Yemeni Report Explores Al-Qa'ida's 'New Strategy' in Southern Yemen
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Queried on the Salih regime's attempts to "shuffle the cards" in Yemen, given what is currently happening in Zanjibar, Al-Ma'mari says: "Sir, he wants to shuffle the cards, and to scare the world by telling it that the Al-Qa'ida Organization is operating in Yemen. Al-Qa'ida is of his own making. Dear brother, I would like to tell you the following: Al-Qa'ida acts only when he wants it to act." He adds: "Now, he wants to shuffle the cards. Al-Qa'id a dwells in his own mind; it is part of his own mindset. Now, he wants to tell the world the following: If I leave power, Al-Qa'ida will reach power. Meanwhile, we tell him the following: Leave power, for we will then enjoy security and safety. It is only Ali Abdallah Salih who is scaring us in this country." Immediately afterward, Al-Jazirah anchorperson Khadijah Bin-Qinnah, in the Doha studios, conducts live a telephone interview with Yemeni Deputy Information Minister Abduh al-Janadi. Asked on what is happening in Zanjibar, Al-Janadi says: "With all due respect to brother Ali al-Ma'mari, I would like to remind him that had it not been for Ali Abdallah Salih, he would not have secured a seat at the House of Representatives." He adds: "The Al-Qa'ida Organization is operating in Yemen. The fight against Al-Qa'ida is a protracted fight, and Ali Abdallah Salih is wholeheartedly fighting Al-Qa'ida, and he is doing so in the interest of Yemen, and in the interest of security and stability in Yemen. Besides, he is a partner in the fight [against terror], an international partner in the fight against terror. As for what happened today, I would like to say that those who authored Communique No. 1, the coupist communique, they have something to do with these moves [in Zanjibar]." Queried on remarks made by former Yemeni Interior Minister Husayn Muhammad Arab in which he accused the Salih regime of supporting the Al-Qa'ida Organization by allowing it to take control of several cities in the Abyan Governorate, including Zanjibar, Al-Janadi says: "Husayn Arab was sad because he left the government. He was [Brigadier General] Ali Muhsin [al-Ahmar's] candidate for the [Interior] Ministry portfolio. It was Ali Muhsin, not Ali Abdallah Salih, who dealt with all Islamic movements. If Al-Qa'ida or the entire Islamic movement, for that matter, has any contacts with anybody, they are with Brig Gen Ali Muhsin. This is because he was the man who actually provided everything to the president and nominated figures for ministerial portfolios." Asked why people are being killed in Ta'izz, Al-Janadi says: "We have not killed anybody. Do not take any reports to this effect at face value." Then, Al-Jazirah anchorman Al-Habib al-Ghuraybi, in the Doha studios, conducts live a satellite interview with Jasir al-Jasir, managing editor of the Saudi newspaper Al-Jazirah, in Riyadh. Asked on Yemeni President Salih's use of the Al-Qa'ida Organization as a bogeymen, Al-Jasir says that one is puzzled by the fact that the Yemeni Army "is so fragile" that it lost control over Zanjibar and Sa'dah, and that ministry premises in Sanaa were seized. He adds that this raises doubts over the Yemeni Army's "preparedness and its readiness to face up to such developments." Al-Jasir goes on to say that "neutral observers" who are looking at what is happening in Yemen are seeing "a sort of maneuvers and tactics which are inappropriate in the face of the people's quest for change." Queried whether the Yemeni crisis can be contained within the Gulf region, Al-Jasir says that this is achievable only if the discourse and moves become different from what they were in the past. He adds that the language of the Yemen initiative launched by the Gulf Cooperation Council [GCC] must change to provide greater clarity and specificity. Al-Jasir goes on to say that Yemeni President Ali Abdallah Salih "must place the interests of the Yemeni homeland and those of the Yemeni people above all else, especially since he was offered guarantees to either exit gracefully or even stay in Yemen while enjoying a dignified and honorable life there." [Description of Source: Doha Al-Jazirah Satellite Channel Television in Arabic -- Independent Television station financed by the Qatari Government] Yemen: Pro-Govt, Opposition Trade Accusations Over Al-Qa'ida Takeover of Abyan GMP20110530088001 Yemen -- OSC Summary in Arabic 30 May 11 For the third consecutive day Zinjibar, the capital of Abyan Governorate has witnessed bloody clashes between gunmen and small security units. Sanaa Al-Masdar Online in Arabic -- Website of independent weekly