Yemen General Says Opposition Will Be Ally Against Terrorism

SANA, Yemen — As the Arab Spring has turned to summer, this impoverished nation has fallen into chaos, raising fears in Washington that it will become the next headquarters of Al Qaeda — particularly with the declining influence of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, one of America’s staunchest allies in the fight against terrorism.

But Gen. Ali Mohsin al-Ahmar, long one of Yemen’s most powerful military commanders and now a prominent opposition figure, says that familiar scenario has it just about backward.

Once it comes to power, he says, the opposition will become a far more dependable counterterrorism ally for the United States than President Saleh ever was. Mr. Saleh, now laid up in a Saudi hospital, is the problem, the general says, not the answer.

“As long as this regime is in power, Al Qaeda will continue to exist in Yemen,” said General Ahmar, sitting in his office at the headquarters of the army’s First Armored Division, which he leads. “Now, counterterrorism cooperation is based on material cooperation only. It is for the exchange of funds. How much will you give me if I can kill a person for you?”

As soon as political power is no longer consolidated in the Saleh family, General Ahmar vowed: “We will deal with terrorism as a critical issue. It will fight the terrorists as a matter of life or death. Not for material gain.”

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http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/23/world/middleeast/23mohsin.html

Huge Protests in Yemen Call for Transitional Government

Hundreds of thousands of Yemenis have rallied in major cities throughout the country, demanding President Ali Abdullah Saleh step down and calling for a transitional council that excludes members of the current government.

In the capital, Sana'a, a huge crowd swelled Tuesday outside the home of Yemen's acting leader, Vice President Abd al-Rab Mansur Hadi - a day after Yemen's political opposition held talks with him on a possible transition plan.

Similar demonstrations were held in several other cities, Hadramawt, Hodeida, Ibb, Damar and Saada.

Mr. Saleh transferred power to his deputy after traveling to Saudi Arabia to seek medical treatment for wounds suffered in an attack on his presidential compound earlier this month. Several high-ranking Yemeni officials wounded in the attack are also being treated in Riyadh.

Yemen's state news agency said Mr. Saleh told Saudi King Abdullah by telephone Tuesday that his health is "constantly improving."

Meanwhile, the Gulf Cooperation Council met in Riyadh Tuesday to discuss how to resurrect its initiative aimed at resolving Yemen's political crisis.

The United States and Saudi Arabia are attempting to persuade Yemen's ruling party to adopt the GCC deal that would end Mr. Saleh's rule, create a unity government and conduct elections within two months. The group's efforts to help resolve the unrest stalled after President Saleh refused to sign a proposal which calls for him to eventually leave office.

In another development, Yemeni security sources say a bomb killed an army officer in a region near the southern port of Aden. Officials said the blast tore through the car of Colonel Muti'a al-Sayani while he was driving Monday.

In Washington, the State Department's counterterrorism coordinator said the U.S. is concerned Yemen's ongoing unrest could fuel connections between al-Qaida-linked militants there and al-Shabab insurgents in Somalia.

Daniel Benjamin said the United States is still cooperating with Yemen in the fight against al-Qaida despite the Gulf nation's political crisis and Mr. Saleh's absence.

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http://www.voanews.com/english/news/middle-east/Bomb-Kills-Colonel-in-Yemens-South-123823269.html

New protest launched to demand Yemen president to leave office

BEIJING, May 10 (Xinhuanet) -- Several thousand protesters gathered in Yemen's capital Sanaa on Monday, to demand the resignation of President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Earlier on Monday, Yemeni forces fired at protesters blockading a government building, killing a shopkeeper and two protesters.

The latest violence came as the Arabian Peninsula country's main opposition group awaits word on whether the Gulf Arab states could revive a deal to edge Saleh out of power within a month. Saleh, who refused to sign the transition deal, has clung to power despite three months of street protests that regularly draw thousands of people. Many protesters have vowed to stay on the streets until Saleh leaves office.

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http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/video/2011-05/10/c_13867470.htm

Yemen general is feared player: WikiLeaks

(Reuters) - The top Yemeni general backing pro-democracy protesters is, like Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, a crafty survivor who has wielded power for his own benefit, according to U.S. diplomatic cables published by WikiLeaks.

General Ali Mohsen, a powerful figure close to Saleh, threw his support behind the democracy movement earlier this week and sent in troops to protect protesters in the capital of Sanaa, where they have gathered in the tens of thousands to pressure Saleh into giving up his grip on power after 32 years.

