Yemen’s prime minister arrived in Yemen before President Saleh

By Nasser Arrabyee,24/08/2011

The Yemeni prime minister Ali Mujawar arrived in Sanaa late Tuesday after being recovered in Saudi Arabia from injuries he suffered in the failed assassination attempt on President Saleh early last June.

Upon arrival in Sana’a airport, Mujawar said that all officials still being treated in Saudi Arabia are getting better day by day and they all would soon return to Yemen.

Mujawar is the first official to arrive in Yemen. He was the second to be released from hospital in Riyadh after President Saleh earlier this month. President Saleh is supposed to return during these days before the end of Ramadan.
Earlier Tuesday, the dead-body of the chairman of the Shura Council, Abdul Azeez Abdul Ghani arrived in Sana’a as well. A big official and popular funeral is to be held later today Wednesday here in Sana’a.

rapid developments in Libya have cast shadows on Yemenis and their political crisis.

Both sides of the opposition and power want an immediate solution for the 8-month long crisis which had a negative impact on political, economic, and social aspects of their life.

The opposition wished an end for President Ali Abdullah Saleh like that of Muamar Gaddafi of Libya.

However, Saleh's supporters called him to return from Saudi Arabia and finish his presidential term until September 20, 2013.

Each side called their own supporters to stage million-man demonstrations to show strength.

Security measures were tightened and additional troops were deployed in the capital Sanaa.


Earlier in the week official sources said that Saleh had finished the recovery period required on him by doctors and he would return Wednesday August 24. Saleh himself told his supporters in televised speech that he would see them very soon.


The vice President Abdu Rabu Mansor Hadi, who is acting in Saleh's absence,said earlier this week the crisis has become very close to an end after he made consultations with American and European officials.

Before the awaited and imminent return of Saleh,the opposition parties formed an umbrella council to use it as a pressure card on Saleh while negotiating about power transfer.

But the council was rejected by more than half of its chosen members especially by the separatist groups in the south and Al Houthi Shiite rebels in the north.

This rejection has shown big divisions among the opposition parties and independent young people protesting in the streets.

All the groups and individuals who refused denied they had approved the "National Council" and surprised why their names were included.

On August 17th, 2011, the opposition parties had chosen 143 members allegedly representing all groups and individuals of Yemen.

A total of 23 politicians and activists from the southern separatist movement denied their approval of the council.

The 23 persons include two former presidents of the south,Ali Nasser Mohammed and Haidar Abu Bakr Al Atas,who are living abroad but inspiring and leading the southern separatist movement.

"We were surprised to see our names in the list of the council without our knowledge and approval," said the politicians in a statement sent to local media.

Earlier, the three top officials of the opposition party Ray, denied their approval of the council.

The two members of parliament Abdul Wase'e Hayel Saeed, and Abdullah Hussein Khairat,of the constituencies 160 and 161,refused the council and denied they had agreed to give their names to be members of the council.

The writer Huda Al Atas denied her approval of the council after she saw her name in the list of the council.

The tribal Sheikh Naji Al Shayef refused the council and denied his approval of the council.

The Arab Sisters Forum for human rights, local NGO, refused the council although the chairwoman of the Forum, Amal Basha, was chosen as a member of the 143 members of the council.

"the council reproduced the dominance of the traditional tribal and military forces which were the essence of tranny of the regime," said a statement by the Forum.

A group of the independent youth in the squares calling themselves,the national council of the independent,revolutionary,and peaceful youth, refused the council saying it is not representing them at all.

"The council of the opposition is only a response to the desire of Hamid Al Ahmar who wants to turn the youth and some activists of the civil society and some social figures to soldiers working him to achieve his ambitions to rule Yemen," said the independent youth in a statement declared in a press conference.

The youth referred to Hamid Al Ahmar,the Islamist billionaire who has been grooming himself for presidency since 2006. Hamid Al Ahmar is widely viewed in Yemen as the main rival of President Saleh and his son Ahmed.

Hamid, who is orchestrating the anti-Saleh protests since the very beginning early this year,is also widely viewed as the most important politician behind this second opposition council.

Likewise, the lady Tawakul Karman, leading protester, was behind the first council which was declared on July 17th, 2011 but it failed to achieve any approval or recognition.

Meanwhile, the government troops are battling in three fronts at least with Al Qaeda operatives in the southern province of Abyan and armed tribesmen supporting the anti-Saleh protesters around the capital Sanaa and in the central province of Taiz.

Dozens of people are killed and injured in the almost daily clashes and battles taking place in these areas.

For instance, two suicide bombings of Al Qaeda killed more than 14 tribesmen in the southern province of Abyan. The tribesmen in the south recently sided with the government troops to get rid of Al Qaeda.

A total of 80 Al Qaeda operatives were killed in the fighting going on in the southern province of Abyan,said chairman of the Yemen intelligence on Monday.

Ali Al Ansi,head of the National Security Agency (NSA) said those killed were Yemeni and non-Yemeni leaders and operatives and were recognized and identified by names.

"Those who were killed and injured were hundreds,but those who were identified by names were 80,"said Al Ansi in an interview with the mouthpiece of the ruling party,Al Methaq weekly.

The fighting continues until today between the government troops and Al Qaeda operatives since the latter declared the city of Zinjubar as an Islamic Emirate on May 29, 2011.

Al Ansi said that Al Qaeda operatives are also fighting with the opposition tribesmen in Arhab and Taiz who fight the government troops with support from the defected general Ali Muhsen.

The intelligence official said some of Al Qaeda elements are hiding in the protest squares and inside the defected First Armored Division (FAD) of general Ali Muhsen,under the protection of the opposition.

"We observed elements of Al Qaeda in the sit-in squares and inside the FAD,but the opposition made it difficult for us to arrest them," said Al Ansi.

The official said that 80 per cent of the investigations over the failed assassination attempt against President Saleh and senior State's officials,were achieved.

"The results will be announced very soon in public trials of those involved," said Al Ansi.