Mr. Ahmed Hamoud Al-Saqqaf (no relation to YT Chief Editor) is the General Manager of the Prosthetics and Physiotherapy Center. Happily married, Al-Saqqaf, 49, holds a BA in military sciences. He had served in several posts in the military before he took up his current and much cherished job. 
For a decade and a half, Ahmed has been serving victims of landmines, accidents, and other catastrophes that result in loss of limbs. The way he has gone about it has been exemplary. That is expected of a man who is himself a victim. 

His legs were amputated following a mine-explosion while on military duty at Jabal Raas in the Tihama in 1982. He was treated in France. But he continued to suffer for some time due to lack of maintenace and repair services to his legs locally. 
Then came a chance for him to do something about it. 
In 1984, he was appointed general manager of the faltering Prosthetics and Physiotherapy Center in Sanaa. 

The center had been founded in 1978, but was formally opened 4 years later. It was a small, 2-room work-shop in an old house in Al-Bouniyya, Sanaa. Its work was limited to repairing imported artificial limbs. 
Saqqaf changed all that. 
Today, the center is a large facility with modern physiotherapy equipment. Located in a spacious complex next to the Ministry fo Health, it produces good-quality artificial limbs and other disability devices. 

The 66 local employees (53 male and 13 female), and 19 non-Yemeni staff work diligently to help people in need. 
Saqqaf and his staff have helped more than 1,000 victims. His dedication, professionalism, and above all, his clean hand have extended the center's outreach and services. 
"I know what it means to be forced to stay put. Giving someone mobility changes his/her life totally. It is someting that adds meaning to living," he says. 
That is probably why he supports whole-heartedly the on-going mine-clearing program and efforts to re-habilitate victims. 

He helped establish branches in Aden, Taiz and Hadhramaut. "We were surprised by this man. He worked hard with us to train staff, provide equipment, etc., in launching a branch center.
At the end of the work, we offered to give him a 'gift'. He was very offended. It is rare in our country today to see such dedication to duty. It is even more rare to see people who will not ask for, let alone take, money once it was offered," said Sheikh Mahfooz Shammakh, Chairman of the Hadhramaut Charity Society.

 

Investigators from the FBI (US) and Scotland Yard (UK) have teamed up to help stitch together the exact details of the botched-up rescue operation in Abyan on December 30th, 1998. They are working closely with the Yemeni authorities. 
On December 30th, a 300 military/security force stormed two hideouts of kidnappers who were holding 12 Britons, 2 American, and 2 Australians hostages. The operation, which was carried out at mid-day, took around 100 hours, and left 4 tourists, 2 kidnappers and 3 soldiers dead, and a few more injured. 

The Yemeni government was asked emphatically by the British Ambassador in Sanaa, Mr. Victor Henderson, not to use force in seeking the release of the hostages. But the Yemeni authorities say that they were forced to intervene because the kidnappers were killing their hostages in cold blood. That claim was later contradicted by the freed hostages who stated that the killing started after the assault. 
While piecing the facts of this incident remains an important undertaking, the efforts of the investigators are also going to assess the overall security situation of Yemen. They will dig deeper to evaluate the threat of violence, connections - if any - to regional and international terrorism, and how to handle them. 

The authorities deserve our whole-hearted support in its fight against terrorism. But that entails studying the root-causes for the anti-establishment sentiments that lead to violence. Maybe the investigators's files can include the following points. 
The country needs better training for the security apparatus in order to combat terrorism. But force alone cannot achieve stability. 
A system of better accountability of how the authorities and their proteges handle public funds and how they use their power and influence is a critical component of the corrective measures. 

Another part of the solution is a fair distribution of government services and projects. Khowlan, which has been rebellious, complains the asphalted road comes to adjacent Sanhan (tribe of the president) and stops there. The electric current comes to Sanhan and stops there.One can go out there and check these facts. 
Finally, the law must be respected by all, and justice must be dispensed to all. In today's Yemen, the law does not apply to influential members of the ruling power structure. And justice is not available to the weak. 
The people need to trust/respect officials before they'll obey them. 
 

Time and again, our rulers have shown that they will not tolerate independent journalism. They try to dictate to journalists how they should write their stories, even as the politicians talk about democracy, pluralism, tolerance, etc. The top politicians of Yemen are still unable to accept that someone will report things differently than they do. If some individuals insist to differ, then the traditional tools of dictators are used against them. The rulers try to destroy or at least discredit the person or group that refuses to toe the line. 

Rageh Omaar of the BBC summarized this when he described his and his colleagues' ordeals with the Yemeni authorities which tried to stop the truth from reaching the world. He wrote: 

"... the heart of it is the battle with one's own psychology - and a journey of discovery of what it ACTUALLY means to tell the truth, even when the bureaucracy of a whole state is telling you and the world that you are not."
Source: http//www.news.bbc.co.uk (20/9/98). 

Last week, I had yet one more example. 
On Thursday, December 31st, 1998, September 26 newspaper completed the year with another assault on me. This paper is directly managed by the office of President Ali Abdullah Saleh. The article shows how irritated presidential circles are with our account of the Abyan event which led to the murder of 4 persons. It also shows how low they are willing to stoop in using lies in a disinformation campaign. 

I give below an exact and full translation of this last assault on me .

Quote: 
"Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Saqqaf is known for his suspect loyalties and for his association with foreign intelligence agencies. He uses his foreign-financed "Yemen Times", to harm the country's reputation and distort its image abroad. He exploits almost every occasion to publish criticism against this country. Through his connections with foreign circles and by statements to the foreign media, he crows to the same tune that hurts Yemen.

The latest of Abdulaziz Al-Saqqaf's fads is to promote kidnapping and praise kidnappers. He considers what they do as legal and commendable. In the same manner, he publishes fabricated information, excreting the venom of his hatred for the nation. Recently, he also printed false information regarding the amounts of foreign aid provided to Yemen. Before that, he had published that the number of persons dead and wounded during the early day of the war waged by the secessionists (in 1994) had reached thousands. He was expecting a high official position with the secessionists had they succeeded. 
This is not strange of this opportunistic Saqqaf who changes his colors. He speaks out a lot against corruption, but he himself is a symbol of it. 

He is also a carbon copy of his other relative - the old communist, atheist Abu Bakar Al-Saqqaf. The other Saqqaf does not even recognize the country's unity, and considers what happened on May 22, 1990 as wrong. He still wallows in his hateful secessionist dreams. 
The earlier face, Abdulaziz Al-Saqqaf, also has the same dream, in addition to his opportunistic dream which aims to achieve subjective ends at the expense of the country and its dignity. Such a road is only taken by weak people with no abilities for achievement, and persons who are unable to rise up to the level of responsibility to serve their country and people. Such people change their skin and use different types of make-up and don various masks, just like this doctor. He is not ashamed of having this abominable attitude, as he sees the country a commodity for sale. 

What a cheap deal and an ugly role you play, Dr. Saqqaf, whether for subjective and narcissistic goals or for dubious aims for which the motives are very well known. 
It remains to tell you, Saqqaf, that all your cards are now burned. All the masks you applied to your face are now gone. Your tricks fool no one anymore. Pull another one, and far away from the soil of this land." 
Unquote. 

Abdulaziz Al-Saqqaf, 
Chief Editor, Yemen Times.