By: Ali Aljaradi

The authority is waging a comprehensive war – though sometimes intermittent – in the north and south under the pretext of protecting Yemen’s unity from the threats of “Secessionists” and protecting the republic from the threats of “imamates”.

Recently, the pretexts of “stabilizing the region”, stopping terrorism, drug and counterfeited currency from being transferred to our neighbors were added to the list.

The authority’s understanding of what is happening in Yemen – as we heard from Prime Minister Ali Mohammed Mujawar – “troublemakers in south Yemen are the remains of 1994 war”. Prior to this and during the conference of the Yemeni Journalists Syndicate, President Saleh said that what happens in south Yemen is an attempt to return Yemen to pre-unity era (1990) and what happens in Sa’ada is an attempt to return Yemen to the Imamate rule that was dominating Yemen before 1962. The consequences for such labels mean nothing but declaring war and beating the enemies and protestors everywhere; thus there is no significance for toleration and dialogue calls once tanks are outside their hideouts.

Befooling and facts

I wish these claims are true as all people have the right to defend the unity and stability of their countries. This happened in America which paid the price of unity under Kennedy and Britain fought Ireland for decades. Here, we do not have wars that could be labeled as nationalistic. I think that is a conflict within the ruling system and it is inflaming at the peripherals, exploiting the country’s capabilities and sons to safeguard acquired interests. Undoubtedly, this conflict will reach the center when the peripherals are exhausted as is the case in northern, southern and eastern provinces (recently a new challenge has emerged which is that of Al-Qaeda and publically wandering with guns in some eastern provinces.

Authority plans: we fight them with people and not army

Following 1997, the ruling General People Congress (GPC) managed to rid of all coalitions and started its hereditary project, interests and influence circle started to be straightened. The authorities of “south representatives” and those belonging to Sanhan and Hashed tribe – who are not loyal to the “second generation”, were restricted. Prior to this, the Yemeni Socialist Party was driven out and this was followed by disposing of Islah party through elections in 1997. In 1998, the popular committees in southern provinces were started and this was followed by South Yemen sons Forum in 2000, whose symbols were “south representatives” in the authority. Later, Al-Husseini broke away from the authority and left Syria for London where he started a new secessionist stream that seeks to protect legitimate interests for those who helped deepen the unity in 1994 and suddenly found themselves outside interests and influence circle.

The same happened in the north where Al-Haq party was emptied of 3,000 members who were led by Hussein Al-Houthi. He was supported by funds from the state treasury as well as food supplies and this was approved personally from President Saleh who said in a speech delivered in 1998 following Al-Radhmah events “we will not fight them with army … people will fight them”. The official plan then was to beat Islah party through state-supported popular militia.

Internal war … national catastrophe

Who are the people fought by the regime in defense of unity and the republic? Tareq Al-Fadhli rivaled Ahmed Al-Maysari for assuming the post of governor in Abyan but the latter managed to beat him through official support from Saleh by the same tools used to overthrow Hussein Al-Ahmar.

Al-Fadhli, a kin by marriage and ally, gave the high ranking political and military officials the fertile lands in Abyan’s delta and there is a minute signed by some regime’s leaderships granting Tareq Al-Fadhli the right to own 70 percent of Abyan’s lands.

He is considered the Sheikh of Vice-President Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi and President Saleh is the president of Abyan Governor Ahmed Al-Maysari. The map conflict and influence in Abyan is revolving in Sana’a and the results do appear in Abyan. Nasser Al-Noubah was a few years ago a member of the permanent committee of the ruling GPC. Further, Huseein and Yahya Al-Houthi as well as several Houthi leaderships are still GPC members. Leaderships from Hadramout are struggling outside their province; perhaps the funders conditioned the governorate’s stability until the right time.

Support and commitment

There were some personalities from within the regime who supported Houthis and provided them with information and modern weapons from the official warehouses. They were behind igniting war for several consecutive rounds. Brig. Yahya Mohammed Abdullah Saleh, Staff Commander of Central Security Forces, publically denounced stopping the war every time as the end moment approaches. He mocked appointing a weapons dealer as the head of peace committee. Does not this mean exchange of accusations within the regime? The party responsible for financing the regime’s war in Sa’ada is ready to finance “the south” against the regime.

Fire in Sana’a and smoke in Abyan and Sa’ada

The above are Dr. Hasan Maki’s words as he is expressing surprise for the authority’s worry about smoke while leaving the fire aflame. Decision-making circle in Sana’a set the fire and settle their accounts and they invest them to create linings from fools to hunt after smoke to put it out.

Similarly, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Saleh Basurah assures that the fort cannot be destroyed only from inside. All such statements point to the direct responsibility of decision making circles towards what is happening in the country.

Last week, Houthis managed to take over Al-Hasamah area and a soldier was killed after he ran out of ammunitions and food. Other forces positioned in a nearby area were watching and they just fired the artillery.

After four security soldiers were killed and another injured in Abyan, a security source stated that information speaking about arresting the perpetrators is baseless – this denial is part of agreement with Al-Fadhli to restore calm to South for two months and not to announce the names of people being arrested!!!

National coalition against the kitchen

The conflicts, wars, constant failures that lead Yemen towards the dark tunnel and that caused Yemenis’ blood to be shed were because of the limited thinking of decision making circles that was reduced to the family at the risk of the home. This transformation required breaking the coalitions, beating the interests of allies and dwarfing the accumulated influences of last decades as well as accumulating wealth within a limited circle to ensure power sustainability and weakening others.

Opposition forces including political parties and national movements should not busy themselves with the fire and they should directly turn to the main kitchen to put out the flaming fire there.