Wednesday, 10 August 2011
President Saleh consults with senior officials solution of the crisis
Source: Reuters,11/08/2011
RIYADH-Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh has agreed to look at restarting a Gulf Arab initiative on solving the country's crisis and ensuring a peaceful transfer of power, a Yemeni government official said Wednesday.
The official said Saleh had met members of Yemen's ruling party in Riyadh, where he has been receiving medical treatment since being badly injured in an assassination attempt in June.
Yemen has been sliding toward civil war during six months of protests demanding Saleh's overthrow. A transition plan brokered by the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has been moribund since Saleh last avoided signing it in May.
"He agreed with them to explore ways of restarting the GCC initiative and of creating a mechanism that will ensure a peaceful transfer of power," the official told Reuters after Saleh's meeting with the ruling party members.
Saleh had agreed to work with the main opposition parties, other Yemeni groups, international bodies and concerned countries to finds ways to end the crisis, the official said.
The United States and Saudi Arabia, both targets of foiled attacks from al Qaeda's Yemen-based branch and wary of chaos that could embolden the group, have tried to ease Saleh from office with the GCC plan, which Saleh has agreed to three times, only to back out of signing it at the last minute.
The president emerged Sunday from the Riyadh hospital where he had been receiving treatment since a bomb attack in his palace on June 3 left him with severe burns and other injuries.
The United States has urged Saleh not to return home from Saudi Arabia, diplomatic sources said.
After debating Yemen Tuesday, the U.N. Security Council called for "an inclusive, orderly and Yemeni-led process of political transition that meets the needs and aspirations of the Yemeni people for change."
Tuesday, 9 August 2011
Al Qaeda serious threat in Yemen unrest, says Security Council
Source: UN News Center,10/08/2011
The Security Council today expressed grave concern over what it said was a serious deterioration of the economic and humanitarian situation in Yemen amid worsening security, including the threat from Al Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula.
In a press statement, the Council urged all parties in Yemen to ensure that those in need of humanitarian assistance can be reached, voicing concern over the increasing interruption of the flow of basic supplies.
The United Nations body also urged all parties to refrain from targeting vital infrastructure.
“The members of the Security Council urged all sides in Yemen to reject violence and show maximum restraint,” said the statement, read to reporters by Ambassador Hardeep Singh Puri of India, which holds the Council’s rotating presidency this month. “They called upon all the parties to respect their obligations under applicable international law.”
The Council also called on all parties to urgently seek a solution to the crisis in an inclusive, orderly and Yemeni-led process of political transition that meets the needs and aspirations of the Yemeni people for change. It took note of the inter-Yemeni efforts in that regard, saying the Gulf Cooperation Council’s (GCC) initiative continues to be important.
Members of the Security Council welcomed the efforts of the Good Offices of the Secretary-General through his Special Adviser, Jamal Benomar, and those of the GCC. The statement was issued following a briefing to the Council by Mr. Benomar.
Civil unrest in Yemen has escalated this year, as it has across much of North Africa and the Middle East, with often bloody mass protests by civilians calling for political reform and greater democracy.
Monday, 8 August 2011
After released from hospital, Will Saleh return?
By Nasser Arrabyee 09/08/2011
The Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh is now in a royal residence after he has left the military hospital in the Saudi capital Riyadh.
He was released on Sunday August 7th after he recovered from injuries and burns he sustained in a failed assassination attempt on June 3rd in his presidential palace in the capital Sana’a.
The big question now is: will Saleh return to Yemen or not? And if yes, what he will do, and if not, how can the seven-month crisis can be solved?
The solution is still in his hand. The international community still insists on a peaceful, constitutional, and orderly transition of power.
This means President Saleh is the essential player who can do that kind of transition.
Although it seems that Saleh can declare his step down and transfer of power to his deputy from Saudi Arabia or anywhere, but, apparently , this would only appease the opposition.
