November 01, 2005
Another Day in Yemen
In Yemen, censorship is expensive, officials complain, so its time to raise internet costs by 50% to cover the costs of blocking websites.
150 textile workers striking for payment of back wages are surrounded by 200 police who then brutally beat the journalists.
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150 textile workers striking for payment of back wages are surrounded by 200 police who then brutally beat the journalists.
In a positive development, the government *promised* to stop buying weapons from brokers and selling the surplus to individuals.
Political Assassination, while a big deal in Lebanon, is commonplace in Yemen and doesn't warrant a broad investigation, even if the regime is implicated in the murder of a major political opposition figure for his secular views.
Unfortunately the lack of any substantial democratic progress has disqualified Yemen from receiving any funds from the Millennium Challenge Account, and the World Bank is cutting funding by 34% due to corruption, lack of transparency and good governance, but crime and corruption are much more lucrative for the elite, so no biggie.
Posted by: Jane at
10:03 AM
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Yemen is not a nice place, very much like the rest of the Muslim world.
Posted by: jesusland joe at November 01, 2005 10:26 AM (rUyw4)
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Yemen, like Somalia, hardly deserves to be called a country. It is a lawless desert populated by primitive arab tribes. "Government" in Yemen is just a front for the tribe in power to do its will, and the law is what that tribe says it is-- period. They stay in power by bribery and assassination, exactly like the mafia does in the west. Yemen is also a haven for al-quaida types, so it's in our best interest to stay in the good graces of the Yemen government because they help keep a handle on it (much like Saudi Arabia).
Posted by: Jesusland Carlos at November 01, 2005 10:31 AM (8e/V4)
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Especially for the Yemenis living there. The government is looting the treasury while theres little resources provided for education (46% of kids never start 1st grade), health care and clean water are mostly unavailable to the rural population who constitute 70% of the population. The police and courts function like a private mafia for the oligarchy.
Posted by: Jane at November 01, 2005 10:32 AM (M7kiy)
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No theres a strong democratic reform movment there. Yemen is on the verge of becoming a failed state due to the criminal activities of the regime.
as per my article
The government is pushing a radical ideology across the nation, closing moderate schools under the banner of reform, and trucking in Afghan Arabs to preach in the mosques. Its very bad and cant go on the way it is for either the people or the west, or our troops in Iraq.
Posted by: Jane at November 01, 2005 10:41 AM (M7kiy)
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Dang, the article link is not working, let me try it again:
here it is
Posted by: Jane at November 01, 2005 10:44 AM (M7kiy)
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Why am I the only oner that has to do the math ?? Soooo let's see the Yemeni rial is currently trading at 194.4 to the dollar. We will round it off to an even 200 to the dollar.So It used to cost 30 cents per hour for internet access, but now it costs 45 cents per hour. Average length of time for a porn site visit let's try 12 minutes. Average cost then would be 45 cents divided by 5 which equals 9 cents. A small price to us but perhaps significant to a Yemeni. I for one would be willing to have our government at least partially subsidize this increase.
Posted by: john Ryan at November 01, 2005 10:48 AM (ads7K)
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Yes especially when about half the people are living under $2.00/day. But the money would have to go directly to the subsidy without hitting the sticky hands of the officials. And internet access is even more important now when the government is cracking the heads of the non-governmental journalists and also has a monopoly on the broadcast media.
Posted by: Jane at November 01, 2005 10:54 AM (M7kiy)
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Also on the terrorism issue, the patterns of terroism report issued by state in 2004 noted that the yemeni govt reported a major AQ as killed in a fire fight with security forces, only to later admit they released him unharmed and he has not be pursued further. and i can tell you that some yemeni AQ reported as killed in Iraq are living well under the protection of tthe polical security forces in Yemen, so in my view, no they are not holding back the terrorists. theres more in the article.
Posted by: Jane at November 01, 2005 11:00 AM (M7kiy)
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Is there any indoor plumbing in Yemen? I imagine at any given moment a percentage of the population walking in the desert with a shovel in one hand and what - clumps of camel hair in the other?
Definitely not a place for a globe treker hiker.
Posted by: hondo at November 01, 2005 04:51 PM (ymtSt)
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Actually its a very beautiful country with mountains, beaches,historical architecture and a very temperate climate.
Posted by: Jane at November 01, 2005 04:53 PM (6krEN)
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Yemen is full of problems; corruption is becoming the rule rather than the exception. (Maybe this is what happens when a country tries to import democracy and western forms of government rather than living in its own terms and trying to internally evolve.)
Nevertheless, if you're going to bash a country (Jesusland Carlos and hondo) at least know what you're talking about. Being a Yemeni, I found your comments not only extremely offensive, but also grossly inaccurate, especially hondo's.
Yemen is not "a lawless desert populated by primitive arab tribes". If you check this map you'll notice that most people live in the western mountainous region which has a hint of green in the map, indicative of agriculture and vegetation. That's the Yemen I know. I didn't see the desert until I was 17 (on a family cross-country vacation). Regarding the camel stereotype, they used to bring a camel specifically to our annual school fair for the student's amusement, that's how exotic camels were.
