unprecedented manner.” They also expressed concern for AL Hammadi’s safety due to the “repeated incitements to hatred” in the Defence Ministry article.

This is not the first time that Al Hammadi has angered a faction of the military.

In 2005, Al Hammadi was arrested and subjected to 2 days of interrogation by a Yemen Air Force commander after he wrote an article about jet fighter crashes caused by poor maintenance and corruption.

S A N A’ A

Journalist Khaled Al Hammadi recounts his harrowing experience.

BY KHALED AL HAMMADI

The thirty hours I spent at the Military Intelligence Department gave an indication of how this bureau has entered the press violations market in Yemen.

I was not the first Yemeni journalist to be arrested for publishing his views, neither will I be the last. What is new about my case is that it is the first time a military institution illegally held a journalist, and over a case outside its jurisdiction.

The scene of my arrest by the military was more dramatic than the usual scenes. It began when I received a call on my mobile telephone, saying: “Report to the officer! He wants you now!”

I told the caller that I was on an assignment in Marib and gave him the address of my hotel to further convince him that I really was in fact out of Sana'a. “Don't be evasive, come at once!” he responded.

After a long talk he was finally convinced and set an appointment with the commander three days later.

However, I was shocked to find that only three hours later, a group of air force soldiers rushed into the hotel. They had arrived in two patrol cars, one with an anti-aircraft gun attached. When saw them I presumed it was a raid in pursuit of a war criminal or dangerous terrorist.

But soon after came a knock at my door. “We are from the air force and have orders to arrest you and take you to the commander�s house in Sana’a.” a voice said.

I tried my best to persuade them to let me finish my work in Marib, as I had only been there for six hours. Eventually I gave up and got into their car, while the hotel guests stood by watching.

The whole thing seemed like some police scene from an Indian film.

I was scared to death by the breakneck speed at which we made our way back to Sana�a. It was the first time I had seen the speedometer needle reach its limit. I traveled many times before on the same road with the presidential convoy, but we never reached anything like the speed we were traveling at now.

It did occur to me it may have been a means of getting rid of me “accidentally”, but I discarded the idea when I realized there could be a good reason for the crazy driving.

On the outskirts of Sana’a, the patrol car commander received a call telling him to go directly to Air Force Headquarters. I was handed over to the intelligence officer on shift who said to the officer who brought me, “Thank you. Your mission is over. You can go back to Marib.” My officer replied, “But I was instructed to take him to the commander's house.” “That was before, there are new orders now.”

The soldiers who had arrested me left. I was detained in the duty officer’s office, seemingly under permanent scrutiny.

They confiscated my mobile telephone and copied its contents. When I discovered that later, I felt deeply disappointed and depressed. I hated everything and even stopped talking. I couldn’t even bear to look at the officers and soldiers around me.

In the small room there were four officers with me chewing qat and smoking so much that the room was like the inside of a chimney. I almost suffocated. I tried to lie down and get some rest, but the longer time passed, the more on edge I became.

Every minute seem like a day. I found myself suddenly an inert mass, capable only of calculating the ticking minutes and waiting for the time when they would call me, either to meet the commander, be interrogated, or to be taken to solitary confinement.

I waited for what seemed an eternity while the talking and laughing went on around me. They were, by all accounts, oblivious to my existence.

Each ring of the phone was like a gunshot in my ears. I was afraid that any one of those calls would put me in a quandary worse than the one was in.

Bouts of worry overcame me, not for myself, but for my mother who suffers from high blood pressure. I was scared that her condition would deteriorate when she heard the news of my arrest.

No one was privy to my arrest except my family, who I had contacted through a call in semi-code: The persons who called earlier came and seized me in Marib and returned me to Sana�a. I may be staying with them for a while.

I tried to get some relief from my predicament by sleeping, but my eyes would not bow to my wishes and I stayed awake all night, despite my physical tiredness.

By dawn, I still hadn’t slept a wink. I started the long wait, expecting the telephone to ring and for me to be called for interrogation, or possibly salvation. But nothing happened.