The supporters of Saleh , increasing forces that can never be ignored, want him to come back first , then either all parties reach a good compromise or go to early elections or Saleh finish his term until September 2013.
"And this means we preserve the essence of democracy," said Abu Bakr Al Querbi, Saleh's foreign minister.
The American and Saudi officials are now leading international and regional efforts to convince President Saleh to transfer the power to his deputy Abdu Rabu Mansor Hadi.
They avoid to talk about Saleh's return or stay as this issue is only up to the Yemeni parties.
The Yemeni officials denied on Monday August 8th press reports that the American officials had exercised pressures and convinced President Saleh not to return to Yemen.
"This is not true, and President Saleh will return," said Tarek Al Shami, the spokesman of Saleh's ruling party.
The American officials have not changed their position towards Yemen crisis from the very beginning early this year.
They keep saying they support a peaceful, constitutional and orderly transition.
Although they avoid talking about Saleh's return or stay outside Yemen, they seem to be a little bit concerned about the return that might worsen the situation.
"President Saleh can declare the transition from anyplace," the US ambassador to Sana’a Gerald Feierstein told the Weekly on August 5th.
The Yemeni opposition ignored the release of President Saleh from the hospital and set August 17th as a date for a meeting in which they will discuss what they called "formation of a national council" to coordinate and lead the "forces of the revolution"
"Saleh's release from hospital does not matter, we do not care about it ," said Mohammed Qahtan, the spokesman of the opposition coalition.
For the protesters in the streets they were affected by the spectacle of Mubarak's trial and they started to demand that Saleh be tried as well.
Although protesters, who have been demanding the ouster of President for more than six months now, say their revolution is peaceful, many of their leaders are in military confrontations with the government troops inside the capital Sana’a and many other places.
The capital Sana’a witnessed more than four hours of clashes between security forces and opposition tribesmen loyal to Al Ahmar family who mainly lead the anti-Saleh protests.
The clashes , which resulted in no casualties, came after Al Ahmar fighters kidnapped two military vehicles patrolling in the area of Al Hasaba on Thursday August 4th.
Some young protesters joined Al Ahmar fighters who control Al Hasaba neighborhood in the north of the capital.
Reinforcement troops and armored vehicles were deployed immediately after the kidnapping of the vehicles.
The two sides exchanged accusations of violating a two-month truce supported by the Saudi Monarch King Abdullah Bin Abdul Azeez.
About 150 people were killed during two weeks of fighting between the two sides late last May.
The Vice President Abdu Rabu Mansor Hadi played an essential role in stopping the latest clashes of Friday August 5th.
Armed confrontations take place almost every day in Arhab north of the capital and Nehm east of the capital, and in Taiz province south of the capital, between opposition tribesmen and government troops. The opposition Islamist party, Islah, and defected general Ali Muhsen are accused by the government of being behind the confrontations.
Earlier, the Yemeni foreign minister Abu Bakr Al Querbi, said that dialogue is the only way to get out from the current crisis in his country.
"It is impossible for this crisis to continue forever," said the minister in televised statements on Saturday.
The minister said the solution is a dialogue to reach a compromise or elections.
The military solution is impossible and no party can win in such divisions, he said.
"Those who think of the military solution are mistaken," the minister said.
He said everything is divided in Yemen, the politicians, the tribes and the army.
All Yemeni parties and regional and international players are still supporting a US-baked and Saudi-led GCC deal for transition of power suggested last April by the six Gulf countries.
Immediately after he was released from hospital, the President Saleh discussed with political advisor Abdul Kareem Al Eryani in Riyadh how to activate this deal. Sources said it was slightly modified to take into consideration the failed assassination attempt against Saleh and his senior asides.
The UN envoy Jamal Bin Omar suggested a mechanism for implementing the deal after meetings and consultations with all Yemeni parties in four visits he made recently to Yemen. The fifth visit of Bin Omar to Yemen is expected at the beginning of next September.
The Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh is now in a royal residence after he has left the military hospital in the Saudi capital Riyadh.
He was released on Sunday August 7th after he recovered from injuries and burns he sustained in a failed assassination attempt on June 3rd in his presidential palace in the capital Sana’a.
The big question now is: will Saleh return to Yemen or not? And if yes, what he will do, and if not, how can the seven-month crisis can be solved?
The solution is still in his hand. The international community still insists on a peaceful, constitutional, and orderly transition of power.
This means President Saleh is the essential player who can do that kind of transition.
Although it seems that Saleh can declare his step down and transfer of power to his deputy from Saudi Arabia or anywhere, but, apparently , this would only appease the opposition.
The supporters of Saleh , increasing forces that can never be ignored, want him to come back first , then either all parties reach a good compromise or go to early elections or Saleh finish his term until September 2013.
"And this means we preserve the essence of democracy," said Abu Bakr Al Querbi, Saleh's foreign minister.
The American and Saudi officials are now leading international and regional efforts to convince President Saleh to transfer the power to his deputy Abdu Rabu Mansor Hadi.
They avoid to talk about Saleh's return or stay as this issue is only up to the Yemeni parties.
The Yemeni officials denied on Monday August 8th press reports that the American officials had exercised pressures and convinced President Saleh not to return to Yemen.
"This is not true, and President Saleh will return," said Tarek Al Shami, the spokesman of Saleh's ruling party.
The American officials have not changed their position towards Yemen crisis from the very beginning early this year.
They keep saying they support a peaceful, constitutional and orderly transition.
Although they avoid talking about Saleh's return or stay outside Yemen, they seem to be a little bit concerned about the return that might worsen the situation.
"President Saleh can declare the transition from anyplace," the US ambassador to Sana’a Gerald Feierstein told the Weekly on August 5th.
The Yemeni opposition ignored the release of President Saleh from the hospital and set August 17th as a date for a meeting in which they will discuss what they called "formation of a national council" to coordinate and lead the "forces of the revolution"
"Saleh's release from hospital does not matter, we do not care about it ," said Mohammed Qahtan, the spokesman of the opposition coalition.
For the protesters in the streets they were affected by the spectacle of Mubarak's trial and they started to demand that Saleh be tried as well.
Although protesters, who have been demanding the ouster of President for more than six months now, say their revolution is peaceful, many of their leaders are in military confrontations with the government troops inside the capital Sana’a and many other places.
The capital Sana’a witnessed more than four hours of clashes between security forces and opposition tribesmen loyal to Al Ahmar family who mainly lead the anti-Saleh protests.
The clashes , which resulted in no casualties, came after Al Ahmar fighters kidnapped two military vehicles patrolling in the area of Al Hasaba on Thursday August 4th.
Some young protesters joined Al Ahmar fighters who control Al Hasaba neighborhood in the north of the capital.
Reinforcement troops and armored vehicles were deployed immediately after the kidnapping of the vehicles.
The two sides exchanged accusations of violating a two-month truce supported by the Saudi Monarch King Abdullah Bin Abdul Azeez.
About 150 people were killed during two weeks of fighting between the two sides late last May.
The Vice President Abdu Rabu Mansor Hadi played an essential role in stopping the latest clashes of Friday August 5th.
Armed confrontations take place almost every day in Arhab north of the capital and Nehm east of the capital, and in Taiz province south of the capital, between opposition tribesmen and government troops. The opposition Islamist party, Islah, and defected general Ali Muhsen are accused by the government of being behind the confrontations.
Earlier, the Yemeni foreign minister Abu Bakr Al Querbi, said that dialogue is the only way to get out from the current crisis in his country.
"It is impossible for this crisis to continue forever," said the minister in televised statements on Saturday.
The minister said the solution is a dialogue to reach a compromise or elections.
The military solution is impossible and no party can win in such divisions, he said.
