Southern Movement uses Abyan attack to lobby for international support

Locals covering the bodies of civilians whose death was war causality in the government’s raid on Al-Qaeda camp in Al-Mhfad district in Abyan governorate south of Yemen. Photo Curtsy of the UAE Al-Bayan newspaper by Mohammed Al-Ghubari

Mohammed bin Sallam

Published:21-12-2009

Using the international attention given to Yemen as a result of the Yemeni US-supported raid on Al-Qaeda camp in Al-Mhfad district Abyan governorate, tribal leaders and activists of the Southern Movement are assembling today to induce the world to support their cause.

ABYAN, Dec. 20 — Thousands of Yemenis from all over the country have been heading to Al-Ma’ajana village in Al-Mhfad district where the Yemeni government demolished Al-Qaeda camp. They assemble Monday, Dec. 21, 2009 starting a sit-in indefinitely demanding an independent state in the southern governorates of Yemen. A local businessman known as Ba Suraima has already prepared 120 bulls for slaughter in order to feed the thousands of protestors, according to Yemen Times local source from the village.
Already tents have been set up to accommodate the visitors while the locals there who are mostly nomads are licking their wounds caused by the air raids on the area.
According to a local source in the area, 82 civilians were killed and more than 213 were injured. Most of them were women and children from the nomad community in the district.
Once the attacks stopped, the locals gathered to assess the causalities and bury the dead. So far 47 bodies have been recognized and buried. The Associated French Press quoted official from the Al-Mahfed on Sunday confirming civilian deaths.
However, in terms of war against terror, this attack was considered by both the Yemeni government and its allay against terrorism the United States of America as a success. Ministry of Defense stated that the Yemeni forces killed no less than 34 Al Qaeda   elements and US president Barack Obama sent a congratulation note to the Yemeni president on this strategic move, according to Yemeni official sources.
The Yemeni ministry also mentioned that it detained 17 Al-Qaeda elements in Sana’a and Arhab (to the north of Sana’a), and four in Aden. The arrests come within Al-Qaeda clamp down operation that was in the making in the past few weeks according to intelligence sources. The ministry also reported that it was able to fail several terrorist attacks targeting foreigners by Al-Qaeda suicide bombers.
Saudi Interior Ministry cooperated with its Yemeni counterpart to find out if any Saudis figuring in the list of 85 wanted terrorists or any other wanted Saudis are among the dead or detained, said Interior Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Mansour Al-Turki told Arab News on Saturday
So far, six non-Yemeni Al-Qaeda members were reported killed in the raid. They were two Saudis, two Egyptians and two from Chechnya, according to Yemen Time sources, which also confirmed that most of the civilian causalities were located between one to two kilometers away from the jihadist’s camp.
“The air raid resulted in killing men, children and women, including some who were pregnant.  In terms of livestock, 200 sheep and large numbers of cows and camels also escaped,” a tribal source reported. “Some of the causalities are critically injured and they are in hospitals in Aden and Abyan governorates.”
Meanwhile in fear of retaliation, the Yemeni Ministry of Interior directed the security apparatuses in the Capital Secretariat and all Yemeni governorates to intensify security around foreign and government offices.
Already there has been news last week that dozens of Al Qaeda jihadists and some of their leaders have moved from Pakistan to Yemen and Somalia.
Yemeni anti-terrorism security is being continuously trained to combat terrorism in the country, which has been said by analysts to be Al-Qaeda haven. American officials revealed that the US government is supporting Yemen in its fight against terrorism through training and intelligence matters. The New York Times reported that president Obama agreed to support Yemen according to a request the latter asked in order to get rid of Al Qaeda sites in its lands.
Officials in the Department of Defense and the Pentagon, refused to give details about the air raid. According to the ABC News, the attack used American missiles, although the Yemeni authority emphasized that only Yemeni air force was involved directly in the attacks.

