Yemeni court hears two al-Qaeda convicts' appeal

Geopetrol, PEPA reach deal on Block 80 in Hadramout

Yemen seeks int'l support for Gulf's initiative Yemen 'on the brink' of economic collapse

Yemeni Opposition Says GCC-Backed Political Plan Is ‘Dead

Qaeda kidnaps

two killed

Yemen is famous for its grapes, honey , apricot and coffee. In rural areas the harvest keeps the whole family busy gathering the seasonal fruit.

with some of the season fruit

The crises of petrol returns again to the capital city of Yemen to Sana'a and other major cities. Yemen las suffered in the last two week for hard shortage of petrol and the taxi drivers and public used to wait for long hours in front of the petrol station.

Yemen’s oil minister said his country is on the brink of an imminent economic

The Appeal Court in the capital Sana'a heard on Sunday to an appeal by two al-Qaeda elements convicted of commit-ting terrorist acts.

Head of the Court Judge Ahmed al-Mualimi read a summary of the case, explaining that the appellants Saddam Hussein al-Rimi and Rami Hermel Hans (German national-ity) committed acts of terrorism targeting tourists and foreign interests in Marib province during (2008-2010).

The Court ordered to enable them to submit their appeal petition by their lawyers at the next hearing on May 29.

On March 15, the Penal Court in the capital Sana'a

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sentenced each of them two years from the date of their arrest and to be put under police surveillance and prevented them from traveling to any province after their release for two years.

On another hand, the Court

closing argument on the appeal of 12 Somali, six of them sentenced to death and the six others ten years in jail.

The Somali pirates hijacked on April 26,2009, the Yemeni oil tanker (Qna) while sailing from Mukala to Aden, and resisted Yemeni authorities by force ,which led to the killing of one of the ship's crew, the loss of another and wounding four others.

The Petroleum Exploration and Production Authority (PEPA) has reached a deal with Geopetrol Company to invest in Block 80 at Wadi Sar in Hadram-out province.

Chairman of the PEPA Nasr al-Homaidy told Saleh that the process of negotiation with the company reached an agreement

conditions set by the negotiating committee for the oil companies wishing to invest in this block.

The Switzerland-based Geoperole Company is currently working as an operator in France and India and participating in a number of sectors in Vietnam, Myanmar and Yemen.

SANA'A, - Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Mothana discussed here on Sunday with accredited ambassadors to Yemen and United Nations Resident Coordinator the efforts to back the Gulf's initia-tive.

They also reviewed the possible means to overcome the current political crisis in the country.

In the meeting, Mothana acquainted the diplomats and

UN Resident Coordinator with the latest developments in Yemen and efforts made by President Ali Abdullah Saleh to put an end to the crisis via a responsible and open dialogue.

On the other hand, Deputy Foreign Minister held talks with Spanish ambassador to Yemen Francisco Javier Hergu-eta Garnica over the aspects of joint cooperation between the two friendly countries and ways of enhancing them.

Armed Yemeni Women: Fashionable Defence Yemen Must Diversify – But How?

The Yemeni Tribe and the State of Law and Order

Challenges of the Arab Revolution- the Western Intervention

Yemen’s Joint Meetings Party, a coalition of six opposi-tion groups, says a plan to end the country’s political crisis is dead following a visit by the chief envoy of Arab Gulf states seeking to broker a deal.

While the coalition is willing to meet Abdel Latif al- Zayyani, the secretary-general of the Gulf Cooperation Council, again to explore new options, the current proposal was considered “dead,” Mohammed Qahtan, spokesman for the opposition, said in a telephone interview

today.Thousands of protesters

returned to the streets in Sana’a, the capital, today calling for an end to the 32-year rule of President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Several people marched through the streets carrying a makeshift

Initiative” written on the side.Protests have persisted since

the government and the Joint Meetings Parties failed to sign a GCC-brokered plan last month. Under the terms of the plan, Saleh would have ceded power

within a month of signing the deal and would be granted immu-nity from prosecution. Al-Zayyani visited Sana’a yesterday to revive the group’s stalled peace initiative, the

Protests in Yemen calling for an end to Saleh’s rule are in their third month. At least 100 people have died as security

demonstrations that began on Feb. 11, according to the Arabic Sisters Forum for Human Rights in Sana’a.

Al-Qaeda militants have kidnapped an intelligence officer Yesterday in Yemen's south while unknown gunmen killed a soldier and a policeman in separate attacks, a security official told AFP. "Masked Al-Qaeda armed men stopped a bus in Loder," in Abyan province, which has become one of the jihadists' str

onghold, and "abducted a Yemeni intelligence officer named Fadhel Ahmed Mohsen," said the official.

In Zinjibar, Abyan's provin-cial capital, "unknown armed men on a motorbike shot dead a soldier," said the same official who requested anonymity. In a separate attack, also in Zinjibar "unknown armed men attacked two policemen... killing one and seriously wounding the other," he added. Such attacks are frequent in the impoverished south Arabian Peninsula country, where Al-Qaeda fighters have regrouped in lawless regions.

Yesterday, six Yemeni

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Sunday, May. 15, 2011 Issue 41 www.nationalyemen.com2 National YemenSOCIALArmed Yemeni Women: Fashionable Defence

It is common in Yemeni cities to have arms stores, which are seen by the majority as a necessity in life, next to grocery

Yemeni house, as they are considered as an integral part of one’s honour, as a ‘rite of passage’ in Yemeni tribes and as a means of self-defence for them and their relatives.

However, it is unusual to see city women and girls carrying light or the so-called ‘white weapons’ inside their handbags. This is a novel and unfamiliar trend in the Yemeni society.