"Those who think of the military solution are mistaken," the minister said.
He said everything is divided in Yemen, the politicians, the tribes and the army.
All Yemeni parties and regional and international players are still supporting a US-baked and Saudi-led GCC deal for transition of power suggested last April by the six Gulf countries.
Immediately after he was released from hospital, the President Saleh discussed with political advisor Abdul Kareem Al Eryani in Riyadh how to activate this deal. Sources said it was slightly modified to take into consideration the failed assassination attempt against Saleh and his senior asides.
The UN envoy Jamal Bin Omar suggested a mechanism for implementing the deal after meetings and consultations with all Yemeni parties in four visits he made recently to Yemen. The fifth visit of Bin Omar to Yemen is expected at the beginning of next September.
Sunday, 7 August 2011
President Saleh out of hospital and prepares for returning to Yemen
By Nasser Arrabyee 07/08/2011
The Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh is now in a royal residence after he has left the military hospital in the Saudi capital Riyadh, said the Yemen news agency Saba.
The agency did not say when the president is returning to Yemen.
Saleh is expected to return very soon to help in solving the crisis.
Saleh's supporters expressed their rejoice by firing fireworks and live bullets to the air as soon as they heard the news tonight August 7th.
Earlier, the Yemeni foreign minister Abu Bakr Al Querbi,said that dialogue is the only way to get out from the current crisis in his country.
"It is impossible for this crisis to continue for ever," said the minister in televised statements on Saturday.
The minister said the solution is a dialogue to reach a compromise or elections.
The military solution is impossible and no party can win in such divisions, he said.
"Those who think of the military solution are mistaken," the minister said.
He said every thing is divided in Yemen, the politicians, the tribes and the army.
The President Saleh will not step down until a new president is elected.
"and this means we preserve democracy," he said.
Saturday, 6 August 2011
No problem in Sanaa airport,official says
By Nasser Arrabyee 06/08/2011
The flights in the international airport of Sanaa are normally arrive and leave on time, said the director of the airport on Saturday.
The director Naji Al Murakab,denied reports that the airport stopped on Friday because of renewed clashes between opposition armed tribesmen and security forces in the areas nearby the airport.
The official Al Murakab said that the Saturday flights started with a flight to Aden on Al Saeeda airliner in the early morning and that 17 flights arrived and 17 departed on time yesterday Friday.
The capital Sanaa is quiet today after four hours of clashes between security forces and opposition tribesmen loyal to Al Ahmar family.
The clashes , which resulted in no casualties, came after Al Ahmar fighters kidnapped to military vehicles patrolling in the area of Al Hasaba on Thursday.
Reinforcement troops and armored vehicles were deployed immediately after the kidnapping.
The two sides exchanged accusations of violating a two-month truce supported by the Saudi Monarch King Abdullah Bin Abdul Azeez.
About 150 people were killed during two weeks of fighting between the two sides late last May.
The Vice President Abdu Rabu Mansor Hadi played an essential role in stopping the clashes of Friday.
The Saudi and American officials are leading now regional and international efforts to solve the 6-month crisis by constitutional , peaceful and orderly transfer of power from President Ali Abdullah Saleh to his deputy or by conducting early presidential elections.
The flights in the international airport of Sanaa are normally arrive and leave on time, said the director of the airport on Saturday.
The director Naji Al Murakab,denied reports that the airport stopped on Friday because of renewed clashes between opposition armed tribesmen and security forces in the areas nearby the airport.
The official Al Murakab said that the Saturday flights started with a flight to Aden on Al Saeeda airliner in the early morning and that 17 flights arrived and 17 departed on time yesterday Friday.
The capital Sanaa is quiet today after four hours of clashes between security forces and opposition tribesmen loyal to Al Ahmar family.
The clashes , which resulted in no casualties, came after Al Ahmar fighters kidnapped to military vehicles patrolling in the area of Al Hasaba on Thursday.