newspaper, critical of government policies; URL: http://www.al-masdar.com/ reports that almost 300 gunmen have wrested control of the city and have taken over all government facilities. The report adds that the fierce battles forced hundreds of citizens to flee to Aden Governorate and neighboring areas amid attempts by the military forces to regain control of the city. The report further notes that the battles in Zinjibar started on 27 May, only few days after President Ali Abdallah Salih said that his resignation would lead to chaos and would pave way for Al-Qa'ida-affiliated Islamic groups to rule the country. Pro-government sources accused Major General Ali-Muhsin al-Ahmar of directing Al-Qa'ida to attack government institutions in Abyan, adding that Al-Qa'ida is the "close ally" of the Joint Meeting Parties, JMP. Sanaa Al-Mu'tamar Online in Arabic -- Website of ruling General People's Congress; URL: www.almotamar.net on 30 May carries a report stating that "army and security forces are locked in fierce clashes with Al-Qa'ida militias in Zinjibar city of Abyan Governorate." According to unnamed local sources military reinforcements from Aden managed to regain control of the posts that had been seized by the Al-Qa'ida militias. Furthermore, the sources added that "tribal groups flocked from Abyan to support the army and security forces in their battle against Al-Qa'ida elements." Naba News Online in Arabic -- Pro-Government news website, harshly critical of secessionist efforts and the Huthist insurgency; URL: http://nabanews.net on 29 May carries a report saying that "for the third consecutive day Zinjibar is witnessing extremely fierce clashes between government forces and Al-Qa'ida militias." According to Naba News sources "the battles continued to rage after the government brought in reinforcements from the army to back-up the 125th Brigade." Furthermore the report adds that Al-Qa'ida groups are well entrenched in a number of vital posts making it difficult for the government forces to advance toward them. The sources added that the JMP is inciting armed citizens to attack the security units under the pretext that the government has sent these units to enable, rather than confront Al-Qa'ida to occupy their homes and shops. Sanaa Yemen News Agency SABA (Government-Owned News Website; Official news agency of Yemen; URL: http://www.sabanews.net/ on 29 May carries a report citing an official at the Interior Ministry as mocking the press release issued by the JMP claiming that the government has surrendered Zinjibar city to Al-Qa'ida terrorist elements. The source added that "everyone is aware that Al-Qa'ida is the close ally of the JMP and it is they who are messing with the country's security and stability so as to provoke chaos and violence." The source further said that "Al-Qa'ida has emerged from under the cloak of the Muslim Brotherhood [referring to the Yemeni Congregation for Reform, Al-Islah] which is the principal member of the JMP and it is the criminal tool through which the JMP execute their demonic schemes." Sanaa Al-Mu'tamar Online in Arabic on 27 May carries a report citing local sources as saying that "Major General Ali Muhsin al-Ahmar, dissident commander of the 1st Armored Division, has made contacts with the al-Qa'ida Organization in Abyan Governorate, directing it to ignite the situation in the governorate through attacking some governmental establishments." The report adds that "the attacks took place today in the city of Zinjibar, Abyan Governorate, and resulted in burning the Political Security building, the National Bank, the Agricultural Bank, and the Post Office building." (GMP20110528148001) Independent and opposition newspapers carried reports in which Yemeni tribal and military figures accused the government and particularly President Ali Abdallah Salih of surrendering Abyan among other governorates to armed militias. Ma'rib Ma'rib Press in Arabic -- Independent news website focusing on Yemeni affairs; URL: http://www.marebpress.net/ on 30 May carries a report saying that "four colonels were killed in an armed ambush that was set up on the outskirts of Zinjibar city by gunmen believed to affiliated with Al-Qa'ida." Ma'rib Ma'rib Press in Arabic on 29 May carries a report citing Shaykh Tariq al-Fadli as saying that "President Salih contacted him in person asking him to be Abyan's governor; however, he refused." Al-Fadli added that "he has been publically demanding the downfall of the regime for over two years." Furthermore, Al-Fadli said "it seems that my response was not enough and Salih rewarded me by shelling my house," adding that "Salih will pay for his recklessness and he will not