President Saleh accuses his adversaries of corruption

In a televised address to the Yemini community in Saudi Arabia, President Ali Abdullah Saleh accused his adversaries of being corrupt and exploiting young protesters.

The Yemeni leader who has been in Riyadh since early June for treatment after he was wounded in a bomb attack on his Sana'a compound, said: "Those who went to the University Square to support the youth revolution that demands the ouster of the regime... have fed on corruption, and are dealers of arms and land… Our people know them well. They were a burden on the political system which was always blamed for protecting those corrupt... who are now (demonstrating) at the University Square.”

Saleh added: "Let them go away... corrupt, liars and deceivers. We do not mention names, but our people know them very well." It is speculated that he was referring to the leaders of the opposition who have backed the popular protests that began in January.

In a similar address on Tuesday 30th September, on the occasion of the Muslim Eid al-Fitr feast, which marks the end of the fasting month, Saleh called for a mechanism to implement a Gulf plan aimed at a peaceful transition of power. According to Saba State news agency, Saleh told his ruling General People's Congress party to "make contact with the (opposition) Common Forum to develop a mechanism for implementing the Gulf plan without delay".

The Gulf plan stipulates that Saleh transfer power to Yemen's Vice President Abdu Rabo Mansour Hadi within 30 days in exchange for immunity from prosecution.

Sources: AP, AFP, Bloomberg

For more news and expert analysis about Yemen, please see Yemen Focus.

Yemen: Clashes continue in Ta'izz

In last month's issue of Yemen Focus we described the violence and chaotic conditions in Ta'izz – the killing of demonstrators and armed clashes between military units (some reports speak of organised groups of retired soldiers or defectors) and elements from the Republican Guard. At one stage, tribal militias were summoned by people in the city to provide protection to some neighbourhoods, presumably where there were tribal members.

Tribalism is not a major factor in Ta'izz and the intervention may have been quite limited. Reports suggest that the Mikhlaf tribe is the most involved. Its leader has been active in mediation efforts and has been protecting the young protesters, who have returned in small numbers to the main square.

There have been attempts at mediation by members of the well-known business family of Hayel bin Saeed and the local governor as well as the General People's Congress and Joint Meeting Parties. However, clashes have continued, albeit on a reduced scale and were still taking place in early July despite the announcement on 4th July of a new agreement to end the violence. Residents speak of daily chaos and the increasing difficulty of getting basis commodities. One source told Yemen Focus that he had to wait seven days in a queue for petrol.

There are reports of problems in Ibb and other towns in the Central District, but not on the scale of Ta'izz. Hodaida, which has seen its share of problems, has been quieter.

For more news and expert analysis about Yemen, please see Yemen Focus.

© 2011 Menas Associates

Yemen: Saleh refused to step-down, again

Yemen's long-term President Ali Abdullah Saleh has once again agreed and then refused to sign a power sharing agreement, brokered by the Gulf. The deal, which was originally to be signed last month, was cancelled at the last minute.

The agreement, which has been subject to amendments after US and European intervention, was also expected to be overseen by both Yemen's General People's Congress party and the opposition, the Common Front.

Yemeni opposition officials have said that the agreement would have seen Saleh, who has ruled Yemen for over three decades, out of office within a month.

Discussions about the ongoing crisis in the country and arrangements for Saleh's departure broke down on Wednesday 18th May, when Saleh once again refused to sign the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) mediated deal which would have allowed him to step-down in exchange for immunity from prosecution.

Saleh's rebuff has prompted GCC chief, Abdul-Latif Al-Zayyani, to leave the country.

The president's aide, Ahmed Al-Sufi, confirmed that Saleh was not going to attend the newly scheduled signing on Sunday 22nd May. According to the spokesman, Saleh changed his mind due to the ongoing international diplomatic pressure.

Speaking about the situation in Yemen, US President Barack Obama said: "President Saleh needs to follow through on his commitment to transfer power.''

Sources: BBC News, Aljazeera, Voice of America, Reuters

For more news and expert analysis about Yemen, please see Yemen Focus.

Attacking Libya Press

Much commentary has interpreted the arrests of Al-Ghad's journalists simply as an escalation of the row between reformists and the old guard. The media were certainly issued with a very stern warning and their ability to criticise has probably been constrained – at least in publications printed and distributed within the Jamahiriya.

However, Oea's attack on long-time hardliner Ahmed Ibrahim, who is currently the head of the World Centre for Studies and Research on the Green Book, adds a deeper dimension to the conflict.

Ibrahim is a die-hard figure who still goes to the limit to defend the revolution. Despite his demotion in 2008 from deputy secretary of the General People's Congress to his current position, and despite his well-known misgivings about Saif al-Islam, he remains very close to the Leader, who is a cousin, and is a key figure within the upper echelons of the regime.

Libya Press goaded Ibrahim by reporting that he had held a series of meetings to mobilise support for a special internal organisation to prevent Libyans returning from abroad from being given leadership posts.

This is a very hot topic at the moment. Saif al-Islam is regularly criticised for bringing in exiles who have made their peace with the regime and appointing them to senior positions.

The article also claimed that Ibrahim had called for foreign companies to be barred from taking part in the country's development plan. It reported his view that economic openness and foreign investment are unhealthy phenomena that have damaged the economy.

The article concluded that Ibrahim wanted to take Libya back to the 1980s, a decade considered to be dark by many Libyans as it was characterised by particular brutality. It painted Ibrahim as single-handedly standing in the way of the country's future development.

Given that all the journalists who were arrested were from Libya Press, it seems reasonable to assume that Ibrahim may well have been behind their incarceration. He is certainly powerful enough to have made such a move. Indeed it is doubtful that al-Mahmoudi would have had the power to issue such instructions without backing from more senior elements in the regime.

Therefore while the arrests fell within the context of the battle between reformists and hardliners, they also appear to have been motivated by important figures within the regime taking revenge for having been publicly insulted.

Ibrahim has never been shy about hitting back at his enemies. Many remember the famous showdown in 2005 in the General People's Congress between him and his nemesis, Shukri Ghanem, when the latter was still prime minister. Ibrahim objected to a series of policies that Ghanem had tried to introduce to open up the economy.

In a bitter exchange of words he said of Ghanem, 'You cannot respond to or sympathise with someone who wants power for himself.'

For more news and expert analysis about Libya, please see Libya Focus and Libya Politics & Security.

© 2010 Menas Associates