40 - September 30 thru October
6, 2002, Vol XI
Four
killed in shootout near British embassy in Sanaa: eyewitnesses
Sanaa, Sunday Sep 29 (YT) - Eye witnesses claim that four men were killed
during a shootout that took place between 15:30 and 17:00 today between a
number of armed men in an unnumbered vehicle and the security of the British embassy
in front of its premises on Hadda street in Sanaa. Apparently, the armed
men were in a car escorting one of the sons of an influential tribal figure
in Yemen.
Official sourced denied the said number and claimed that no one was killed
in the clash but admitted that there were at least three who were wounded.
Hence, the real and exact figure of those killed and injured in the clash
is still uncertain.
“Three policemen and a passerby were killed and a significant number of people
were wounded including females during the shootout. There was a dispute between
the guards and the car that refused to obey instructions given by policemen
in the area.” an eyewitness said.
According to wire reports, the UK ambassador to Yemen Ms. Frances Guy said
that the reason for the battle was the refusal of the car to move away from
the embassy premises.
"The fight was triggered when the guards ordered a car to move away from
the embassy premise, but the men in the car refused to comply," Ms. Guy said.
"As far as I know, at least one policeman was killed in the battle," Ambassador
Frances Guy said in a telephone interview to AP from inside the embassy where
she was holed up with the remainder of her staff. "They threatened the guards
and dragged one of them to their car."
According to eyewitnesses, the armed men were waiting outside during a wedding
ceremony in a restaurant near the embassy when the policemen insisted on
having the vehicle moved further away from the embassy.
“This is no terror attack! It is a violent confrontation between armed men
and police forces that resulted from traffic-related argument. The embassy
was not targeted.” An official source at the Ministry of Interior told Yemen
Times.
Abdullah Hamidudin, was one of the eyewitnesses whose car was shot several
times. He described the event as ‘doomsday’ as he had to seek refuge at a
nearby shop along with his family members who were in the car he was driving.
“We heard several automatic machine gun shots shot randomly. I told my family
to leave the car before anyone is hurt. I had to hide in a nearby shop to
avoid being killed. Later, when I went out of the shop I found tens of bullets
in my car and most of its windows and doors penetrated with live ammunition.
I guarantee you that if we were in the car, we would have all died!”
As for the expected casualties, Abdullah said, “I saw a number of wounded people
. I also saw a woman whose shoulder was bleeding, and who eventually broke
down in the shop. Gun shots came from both sides (policemen and armed gang),
and I felt that at least 5 people would be killed while tens would be injured.”
“We demand to stop this mess and bring law and order to this country. This
is far too much and we need to have sheikhs and other powerful individuals
abide by the law just like we all do. I will not rest until I find those
armed men behind bars.” He furiously commented.
Having unnumbered cars with escorts for sheikhs, some politicians, and other
important individuals carrying all sorts of weapons is a normal phenomenon
in Yemen. There is an estimated 50 million pieces of weapons in the country,
where there are many tribal zones where law of the state is not enforced.
The government has been unable to control the flow and use of weapons in
major cities because many sheikhs and politicians insist on having armed
escorts wherever they are expressing no interest in abiding by the law. Unfortunately,
many policemen were victimized in similar attacks throughout the country,
especially at check points.
This incident is considered one of many similar incidents that happen often
in Yemen, but it has gained more attention this time because it occurred
next to a Western embassy by coincidence and happened in a time Yemen is
in spotlight in the war against terror.
USS Cole suspected bombers
to be tried soon
A Yemeni official source said Saturday that the USS Cole bombing
suspects will be brought before court soon. He said the Yemeni-US officials
agreed to present the detained suspects to court in the coming few days,
without giving a date and the number of the detainees. He pointed out that
all arrestees and those who have been proved to be involved in the USS Cole
bombing in Aden, 12 October, 2000 will be tried. But, for those who are still
on the run, they will be hunted down and presented for tribunal. They will
not be tried in absentia.
PSO sources told the parliament fact-finding committee on the terrorism detainees
situation that they are 104 detainees and that 15 of them are in jail on
charges of USS Cole bombing.
The Yemeni official source said they will be tried at a Yemeni court in Aden,
according to Yemeni laws and Constitution. The tribunal sessions will not
be public.
Yemeni and US authorities are still hunting down for someone called Abdulraheem
al-Nashery, whose other neck names are also al-Harazi and al-Saafani. He
is suspected of being the mastermind of the USS Cole operation that killed
17 and wounded 39 others of US marines. Al-Harazi has been reported to have
escaped from Yemen to Pakistan one month earlier to the incident after making
sure of the success of the operation.
Yemeni authorities carried out a massive arrest campaign after the incident,
detaining around 80 suspects from different governorates, mainly Aden, Shabwah,
and Abyan. Tens of them were released later on as they have been proved innocent.
Only fifteen remained in jail as they were proved guilty.
The US officials repeatedly requested the Yemeni authorities to postpone the
trial for collecting more information on the incident, mainly from the al-Qaeda
detainees in Guantanamo. The US officials are believed to have obtained more
information from these detainees about the one who masterminded the operation.
Yemeni official sources said earlier this month that a US team of investigators
will arrive in Yemen to discuss with the Yemeni side closing down the Cole
file and present the detainees to court. The US ambassador, Edmund Hull said
September 11, 2002 that US investigators worked together with their Yemeni
counterparts on last bombing that killed two al-Qaeda elements in Sana'a
early August. The two killed elements were preparing for a terrorist operation.
A number of explosives were found in their flat.