escape the people's punishment." According to the local sources "several victims fell in the fierce clashes that took place in the neighborhoods of Al-Surrah, Bajdar, Al-Asalah, Al-Tumaysi, and the coats of Zinjibar." Sanaa Al-Sahwah Online in Arabic -- News website of opposition Yemeni Reform Grouping, aka Islah Party; URL: http://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/ on 29 May carries a report citing Ja'far Muhammad Sa'id, former military advisor to President Salih as revealing "a pre-meditated plot by Ali Salih to surrender a number of Yemeni cities and governorates; namely, Abyan, Shabwah, Ma'rib, and some areas in Lahij to armed elements that have been trained under his supervision for years." Sa'id added that Salih has played more than once the Al-Qa'ida card saying that it will control Ma'rib, Shabwah and Abyan. The report adds that different Yemeni parties have agreed that Salih is responsible for surrendering these regions to the gunmen; a move which has drawn massive condemnation by the JMP which held the regime responsible for deliberately surrendering Abyan, its capital, and some of its cities to armed militias. Ma'rib Ma'rib Press in Arabic on 29 May carries a report saying that "the clashes between government forces and Al-Qa'ida-affiliated gunmen in Zinjibar, Abyan Governorate have forced thousands of citizens, mostly children and women, to flee their homes in search for safe shelter." The report adds that "the situation has become rather tragic in Abyan and hundreds of casualties have been reported on both sides." The report cites a "security" source as saying that Abyan's local authority, including the security officers have left to Aden. According to local citizens, gunmen are killing soldiers even after the latter surrender and their bodies are still lying in the streets. In light of these developments, Major General Husayn Arab "accused President Salih's regime of surrendering Abyan to armed militias; adding that Al-Qa'ida did not launch any attack on Zinjibar." Arab, the report notes, said that "the security leaderships in Abyan handed over Zinjibar to armed groups and dozens of poor soldiers were left to face their own fate." Arab further adds that "Salih's regime plans to drown southern governorates in total chaos by enabling armed groups who allege affiliation to Al-Qa'ida." London Aden Press Online in Arabic -- London-based pro-Southern Mobility Movement news website, harshly critical of the Yemeni Government; URL: http//www.adenpress.com on 29 May carries a report citing activist Ahmad al-Rubayzi as urging the international community to immediately save the citizens of Zinjibar by stopping the massacres carried out against them as a result of the fierce battles between the armed groups and the Yemeni Army. Independent Yemeni websites also cited eyewitnesses on the developments in Zinjibar, Abyan. Eyewitnesses told Ma'rib Press that "bodies are being left in the streets." Eyewitnesses also said that "the bodies of 10 soldiers who were killed during the clashes had been found; raising the number of dead to 17." According to eyewitness reports, "gunmen released dozens of prisoners from Zinjibar's central prison." Eyewitnesses told Al-Masdar online that "the army is randomly bombing and shelling posts where gunmen are holed up," while others stated that "mortars targeted citizens' houses while they were still inside." NOW Lebanon: Yemen rebel generals say Saleh let 'terrorists' take Abyan GMP20110529966085 Beirut NOW Lebanon in English 1547 GMT 29 May 11 ["Yemen Rebel Generals Say Saleh Let 'Terrorists' Take Abyan" -- NOW Lebanon Headline] [ Computer selected and disseminated without OSC editorial intervention ] (NOW LEBANON) - Dissident Yemeni generals on Sunday accused the embattled president of surrendering Abyan province to "terrorists" after suspected Al-Qaeda militants took its capital, and called for others to defect. A security official said that more than 200 suspected Al-Qaeda gunmen have wrested control of the south Yemen city of Zinjibar, Abyan's capital, in fighting that has left 21 dead. In "Statement Number One," the generals led by General Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar accused President Ali Abdullah Saleh of "surrendering Abyan to an armed terrorist group" and called "on the forces of the army to join the peaceful popular revolution." They also called on the army to fight the "terrorists" in Abyan. Several generals, including Ahmar who commands troops that control part of Sanaa, have pledged support for protesters calling for Saleh to quit. But the Republican Guards and other elite units commanded by Saleh family members have remained loyal.
