For years, southern Yemenis have been wondering when the west and free world will punish Ali Abdullah Saleh, the president of the previously called northern Yemen and the president of the -by force- united Yemen since 1994 for his relation with terrorism.
The last thing southern Yemenis have ever thought about was linking their political movement to Al-qaida. For decades, Southern Yemenis have been described as Marxists, apostates, non-religious and even non Muslims by the tribal, religious and military alliance that has been supporting the Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh since his first day in the presidential palace.
South Arabia or the later called south Yemen with a 3 million inhabitants was a separated country for hundreds of years until it was united with the north in 1990 in a unity the south later discovered was an occupation by the northern tribal, religious and military alliance for its relatively large and rich lands. When southern Yemenis tried to get their independence back, they were suppressed by the northern forces in 1994.
Until 1967, south Arabia or south Yemen was under British occupation which allowed a margin of freedom and modernization. Later, after the independence, the political leaders of the south have adopted a socialist pro soviet political regime, which was obviously an anti radicalism regime.
On the other side, on north Yemen, or the previously called Motawkliah Yemenia Kingdom with 18 million inhabitants, the imams - religious leaders- have ruled the country for more than a thousand years. A culture of religious political and social system was deeply established in north Yemen even after the one-day revolution in 1962 which replaced the imam regime by another that kept the same components.
Tribal leaders, religious leaders and army leaders have always been the main corners of the political regime in north Yemen regardless of the name of the country they choose for themselves.
It is almost a known fact for most Yemenis that Ali Abdullah Saleh has always depended on extremist leaders to suppress his political enemies. He has used them between 1990 and 1994 to assassinate his southern liberal opponents, and later on in his war against the south in 1994, and he has been using them for the last 5 years to fight with his torn army against the northern Houthi repels in north of Yemen. Some of the well know ex mujahedeen have been chosen as senior figures in Saleh's ruling party. In fact, one of them, Abdulmajeed Alzendani which is on the USA wanted list was chosen by Saleh as the fifth member of his 5 members presidential council of united Yemen in 1990.
Abdulmajeed Alzendani: Although he has been on the USA wanted list because of his relation with Osama Bin Laden who considers Alzendani as his "religious master" he has maintained a strong relation with Saleh. In order to avoid getting captured by USA, Saleh has offered Alzendani a (ride) on his presidential airplane to attend King Fahd's funeral in Saudi Arabia on 2005, it was a safe free return ticket. Alzendani has always been the religious arm of Saleh in all of his conflicts. In particular, he has supported Saleh in his war against the southern "apostates" when they decided to get its identity and country back. He owns and runs a government inspection-free religion university in Yemen, The Faith University. He, by himself selects students and instructors that get 7 years of religion teaching before he approves them as Shekhs. On February 24, 2004, the US Treasury Department identified Zindani as a "Specially Designated Global Terrorist". The Department said it had credible evidence al-Zindani had a "long history of working with bin Laden, notably serving as one of his spiritual leaders". Executive Order 13224 by U.S. President George W. Bush on September 23, 2001 designates him a person “who commits, threatens to commit, or supports terrorism”. His name is mentioned on the UN 1267 Committee banned entity list of individuals associated with Al-Qaida.
Jamal Albadwai: He as well is on the USA wanted list because of his direct relation with killing seventeen American soldiers in the suicide attack against the US navy destroyer USS Cole on October 2000. Jamal has managed to escape from Yemeni political police prison twice although political police prisons are the worse and the most guarded in Yemen. After his second escape, he turned himself in to Saleh and was released from prison in exchange for a “promise of good behavior”. The FBI placed a $5 million reward for Badawi's capture. When FBI Director asked Yemeni President Saleh about al-Badawi’s status during a visit to Yemen, “Saleh gave no clear answers about the suspect, Jamal al-Badawi, leaving Mueller “angry and very frustrated” said one source, who added that “he's rarely seen the normally taciturn FBI director so upset”. Newsweek, May 5 2008; A Tense Impasse In Yemen, by Michael Isikoff.
Jabr Albana: He is an American Yemeni citizen considered by FBI as the key supporter of the Lackawanna Qaida cell (also known as Lackawanna Six or Buffalo Cell) which is a group of six Yemeni-Americans who were convicted of providing material support to Al-Qaida. Albana was considered as the most dangerous member of the cell. On February 23, 2006 the FBI confirmed his escape and issued a national press release naming him as one of the first new additions to the FBI most wanted terrorists list. The U.S. administration has offered $5 million for information that will get him arrested. He also after escaping from a Yemeni prison had turned himself to Saleh which released him. Later, he surprised judges in a Yemeni court by opening the court door and entering to the hall with his guards just to tell them that he will not get arrested because he has the president "word". Albana has made it safely out of the court.
Officers? Terrorists or both? In 2006, during the only -close to real- election Saleh had during his 3 decades on president palace he stood in public in front of hundreds of thousands of his followers and in front of media representatives and showed a photo of a man Saleh claimed to be a terrorist supporting his Sothern competitor, Faisal Bin Shamlan who is known for his good reputation and clean hands in one of the most corrupted countries in the world. Later, the man was found to be a police officer and said he will sue Saleh. Last month, a man named Mohammed Omaier appeared on Aljazeera TV saying he is alqaida member and he is participating in Sothern separatist’s activity, later the man was found to be the son of Shabwa governorate security commander. The government did not comment.
USA arms given to Yemen found with terrorist: According to Jane Novak, a US-based analyst and expert in Yemeni affairs “The serial numbers for two rifles used in the attack on the USA embassy in Saudi Arabia have been traced to Yemen’s ministry of defense”. Novak also said in her article: Drug Smuggling, Gun Running and Other Crimes, published on her website on October 14th 2005, that “Both the United States and the United Nations have expressed concern regarding the amount of illegal arms transfers from Yemen. The Yemeni weapons pipeline has two sources of supply: the black market and legitimate military purchases”. Giving arms to tribes is a way Saleh uses officially to apologize to upset tribes or to gain their support. This practice is usually covered, in one occasion Yemeni ministry of defense has announced that it investigates about “disappearance” of 600 mortar ammunition from army stores in the borderline Almahra governorate.
Alqaida Great Escape: By digging a tunnel using only plastic spoons, Yemen announced that 23 Alqaida members including 13 top figures have escaped form one of the most guarded prisons in Yemen, the tunnel was estimated to be 140 meter in length. The Interpol issued a global alert described the fugitives as a “danger to all countries”. Prison’s previous commander and deputy were dismissed two weeks before the escape. When a Yemeni official was asked how the fugitives managed to breath in such a long tunnel, he said they have used footballs they were playing with inside prison as a source of oxygen. Saleh later announced that he is in "contact' with them and that things are under control.
Saleh has used almost all of the above mentioned terrorism related figures in his conflicts against his enemies. Their participation was obvious in Saleh’s war against the south in 1994. He has started a campaign to gather fighters to fight in the South based on braining the south back to Islam as they were “corrupted by socialism and British occupation”. He is using al Qaida members in his war against Houthi rebels in the north of the country. He has repeatedly called southern separatists and northern rebels as apostates, the word that usually switches on Alqaida members.
It is evident that whoever stands against Saleh must stand against be Alqaida fighters as well. Yet he will be accused of being connected to Alqaida on the same time. It might look non sense, but it is the case. USA and its alliance must understand that the support they provide to Saleh will reach to Alqaida at the end. They are not fighting Alqaida by supporting Saleh to suppress his enemies. They are sending the wrong message to the area by supporting a dictator who has been suppressing his people for three decades with the help of terrorists.
Ottawa International Poets and Writers for human Rights (OIPWHR)
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