Three weeks ago a meeting was held in Cyprus between Yemeni businessmen and Jews for studying potentialities to attract western capitals for investment in Yemen, Yemeni press sources disclosed here.
The sources added that to avoid local reaction which may obstruct its implementation, the news of this meeting was cloaked with secrecy. The meeting is believed to have taken place between two prominent Yemeni businessmen residing abroad and Israeli investors over investment in Aden Free Zone, the sources said.
These sources further maintained that the two Yemeni businessmen are reported to have struck commercial deals with Israeli companies. Both have good relations with the Zionist lobby in Moscow and Washington. One of these Yemenis was until recently an ambassador to a western Europe state and , during the Summer 1994 battles, signed deals in favour of local parties which ,in turn, facilitated wider scope of relations with arm dealers in Russia, the Ukraine and other western states. It is understood that the former Yemeni diplomat recently visited Israel together with a number of Russian Jews entrepreneurs.
Normalization of relations with Israel has become a controversial subject among the Yemeni public and is being received with resentment, the sources said.
The sources recalled that during his press conferences and interviews the Yemeni President has always reiterated his refusal of normalization of relations with Israel.

An Islamic extremist group yesterday attacked attorney Mohammed Al-Mikhlafi, one of the lawyers defending journalist, Sameer Al-Yusofi at the time he was leaving the court. Mr. Al-Mikhlafi told the Yemen times that the incident was a proof of legalizing the killing of lawyers and journalists, adding that those who tried to kill him confirmed that killing an infidel was a duty. Mr. Mikhlafy expected that a murder might be committed against him or anyone else. In addition, he held many sides responsible for the attack, among which are the Islah party, Endowment Ministry, Al-Iyman University and the interior Ministry. He added that some policemen were present at the gate of the court but, as he claimed, did not try to intervene.
The yard of the court was crowded with thousands of extremist elements trying to enter the courtroom by force while it was in session.

Four people were killed and eight badly injured during the clashes between units of the 25 mechanized brigade stationed in Sirwah and Gahm tribesmen which erupted two weeks ago. The area-bombing resulted in serious damage to houses and roads.
Clashes were triggered when units of the brigade bombed one of Al-Zaidy tribes following the release of the 6 republican guards kidnapped by the tribe.
It is said that this military action was the first of its kind since 1988. A number of similar encounters have taken place in the same area over the past 12 years. However, none resulted in such extensive damage. People fled the area to caves in mountains deeply scared about the explosive situation in the area.
People in the neighborhood expect a strong retaliation by the Gahm tribes comprising: Aal Toaiman, Aal Ali Ben Falah and Aal Duhairej. The last includes: Aal Al-Zaidy, Aal Rabea, Assawalehah, Annwasirah and Al-Awamirah.
About 10 encounters between military forces and tribesmen have taken place in Sirwah since 1988, killing or wounding many people from the two sides. In addition, the area witnessed 9 kidnapping incidents and 12 oil pipe-lines explosions. All this pushed the government to deploy brigades and military units in the area and the mountains surrounding it. However, this has failed to put an end to the kidnapping incidents and acts of sabotage carried by inhabitants of the area to force the government to meet their demands.
Oddly enough, the government usually suspects some Sheikhs who are financially supported by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to be responsible for such acts, despite the fact that those Sheikhs enjoy good relations with the Yemeni government and the President himself. Such relations are belived to be exploited by Sheikhs to achieve personal ends creating a kind of insurrection among tribesmen.
The Sirwah problem is an offshoot of simple internal problems that can easily be addressed. However, those Sheikhs have failed to find comprehensive and fair solutions to their people's problems.
Many tribesmen think that the latest military operations against people will breed other violent confrontations between military forces and tribesmen. Sheikhs are no more able to control tribesmen or to solve their problems. At the same time, the government can not trace the errant tribesmen.
The government should direct its attention to bring to book the corrupt officials and Sheikhs instead of bombing people's houses. It also should provide services projects for the undeveloped areas, solve people's long-standing problems and let justice prevail. Only then can we stand against anti-social forces.

Under the patronage of Sheikh Abdullah Ben Hussain Al-Ahmar, Speaker of the Parliament, the Al-Ray Al-Aam newspaper pays tribute to its late chief editor Mr. Ali Mohammed Al-Ulofi on July 20 in the cultural center in Sana'a.

Advocate Jamaludin Al-Adeemi said in a press statement that the Labancell company which had, along with the Sabaphone company, won the G.M.S tender in Yemen, was preparing to sue the Yemeni government for canceling the bid of the company from the deal. Strangely enough, the Yemeni government had called on the Lebanese company to finalize the needed procedures in Yemen and to decide the final steps for the execution of the mobile telephones G.M.S before its recent decision to cancel it.
Al-Adeemi added that the Lebanese company would hold a press conference in the next few days to reveal all the complications that led to that outcome.