Reinforcement troops and armored vehicles were deployed immediately after the kidnapping.
The two sides exchanged accusations of violating a two-month truce supported by the Saudi Monarch King Abdullah Bin Abdul Azeez.
About 150 people were killed during two weeks of fighting between the two sides late last May.
The Vice President Abdu Rabu Mansor Hadi played an essential role in stopping the clashes of Friday.
The Saudi and American officials are leading now regional and international efforts to solve the 6-month crisis by constitutional , peaceful and orderly transfer of power from President Ali Abdullah Saleh to his deputy or by conducting early presidential elections.
Friday, 5 August 2011
Tribe digs in as army advances on Yemen capital
Source: AFP, 05/08/2011
SANAA — Armed Yemenis loyal to tribal chief Sheikh Sadiq al-Ahmar, who heads a coalition backing anti-regime protests, were deployed in Sanaa on Friday as army troops bore down on their stronghold in the capital.
Armoured vehicles from the elite Republican Guard, led by President Ali Abdullah Saleh's son Ahmed, advanced overnight towards the northern Al-Hassaba neighbourhood as tribesmen dug trenches in anticipation of renewed clashes, an AFP correspondent reported.
The troops blocked several roads and erected checkpoints, triggering a similar action by the tribesmen armed with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades.
Tensions were high despite mediation attempts, the correspondent said, pointing out that loyal troops got very close to the tribe's stronghold and the First Armoured Division, which has sided with anti-Saleh protesters.
Fierce clashes between Ahmar's tribesmen and loyal troops in Al-Hassaba in May killed more than 140 people before the two sides agreed a truce.
The sheikh heads the powerful Hashid tribe which ended its support to Saleh -- also a member of Hashid -- in March and joined the protests which erupted in January demanding the ouster of the president who has ruled since 1978.
Influential tribal leaders formed last week a coalition headed by Ahmar to bolster the uprising against Saleh who has been in a Saudi hospital since June after being wounded in a bomb attack on his Sanaa compound.
Tribes wield much influence in impoverished Yemen, where the Hashid is a heavily armed tribal confederation capable of rallying and financing thousands of fighters. The Bakil is the other main tribal confederation.
SANAA — Armed Yemenis loyal to tribal chief Sheikh Sadiq al-Ahmar, who heads a coalition backing anti-regime protests, were deployed in Sanaa on Friday as army troops bore down on their stronghold in the capital.
Armoured vehicles from the elite Republican Guard, led by President Ali Abdullah Saleh's son Ahmed, advanced overnight towards the northern Al-Hassaba neighbourhood as tribesmen dug trenches in anticipation of renewed clashes, an AFP correspondent reported.
The troops blocked several roads and erected checkpoints, triggering a similar action by the tribesmen armed with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades.
Tensions were high despite mediation attempts, the correspondent said, pointing out that loyal troops got very close to the tribe's stronghold and the First Armoured Division, which has sided with anti-Saleh protesters.
Fierce clashes between Ahmar's tribesmen and loyal troops in Al-Hassaba in May killed more than 140 people before the two sides agreed a truce.
The sheikh heads the powerful Hashid tribe which ended its support to Saleh -- also a member of Hashid -- in March and joined the protests which erupted in January demanding the ouster of the president who has ruled since 1978.
Influential tribal leaders formed last week a coalition headed by Ahmar to bolster the uprising against Saleh who has been in a Saudi hospital since June after being wounded in a bomb attack on his Sanaa compound.
Tribes wield much influence in impoverished Yemen, where the Hashid is a heavily armed tribal confederation capable of rallying and financing thousands of fighters. The Bakil is the other main tribal confederation.
Thursday, 4 August 2011
'It's not Saleh's decision to step down'
By Nasser Arrabyee, 04/08/2011
The Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh has not the right to step down without approval from the leadership of his party,the People's General Congress, said a senior official in the party.
