Deputy speaker of Parliament accuses intelligence of targeting key detractors of President Saleh

By Nasser Arrabyee/26/02/2011

The Yemeni deputy speaker of Parliament said he thwarted an intelligence plan to target opposition figures including his brother Hamid Al Ahamar, the most influential detractor of President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

The deputy speaker of Parliament, Himyar Al Ahmar, member of President Saleh’s party, said in a statement early Saturday, that his body guards arrested Friday afternoon February 25th, 2011, a group of armed men working for the National Security Agency (NSA) close to Al Ahmar’s house in the street of October 14 in Sana’a.

The group, dressed in civil clothes, using a normal car ( taxi), were collecting information about the houses of the influential opposition figures especially the house of Hamid Al Ahmar, the statement said.

Hours before Al Ahmar’s statement, the ministry of interior accused the bodyguards of Himyar Al Ahmar, and his brother Hamid Al Ahmar of shooting and injuring a man and woman for “unknown reasons”.

However, Al Ahmar’s statement said when the group tried to escape “ they drove crazily and ran over a woman passer-by and tried to shoot randomly and injuring one of them.”

The ministry of interior said that Sabri Mohammed Al Tharhani,35, and Takiyah Mohammed Al Sermi,50, were taken to hospital after being injured with bullets of the bodyguards of Himyar and Hamid Al Ahmar, without giving any further details.

Al Ahmar’s statement said that the deputy of NSA, Ammar Mohammed Abdullah Saleh, nephew of President Saleh, came immediately to the place with many military vehicles escorting him. The car of the group was taken by Ammar, said the statement, without mentioning the fate of the group.

The ministry of interior said “ a citizen” was kidnapped by the bodyguards of Al Ahmar brothers.

The billionaire Hamid Al Ahmar, is the most influential opposition figure who clearly says the solution for Yemen’s crisis is only the ouster of President Saleh, unlike his Islamist party that dominates the opposition coalition, which until now say officially “serious reforms” not ouster of Saleh, will solve the problem.

The opposition coalition say they support the limited, but increasing demonstrations of the young people in the street. But they have not decided yet to take to streets with them. Hamid Al Ahmar expects the opposition coalition to take to the street soon.