New strategy to fight Al Qaeda needed, says minister

By Nasser Arrabyee/25/07/2010
The Yemeni foreign minister Abu Bakr Al Querbi said combating terrorism needs a new strategy for removing the reasons that created the terrorists.

“We need a strategy to deal with these elements not only in field of security and intelligence, but also in development and education,” the minister said in an interview with Yemen Observer.
Al Qaeda in Yemen claimed responsibility for recent attacks on the security offices in Aden and Abyan last month and this month and threatened to continue its operations.
The minister Al Querbi said Al Qaeda in Yemen is exaggerated. “ Al Qaeda exists in Yemen but it is exaggerated.” He said.

But he said that cooperation and coordination between countries that combat terrorism should be reviewed for making it more effective.
“All countries need to review their coordination and cooperation for combating Al Qaeda and removing the reasons which led to the emergence of such extremists and terrorists,” he said.
He said the cooperation and coordination between his country and US and other partners is mainly in field of intelligence, training the counter-terrorism forces , and logistic cooperation.
“ More efforts should be exerted not only by Yemen but by all partners.”

Al Qaeda is only one of four challenges facing Yemen : The Al Houthi armed rebellion in the north and the separation calls in the south and the economic deterioration.
Dozens were killed and injured in clashes between Al Houthi rebels and tribesmen loyal to the government over the last two weeks in the north after the government returned to a former Qatari mediation to end the 6-year old sporadic conflict. The Qatari mediation failed in 2007 and 2008 to end the conflict.

On February 2010, Al Houthi rebels accepted six conditions set by the government to end the sixth round of war . The rebels have not dismounted from mountains and have not handed over the weapons, which are the most important thing in the six conditions.
The minister Al Querbi said returning to the Doha agreement does not mean cancellation of the six conditions.

“ We agreed to activate the Doha agreement and we took into consideration the six conditions set by the government,” he said.
“We returned to Qatari brothers because their initiative focuses on peace and reconstruction.”
The minister said the Qatari position is very clear in terms of supporting Yemeni unity and ending the rebellion .

For the separation calls in the south, the minister said, “There is a big group who wants treatments, and has legal demands, and there is a small and limited group who talks about separation.”

“The result of the dialogue will show that this group (separatists) has no room in the Yemeni political arena,” said the minister referring to an agreement reached by political parties on July 17th, 2010 for opening a national dialogue for conducting political and electoral reforms.