Indeed, this phenomenon completely contradicts the feminine characteristics of women, especially those that live in a conservative society that cherishes and provides them with protection, safety and stabil-ity.

So what pushes a woman to carry a weapon? And how does the society consider armed women? And if the prospect of armed women is not received well, how can we eradicate this phenomenon in Yemen? Ruaa traced the case all these threads back to their source in an attempt

unaccustomed phenomenon.Carrying arms for a Yemeni

woman has become a source of pride, a prestige and, sometimes, a means of protection. “My father,” Sua’ad, a young woman, said “maintains a high social status. He is worried about me and my siblings’ safety, so he bought us guns; mine is small and light. ‘‘My father taught me how to shoot in case someone should attack me. It is a means of protection and self-defence. At the beginning, I was uncomfort-able with the matter, but then, when I talked to my friends, I discovered that most of them carry various guns in their bags

However, another young woman, Ms. Muna Ghalib, stresses her possession of a weapon is both “a kind of pride and a feeling of protection at the same time. It has become a fashion recently and gives others the idea that I belong to a rich family, even though I come from a poor family. I got the gun from my brother’s friend, and I am still paying it off in instalments from my salary.

Laila is an employee in a private company where she works late nights. Her work conditions forced her to buy a small gun that she “never leaves behind”. Ekhlas and Huda are sisters living in the city of Sana’a and working in a village 50 km away. Therefore, they cross a long, uninhabited way to reach their work. “The road is too long and deserted” said one of the two sisters, “and we are alone, and it is for this that we asked our uncle to buy us two guns to protect ourselves. Since then, psychologically, we feel safe and settled; guns are the best way for selfdefence”.

Inside collegeFaten is a college student.

What motivated her to carry a weapon is the fact that the college security personnel were so strict when searching male students and leaving the females unsearched” she said. “I cannot leave my gun at home because I do not feel safe unless it is in my

bag”. Ms. Afrah used to carry a poisoned knife or dagger, but that required so much strength

characteristically girls do not possess. So today she has a gun, which, in her opinion, is the best kind of weapon for self-defence.

Another story is that of Manal. Her car was stolen in front of a hospital when she was paying a visit to a relative. After a long search, the police found the car in a street stripped of its most important parts. So Manal decided to carry a gun in her bag in case of any emergency. However she does not prefer to carry a gun inside the city because, as she describes, she thought she was living in a peace-ful and safe society, even though this incident made her change her mind and taken the gun as a companion for good.

Resentment and concernsNot all Yemeni girls want to

carry weapons and nor would they all feel safe with one in their possession.

Amal was forced by her father and her elder brothers to carry a gun, and this annoys her greatly. She feels that the gun hinders her movements and prevents her from attending conferences and entering parks because when she is searched she doesn’t know what to do or where to hide the gun, and is therefore obliged to go home.

Lina’s family heard about an incident of a girl that had been kidnapped, so her father decided to buy her a weapon. Since then, Lina has been worried and uncomfortable. Her distress is easily seen by others. She believes that there is no need for her to carry a weapon since she is in a city, however, she should abide with Yemeni societal norms.

Omm Ayman disagrees with the notion of girls carry weapons in public around cities, regard-less of their reasons, describing this behavious as “inappropri-ate.... [because] conservative girls will not be subject to any harassment” thus, Omm Ayman vehemently rejects the idea that it is necessary for girls to carry weapons.

A consequence of modernityAbdullah al-Nuwairah, who

is interested in security issues, believes that carrying weapon by women has not become a widespread phenomenon, even if it exists among some Yemeni women, particularly female students and employees who carry arms small enough to be concealed in a purse.

“This is not a civilized behav-iour anyway” she says.

She added, “It could be the surrounding circumstances that imposes a fear or anxiety of assault, and so a women’s carrying of arms is a direct result of the existence of crime, which is found in any modern society. Usually criminals do not commit crimes against women in traditions that actively seek to protect women, and so they always consider attacking women and children a great dishonour. Thus women have always been safeguarded here, even during times of war. Hence ‘‘it is necessarily contradictory for a woman to carry both make-up and a weapon in her same handbag.”

me how to use it.

require us to keep small pistols.

Arms tradeIt is not easy to gain journalis-

tic insight into the underworld of the arms trade in Yemen. Most arms dealers refused to talk to Rua’a about whether Yemeni women come to them to buy weapons. However, after making great efforts, No’man, an arms dealer, agreed to talk. He started with the weapons prices indicat-ing that, recently, prices of arms especially pistols and guns designed for women have increased. “There are Russian pistols of different types, sizes and prices,” said No’man. “An average gun, for instance, costs between YR 10,000 and 15,000, which is about $50 to 75. A small silver American gun is $350 to 400, but a ‘top of the range’ model, i.e. one that is small, light weapon with a quick

$600, but it is not in demand and is rarely available.”

He explained that some men who buy guns for their wives or female relatives request they (the guns) to be small and not require force when shooting.

Unlike young men, these people do not request the guns to be of elegant design. “It’s rare,” No’man went on , “for a woman to come to arms stores herself, and if she does, she never comes alone.” He said that if a woman has no choice, she would come with other women and the buyer is usually discreet concerning personal details or where she lives. “Women who buy guns probably come from urban areas and their appearance indicates they are employees or business-women,” concluded No’man.

Maria al-Qubtati, a police-woman staff sergeant, said it is not good, especially in cities where there are security and surveillance measures. “There are also police foot patrols that can provide protection to girls if harassed on streets, so there’s no need for women to carry arms in cities, or even around the country,” asserted Maria, “because Yemeni society places a great value upon the protection of women everywhere.” She added that she has noticed during her work that most of the arms owned by women are not licensed.