Five people were killed and two seriously injured during clashes between the Bani Aatef and Al-Shaghaderah in Mawyah district in Taiz. The conflict is said to be resulting from a dispute over a tree located in a cemetery and which the Bani Aatef wanted to cut down. The other tribe determined to keep it stand tall at the cemetery.
The clashes stopped after interference of the republican guards in the governorate.

More than one thousand landmines and missiles collected from Aden, Lahj and Abyan governorates had been blasted by the technical committee of the National Committee for Demining last week in Lahj.
The event was attended by governors of Lahj, Aden and a number of military commanders.
Since February, mine clearing operations has involved 11 minefields in the three governorates mentioned above.

A training workshop to control violence against women was opened last Saturday morning in Aden by the Yemeni Women's Union in cooperation with the cultural section of the American Embassy. The workshop was opened by Aden's Deputy Governor, Mr. Abdul Kareem Shayef and the Cultural Attache' at the American Embassy, Mr. Kless. The purpose of the workshop is to raise social awareness about violence against women. A number of lectures and studies were read out by leading psychologists. More than 25 female participants took part in the workshop.

A number of human rights organizations and prominent figures were able to secure the release of two students :Abdulla Saeed Al-Zaidi,17 and Ahmed Saleh Al-Zaidi, 18,who had been detained for 19 days by the Capital Intelligence, Sana'a. On their release, they told the "Yemen Times" that they were maltreated during their detention and that they never knew the reasons for their detention. They added that they were not interrogated; but were told that they were being held hostage.
The students' relatives who expressed their resentment against the agony of their wards who underwent physical, psychological and moral trauma during the unlawful detention . They said they will withdraw their wards from schools in Sana'a because security men raid these students' residences in Sana'a whenever any problem erupts in Mareb. These students are nabbed as hostages for a problem which never concerns them. These relatives added that in the face of security authorities illegal measures they are forced to withdraw their sons thus depriving them of education or send them to any other country where human beings are respected.

Last Friday, July 13, Aden celebrated the death anniversary of Imam Abubakr Ben Abdulla Al-Aidrous. In form of a holy fair, the procession started from the residence of Mansab of Aden and proceeded to the famous Al-Aidrous Mosque. The procession was led by distinguished mystics. Religious sermons, orations and preachings were held to mark the occasion.
Imam Al-Aidrous was born in the year 1447 in Tareem town in Hadhramaut Province. He obtained his religious education there. After pilgrimage in the Hijra year 888, he came to Aden.
In his Friday sermon, a Shaikh Abubakr Ben Ali Al-Mashoor urged that the real meaning and importance of this fair should be clearly understood in order to imbibe the great deeds and indelible landmarks of the mystics.

On Saturday 15 July 2000, Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Abdulqadir Bajammal, arrived at the Youth Palace to attend the graduation ceremony of Queen Arwa University. The ceremony marked the graduation of students from the colleges of administrative sciences, engineering, literature, educational sciences, and college of science.
This graduated group was named 7-July Group on the occasion of the blessed 7-July anniversary.
Dr. Abdulwahhab Raweh, Minister of Youth of Sports, Dr. Hassan Al-Salami of the CC, a number of CC members, a number of MPs, and the student's parents attended the ceremony.
During the ceremony, a number of speeches were given. Student Ibrahim Al-Hamzi gave a speech representing the graduate students, thanking the university for its great efforts in making their academic years as beneficial as possible.
Later, Dr. Wahibe Fari, Rector of the University gave a speech welcoming the guests, stating that the graduates are the backbone of the university's years of hard work. She congratulated them for attaining the certificates and knowledge.
She pointed out the academic and quality measures taken by the university. She stressed on the fact that the university did teach students courses for the number of hours required in any regional or Arab university, apart from the graduation projects and programs they implemented. She also expressed gratitude to President Saleh for his everlasting moral support in encouraging the university in its different stages, emphasizing his role in supporting the latest Private Higher Education Conference organized by the university.
At the end of her statement, she greeted the students for their efforts in going through all the academic stages until they reached the point of graduation.
Then the official graduation was declared by reading the Republican Decree no 17 for 1995, and the university's establishment permission no (1) approved by The Prime Minister and Ministry of Education for the academic year 1995/96.
The number of enrolled students who were supposed to graduate exceeded 50 students, of who 42 actually graduated, which indicates a success percentage of 81.2%.
At the end of the ceremony, Mr. Bajammal along with Dr. Raweh participated with Dr. Wahibe in distributing the certificates.