One witness said on condition of anonymity that the gunmen executed soldiers who surrendered, and that residents were not able to bury them. The security official estimated that more than 200 militants had attacked the city. Saleh has since January faced protests calling for him to quit office after 33 years in power. On May 22, he refused to sign a Gulf Cooperation Council-sponsored accord that would have seen him cede power within 30 days in exchange for immunity from prosecution. -AFP/NOW Lebanon Related Articles: Fighting grips Yemeni capital as Saleh orders arrests [Description of Source: Beirut NOW Lebanon in English -- A privately-funded pro-14 March coalition, anti-Syria news website; URL: www.nowlebanon.com] Yemen: 'Hard-Line' Armed Men Take Over Zinjibar; Prisoners Flee Central Prison GMP20110531153002 Sanaa Al-Masdar Online in Arabic 29 May 11 [Unattributed "exclusive" report: "Clashes Between Gunmen and Army Forces in Zinjibar in Abyan; Citizens Leave the City"] Fierce clashes have erupted since early morning between the army and hard-line gunmen who stormed the city of Zinjibar, Abyan Governorate, in southern Yemen, while the city witnesses massive internal displacement. Al-Masdar Online reporter Ziyad Muhammad said that the clashes erupted between the forces of the 25th Mechanized Brigade, eastern Zinjibar, and gunmen who came from Ja'ar and took over the city. He added that the sound of the firing with different weapons was still heard until the time of writing the news, which was 0700 GMT. However, the toll of casualties was unknown. Eyewitnesses say they were 10 killed or wounded. Our reporter noted that the city is witnessing internal displacement from one neighborhood to another. On another note, gunmen have seized government buildings and bank branches in the city since Friday. Furniture was looted from some of the banks, while prisoners escaped from the Central Prison in Zinjibar with the help of citizens. Moreover, gunmen seized the government complex building of the governorate, and according to information, Governor Major General Salih Husayn al-Zaw'ari fled to Aden. The gunmen are a mix of jihadists and elements from Ja'ar city, and they adopt the concept of "the application of the Islamic Shari'ah and the liberation of the South" according to some sources, while the authorities accuse them of being elements from the Al-Qa'ida Organization. Some residents in Zinjibar were surprised as the security forces did not confront the gunmen or prevent them from entering the city and seizing the government buildings. They accused the regime of President Ali Abdallah Salih of conspiring and implementing warning notices he had previously issued, that Al-Qa'ida will seize a number of cities if he steps down. The Supreme Council of the Joint Meeting Parties [JMP] held Salih's regime responsible for giving Yemeni cities over to armed groups "he previously trained." The JMP described these practices as grave. In a statement, the JMP said: "The regime has purposefully and explicitly given Abyan Governorate, its capital, and some of its cities over to some armed groups created by this regime, to use them as a scarecrow against different local, regional, and international parties. In a related context, local citizens said that a spy plane, believed to be a US plane, has been flying over Abyan for one month, especially during the night as its unique noise is heard. [Description of Source: Sanaa Al-Masdar Online in Arabic -- Website of independent weekly newspaper, critical of government policies; URL: http://www.al-masdar.com/] Xinhua: 2nd LD: Al-Qaida Militants Take Control Seaport in South Yemen CPP20110602968155 Beijing Xinhua in English 1011 GMT 02 Jun 11 [Xinhua: "2nd LD: Al-Qaida Militants Take Control Seaport in South Yemen"] [Computer selected and disseminated without OSC editorial intervention] ADEN, SANAA, June 2 (Xinhua) -- Al-Qaida militants on Thursday seized a seaport in Yemen's southern port city of Abyan after days of fierce battles with the army forces, local officials told Xinhua.