Negative practice “Women are part of the

society and thus they should feel certain that streets are safe and that they live under a govern-ment that protects them, so that they would feel there is no need to carry guns by them, or even by men”, said Nabila al-Mufti, chairwoman of the Lawyers’ Union Rights and Freedoms Committee. “Now,” al-Mufti proceeded to say, “we need / want / have a law that regulates personal bodyguard escorts and carrying arms. Therefore, Yemeni businesswomen will need security guards, which is a negative practice. We aspire to settle all disputes peacefully, and be a society in which policemen carry sticks instead of guns.”She explained that

(i) imitation of men, or (ii) apprehension of becoming subject to harassment. However, she admits that there is a prece-dence where women are harassed. Al-Mufti asserted that carrying arms in cities is a socially detrimental phenom-

enon, regardless of whether it is by men or women.

Behavioural disorderAll this raises the question,

“is carrying weapons normal for women?”

Prof. Najat al-Saim, a psychologist at Sana’a Univer-sity said, “Women carrying weapons in a civil society is not normal.” She added that the reasons may be both the spread of robbery, and feeling threat-ened by others, specially

when there is a lack of effective law enforcement. She

naturally gentler than men it is uncharacteristic of them to have weapons.

She also said that such

practice make women more aggressive, and they can eventu-ally suffer some sort of behav-ioural disorder or attitudinal change. However, she contin-ued, it is natural for a woman to have a gun for protection if she is alone at home while the man is away.

Facing the problem“Confronting this problem

requires continual and diligent efforts from society, more than it needs political resolution,” said Izzudin al-Asbahi, chairman of Human Rights Information and Training Centre (HRITC).

He said that the matter is multifaceted with many legal problems and cultural and social issues. According to al-Asbahi,

possible solutions include drafting laws that prohibit, and not regulate, carrying weapons. Such laws would then be applied gradually, over a series of stages, starting with main cities, eventu-ally being enforced at all levels and to all people, including

and social dignitaries. Also, to help solve the issue, the law needs to be enforced more seriously, and we must minimize the number of agencies that grant arms licenses.

“We should raise awareness among people about the hazards of handling weapons and we

unspoken belief that a man or woman’s person is not complete unless they carrying weapons.”

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Sunday, May. 15, 2011 Issue 41 www.nationalyemen.com 3National Yemen LOCAL

Yemen and Islamic Relief (IR) reviewed here on Sunday the IR-funded projects intended to be carried out in Dalei province.

This came in a meeting gathered Dalei Governor Ali Kassim Taleb and IR delegation

in Dhalei reviewed

Al-Qaeda suspects kill six soldiers in northern Yemen

Yemeni Opposition Says Plan 'Dead’

Yemen: Doctors Without Borders Ambulance Hit By Stray Bullet

Sanaa – Amidst heavy clashes yesterday in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, a Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) ambulance being used to transport patients to surgical facilities through-out the day was struck by a stray bullet.

Clashes between pro-government forces and demonstrators led to intense fighting near Kuwait Hospital, as protestors attempted to march to the former prime minister’s office. Throughout

the afternoon MSF ambulances referred close to 30 severely wounded people in need of surgical care from the scene of the clashes to hospitals and private clinics. The vast major-ity of patients suffered gunshot wounds. At least one of those people died.

At around 10:30 PM, as one of the MSF ambulances approached the conflict zone, the vehicle was hit by a stray bullet. There were no casual-ties among medical staff on board.

“The bullet entered through

the back window,” said Dr. Vipul Chowdhary, MSF’s representative in Yemen. “Luckily, no patients were inside the vehicle at the time and the driver and nurse who were inside were not harmed. MSF reminds all parties of the absolute need to respect humanitarian medical work and staff in Sanaa and the rest of the country.”

Yesterday, MSF teams visited medical facilities in Sanaa, including public hospi-tals, private clinics, and health centers set up by demonstra-

collapse due to recurrent bomb attacks on oil pipelines and ongoing social unrest.

“Acts of sabotage on the oil pipeline in Wadi Ubaida in Marib province have hampered the flow of oil since mid-March and undermined the confidence of foreign inves-tors in the country,” said Amir Salim Al-Aydarus.

Yemen is among the Arab countries swept up in protests against longtime rulers since the January revolt that ousted Tunisia’s ruler Zine El Abedine Ben Ali.

Yemen has likewise been wracked by antigovernment protests and clashes between demonstrators and security forces for many weeks, but Yemen’s long-serving Presi-dent Ali Abdullah Saleh is determined to remain in office.

"The opposition want to

destroy the Yemeni economy, but we will not allow them to do so,” Saleh said over national television. "All Yemenis must unite to stand against the crises," he said.Opponents of the regime, including powerful tribes, appear to be attacking the country’s oil facilities in an effort disrupt the country's exports and force Saleh’s resignation.

Security officials have said the tribes, in addition to blowing up the country’s main export pipeline, have also blocked tanker trucks from moving through their territory.

“Several foreign oil compa-nies have quit the country and the refineries in the southern province of Aden came to a standstill a week ago,” Al-Aydarus told members of the Yemeni parliament.

tors in order to assess needs and provide medical support. MSF continues to support a private clinic with donations of medical materials and drugs. Fourteen severely wounded people underwent surgery in the clinic yesterday.

Since the beginning of unrest, MSF teams have been intervening in Sanaa, Taiz, and Aden to help medical facilities cope with the influx of wounded people. MSF is donat-ing medical materials and drugs, providing training to Yemeni medical staff, and

offering additional ambu-lances to refer severely wounded people to surgical facilities.

In Taiz, where heavy clashes have also occurred over recent days, MSF ambu-lances referred eight people with severe gunshot wounds between Sunday evening and Monday morning, among whom five died.