It wasn’t until a little before noon when I was asked to move to the adjacent room where I was received by two officers. I vented some of my anger on them, in a somewhat hoarse voice: “Have you no shame?! You want to question me when I’ve gone 20 hours with no food or water! I’m exhausted! Can't you see that I can't even talk properly because my mouth is so dry?”

They seemed ashamed and ordered me some water and cookies. At noon I gave money to a soldier and asked him to bring me some lunch from a restaurant.

After that the first of four interrogations began.

Investigators from low to higher ranks started off focusing on repeated points but from different angles. The recurring question in all of the examinations was: who was the source who disclosed to me the information I mentioned in a report two weeks earlier about the causes of repeated fighter aircraft crashes in Yemen?

It seemed that the subject had touched a nerve in the upper

echelons of the air force. This same question was repeated many times over as they sought to find out if I had friends in the air force or the military in general.

They asked many other questions, but kept coming back to the same one about the identity of my informer.

That told me that the other questions were trivial in nature. My source was the true focus of their attention, and they would clearly be prepared to do anything to him if they could get to him.

Other matters aside, the question that provoked me most was: “How much did you make from the newspaper in return for the news item?”

At that point I blew my top and demanded the officer withdraw his insinuations at once. I screamed in his face: “I received nothing and I resent your accusation that implies treason! I love my country as much as you pretend to be a patriot, and do my duty by exposing flaws and corruption, just as you appoint yourself protector of this country!”

Their questions revealed that there was still an infinite gap to bridge between the mentality of military intelligence and press freedom and political movements for democratic change. They were treating me with their pre-unity mindset. They still viewed corresponding for a foreign newspaper as a type of espionage, and publishing abroad as different from publishing inside the country.

I also understood that even though most of the details of my report had been published in Yemen, that did not free me from any responsibility. Publishing inside the country is for local consumption, while mentioning it outside is a disclosure of what should be kept confidential.

What amazed even more was that my interrogators did not seem to have read my report and thus knew nothing about its details. Every one of them asked me to summarize it to him. I was profoundly amused when one of them started asking me questions clearly without knowing who I was or on what charges I was before him.

At the end of every interrogation session, I was ordered to sign and put my fingerprint on everything transcribed. I was being treated like a criminal of war, or a deserter from the army. I asked them to treat me like a journalist and understand the nature of journalism, but a leopard can't change its spots!

Some people may think that the case is now closed because I was released by presidential order, but I am now fearful that some members of the military and security authorities might be targeted for the mere fact that their surnames coincide with mine, or the list of names taken from my telephone.

I sincerely hope I am wrong and that officials in charge of my case refrain from inflicting unnecessary punishments on innocent people.

AWARD WINNING JOURNALIST KHALED AL HAMMADI UNDER FIRE

S A N A’ A

An interview with award-winning journalist Khaled Al Hammadi about his latest article on Al Quds Al Arabi.

BY HAYKAL BAFANA

When I read the article by journalist Khaled Al Hammadi in Al Quds Al Arabi, and the ensuing response from the Yemen Defence Ministry newspaper 26 September (see report on page 1), I was intrigued by a number of things.

First, the allegations made by Al Hammadi in his article were grave and bore extremely serious implications for the future of the Yemeni state.

Secondly, the provocative and furious response from 26 September stood out from its usually staid articles. It was extremely personal, and read more like a diatribe than a reasoned response.

I met Al Hammadi at the office of Freedom Foundation, a media rights NGO of which he is the president.

I asked why he feared that the Defence Ministry article threatens his safety.

“The 26 September article is a personal attack against me. My full name was mentioned 12 times in the article. It’s almost like a judgment condemning me.” Al Hammadi said. “Since the 26 September newspaper is widely read in Yemen, it will incite people to act on it to cause harm to me, especially in the South.”

“Before its publication in 26 September, the article was submitted to many Yemeni government news outlets and to Al Quds Al Arabi in London as well. It was penned in the name of a journalist working for 26 September.” said Al Hammadi.