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COMMENTS
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Concerned Yemeni
2010.01.05
Europe
Although we, the southerners, did not in any way benefit economically from this union, we did benefit socially. The fact is, ever since the Union many family ties were made between families from the north and the south, succession now will only seperate people and families. The solution now is to look in to the future rather than the past and try and fix what is broken. However, by fixing I mean through reforms and increasing education and decentralization of power. Military involvement WILL not work, it's never worked with any country and will definitely not work in our country. More reforms, educations and independence of states (like aden, and hadramout,Taiz...etc) less hatred and ignorant name-calling.
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Mohamed the SOUTHERN
2010.01.02
Aden the dearest
to all northern people, sorry to all DIHBASHIES, please get lost of SOUTH because your president saleh is the only one who brought QA'edah to our country, so go away from our land and we will fight Al QA'eda by ourselves. don't till me it is the war of corruption or fighting al Qa'eda you should first get out of our country then you will see how SOUTHERNS will deal with your QA'eda and your way of live that corrupted by your ignorant president and ignorant people who accept the corruption as a way of life.
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A. Ahmad
2010.01.02
USA
Unfortunately with a soft and corrupted government , some Yemenis have been infected by hatred extremist groups(Al-Qaeda, Al-Huthies, Comunists,…) to spread a message of hate anti west, unity,…..and so on. People are tired of nonsense and falsehood, deception and political games. We need to save Yemen rather than finding excuses for their problems. The problem is that the country would be torn into smaller countries. Tribes will fight each other where Yemen would be even worse than Somalia.
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A. Ahmad
2010.01.01
USA
HAPPY NEW YEAR
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Fares
2009.12.30
USA
Its FUNNY how the people of the NORTH blame the people of the SOUTH that they are asking for a reversing of history!! We and I mean the SOUTHERNS gave everything up for this fake unity; we gave our capital, currency, land, oil even banks and Airlines like Alyemda that has been sold to the Saudis for their share of Yemeni! WHERE WERE YOU GUYS? WHERE WERE THE PEOPLE OF THE NORTH WHEN 1000s of people from the SOUTH WERE IN THE STREETS ASKING FOR THEIR JOBS AND LAND FOR 3 YEARS no one in the NORTH said ANY WORD, and now you came after 4 years to say we should be one country? Where were u all NORTHERS when over 100 thousand people from the south lost their Jobs? Where were you all NORTHERS when our land was taken by your illiterate tribal shieks??? Wow so now we are brothers? Because we are asking for our country that we gave you in a GOLD PLATE???
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A. Ahmad
2009.12.30
USA
Fares. Are you losing your mind. The problem now is not North and South, It's terrorist organizations who try to make Yemen Afghanistan Arabia Penensiula.The problem is corruption , unfairness and no security for everybody regardles if you are from the north or the south. Unfortunetely many people are followers of bad people. Check my previous comments.
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Mo
2009.12.30
What did a 20-year unity change in the South?
No water, poor electricity, no roads, no security no law, more hatching of sheiks and looters. Very Sad so what’s the point of Unity?
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fares
2009.12.30
to mr a ahmed
dear ahmed, i still didnt lose my mind yet but am sure all the people running this country did! we all know that the real alqida is al zindani and his gangs the others are just a government fasad, the government made al houtis to fight the southerns in 1994 under the ALSHABAB AL MUMAIN or the faithful Youths and Al Fadli who was the hasband of the prident brother daughter, we all know that the 20 something alqida members were freed from jail back in 2003 or 4 so where is alqaida?
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A. Ahmad
2009.12.30
USA
Dear Fares, The unity of Yemen is not resposible for this mess. The goverment is. Aso, Before 1990 the south was under a communist regime who done nothing right for Yemen. We should not forget when the fought with each other killing 20 thousands Yemenis in few days.
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Adel Al-Adlani
2009.12.30
Texas, U.S.A
Salaam Fares, I really appreciate your feelings and understanding for the situations in Yemen. You turned over the black pages of the recent history of Yemen. All of us know that Yemen has a lot of crises but instead of talking about the causes of those problems whether in the South or North and taking it as a way of distortion and revenge; please let’s find the logical solutions for those crises……….. Do you have any suggested solutions, Mr. Fares ?
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