In addition, MSF continues to operate regular medical programs in Saada, Hajjah, Amran, Aden and Lahj gover-norates, as well as in the city

of Sanaa.Médecins Sans Frontières

/Doctors Without Borders is a private international associa-tion, providing humanitarian medical relief in more than 65 countries around the world, including Ivory Coast, Pakistan, Democratic Repub-lic of Congo, Libya, and Sudan. MSF does not accept funding from any government for its work in Yemen and relies solely on private donations.

Source: doctorswithoutbor-ders. org

headed by Marwan al-Shaibani, where they discussed the projects that will be imple-mented in areas of relief, develop-ment and social peace-building.

The IR delegation briefed in details Dalei governor on the activities IR is carrying out in

The two sides agreed on nominating 40 people from the province to be trained on the IR's goals and programs to contribute to the implementation of the IR's humanitarian plans and programs in the province.

province's readiness to offer all required facilities and overcome

IR while achieving its programs, praising its role in providing humanitarian services in many provinces in the country.

The value of trade exchange between Yemen and the United States reached YR 150.2 billion in 2010, registering an increase of YR 29.2 billion with a growth rate of 24.2 percent.

The data issued by the Central Organization of Statis-tics (COS) showed that Yemen's imports from the United States such as electronic devices, equip-ment, machineries, medicines, spare parts, foodstuffs, furniture ,textiles and others reached YR 149.4 billion in 2010 compared

with YR 119.5 billion in 2009. The data also showed that

Yemen's exports to the United

products, coffee, honey and other commodities have decreased to YR 957 million after they have reached YR 1.1 billion in 2009.

The trade balance between the two countries reached YR 148.8 billion in 2010 for the

compared with YR 118.4 billion in 2009.

Yemen: Trade exchange with US reached YR 150 bln in 2010

Sana'a - An armed group suspected of being al-Qaeda members killed six soldiers in the northern Yemen province of al-Baidha on Saturday, the

website reported.The group of more than 20

travelling in two pick-up trucks attacked the Lamasan military

the soldiers stationed there before escaping, city security chief Amer al-Shaibary said.

The gunmen also threw hand-grenades, he told the

website put out by the Ministry of Defence.

In a separate incident on Saturday, at least 15 anti-government protesters were injured in the southern city of Taiz when masked men and

strators with live ammunition, witnesses told the German Press Agency dpa.

Yemenis in the southern cities continued their civil disobedience to pressure President Ali Abdullah Saleh to resign.Continued From Page (1)

Continued From Page (1)Continued From Page (1)

soldiers were killed in a tribal revenge attack in the southeast-ern province of Al-Baida, a tribal leader and a security official said. State news agency Saba described the assailants as a "terrorist group." In Abyan, also yesterday, a security official told AFP that "unknown armed men on a motorbike shot dead a policeman, Hamzah al-Saadi, and fled."

Yemen has been gripped by deadly protests since late January calling for the ouster of President Ali Abdullah Saleh who has been in power since 1978. Besides an Al-Qaeda resur-gence, the impoverished country is battling a secessionist move-ment in the south and a Shiite rebellion in the north.

Yemen's Joint Meetings Party, a coalition of six opposi-tion groups, says a plan to end the country's political crisis is dead following a visit by the chief envoy of Arab Gulf states seeking to broker a deal.

Elsewhere in the Middle East, Syrian security forces attacked street protesters for a second day. Nine were killed in an army attack on Talkalakh, according to the al-Jazeera and al- Arabiya television networks, citing French news agency Agence France-Presse. Four were killed in Ain Al Tina, according to the Syrian news agency.

Sunday, May. 15, 2011 Issue 41 www.nationalyemen.com4 National YemenBUSINESS - ECONOMYYemen Must Diversify – But How?

Yemen largely escaped the effects of the recent global financial crisis, but this was primarily due to the insulated nature of its financial system and its relative lack of integra-tion into the international system, rather than due to any sound economic planning. Moreover, even though its annual GDP growth is still estimated to be around 3 to 4 percent and its economy appears to have bucked the regional trend, with nearby Gulf Cooperation Council states having either fallen into recession or facing years of stagnation, the reality under the surface is a lot less appeal-ing.

Yemen remains a very low income country that is highly dependent on oil exports, the revenues from which account for more than a quarter of the country’s GDP and now make up nearly three quarters of the government’s revenue. In 2009 the vulnerability of such

hydrocarbon dependencies was underscored when oil revenues declined by more than a half – to less than $2 billion per annum - due to international price fluctua-tions. Fully recognised in Yemen’s Strategic Vision 2025 – a long term develop-ment plan first outlined in 2006 – the national economy must urgently diversify into other sectors if it is to enjoy sustainable growth in a post-

oil future and if the govern-ment is to enjoy any future autonomy from the oil indus-try.

In many ways, the urgency and scale of the problem is now much greater than envis-aged in 2006, with some analysts now predicting that Yemen could become a net oil importer as soon as 2015, and with oil production and explo-ration unlikely to be commer-cially viable as soon as 2021. Pressure will also increase on the national economy as a result of the country’s mush-rooming youthful demo-graphic. With Yemen’s popu-lation forecast to grow from its current 30 million to over 50 million by 2025, the unem-ployment rate – already stand-ing at a precarious 20 percent according to the World Bank – will continue to rise, along with all of the associated economic and political instabilities of having a restless national youth.

As it stands, the Strategic Vision 2025 is not yet work-ing, as non-oil growth has actually fallen - from about 5 percent in 2008 to around 4 percent in 2010. Some of the sectors which have been earmarked for development according to the Vision, such as agriculture and fishing, while certainly important for food security, are unlikely to promote meaningful diversifi-cation of the economy as their growth potential and employ-ment prospects will probably remain weak. More danger-ously, some of the other sectors emphasised by the Vision, most notably free zones and tourism, may eventually expose Yemen to the same pathologies experi-enced by some of its closest neighbours.