However, Al Hammadi said that the journalist denied that he wrote the article. Al Quds Al Arabi refused to publish it, and so did the other Yemeni government news outlets. That was when it was published by 26 September, without naming who wrote the article.

I asked Al Hammadi why the Defence Ministry response to his Al Quds Al Arabi article was rapid and furious, whereas there had been no official response to similar allegations made from early 2012 in Yemeni newspapers.

Al Hammadi said, “I think this was due to 3 reasons. One, I am a well-known journalist in Yemen and abroad. More importantly, Al Quds Al Arabi is an international newspaper with a large global audience. And the sting of the article was that it was the truth.”

Al Hammadi says he was careful in his reporting. He had received the information 2 weeks prior to publication, and had checked with multiple military, security and political sources.

I asked Al Hammadi to give a few examples of the 182 military and security appointments made by Hadi, especially the 25 senior command positions.

Al Hammadi smiled and declined, said, “I do not want to make this personal, by naming them. My article was focused on the issue, an important one

S O C I E T Y

which is troubling for Yemen’s future. I am certain that the information is accurate.”

“The President’s office called me and sent me a fax after the Al Quds article. They wanted me to tell them who my sources were. Naturally, I declined to provide the names.” Al Hammadi said, showing me the fax from President Hadi’s office.

“I told them that if the President’s office wished to reply, they were entitled to do so. In fact, their reply has been published in Al Quds Al Arabi.”

Al Hammadi said that the allegations on Jalal and Mansur, sons of President Hadi had also been checked thoroughly by him.

“I am aware of at least 11 appointments by President Hadi in the National Security Agency, aside from the new chief.” Al Hammadi said. “These 11 deal directly with Mansur Hadi, despite the fact that Mansur has no official government position.”

“Even though there is talk of financial corruption, I dismissed these allegations, as there was

not a shred of evidence to back them up.” Al Hammadi said. “But I stand by the truth of what I wrote in Al Quds Al Arabi.”

Freedom Foundation, the media rights NGO in Yemen that Al Hammadi helms, has condemned the 26 September article, saying that “state-owned media in Yemen should free themselves from serving rulers and serve the community instead”, as they were funded by public money.

Al Hammadi said that this was the first time since Hadi became President in early 2012 that a member of the press has been attacked by a government news outlet.

“It is a dangerous precedent. I will be filing a legal case in the Yemeni courts against 26 September newspaper for their article.” Al Hammadi said. “If we do not take action now, I think the media landscape in Yemen will worsen drastically.”

Al Hammadi has previously said that he looks forward to a Yemen “free from bullets and qat.”

He certainly lives by this vision : despite his life being under threat, Al Hammadi did not have security guards guarding his office, and was not armed himself.

INTERVIEW FROM OUR ARCHIVES

This article was written by Khaled Al Hammadi in 2005, after his illegal arrest and detention by the Military Intelligence Department. Yemen Observer published Al Hammadi’s article on 10 September 2005.

1 0 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 0 5 - Y E M E N O B S E R V E R

RAPIDLY BECOMING AN EVERYDAY TALE FOR JOURNALISTS IN YEMEN

“The 26 September article is a personal attack

against me. My full name was mentioned 12 times in the article. It’s almost like a judgment condemning me.” Al Hammadi said.

Al Hammadi said that this was the first time since

Hadi became President in early 2012 that a member

of the press has been attacked by a government

news outlet.

The scene of my arrest by the military was more

dramatic than the usual scenes. It began when I received a call on my

mobile telephone, saying: “Report to the officer! He

wants you now!”

At the end of every interrogation session,

I was ordered to sign and put my fingerprint on

everything transcribed. I was being treated like a criminal of war, or a

deserter from the army.

Bouts of worry overcame me, not for myself, but for

my mother who suffers from high blood pressure. I was scared that her condition would deteriorate when

she heard the news of my arrest.

Al Hammadi says he was careful in his reporting.

The President’s office called me and sent me a

fax after the Al Quds article. They wanted me to tell

them who my sources were.

