Ready to new war, rebels' leader says

By Nasser Arrabyee /06/07/2009

The Yemen rebels' leader, Abdul Malik Al Houthi accused the government of planning to launch a new war on them in Saada north of the country.

He said in a statement sent to local media Monday that he had "serious information" that the government had decided the carry out a new round of war.

The statement said the government did not achieve any goals during the five rounds of war since 2004 and the troops would be also defeated if they implemented any new "aggression".



"We, with the help of God, are ready to confront any attack," the statement said.



Earlier in the week, the governor of Saada, Hassan Mana'a said that the war on rebels since the very beginning cost the government until now 150 billion YR. (200 YR is equivalent to one dollar).


The official said the war deprived the province of Saada from development, accusing Al Houthi rebels of destructing the province by obstructing "all efforts of peace" . On July 17th, 2008, the President Ali Abdullah Saleh announced that the war would stop for ever and Saada would be reconstructed.


Meanwhile, the State Security Court Monday sentenced to death seven supporters of Al Houthi and sentenced seven others to 15-12 years in prison for forming an armed gang and fighting the government.

The 14 convicts are the first batch from a bigger group of about 190 Al Houthi supporters now being tried before the same court for supporting Al Houthi by launching a war against the government in Bani Hushaish, at the northern outskirt of the capital Sana'a in 2008.