"The President Saleh will lose if decides to step down without referring to the PGC," said Sultan Al Barakani, the assistant secretary general of the PGC.
Al Barakani played down the six-month protests saying protesters are just blindly copying what happened in Tunisia and Egypt.
However,he expected that the current crisis would end this month of Ramadan.
"I hope this crisis will be solved during Ramadan, Yemen is not like Tunisia, at least we have parliament,we have freedoms, we free and fair elections," said Al Barakani in televised statements on Wednesday.
Earlier in the week, President Saleh said he would do his best to meet the demands of the youth for change and development.
He said dialogue between all political forces is the best and the only way for achieving aspirations of the people for better life.
"Only through dialogue we can reach a compromise that leads to achievement of aspirations of the Yemenis for change and development," Saleh said in a speech on the occasion of Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting,which started on August1.
"Violence and conspiracies will never ever achieve the change," added Saleh who is still recovering in Saudi Arabia from injuries he sustained in a failed assassination attempt on June 3, 2011.
President Saleh's speech came only two days after the UN envoy, Jamal Bin Omar warned of a total collapse of the State if a solution through dialogue is not reached very soon for the six-month crisis.
The UN official who left Yemen early this week after 10 days of consultations with all parties,proposed that UN,EU and GCC should sponsor dialogue for power transfer and conducting presidential elections by the end of this year as latest.
The Islamist-led opposition coalition insisted , however, that President Saleh must step down and transfer power to his deputy before any dialogue.
The Saleh's ruling party insists that Saleh must continue as President until a new president is elected.
The officials say Saleh would authorize his deputy Abdu Rabu Mansor Hadi to do the UN-sponsored dialogue with the opposition and supervise the elections rather than transfer all powers to him.
The UN official Bin Omar would brief the top UN officials on the results of his consultations with the Yemenis,and would get back to Yemen next September as he said at the end of his last visit to Yemen.
Meanwhile, pro-and-anti-government protests continue everyday and almost everywhere in the country. More than 8 billion dollars is the total loss so far because of these protests according to official statistics.
The anti-protesters demand an immediate outsert of President Saleh, although they are getting more frustrated and depressed by the division of their parties.
The pro-protesters who remarkably increased after the failed assassination attempt against Saleh and his top aides,demand that Saleh should stay until the end of his current constitutional term on 20 September 2013.
Security situation
The Yemen government is now facing at least three fighting fronts because of the current political and economic crisis.
The three fronts are directly or indirectly related to the largest Islamist opposition party, Islah, that apparently wants to increase the pressure on Saleh's regime through these military fronts.
One is in the north of the capital Sanaa, where armed opposition tribesmen try to enter Sanaa, one in the south with Al Qaeda,and the third is in the central city of Taiz where armed opposition tribesmen want also to control the city.
Earlier this week, the opposition tribesmen of Arhab in the north of the capital threatened to strike the Sana’a international airport although they are not strong enough to do that.
The tribesmen said the “coming” attack on the airport would be in retaliation for the army attacks on their villages in Arhab area, about 30 km north of the airport of Sana’a.
“The barbaric aggression on our areas has reached its climax by the remnants of Saleh’s regime, they used against us all kind of weapons they have, tanks, artillery, missiles, and finally airplanes,” said the tribesmen in a statement.
“Therefore, we will strike the international airport of Sana’a with all available methods of war in retaliation for that aggression.”
One day before the threat, about 100 tribesmen and 20 soldiers were killed when airplanes hit thousands of these tribesmen of Arhab while storming a part of the Sama’a camp of the republican guards, about 30 km north of the Sana’a airport.
The armed tribesmen from areas around the camps are led by the two Islamist prominent figures from Arhab district, member of parliament, Mansor Al Hanik and cleric Abdul Majid Al Zandani, who is wanted by the UN and US as a global terrorist.