Yet as far back as 2005, Thomas Krajeski, then the U.S. ambassador in Sanaa, painted a picture in diplomatic cables of a brutal military commander likely to back a more radical Islamic political agenda and draw little public support.

"Ali Mohsen's name is mentioned in hushed tones among most Yemenis, and he rarely appears in public," Krajeski wrote in a cable obtained by Reuters. "Ali Mohsen... is generally perceived to be the second most powerful man in Yemen. Those that know him say he is charming and gregarious."

Noting Mohsen's role in ruling Yemen with an "iron fist," the cable said he controls at least half of Yemen's military. Despite its detail and strong opinions, other parts of the cable contained key inaccuracies, such as Mohsen's estimated age as well as the region he commands.

The United States and Saudi Arabia have long relied on Saleh to try and stop al Qaeda from using Yemen as a base to plot attacks on both countries. The impoverished Arabian Peninsula country is deeply divided, and was already on the brink of becoming a failed state before protests erupted in January, inspired by uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt.

After Mohsen's defection on March 21, Saleh reacted by warning against a "coup" that would lead to civil war and beefed up his personal security for fear of an assassination attempt.

Days later, Mohsen told Reuters that he had no desire to take power or hold office, and that he wanted to spend the rest of his life in "tranquility, peace and relaxation far from the problems of politics and the demands of the job."

The diplomatic cable also indicates that Mohsen would be viewed by the public as an unpalatable successor to Saleh.

"Ali Mohsen would likely face domestic as well as international opposition if he sought the presidency... Yemenis generally view him as cynical and self-interested."

One reason, according to the U.S. ambassador at the time, was because of his side business in smuggling.

"A major beneficiary of diesel smuggling in recent years, he also appears to have amassed a fortune in the smuggling of arms, food staples, and consumer products," his cable said.

Although the opposition welcomed Mohsen's support earlier this week, they are also wary of his loyalties, which fall along the country's tribal and ideological fault lines.

Northern Shi'ite rebels see Mohsen as a ruthless military leader who led the military campaign against them in a bloody civil war. Leftists and southerners worry that their goals for democracy will be overtaken in a military power struggle, while the Islamist opposition is thought to view Mohsen more favorably.

More than likely, Krajeski wrote in the cable, Mohsen would try and orchestrate a transition where he could anoint Saleh's successor: "If he holds true to form, Mohsen would likely prefer to play kingmaker, choosing another loyal military officer to hold the presidency."

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http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/26/us-yemen-general-idUSTRE72P1WV20110326

‘Day of Rage shakes Yemen

Anti-government protestors shout slogans during a demonstration demanding the resignation of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, in Sanaa, Yemen, Sunday,

SANAA—Tens of thousands of protesters flooded Yemen’s streets on Tuesday in a “Day of Rage,” demanding an end to the president’s three-decade rule.

In the capital Sanaa, demonstrators chanted “With blood and soul we support you, Aden,” referring to the southern port city where most of the 24 people killed in the past two weeks of protests have died.

Some demonstrators flashed “V” for victory signs while others wore white headbands with “Leave” written in red — a message addressed to President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Tens of thousands more marched through the streets of Ibb and Taiz, south of Sanaa.

On Monday Saleh offered to form a unity government but the opposition rejected it. On Tuesday, he replaced the governors of five mostly southern provinces at the centre of the protests.

Tunisia

Three Tunisian ministers resigned Tuesday, leaving the caretaker government which took over power after the president was overthrown teetering on the brink of collapse.

The new resignations meant that in the space of 72 hours the prime minister and five ministers have now quit, the worst political crisis in Tunisia since veteran leader Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali was ousted a month and a half ago.

Iran

Police used tear gas and batons Tuesday to disperse resurgent anti-government protesters demanding the release of opposition leaders in the biggest clashes in Iran’s capital since demonstrators stormed back to the streets two weeks ago, witnesses and opposition websites said.

The recent return of skirmishes in the heart of Tehran — absent for more than a year after relentless crackdowns — borrow some raw inspiration from uprisings in the neighbouring Arab world. But it also reflects a possible miscalculation by authorities who sought to silence opposition leaders but instead gave their supporters a new rallying point.

Reports by family members and opposition websites claim the two most prominent anti-government figures, Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mahdi Karroubi, have been moved from house arrest to full-time detention along with their wives. Iranian authorities deny the reports, but the two opposition leaders have not been seen in public or posted statements on their websites in more than a week.

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http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/947072--day-of-rage-shakes-yemen