The Yemeni security authorities have launched a massive arrest campaign, at the request of Washington, against the Islamic groups in Yemen with the view of getting information on their relations with the Arab Afghans or any extremist Islamic groups.
A senior official source told the Yemen Times that the Yemeni authorities had detained dozens of people at the beginning of this week after suspecting that they might have relations with Osama bin Laden, accused by Washington to be the prime suspect of the terrorist attacks carried out in New York and Washington on September 11, 2001.
On the other hand, Yemen has taken precautionary security measures at the request of the USA, which called on it to cooperate in investigating the attacks by detaining dozens of people and closely monitoring persons coming from or going to Afghanistan.
An officer of the Yemeni police confirmed that the Yemeni authorities have started, since the beginning of last week, enforcing strict measures at Yemeni airports, sea and land outlets, adding that firm instructions have been given to them to arrest any person suspected.
The same source, who requested anonymity, further added that these measures came within a campaign to enhance the state of security in the country by fighting terrorism within the context of the policies Yemen has been adopting for combating terrorism, indicating that the Yemeni authorities carried out a campaign against the so-called Arab-Afghans. Within the same context the source said that Yemen has deported more than 14,000 people who illegally entered the country. "The campaign included the deportation of thousands of Arabs from Egypt, Algeria, Sudan, Libya, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan," the source said. Similarly, the Yemeni militants who fought in Afghanistan were reintegrated and everyone suspected of taking part in any bombing incidents were tracked down. The source particularly mentioned the so-called Islamic Aden-Abyan Army, headed by Abubakar al-Mihthar, which held captive a group of 16 tourists on December, 1998, leading to the murder of 4 tourists and the arrest of the group's members after the intervention of the security forces. Al-Mihthar was executed on October, 2000 following his trial in Sana'a.
It is obvious that the Yemeni authorities are not concerned about carrying out of any military attack against it by the US within the latter's campaign against terrorism.
Abu Bakar al-Qirbi, Yemen Foreign Minister, in a press conference ruled out the possibility of carrying out any attack against Yemen. Al-Qirbi noted that Yemen is far from any accusations or suspicions, adding that the Americans are surprised with the news reporting such attacks. In the meanwhile, eight Yemeni opposition parties expressed their deep regret about the attacks carried out against the US, and at the same time, condemned any global alliance that does not rely on a clear definition of terrorism. The Yemeni Socialist Part and the Islah Party called for differentiating between the terrorism of individuals, groups and states, and the struggle of nations against oppression and occupation. The Yemeni opposition parties called on the US to adhere to international laws, respect human rights, and not to adopt a double standard in tackling international issues, adding that the standing of the US can not be achieved by depending merely on arms.

In a letter to Minister of Interior Dr. Rashad, Al-Alimi Reporters Sans Frontieres (RSF) protested against the detention of Hassan al-Zaidi, a journalist working for the Yemen Times. "This arrest is especially worrying since we don't know the reasons for the arrest," said Robert Menard, general secretary of the organization, who requested more explanation from the minister. Hassan al-Zaidi was arrested in Mareb by the security forces on September 8, 2001. He is being detained in the Political Security Office in the governorate of Mareb.
In addition, the US Committee to Protect Journalist (CPJ) sent another letter to president Saleh and Yemeni Ambassador to Washington expressing worries about recent cases of government harassment of journalists in Yemen, urging for an immediate release of Al-Zaidi. 

Copies were sent to worldwide organizations,
Yemeni Embassy in USA, American Embassy in Sanaa

Rainer Berns, the Commercial Attaché of the German Embassy in Sanaa has been released by kidnappers in the early morning of Monday, September 24. 
His release came after more than 8 weeks in captivity, and after intensified mediation efforts involving prominent figures including Member of Parliament Sheikh Sultan Ali-Arada, Governor of Mareb Naji Al-Soufi, and the prominent Sheikh of Jahm tribe Mubarak Al-Massan Al-Zaidi.
According to tribal sources from the region of Mareb, Serwah, to where the kidnappers belong, Berns was released upon the reaching of a tribal agreement among the mediators, who were directly authorized by the President, and the kidnappers. 
The agreement constituted of two initial conditions for the release. The first is the withdrawal of the army,. The second was tribal arbitration in the house, which was attacked by the military forces and whose furniture and possessions were taken away.
The German embassy expressed its delight with the news, and have told Yemen Times that Berns has arrived to Sanaa accompanied by Sultan Al-Arada and the Governor of Mareb. "He has been asleep since he came. He seemed to be terribly tired." a source at the embassy said.
This development came one day after Berns was allowed to call his wife by mobile phone expressing his worries and ambitions regarding his fate. He told his wife on the phone that he was relatively alright, except for the psychological aspect of it as he suffered from close death experiences when police forces fired at him when the kidnappers escaped their initial hideout. He expressed his concern and anger over the police forces that surrounded the area as they were shooting at the kidnappers' hideout indifferent of any possibility that the hostage may be hurt or even killed.
Mohammed Ali Al-Zaidi, Ahmed Ali Al-Zaidi and their associates kidnapped Mr. Rainer Berns when he was returning from the Sanaa Airport to his home on the 60-meter street on July 27.