With increasing free zone activity, most of which is aimed at attracting interna-

Dr. Christopher Davidson, Reader in Middle East Politics at Durham University and author of ÔPersian Gulf and Pacific Asia: From Indifference to InterdependenceÕ

Canadian Nexen CPFCanadian Nexen CPF

Pure Limestone in Al-MaharahPure Limestone in Al-Maharah

tional investment by relaxing legislation requiring local partners for foreign businesses, there is a fear that Yemen, like Dubai before it, will fall into the trap of promoting the globalisation of its economy ahead of any real commitment to regional integration. In Dubai’s case the regional breakdown of companies operating in its free zones quickly became a non-Middle Eastern majority,

which soon led to a feeling among many Arab investors that such free zones were merely ‘foreign enclaves’ and therefore not really tailored to their needs. Without a safety net of regional integration Yemen’s free zones would likely suffer in the event of another global downswing. Dubai is now grappling with a spiralling vacancy rate for commercial space in these zones, as foreign companies have closed down their outposts due to problems at home.

Tourism is equally problematic, as both Dubai and Oman have experienced in the wake of the global finan-cial crisis. Hotel occupancy rates have drastically declined, especially in Dubai, and resorts have had to slash prices in order to remain competitive, with tourism’s contribution to GDP having falling accordingly. Yemen’s tourist industry is likely to be a little more resilient, given the greater emphasis on cultural and historical tourism as opposed to the more basic sun-seeking and shopping tourism in its neighbours, but it nonetheless remains especially vulnerable to increased political instability. Any further deterioration in law and order would undoubt-edly reduce tourist numbers, which currently stand at a modest quarter of a million per annum.

Perhaps the best route for Yemen, or at least the best diversification strategy to adopt from its neighbours, is to build up heavy export-oriented industries. These could concentrate on the production of metals, plastics, fertilizers, and petrochemi-cals, all of which require abundant energy to manufac-ture and therefore best capital-ize on Yemen’s current competitive advantage as an oil producer. They would also provide much better employ-ment opportunities for young Yemenis entering the manufac-turing sector which, at

present, employs less than 150,000 and still accounts for less than 10 percent of the country’s GDP.

Yemen must also prioritize its role as an entrepôt for regional and international trade. Although discussed at some length in the Vision’s

supporting documents, the necessary infrastructure for such a role does yet seem to assume the primacy it deserves. Yemen’s key asset, along with oil, must surely be its geographic location, enjoy-ing both Red Sea and Indian Ocean access. If its ports can

be brought back up to interna-tional standards, as they once were, then they will be well placed – much better than those in the Gulf Cooperation Council states – to prosper from the fast growing trade triangle between the Middle East, Africa, and the Far East.

Sunday, May. 15, 2011 Issue 41 www.nationalyemen.com 5National Yemen TRAVEL & TOURISM

Traditional women’s costumes endure

Costumes from each region have their own distinguishing characteristics. In the mountain areas, women’s costumes are hand woven with great skill. Generally woven from cotton, in primary colors- especially red, green, blue and yellow, with simple overlaps of white, there are usually embellish-ments in silk yarn, and especially gold and silver thread.

These costumes are decorated with coral beads, sequins, coins, and precious and semi-precious stones, including pearls. According to Amat Al-Razzaq Jahaf, a researcher of Yemeni traditional dress, in mountain-ous areas the women’s costumes are only decorated in the front and at the end of the

sleeves. In the central highlands, costumes are charac-terized by dense embroidered areas that involve most of the dress, with simple decorative elements such as contiguous straight lines that are embroi-dered with cotton and silk yarn. Wool, cotton, linen and silk textiles as well as modern synthetic fabrics are used. The dress covers the whole body, with buttons for the opening at the chest and the long sleeves may end with closed cuffs.

Sometimes the sleeves are extremely long and reach halfway down the leg in length.

This is typical of a wedding dress; though the sleeves of a normal dress generally reach only the wrist. Costumes in coastal areas feature a lot of straight, parallel lines and are

characterized by light colors, usually white. The dress is light and soft, owing to the extreme heat along the coast, and is embroidered on the front and back.

A second dress, made of mixed cotton and linen is worn over this dress, for occasions when the woman want to leave the house. This second dress is basically a large square piece of cloth, the width of the woman’s “wingspan” with

dress is long. A head covering made of cotton and dyed red

Intricate embroidery is a major feature of practically all traditional Yemeni costumes. These days, garments are increasingly embroidered by machine; however, the practice

of hand embroidery with needle and thread continues to this day. Most Yemeni women are keen to use colorful silk threads, either exclusively, or alongside metallic threads in gold and silver hues. The quantity of embroidery depends on the type of the costume and, more impor-tantly, where it comes from. Using cotton yarn in embroi-dery is the norm in clothes worn in daily life--especially for women with lower income. Embroidered patterns vary widely and are unique by region, due in no small part to the practice of basing geomet-ric patterns on the geographical environment where women live.

Women in desert areas are distinguished by a lack of

Socotra is an island with great tourism potential; it has 600

300 types of crabs, in addition to hundreds of land and marine species that distinguish Socotra as a natural pearl just waiting to be discovered and explored.

the UN as a nature reserve with an allocated budget to protect its species from threats posed by

poachers.The al-Balda Tourism Festival

2010 has decided to promote this natural treasure. The Bait Al-Khibra Foundation, [please check!] the event organizer and the island’s local authority have agreed to coordinate and manage between them Zahra Socotra Night as part of the festival that is to begin mid-July.