Al-Qaida affiliates in Saudi Arabia and Yemen officially merged in January 2009 and formed al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) . The worsening internal conditions in Yemen created a haven for al-Qaida to plot, plan and mount several domestic attacks on police stations and government buildings in Yemen's main provinces during the past two years. [Description of Source: Beijing Xinhua in English -- China's official news service for English-language audiences (New China News Agency)] Xinhua: Al-Qaida Seizes Another Large City in Southeast Yemen CPP20110601968262 Beijing Xinhua in English 1600 GMT 01 Jun 11 [Xinhua: "Al-Qaida Seizes Another Large City in Southeast Yemen"] [Computer selected and disseminated without OSC editorial intervention] SANAA, June 1 (Xinhua) -- Al-Qaida's regional branch in Yemen took control over another large city in Yemen's southeastern province of Shabwa on Wednesday, a week after they controlled the southern Abyan province, local officials and residents said. "Following fierce battles with government forces, fighters of al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) managed to seize the whole city of Azzan in the southeast province of Shabwa on Wednesday, announcing that the city of Azzan joins in their Islamic emirate," one local official told Xinhua. Some tribal leaders and residents confirmed the news in phone conversations with Xinhua. The tribal leaders said the AQAP militants were enjoying high- level activities nowadays because of the weak presence of security forces, which were pulled out to major cities to curb the four- month-long anti-government protests as well as to secure the government and foreign interests from sporadic riot acts. Shabwa, some 458 km southeast to the capital Sanaa, is believed to be a stronghold of hundreds of al-Qaida militants, including the wanted U.S.-born Yemeni cleric Anwar al-Awlaki. In the escalating unrest in Abyan, the gunmen of AQAP also took over Wadhiee district on Wednesday, which is the ancestral homeland of Vice President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi, another local official and residents said. The AQAP declared Saturday to seize Zinjibar, the provincial capital city of Abyan which is located about 480 km south of Sanaa, as the capital of their newly-established Taliban-style Islamic emirate. Meanwhile, a provincial government official in Shabwa told Xinhua that the governor of Shabwa held a meeting with tribal chieftains and dignitaries on Wednesday, during which they signed an agreement for forming armed popular committees to defend and protect the government facilities and residential neighborhoods. [Description of Source: Beijing Xinhua in English -- China's official news service for English-language audiences (New China News Agency)] Yemen: Sources Say Al-Wadi Directorate 'Totally Seized' by 'Al-Qa'ida' GMP20110602189002 Sanaa Al-Wasat Online in Arabic 01 Jun 11 [Unattributed report: "Air Raids Support Two Brigades During Clashes; Abyan Falls in the Hands of Groups Disputing on Their Affiliation to the Authorities or Al-Qa'ida"] A local source in Al-Wadi Directorate in Abyan Governorate, hometown of Vice President Abd-Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, confirmed that Al-Qa'ida totally seized Al-Wadi Directorate, where the garrison of the Central Security forces, the health office, and the communications office are located. The source added that this directorate was considered a base to launch attacks against the military brigades stationed in Akad Mountain and few months ago, Al-Qa'ida attacked a military post and seized several military vehicles. The source further said that the majority of Al-Qa'ida elements are from the region and few come from outside it. Al-Wasat has also learned that Muhammad al-Qafish, member of the National Solidarity Council, is negotiating with the commander of the 111th Mechanized Brigade in Lawdar so the latter hands the military camp over to him instead of handing him over to Al-Qa'ida. The sources noted that Major General Abd-al-Qawi al-Mismari refused to hand over the camp and threatened to face any attempt to attack the camp. [Passage omitted on latest developments in Abyan Governorate] Directory: gifiles -> attach attach -> British Forces – Akrioti, Greece Griffin Fighter Squadron (84 Squadron raf) MoD announced possible Typhoon and Tornado arrivals to the base France attach -> Russia 110204 Basic Political Developments attach -> Unclassified//for official use only attach -> Adaptability Sustainment attach -> Pop-up 1 ("C" Chechnya) Header Text: Emir of the Caucasus Emirate Doku Umarov Image attach -> Russia and Islam are not Separate attach -> Chapter 13: The Northern Caucasus attach -> Russia 100209 Basic Political Developments attach -> The evolution attach -> The devolution Download 0.68 Mb. Share with your friends:
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