Investigation offices in Texas are currently interrogating Hamdoon Ali Mohsen Qalalah, a Yemeni pilot who studies aviation there.
According to his brother, Mwafaq, Mohsen is there for higher studies and that he got the scholarship from President Saleh in recognition of his brave action against the hijacker of the Yemenia airplane a few months ago.
Mwafaq appeals to human rights organizations to ensure an immediate release of his brother
.

No Yemenis Missing in NYC

Yemen Times has been informed that there are no Yemenis missing or killed in the New York City attack that occurred on September 11th. In a telephone interview Mr. Sa'ad Almontaser, vice president of the Yemeni-American Association, told the New York-based Yemen Network that there were no Yemeni casualties as a result of the attack in the U.S. However, he did admit that some Yemeni-owned businesses in the area were damaged as a result of the attack and consequent collapse of the World Trade Center towers. His statement that revealed that no Yemeni is missing or dead as a result of the attack directly contradicts the recent estimates which put the number of missing Yemenis at 200 and lately at 8.
Regarding oppression that is taking place against Arabs, including Yemenis, because of the attack, Mr. Almontaser asserted that Arab and Muslim communities including Yemenis are well protected in Brooklyn and in many other places. He added that no major incidents had taken place in the area where Yemenis are concentrated in NYC.
On the same subject, in a telephone conversation, Mr. Mosa Al-Sharaabi, head of the Yemeni Jewish Community in the USA denied any casualties among the Yemeni community in New York. He said that all Muslim and Jewish Yemeni are still there, except a few who are believed to be spending their holidays somewhere else. He added that there were no official reports about any Yemeni victims and that Yemenis were working only in the evenings in the collapsed WTC.
At the end of the conversation, he expressed sorrow for the damage to man and property in both Washington and York.

Yemen Times has learned from reliable sources based in the USA that a Yemeni-American was killed in Detroit Michigan on Wednesday. According to Yemen Networks, Mr. Ali M. Al-Mansoob, 44, was shot dead to death by another American on Friday. The man charged in the death told police officers that he was angry about last week's terrorist attacks, Prosecutor Mike Duggan said Friday. Duggan said the man was charged with first-degree premeditated murder and first-degree felony murder, which carry automatic sentences of life in prison without parole.
Yemenis, like many Arabs, have suffered recently from retaliations because of the wide belief in the USA that Muslims and Arabs are responsible for the attacks that took place in New York City and Washington DC earlier this month.
However, this is the first incident in which a Yemeni man was deliberately killed as a consequence of the growing hatred and anger against Arabs and Muslims.

In a comprehensive interview made by CNN, Editor-in-Chief of Yemen Times, Mr. Walid Abdulaziz Al-Saqqaf gave a comprehensive reflection of the public and media's opinions and responses regarding the late attacks against the USA. In the 1-hour interview, Walid stressed that there is common sorrow and grief among Yemenis for what happened in the USA of killing innocent people. "Yemenis are united in condemning those outrageous attacks. Those who committed this, if proven to be Muslims, are a disgrace to all the followers of this religion, which is a religion of peace," he said.
"However, Yemenis seem to oppose hasty and swift retaliation against possibly innocent people who had nothing to do with the attack," he added.
Responding to a question about whether he thinks the USS Cole incident and the recent attack are linked, he replied, "There surely is little to compare between the two. They are incomparable in dimensions, size, and outreaching affects. The first happened out of the USA, and caused little damage compared to the second that occurred in the heart of NYC and was quite sophisticated and large in scale. It is difficult to imagine that those two were carried out by the same group."On the issue of Arab Afgans in Yemen, Walid disclosed that even though there was a stage in Yemen's history in which Arab Afghans participated in the 1994 war, and had links to Afghanistan, today they resemble an extremely small portion of the community, and they are no more active.
At the end of the interview, the Editor focused on the importance of having the USA understand that it should be more sensible to other nations' worries and aspirations. He also asked, "Why should the USA refuse to sign the Kyoto agreement on pollution? Why is the USA building a missile defense system that could reestablish an arms race instead of discussing with other countries of how to have mutual agreements on defense issues? Why should the USA object to joining the agreements that forbid the manufacturing of land mines? Why doesn't the USA stand strong with all its might to aid the weaker countries and resemble an example of humbleness and might at the same time?"
He concluded the interview by saying, "The USA needs to understand that with its current strategies it is isolating itself further. It should rather integrate more with the world. We live in one planet, and it belongs to all of us. Only when the USA realizes this, will it not only be the world's superpower, but also its idol."