So please, until you visit Yemen or do some serious research ZIP IT.
Posted by: yemenphotos.ca at November 01, 2005 10:07 PM (e8nIH)
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nice pics
nice map
i needed a good map and i always like
good photos
Posted by: Jane at November 01, 2005 10:27 PM (6krEN)
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yemenphotos,
this one of your pictures of Sanaa with the moutains in the background looks like a desert to me:
http://www.pbase.com/eryani/image/47181762
Regarding the political situation in Yemen, I stand by what I said.
Posted by: Jesusland Carlos at November 02, 2005 12:04 AM (8e/V4)
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JC, do you really think its better to back this al-qaeda appeasing, criminal regime than to back the reformers, the technocrats, the pluralists, and the free speech advocates?
Theres an election next year, and the term of the president is seven years. In my view, if Saleh stays president for another seven years, it will be a disaster for the 20 million yemenis, the region, and the international community.
Also Saleh empowers and legitimizes the authority of the tribes and undermines civil institutions and he himself has nearly absolute power. For there to be a shift toward a decentralization of power into neutral, impartial institutions that function in the interest of the public, there has to be a type of purge of the corrupt officials at the top, something Saleh is unwilling and unable to do.
Posted by: Jane at November 02, 2005 06:01 AM (6krEN)
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Jane,
we should back whoever can best keep a lid on the muslim radicals.
Posted by: Jesusland Carlos at November 02, 2005 09:42 AM (8e/V4)
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Yes,that is my point, short term and long term.
Its a good idea that will not only secure our troops in Iraq but enable the diversity of political opinion in Yemen to compete fairly in the marketplace of ideas. Now any one who talks about pluralism, reform, or democracy is labeled an apostate by the government. Or a Zionist, thats another biggie.
Posted by: Jane at November 02, 2005 10:03 AM (M7kiy)
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I was joking - not a serious board - mostly conservative fun. I know Yemen. My education/work background is Geography/Geology and Civil Engineering.
Yemen is not a country. It is nothing more than a series of imaginary lines on a map drawn up during the decoloninization period by a British Surveyor/Cartographer and approved/accepted without any forethought by the House Of Saud. There were actually two quazi-nations until recent paper unification.
The only resemblance to a nation state is found in the capitol. Beyond that, it remains to this day as a tribal society at best beignly indifferent to any central authority. It has been this way throughout its recorded history.
Its presumed importance has been due to its location at the southern tip of the Arabian Penninsula. Britain, France, US etc (even the old Soviet Union) vied for influence there but all eventually threw in the towel as it being over-rated location-wise. (I remember the Soviet bug-out and mad dash out of Aden years ago).
Aden is and has always been a city-state - important once centuries ago as a mercantile port and trade route. The rest - wilderness populated by nomads and isolated villages indifferent to borders and any assemblance to nation.
Yemen has one chief export - Yemeni. You can find them around the world (particularly the Arab oil world) working. I am familiar with the Arab/Muslim world pecking order for discrimination and bigotry (we all do it to some degree). Yemeni are at the bottom along with ( belief it or not you unenlightened) the Palestinians.
I know Yemen but don't want to get to carried away with this. Its a lite board.
Posted by: hondo at November 02, 2005 10:22 AM (ymtSt)
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I used to be funny. Really. Ask anyone in the 'shpere who knew me a year of two ago. I dont know what happened to me in the last six months....
Posted by: Jane at November 02, 2005 01:00 PM (6krEN)
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Interesting bit of weird but useless information - Yemen may well be the only nation in the world (defininately Arab/Muslim world) that was once a declared Marxist Socialist Republic (South Y)and no one noticed ... especially the local population. The local indifference drove the Soviets batty.
Posted by: hondo at November 02, 2005 02:35 PM (ymtSt)
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They were able to provide basic services on a wide level and the administration was rather effectient. Since unification, southerners in general have been labeled apostates and fatwaed for their advocacy of a secular government. Further theres an aparteid almost in terms of governmental services, and the southerners find it nearly impossible to obtain any kind of civil service, governmental, or military position.
Posted by: Jane at November 02, 2005 03:06 PM (6krEN)
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The southern Yemeni's that I have met are the most modern in culture, less fundamentalist. But, they are looked down on in the general population. You can drive through Sanaa and see the caste system in action.
Parts of Yemen are very beautiful. From the mountains surrounding Sanaa, you have to overlook the SAM missile batteries on every top, to the volcanoes and desert in the Marib area. Just watch for the camels and have a few drinks before driving the mountain pass to there. The lack of traffic laws makes a drive anywhere an experience to remember.
Will this country ever turn around, most likely not. Even with a population living on less than $2.00/day, half of that is spent daily on qat. They are sitting on a tourist haven but due to the tribal infighting, they will never be able to realize it's true value. Kind of hard to have a vacation to see the Queen of Sheeba's palace or the tombs of Raydan when you have to hire bodyguards to go with you everywhere.