The defected general Ali Muhsen supports the tribesmen of Arhab who use artillery and missiles in their battles against the three brigades of the republican guards camps who have been based in areas of Arhab for tens of years.
Tribal sources said that Sheikh Abdul Majid Al Zandani urged over the last few weeks the tribesmen in his tribe Arhab and other areas to join the tribal fighters against the army.
A tribal mediation failed to stop the armed confrontations between the Islamist opposition and the republican guards.
A prominent tribal leader involved in the mediation said the tribesmen keep evading a truce in hope that the regime will collapse.
“The tribesmen who fight the army do not have a specific demand, every time we tell them there must be a solution or at least a truce, they ask for time for consultation and nothing happened after that,” the tribal leader, Abddul Jalil Senan who is leading the tribal mediation in Arhab told the Weekly.
“They have not refused mediation and they have not agreed on a truce, but after the attack on the camp of Samaa, it became clear they were only buying time,” Senan said.
In south where recently a lot of tribesmen turned against Al Qaeda, more than 40 tribesmen were killed in mistaken airstrikes and clashes with Al Qaeda operatives earlier this week.
The mistaken airstrikes happened after at least 15 tribesmen fighting with the troops were killed by Al Qaeda operatives in a tribal check point close to Zinjubar in the southern province of Abyan.
Al Qaeda operatives attacked the check point in Shukrah, 48 km east of Zinjubar, at Friday night july 29, after the tribesmen killed an Al Qaeda fighter and arrested another in the same check point, according to local sources.
Army troops and tribesmen are now the city of Zinjubar, which was held by Al Qaeda late last May.
Al Qaeda is still controlling about half of the city.
A military source said that guerilla war of Al Qaeda and their style of using the suicide bombings against the forces delayed army and tribesmen from totally controlling the city.
“We need some time to take some technical steps to avoid Al Qaeda suicide operations and also to weaken their abilities by blockading,” the military official said on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to talk to press.
Sent from my iPhone
The Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh has not the right to step down without approval from the leadership of his party,the People's General Congress, said a senior official in the party.
"The President Saleh will lose if decides to step down without referring to the PGC," said Sultan Al Barakani, the assistant secretary general of the PGC.
Al Barakani played down the six-month protests saying protesters are just blindly copying what happened in Tunisia and Egypt.
However,he expected that the current crisis would end this month of Ramadan.
"I hope this crisis will be solved during Ramadan, Yemen is not like Tunisia, at least we have parliament,we have freedoms, we free and fair elections," said Al Barakani in televised statements on Wednesday.
Earlier in the week, President Saleh said he would do his best to meet the demands of the youth for change and development.
He said dialogue between all political forces is the best and the only way for achieving aspirations of the people for better life.
"Only through dialogue we can reach a compromise that leads to achievement of aspirations of the Yemenis for change and development," Saleh said in a speech on the occasion of Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting,which started on August1.
"Violence and conspiracies will never ever achieve the change," added Saleh who is still recovering in Saudi Arabia from injuries he sustained in a failed assassination attempt on June 3, 2011.
President Saleh's speech came only two days after the UN envoy, Jamal Bin Omar warned of a total collapse of the State if a solution through dialogue is not reached very soon for the six-month crisis.
The UN official who left Yemen early this week after 10 days of consultations with all parties,proposed that UN,EU and GCC should sponsor dialogue for power transfer and conducting presidential elections by the end of this year as latest.
The Islamist-led opposition coalition insisted , however, that President Saleh must step down and transfer power to his deputy before any dialogue.
The Saleh's ruling party insists that Saleh must continue as President until a new president is elected.
The officials say Saleh would authorize his deputy Abdu Rabu Mansor Hadi to do the UN-sponsored dialogue with the opposition and supervise the elections rather than transfer all powers to him.
The UN official Bin Omar would brief the top UN officials on the results of his consultations with the Yemenis,and would get back to Yemen next September as he said at the end of his last visit to Yemen.