Socotra (318km southeast of Mukalla) is Yemen’s largest islands with an area of 3,650km2. It has an international airport and its population numbers about 50,000 most of whom work in

diving. The island is also famous for its many pearl traps.

The island’s undulating terrain features mountains, hills, valleys and coasts. The highest peak on the island reaches a height of up to 1500m above sea level. Socotra’s climate is tropical where the temperatures in the plains and the coasts is 38 degrees in summer and between 25 and 28 degrees in high mountains with seasonal rains in spring and autumn. During wintertime, the island is subject to storms and

strong winds.

terrainThe island is distinguished

from other Yemeni islands, and even from other islands around the globe because its rare natural and biological diversity, in addition to its somewhat unique and, moreover, picturesque topographic relief.

At about 1000 B.C. Socotra was known as a major manufacturer of “sacred goods” in older religions that used to be used extremely ritualised. Many of these products were produced in Socotran caves.

Many caves and grottos are

scattered throughout the island, as well as on its satellite islands. Surprisingly, most of those caves are inhabited, and the most important and largest of these caves is Di Jobb in which reside several families.

Socotra’s coasts extend for 300 miles. Their white dunes and dense palm trees makes these coasts an ideal resort for recreation and diving, especially after infrastructure and tourism facilities have been established. The island’s coastal waters diverse

surrounded by some breathtaking coral reefs and pearls, for which the island has been famous for thousands of years.

What makes the already beautiful

island even more charming are its

the largest is Danjin waterfall.

the high mountains all around the year.

Coral archipelago, bristling with stunning biodiversity

This is a natural history museum due to its rare diversity, with 253 types of corals, hundreds

play a vital role in preserving environmental equilibrium.

According to the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) World Conservation Monitoring Centre (WCMC), is one of only ten islands rich in unique biodiversity.

Socotra has a dense vegetation consisting of about 750 species of

which have traditional medicinal properties, and

like frankincense tree. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) the following 7 rare species are found on Socotra island: Dirachma socotrana, Aloe squarrosa, Dendrosicyos socotranus, Taverniera sericophylla, Dorstenia gigas, Begonia socotrana, and Punica protopunica.

The island has, according to botanists, one of the largest concentrations of the 600 rare plants in the world. It is also a habitat of thousands of wild animals like civet cats from which civet, a yellowish, unctuous substance with a strong musklike odor, is extracted, and about 145 species of endemic birds have been recorded, eight of which can be found nowhere else including the Socotra Bunting, Socotra

Starling, Socotra Sunbird, Socotra Sparrow, Socotra Warbler, and Socotra Cisticola. Socotran birds can be watched with ease because they seem to have no fear of man

remarkably close to visitors, and are often spotted on trees and near water.

The island also has endemic insects too, including 15 types of

and up to 80% of the island’s reptiles are endemic.

In 2000 Socotra was designated as a natural reserve with 23 sub-reserves, and for all of which $10 million was allocated from UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre. Later in 2008, the UNESCO World Heritage

that Socotra Archipelago had been added to the list of world heritage sites.

Socotra: A natural pearl and hidden treasure

Imad al-Daini

Socotra is an island with great tourism potential; it has

addition to hundreds of land and marine species that distinguish Socotra as a natural pearl just waiting to be discovered and explored.

‘SocotraÊhasÊaÊdenseÊvegetationÊconsistingÊofÊaboutÊ

andÊfauna,ÊincludingÊplantsÊwhichÊhaveÊtraditionalÊmedicinalÊproperties,ÊandÊ

Despite the passage of time, Yemeni women in most areas continue to wear their traditional costumes, to which only a few modern improvements havebeen made. While these costumes, which are practical and made to last, constitute an enduring symbol of the past, they are nevertheless animatedwith a modern spirit and continue to thrive. As resilient as these traditional garments are, they are equally diverse across the country. Garments worn bywomen in mountainous areas differ completely from those worn by women in coastal areas, which differ from those worn elsewhere.

embroidery. Instead, their black dresses are relatively plain, though their headpieces are elaborately decorated with small cowry shells that are

the hills, silk, cotton and imported velvet fabrics are frequently worn.

Women’s dresses are shorter in the front reaching down to just below the knee, and are longer in the back, reaching to the ground. These dresses are embroidered with silvery lines overlapping with simple shiny lines that give the dress a wonderful faint shimmer. The costume is embroidered with shiny metal-lic strips around the neck, cuffs and chest, with a circularpat-tern in the center of the chest, from which a variety of lines

that resemble intertwined branches emanate in all directions.

Sequins and shells are used as decoration, as are colorful cloth strips attached to the dress in different ways, creating a beautiful and unique patchwork effect. The wealth of Yemeni culture and tradition

diversity of traditional costumes found in all regions of the country. It is encourag-ing that these costumes continue to be worn and are able to withstand the abundance of colorless, feature-

market in every part of the world. Valuing this diversity and cultural heritage will help to ensure that Yemen maintains

SPECIALSunday, May. 15, 2011 Issue 41 www.nationalyemen.com6 National Yemen

The Yemeni Tribe and the State of Law and OrderA tribe is essentially a mini-

state and its laws apply to those who belong to it. It does not tolerate the violation of the rights of any of its individual members.

It does not honor any individual who harms its reputa-tion and may repudiate, or punish according to its

negative image of the tribe. That is why the tribal community will

even in modern life.In Yemen, the tribe has a

norm that is different from what is known today. A tribesman is that person who acts with honor and dignity, valor and generos-ity.