SOMETHING TO SAY?


[email protected]


THE MADNESS OF MODIFICATIONS A N A’ A

Food made up of genetically modified organisms cause serious health damage.

BY HASNA ABDUL MAJID

There is an ubiquitous white box found in every super market with a green and red rooster debuting on its face. One Yemeni teenager Sundus Mahmoud seems almost addicted to its contents. “I can’t stop eating cornflakes. That’s my breakfast.”

Sundus is not alone as more and more Yemenis opt for meals that move away from the traditional diet of Yemen. However, this cereal is amongst a list of many other foods that may pose a potential harm to your health by containing genetically modified organisms, otherwise known as GMO’s.

In the latter part of 2012, Americans in the state of California were fighting to pass Proposition 37. Proposition 37 would legally force companies to label their foods as genetically modified so that the consumer would know if they contained GMO’s.

Large companies who dominate the market of biotechnology and manufacture GM seeds and grains and other companies who use GM foods spent millions of dollars campaigning for the right to not tell the consumer what they were consuming. Kelloggs paid more than 700,000 dollars

HEALTH L I F E S T Y L E

to help keep their consumers ignorant of what they are eating while Monsanto donated more than 8 million dollars.

GENETIC MODIFICATION

According to the World Health Organization “Genetically modified (GM) foods are foods derived from organisms whose genetic material (DNA) has been modified in a way that does not occur naturally, e.g. through the introduction of a gene from a different organism.”

This is not something new. For decades there have been scientists experimenting with genetic modification in plants and animals. The most well known incident occurred in 1997 when a Dolly, a transgenic sheep was cloned. One of the most controversial issues came about when scientists began to clone stem cells or embryos for the purpose of finding new ways to cure disease.

EFFECTS ON ANIMALS

One popular form of genetic modification is that of certain crops such as corn, soybeans and cotton. The companies that lead in the industry of Biotech foods are Monsanto, Dupont and Sygenta.

These companies modified crops so that they have a built in pesticides which kills the insects that would normally target that particular crop. Although in some cases the insects have been known to build up immunity

to the GM crop, animals that have eaten such crops have not been so fortunate.

In June 2012 Sygenta was sued for covering up livestock deaths and abortions from cows that ate Sygenta’s BT corn. Back in 2006 there was a case of mass deaths of 1,820 sheep in India who had grazed on BT cotton. After 2-3 days of grazing, the sheep showed various symptoms such as lesions, red urine and bloating - they were dead within five to seven days.

A two year study at the University of Caen in France conducted on lab rats showed that when fed on a diet of Monsanto BT corn, the rats grew massive tumors. The study came under scrutiny for many reasons from groups who were pro GM - however, this was not an isolated incident.

One report stated “In the US, about two dozen farmers reported thousands of pigs became sterile after consuming certain GM corn varieties. Some had false pregnancies; others gave birth to bags of water. Cows and bulls also became infertile when fed the same corn.”

“ A SERIOUS HEALTH RISK”

There are many incidents and studies that have brought to light the negative effects of consuming GMO’s.

There are many scientists who believe there is a correlation between eating GMO’s and the rise of illnesses, heart

disease and cancer. In America American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) called on “Physicians to educate their patients, the medical community, and the educational materials concerning GM foods and health risks.” AAEM also states, “GM foods have not been properly tested” and “pose a serious health risk.”

Studies show that the genetic material that is in GMO’s can cause longterm damage even when you stop eating GMO’s. For example there is a gene inserted into genetically modified soy that merges with the DNA of bacteria living in our intestines and continues to be produced. This has been shown to cause incurable damage.

Scientists who worked for the FDA were aware of these types of hazards as far back as the 1990’s and did not recommend the intake of genetically modified foods. However due to government pressures they were silenced into not promoting the truth of the matter.

Today corporations such as Monsanto support politicians and others who work in the government so that they can ensure that the right laws are passed and the correct propaganda is put forth to support their industry.