The Yemeni authorities arrested over 70 persons living in the same neighborhood.
Later, 50 were released and around 20 are still in jail.
President reiterates opposition to a strike
against Iraq
President Saleh said on Thursday that Yemen strongly opposes
any attack against Iraq, especially that Iraq had agreed to allowing UN weapons
inspectors back with no conditions. In a strong statement against US policies,
the President said during the youth parade held on Thursday on the occasion
of the 26 September revolution anniversary that if UN resolutions are to be
enforced, then they should be enforced on all nations with no exceptions.
"We have condemned September 11 terror attacks and terrorists are still
being hunted, but meanwhile, not even one UN resolution has been enforced
against the 50-year-old terrorism in Palestine...We want to see the UN resolutions
touching on the Palestinian cause to be implemented at least once in the
history". Implicitly criticizing the US double standard policy, President
Saleh added, "The world is making a big fuss for it guesses that Iraq
has biological and chemical weapons arsenal and is downplaying, meanwhile,
the bitter fact Israel's biological and chemical weapons arsenal considered
the biggest in the region and poses a threat to the whole world, why is this?"
he asked.
Among the other issues raised by the President were the conflict in Somalia,
the Palestinian issue, and other regional and International issues. The focus
of the speech however was on the achievements during the last 40 years since
the 26 September revolution erupted in 1962.
MPs stage sit-in
More than 60 MPs staged a sit-in at the parliament in protest
against the Vice Speaker who had physically attacked Sakhr al-Wajeeh, a member
of the fact-finding committee on Tuesday's session, September 24.
In a letter dispatched to the parliament speaker, MPs have strongly denounced
the attack describing it as an "empty-headed conduct and stupid behavior".
Such an attack is considered to be detrimental to parliament and MPs. "
It is a hostile and terrorist act and an insult to all MPs and to the people
of Yemen," the letter said.
" It is a flagrant violation of the constitution, law and to parliamentary
immunity," the letter added.
The letter has recalled other previous attacks by the Vice Speaker on a number
of MPs particularly the attempted attack on MP Sultan al-Attwani and the
use of abusive remarks against Sa'ad Addeen Taleb and Yahya Mansour Abu Asba'
or ordering the bodyguards to force the MPs to leave the hall, such as, Najeeb
Qahtan Ashabi.
The MPs have strongly criticized the Vice Speaker of the parliament of bad-mouthing
the MPs.
They further demanded for an immediate deterrence to unacceptable behavior
including forming a special committee to interrogate the Vice Speaker and
suspend him from his post. The MPs have demanded civil society organizations,
political parties, and human rights organizations to denounce this uncivilized
conduct against the MPs.
On the other hand, the National Organization for Defending Rights and Freedoms,
(NODRF) in a statement last Tuesday said that the MP, Sakhr al-Wajeeh, a
member of the fact-finding committee, was physically attacked by the Vice
Speaker, Yahya Arra'ee.
The set-to erupted over the fact-finding report on the detainees suspected
of having links to USS Cole incident and the September 11 attacks in the US.
Sakhr al-Wajeeh, a member of the fact-finding committee when finished reading
the report, was attacked by the vice speaker of the parliament. The report
had been previously published in newspapers along with photos of the detainees.
The statement issued by the NODRF mentioned that Sakhr al-Wajeeh had been
previously unseated from the membership of the permanent committee of the
GPC and was also prevented from attending meetings of the 6th General Conference
of the ruling party.
US authorities accuse 2 Yemenis of drug
trafficking and money laundering
Trouble ahead for Yemenis
in USA
According to news reports in the USA, two Yemenis based in
Oakland, California are accused by the US federal prosecutor of possible
connection to drug trafficking and money laundering in the US.
According to report of an Oakland-based newspaper, 28-year-old liquor store
owner Mohammed Amin Ahmed and 22-year-old Laney, College student Mohsin Musid
Sharif, were part of an international ring that smuggled over-the-counter
cold remedy pills from Canada through Detroit to nine California meth labs.
It is believed that Oakland's liquor stores have become a source of concern
for the authorities because of their links to dealers all over the US. Seventy
percent of Oakland's 375 liquor stores are run by Yemenis.
This comes in a time news of scrutinizing Yemeni immigrants in the USA were
reported.
It was reported that U.S. Justice Department directed special agents to "selectively
seek out and search all individuals of Yemeni origin including U.S. citizens"
as "a necessary precaution to protect the nation from any possible terrorist
attack." "Millions of dollars in drug profits were laundered back
to Yemen, federal investigators contend, and prosecutors allege that Sharif
ran an illegal money wire service where he also doctored phony identification."
the Oakland Tribune said.
Authorities in Oakland believe that there are links between the said Yemenis
and Hezbollah of Lebanon. However, no solid evidence was provided so far.
Federal agents started focusing more on Yemeni immigrants after they arrested
Ali Saleh Saad, 30, of Yemeni origin in the Detroit suburb of Dearborn.
It is suspected that Saad and his network is directly related to Mohamed Ahmed,
but that remains to be proved.
It is worth noting that Yemenis in the US tend to send money to Yemen through
many channels, some which may be illegal.
"The first generation in America, what are they here for? To make a better
life. Once they do that they want to build a family," One of the Yemenis
in Oakland told the paper. "They send money to their families. It has
nothing to do with politics or terrorism or anything."
Hence, it is believed that following those new developments, the Yemeni community
in the US may be exposed to further inspections and scrutinizes, which resembles
possible trouble ahead.
|