He is that person who protects his land and honor, rushes to rescue the weak and forgives his own. He is a person who accepts dialogue and rational thinking. A tribesman has unrivaled loyalty to his tribe and its leader (the sheikh) and, in certain situations, he puts the tribe’s interest before his own and his children’s.

A tribesman would do anything to heighten the status of his tribe even though the tribe does not employ him or provide a salary. However, in adversity, he may need tribal protection.

He would never turn his back on his tribe, and involves himself in every issue. He plays the role that tribal customs and traditions require of him, even if he knows it is a lost cause. That

is why members of the tribe are united in both times of joy and hardship.

I remember a story of tribal loyalty about two men from a Yemeni tribe in a remote area.

The two tribesmen were walking on a street in the capital, enjoying their tour, when all of a sudden they heard a woman shouting angrily in the face of a group of men in a tone

similar to that of their tribe. Before inquiring about what was going on, they started

out that both sides belonged to the same tribe. They quickly

announced that everything was all right and those who had gathered around were left with nothing to see.

In any case, loyalty to the tribe still exists in the hearts and minds of all Yemenis. Whatever

political or legal education, he cannot be separated from his tribal identity. Consequently, it has become necessary for intellectuals (like lawyers and politicians) to deal with the tribe in a new way, and work to transform loyalty to the tribe into loyalty to Yemen.

If we change the traditional view of the tribe, we can win them over and build our home-land.

If we put our minds to it, we can utilize the tribal values and rigorous systems to build the state, maintain order, and imple-ment the law.

account for all tribal systems, so that we can achieve a balance between them and the state’s regulations. This will be a strong strategy for genuine change in the tribes and a way to raise awareness about (and gain support for) the laws of the state of Yemen.

To this end a campaign titled “Homeland is One Tribe”

The pro-government prayers at al-Sabain square on the unity Friday.The pro-government prayers at al-Sabain square on the unity Friday.

OP-ED Sunday, May. 15, 2011 Issue 41 www.nationalyemen.com 7National Yemen

Challenges of the Arab Revolution- the Western Intervention

‘‘

As the revolutionary events that swept the Arab world were unpredictable and abrupt, western administrations have been left ambivalent on how to react to them. They were put in a situation where they had to side themselves with their long allies whom they vested in securing their interests in the area or with the democratic principles and values they used to preach the world for a long time.

In the early beginning of the uprising events in both of Tunisia and Egypt, they were dubious about the success of the youth to topple down dictators. In spite of the identifying the crackdown on protesters to be heavy, they were still not willing to abandon dictators. However, when the overthrown of Bin Ali and Mubarak became certain,

discourse that positioned them on the side of the revolutionary youth. That was viewed as the only viable choice that could reconcile their interests in the area and their values.

By the fall of two dictator-ships, foreign policy makers and Middle East pundits showed an optimism about that change that swept the area. Western leaders called it a pivotal moment in history in which the inspiration of the people are realized. This element of optimism is derived from the protesters’ slogans they chant to demand a democratic change, dignity and justice. The sweeping events were described as an ‘Arab spring’ by western administration and media, a term used to label the revolutionary change that took place in East of Europe in 1989.

However, it did not take that long before Western Foreign policy makers started to wax pessimism about the change in the area. They viewed it as an ominous prelude for the rise of Islamists into power- which in their perspective would turn the Arab spring into winter. The

reached the extent to read the return of Shiakh Al-qadwai to Egypt and Al-ghanwshi to Tunisia after decades in exile as a growth indication of Islamism in the area.

Out of that obsession,

military council to delay the parliamentary election under the pretext of giving other parties a chance to organize themselves against the Islamic Brotherhood movement. It is claimed that the brotherhood movement will easily win the democratic battle in Egypt over the liberal and secular parties due to the histori-cal roots and organized it already has in the Egyptian society.

Last month, there was a Congressional Hearings and debate regarding whether the US

democracies in the Arab world. The congress rejected a proposal suggested by Clinton to specify 140 millions to support the demo-cratic transition in Egypt. The congress alleged that it cannot support such kinds of programs abroad while it has budgetary constraints to support many at home. It was further recom-mended not to channel funds

projects to generate any substan-tial sums for the nascent democ-racy in Egypt.

Dr. Murad Alazzany

Surprisingly, the Congress did not discuss plans to cut parts

presence in Iraq and Afghanistan due to such budgetary

showed up later that the US proposed to extend its military presence in Iraq, and it was rejected by Baghdad. It seems that the extension of military presence and operation do not affect the budget of US as does the support of democracy in Egypt.

The congress rejection to support nascent democracies in Egypt or Tunisia in such a transi-tional and critical period was not contrary to the expectations of many in the Arab world. It is well know that the United States

foreign policy that kept looking at the area from geopolitical interest perspective. American foreign policy makers through the prism of realism kept devising polices that engineer stability and security on the account of democracy and freedom- or despotism on the account of democracy. Since the 9/11 events the fear of Islamists’ rise into power has become the obsession of that realist foreign policy. They are viewed a menace to the US’s interests and the stability of the area. That obsession makes American foreign policy makers and pundits very determined not to support democracies where they are likely to yield Islalmists into power.

Currently, it will not be a big deal if the US chooses to wait till it becomes clear to whom the change will serve to shift power. But it will be a big problem if the fear of Islamists shoves Ameri-can foreign policy makers to support covertly the liberal and secularists parties against the Islamic and national ones. An intervention to decide the outcome of the democratic process and it political players will ruin people inspiration towards a successful democratic transition. It might also distract new governments from undertak-ing much needed reforms. At the same time it will destroy the good image the US has maintained by positioning itself on the side of the revolutionary youth. Favoring certain parties to fortify their political centers against others will make the US’s claim to promote democ-racy to appear nothing more than a travesty.