Meanwhile, pro-and-anti-government protests continue everyday and almost everywhere in the country. More than 8 billion dollars is the total loss so far because of these protests according to official statistics.
The anti-protesters demand an immediate outsert of President Saleh, although they are getting more frustrated and depressed by the division of their parties.
The pro-protesters who remarkably increased after the failed assassination attempt against Saleh and his top aides,demand that Saleh should stay until the end of his current constitutional term on 20 September 2013.
Security situation
The Yemen government is now facing at least three fighting fronts because of the current political and economic crisis.
The three fronts are directly or indirectly related to the largest Islamist opposition party, Islah, that apparently wants to increase the pressure on Saleh's regime through these military fronts.
One is in the north of the capital Sanaa, where armed opposition tribesmen try to enter Sanaa, one in the south with Al Qaeda,and the third is in the central city of Taiz where armed opposition tribesmen want also to control the city.
Earlier this week, the opposition tribesmen of Arhab in the north of the capital threatened to strike the Sana’a international airport although they are not strong enough to do that.
The tribesmen said the “coming” attack on the airport would be in retaliation for the army attacks on their villages in Arhab area, about 30 km north of the airport of Sana’a.
“The barbaric aggression on our areas has reached its climax by the remnants of Saleh’s regime, they used against us all kind of weapons they have, tanks, artillery, missiles, and finally airplanes,” said the tribesmen in a statement.
“Therefore, we will strike the international airport of Sana’a with all available methods of war in retaliation for that aggression.”
One day before the threat, about 100 tribesmen and 20 soldiers were killed when airplanes hit thousands of these tribesmen of Arhab while storming a part of the Sama’a camp of the republican guards, about 30 km north of the Sana’a airport.
The armed tribesmen from areas around the camps are led by the two Islamist prominent figures from Arhab district, member of parliament, Mansor Al Hanik and cleric Abdul Majid Al Zandani, who is wanted by the UN and US as a global terrorist.
The defected general Ali Muhsen supports the tribesmen of Arhab who use artillery and missiles in their battles against the three brigades of the republican guards camps who have been based in areas of Arhab for tens of years.
Tribal sources said that Sheikh Abdul Majid Al Zandani urged over the last few weeks the tribesmen in his tribe Arhab and other areas to join the tribal fighters against the army.
A tribal mediation failed to stop the armed confrontations between the Islamist opposition and the republican guards.
A prominent tribal leader involved in the mediation said the tribesmen keep evading a truce in hope that the regime will collapse.
“The tribesmen who fight the army do not have a specific demand, every time we tell them there must be a solution or at least a truce, they ask for time for consultation and nothing happened after that,” the tribal leader, Abddul Jalil Senan who is leading the tribal mediation in Arhab told the Weekly.
“They have not refused mediation and they have not agreed on a truce, but after the attack on the camp of Samaa, it became clear they were only buying time,” Senan said.
In south where recently a lot of tribesmen turned against Al Qaeda, more than 40 tribesmen were killed in mistaken airstrikes and clashes with Al Qaeda operatives earlier this week.
The mistaken airstrikes happened after at least 15 tribesmen fighting with the troops were killed by Al Qaeda operatives in a tribal check point close to Zinjubar in the southern province of Abyan.
Al Qaeda operatives attacked the check point in Shukrah, 48 km east of Zinjubar, at Friday night july 29, after the tribesmen killed an Al Qaeda fighter and arrested another in the same check point, according to local sources.
Army troops and tribesmen are now the city of Zinjubar, which was held by Al Qaeda late last May.
Al Qaeda is still controlling about half of the city.
A military source said that guerilla war of Al Qaeda and their style of using the suicide bombings against the forces delayed army and tribesmen from totally controlling the city.
“We need some time to take some technical steps to avoid Al Qaeda suicide operations and also to weaken their abilities by blockading,” the military official said on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to talk to press.
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