One of their recent advocates is Henry I Miller, author of “The GM Reactionaries”. Miller promotes all of the positive aspects of GM foods, many of which revolve around the fact that they do not require the

use of pesticides. Nevertheless he neglects to mention the consequences of the pesticide being genetically inserted and all of the potentially harmful effects.

FINAL NOTE:

There are many countries that refuse the importation of GMO’s such as the United Kingdom.

For those that only accept natural corn, Kellogg’s offers a Non GMO version. Sundus who was mentioned earlier in the article was afraid that she might have to give up her favorite morning meal when her mother learned of some of the possible health harms but upon closer inspection it was clear that the cornflakes were manufactured in the U.K.

In general one of the best ways to avoid GMO’s is to stay away from processed foods and support your local farmers.

FOR QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS EMAIL THE AUTHOR AT [email protected]

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H I S T O RY

QURANIC PARCHMENTS AND CLIPPINGS WRITTEN IN HEBREW DISCOVERED IN THE GREAT MOSQUE OF SANA’A

S A N A’ A

An interview with award-winning journalist Khaled Al Hammadi about his latest article on Al Quds Al Arabi.

BY ABDULAZIZ OUDAH

A project team undertaking restoration and maintenance of the Great Mosque of Sana’a have discovered a group of Islamic antiquities in the roof of the Grand Mosque. Ancient scraps of paper with handwritten Hebrew calligraphy and a large collection of Quranic parchments were also found, which may date back more than a thousand years.

Engineer Kamal Haklan, Deputy of the team chairman, said that the archaeological team is currently compiling these antiquities and then they will deliver them to the competent authorities. In addition to the discoveries, they also found old Qurans in the ceiling of the Great Mosque in Sana’a.

Haklan said that the discovered clippings are five medium-sized and the team is currently maintained and cleaned them and then it will be handed over to the competent authorities to carry out the study to see the content of these writings, because it cannot be explained right now.

He revealed that an animal’s dead body had been found in one of the walls of the mosque and it was not mummified. “It may be a cat died between these Quranic parchments,” he added.

The rest main structure of the mosque walls had been found fields in the southern side of the mosque, where it is likely to be the first part is to build in the mosque, which is ordered to be built by the Prophet Muhammad in the sixth year of Hijri.

Judge Ahmed Abdul Razzaq Al-Riqehi said that these findings confirm that the Great Mosque was one of the most important holy mosques in the Arab and Muslim world. He said that these Quranic parchments date back to the second century AH, calling for more attention to the antiques of the Great Mosque.

Engineer Kaid al-Hazmi, Director of the Office of Religious Endowments in the Secretariat said it was too early to disclose the content of the clips written in Hebrew because it is now under the process of restoration and maintenance by specialists and then they will try to find out what they contain.

Undersecretary of the Ministry of Culture for manuscripts, Muqbel al-Tam said these manuscripts and treasures of Quranic parchments confirms that the land of Arabia Felix is still an open museum and archaeologists have not exhausted all possibilitie. He called on the authorities to carry out their responsibilities towards the preservation of this treasure through maintenance, restoration.

The project of the restoration and maintenance of the Great Mosque in Sana’a began in 2007 and will extend to the year 2015 at a cost of more than $ 5.5 million, funded by the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development and under the supervision of the Social Fund for Development. 75 workers and five Italian experts are working on it.

The Great Mosque in Sana’a is one of the oldest Islamic mosques. It is the first mosque built in Yemen, and is one of the antique mosques built in the era of Prophet Muhammad.

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RESTORATION WORK ON THE GREAT MOSQUE OF

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SATURDAY - JANUARY. 12, 2013 VOL. XVI- ISSUE 03

RESTORATION WORKS CONTINUE AT THE GREAT MOSQUE OF SANA’AS A N A’ A

The Great Mosque of Sana’a is pne of the oldest mosques in Yemen, having been built in its current form during Prophet Muhammad’s lifetime.T

he restoration works will be completed in 2015. Costing more than $ 5.5 million, 75 workers and five Italian experts have been working on the project since 2007.

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Yemen Observer : 12 January 2013