The best way the West can help the Arab world to reach a true democratic transition is to stick to a more realist approach at this instant than any time before. A realistic approach must seek to deal with region as it is, shorn of fears and political illusions. It does not seek to change it or favour certain political keys the way it serves its interests. Within such a realist approach, would easily accept the fact that Islamists represent a cultural identity and a historical reality of the area. If they happened to rise into power within a true democratic electoral system, it is then what the vast populations in the region want and what should be respected.

American foreign policy makers in particular should not fail under the illusion of extrem-

ism that they can somehow exclude Islamic parties to partici-pate in the political transition in the area. Their challenge of the west is to distinguish between Islamic groups which have adopted democracy as their political tool to operate within the change in the area from those group which adopt violence as their tool to achieve their agenda. Instead of excluding such civil groups the west is obliged to seek ways of to engage with them. At the end, American foreign a democratic transition will have to include all the contending parties in order to be seen genuine and legitimate.

Some western pundits and foreign policy makers deny the origin of their fear of Islamists’ rise into power to be their interests. They rather attribute it to the Islamists’ aspiration to endorse the Sharia’a law. This endorsement is viewed as a violation of human rights and a salvation for their morals. Of course, that is only because they tend to see the principles of western culture in glowing terms and other societies ought to embrace them. They take their cultural principles for granted viewing them the only standards to judge the Other. This makes western foreign policy makers and pundits to see themselves as a benign hegemony and conse-quently to parade themselves as human rights warriors. They

Sharia’a law application is viewed an oppression of human right, the ‘ imperialist hegemony’ is even worse.

Western foreign policy makers and pundits just need to understand that the Sharia’a law which is the compendium of rules and application devised over centuries by jurists of Islamic empire is part of the people faith and culture. It has eventually developed to equate the state law rather than a body of legal opinion. Thus, the life of the people will go disciplined by strict enforcing of it.

However, the real problem is the tendency of Americans to base their thoughts and policies on what they want. They tend to wistfully think that they can fool people into liking their policies

even contrary to their interests. This spiteful form of wishful thinking is what makes Ameri-cans reluctant to accept the fact their honey-moon decades with autocracy in the Arab world are over. That is when they used to deal with one autocratic man to secure their interests. They know that dealing with parliaments and an unbuttoned media will make it hard for them to secure its interests represented in

rise of Islamists, allowing the

However, As the Arab public pursues a dramatic change the west must display understanding for the demands of the people and capability of adapting to them. The proper path for the west is to make an instant revision for its conventional policies and formulas of the past by which it used to look at the area and its people. It must seize this remarkable moment to establish a new partnership with the Arab world based on a mutual respect, cooperation and co-existence.

That starts by helping the Arabs to succeed in making a genuine democratic transition as it is for the vital interests of both sides. Within a democratic and transparent atmosphere, there will be a possibility to eradicate terrorism. This rational is grounded on the fact that extrem-

ism thrived on Arab despotism and on the American hypocrisy involved in supporting that repression. At the same time, the policies in the area which culmi-nated in the Iraq and Afghani-stan contributed on the rise of terrorism rather than on eliminat-ing the conditions driving the young towards it.

The death of bin laden might come at the right time to offer the Arabs and the west a chance to leave problems of a decade behind. A decade in which extremism was the prism through which Arabs were largely viewed and the accusa-tion they are readily available to be thrown with. The timing of Bin laden’s and the revolution-ary events was not a mere coinci-dence to pass without contempla-tion. It indicates that extremism and despotism are linked to each other- it happened that each thrived on another and it may distained to end together. There is a hope that their demise will mark the end of despotism in the Arab world and extremism from the grip of American’s imagina-tion. Thus both can cooperate to make their own worlds better.

Democracies are also known of bringing people together and to heighten levels of trade and commerce between them. Thus,

the Arabs still need its prices to pursue development and

National YemenNATIONAL YEMEN VACANCY NOTICE

Role JUNIOR NEWS / NEWS ANALYSIS JOURNALISTS

Number of va-cancies

Two

deadline29 May 2011

Start date Immediate

Our news journalists will be required to write approximately 1000 words of ‘news’

complete our journalism training packages.

Eligibility

Journalists will be expected to be punctual and to meet both our deadlines and our standards. Failure to meet either our deadlines or our high professional standards may result in instant dismissal.

Advanced English language competency is required. Journalists will be expected to be competent computer users.

-tency and professional development.

This job is also an excellent opportunity to begin a promising career, and will provide -

ist’s work.

Apply Applicants should send a covering email, their CV, including all contact details, and

a ‘news analysis’ style, on a subject of their choice.

Applicants will be contacted within three days, if they have been successful. The ap-

-ing selected. If the trainee journalist meets our deadlines and reaches our standards

with us, with full pay.

e-mail: info@nationalyemen.com

progress in their societies. Thus, they would mind to leave it at the doors of western leaders as long they pay cash for it.

In fact it is only the plight of Palestinians under the occupa-tion of Israel which represents an obstacle for any cooperation between the Arab world and the west. This issue has been a root

Pursuing a democratic transition and stability in the area depends in resolving this issue in a way that ingenerate peace and just for the Palestinians. The Middle east will not be stable as long as Israel is given a light to keep occupying the lands of Palestin-

and slaughter them. The west does not need to give that unnec-essary support for Israel rather to seek way by which Palestinians can have their independent state side by side with Israel and beyond the borders of 1967.

250

TheÊdeathÊofÊbinÊladenÊmightÊcomeÊatÊtheÊrightÊtimeÊtoÊofferÊÊtheÊArabsÊandÊtheÊwestÊaÊchanceÊtoÊleaveÊproblemsÊofÊaÊdecadeÊbehind

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