Yemeni authorities arrested last week two people from al-Eman university affiliated to Sheikh Abdulmajeed Al-Zindani of the Islah Party. Reliable sources said that the intelligence arrested Wednesday a student at al-Eman university named Abduljabar al-Marwani. He was taken from his house at Sa'wan district North East of Sanaa. Two days earlier, the authorities arrested Dr. Ahmad al-Daghshi, a professor at Sana'a and al-Eman universities. The two persons were detained as their names were mentioned during interrogations with the killers of Jarallah Omar and the US doctors. Al-Marwani was wanted by the security but his arrest was made later as he was outside Sana'a; he has been in Dhamar doing some practical studies at al-Eman university. Once he arrived in Sana'a , police arrested him for interrogation.
Al-Daghshi was snatched from the street by the intelligence without the knowledge of his family, which learned that he was in prison several days later. It is believed that his name was mentioned during investigations with the two killers.
Investigations with the detainees have proven they were all form a fundamentalist Jihad movement headed by Ali Jarallah, assassin of Jarallah Omar, YSP Assistant Secretary General. According to the investigators, the cell members were planning to carry out terrorist operations and assassinations targeting several foreign interests as well as politicians, writers and journalists for allegedly adopting and calling for secularism. Among the list of names were: Salem Saleh Mohammed former presidential member, Abdulamailk al-Mikhlafi Secretary General of Nasserite Unionist Party, Dr. Kassim Salam Secretary of Ba'ath Party, Dr. Abdulaziz al-Makaleh President's cultural advisor, Adbulbari Taher former chairman of Yemeni journalists syndicate, Nasr Taha Mustafa head of Saba News Agency, Dr. Abu Bakr al-Saqqaf, Ali al-Surary head of the YSP information and media department, Ahmad al-Hubaishi, Mohammed al-Makaleh a writer, Sameer al-Yusufi editor of al-Thaqafiah Weekly, and others. The list is said to have included over 30 persons.
Investigations are reported to have proved a link between the cell and the Yemeni Jihad movement whose members were educated at the hands of the Egyptian Jihad movement members who were deported from Yemen some years ago. The Yemeni authorities have also launched an arrest campaign against the Yemeni Jihad members since 1998, which coincided with a similar campaign against Aden-Abyan Islamic Army members after the Abyan fiasco in which some foreign tourists were killed. The government announced in late 1999 the execution of the army chief , Abu Al-Hasan al-Mihdar.
Observers believe that the discovery of the Ali Jarallah's cell and making sure that it has links with Jihad indicates that there are sleepy cells of Jihad, Aden army and others which might find a match with al-Qaeda whose members are still being hunted down by the authorities, mainly those people whose names were mentioned in the FBI's lists like Abu Assem al-Ahdal and Fawaz al-Rabee.
To meet the challenges of these groups, the Interior ministry announced last week that it is going to launch the second phase of the electronic monitoring on some important places and streets in the capital. It will install cameras that are connected to an operation room in the ministry which will make it easier for the security people to monitor any terrorist activities and thwart them. This phase will target 15 important places. The ministry announced earlier this month that a new security plan to fight terrorism and control outlaws will be initiated.
This, of course, shows that the fight on terrorism is representing the real challenge of the government which will spend a lot on these pans at the expanse of development.

The German Ambassador to Yemen, Mr. Wrener Zemprich said Thursday that the Yemeni-German Agreement on exchange of criminals had been annulled years ago. At a press conference held by the German and French ambassadors to mark the 40th anniversary of the Elysee Treaty Mr. Zemprich said that the security agreement signed between former Peoples' Democratic Republic of Yemen and East Germany in 1971 was made invalid upon the German unification in 1990. He pointed out that the two countries agreed on January 8, 1992 to abolish the agreement and since then it has become off work.
A Yemeni official source last week denied the statement made by the German Ministry of Justice Spokesman that the agreement did no longer exist and that Germany was responsible before Yemen if it turns over Mohammed al-Mouyad and his companion to the US. The Yemeni official said the agreement was still valid till today. The two Yemeni citizens are being held by the German authorities upon the US request for they are suspected of being al-Qaeda financiers.
The German ambassador clearly said everything is now in the hands of the German court which can decide with the evidence provided to it by the USA whether the two Yemeni citizens are to be turned over to the US or brought back to Yemen.
The German court is still waiting US evidence on connection of the two persons with al-Qaeda. He pointed out that the security team visit which was scheduled on Tuesday has been postponed for health problems of the head of the delegation and that it will be made some time later, without giving a specific date. He said the visit was arranged for before the al-Mouyad case. However, he said this issue will top the talks of the two sides when the visit is made. The team headed by deputy minister of interior was reported that it would visit al-Ehsan center and probe into its activities.
The release demands of al-Mouyad, an Islah leading member, were stepped up last week. The Islah party women department staged a woman demonstration last Wednesday to the German Embassy, demanding the German authorities to set him and his companion free. Around 3000 women protested their arrest and denounced that behavior on the part of Germany. The protesters lifted posters and banners denouncing terrorism and demanding his immediate release. They demanded the Yemeni government to continue pressuring the Germans to set him free.
A similar protest was made last Sunday organized by the women popular committee in defence of al-Mouyad. The protesters also called for raising money to defend al-Mouyad of whom Yemeni official sources said was trapped to go to Germany so as to meet a US benefactor who would support Al-Ehsan charitable center of al-Mouyad.
A German Die Velt newspaper wrote in a recent issue that Al-Mouyad did not travel to Germany for medical treatment but it was a trap designed by the American Investigations, and that the FBI had persuaded a Yemeni man that there is an American Muslim who wants to donate $25 million to be used for terrorist acts in the Middle East. And that the amount will be invested for the benefit of Al-Qaeda and for Hammas Movement in Palestine.
The Yemeni government said it repeatedly demanded that they should be sent back to Yemen and that they would be tried if proven guilty or having links to al-Qaeda.
The statement of the German ambassador concerning the abolition of the security agreement indicates that the Germans will have a strong justification if they turn al-Mouyad and his companion to the US in case they are proved guilty. The German ambassador told the protesters that "Germany is bound by international treaties" in this regard.
The French and German ambassadors to Yemen highlighted in the press conference the Elysee Treaty significance to their two countries. The French ambassador said France and Germany have a matching projects and activities in Yemen in terms of supporting the poverty alleviation programs and other development projects. A film on the steps to this treaty was shown to the audience at the Yemen cultural center. A reception was then held and attended by a number of diplomats and media people.

In a session held last week, the Yemeni parliament called upon Yemeni people to stage peaceful demonstrations against the US-led war to attack Iraq. Parliament members strongly criticizes the US military buildup in the region and said in a statement that the threat of attacking Iraq confirms that there is a plan to change the political map in the Arabia Peninsula so as to strengthen 'Zionist' control of the region. It also asked demanded that the government denounces any strike against Iraq and the offensive actions committed against the Palestinian people.
As the US seems committed to go for a war against Iraq, it is expected that many massive rallies and protests would take place in the coming days in Yemen and other Arab countries.