Posted by: Jon at November 04, 2005 10:02 PM (GKvSS)
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That was actually my question for a while. I know the governemental media villifies the southerners as seperatists and apostates, but I wasnt sure about the level of discrimination through the society itself, if the southerners were considered lesser citizens by the rest of the yemeni population. From what I understand it nearly impossible for a southerner to obtain a civil service, governmental or military position and there is a kind of purge on, as well as an economic administrative boycott of the region. Meanwhile the north and south were supposed to have come together as equal partners after the 1994 civil war. But it seems the northern appartatus is completely stomping on its old rivals. But I wasnt sure about the level of popular acceptence of this discriminatory designation and practices. The government is very very good at fear mongering.
Posted by: Jane at November 04, 2005 10:09 PM (ywZa8)
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Yemenphotos.ca: I always ask one question of you proud to be from back there types. If it was so great, why did you leave it? I know why. And you know why. If you admit it. The best thing I can tell you is go back and take another look at this latrine posing as a country.
Posted by: Greyrooster at November 04, 2005 10:24 PM (ZaAd/)
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Helllllllllllllo, the corrupt government is destroying the country for 27 years of dictatorship. It is a beautiful country and filled with many amazing and couragous and democratically oriented people who are fighting for liberty and justice in obscurity.
Posted by: Jane at November 04, 2005 10:31 PM (6krEN)
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Let me put it this way, there are many, many people in Yemen fighting for free speech, an independent judiciary, and a transparent government that operates in the equitable best interest of the citizenry. They are doing so at great personal risk to themselves. I dont care if they have a snowball's chance in hell of winning, Im sticking with them, because its the right thing to do. And yes its possible, democracy can win in Yemen. Stranger things have happened.
Posted by: Jane at November 04, 2005 11:08 PM (6krEN)
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And i have to say i dont give a flying frick when the yemeni government calls me a zionist, a cia operative, a paid operative of the socialists, a docile student of a monkey monk, or a hedgehog (that all with the last two months) but anybody calling the country a latrine irks me. Theres 20 million people in Yemen, half of them are kids, kids. Half are illiterate, half are under the poverty level. So we....do what? Goof on them? No. In my view, we stand with the people with the solutions who are struggling against enormous odds. And the solutions are very common sense and very do-able, written by a wide variety of intellectuals and technocrats. There is an answer, and its known.
Posted by: Jane at November 04, 2005 11:30 PM (6krEN)
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Democracy in Yemen is do-able, as in any society. The problem in Yemen is the tribal culture that dates back centuries. The bedouin tribal culture. The most important thing to them is family, clan, tribe and to never loss face. The south is not as tribal as the north. The Soviets did instill some good down there. That is why the northern poulation distrusts the southerners. They blame the south for starting the civil war in 1994 and do not really trust them today. Fear is a way of life over there. Every tribe distrusts the other tribe who distrusts the government and the army. The power lies in the tribal sheiks whose word is law. If that mold could be broken there might be a chance at true democracy, Inshalla
Posted by: Jon at November 04, 2005 11:54 PM (GKvSS)
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Corruption is rampant now and has grown dramatically worse in the last 4 years. Everyone who has the means has some type of scam going. To find and keep work, you have to payoff someone. This is the true land of Ali Babba and the 40 Thieves.
The journalists of the independent newspapers are the ones trying to report the truth but with the new and excisting laws it is now basically impossible. Nearly every building or area is considered an army installation or area of national security, All it takes is a policeman or soldier standing there. Whip out a camera, get it taken away and some questions asked. Though I did get a lot of good pictures.
Posted by: Jon at November 05, 2005 12:17 AM (GKvSS)
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Gotta love the journos.
The "parliament" is comprised of a very high percentage of sheiks and other tribal leaders, so that reinforces their authority. As does Saleh himself, like during the riots. He didnt respond to the mass of people on the streets, but to the tribes that hijacked the tankers. There he negotiated; the people he arrested. Its was very surprising to learn that all the violence against the people was perpetrated by opposition "sabatours in military uniforms," thats a quote. Even recently, a sheik was demending money from some people who refused to pay, and the people were imprisoned. So the presidient is doing everything he can to reinforce the traditional structures and disempower civil instutions. And the stronger the sheiks are, the more people will gravatate to them to solve problems. The police are a private mafia enforcement, and the people have absolutely no confidence in them to protect their interests. Thats one reason for all the weapons, you have to protect yorself. The police wont. And you're right about the corruption, large and small. The state is a cash cow for the party emembers and elite. Everybody else is starving.
Posted by: Jane at November 05, 2005 08:42 AM (M7kiy)
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Also the judiciary. Until the insitutions begin to function equitably, the tribal justice is much more effective and the only alternative to anarchy, because the courts now are very politicized and an instrument of personal power. Maybe is Saleh wasnt the head of the judiciary (the party, the military, ect ect), there might be some impartiality to the courts.
Posted by: Jane at November 05, 2005 08:51 AM (M7kiy)
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The opposition needs a bit of work too.
Posted by: Jane at November 05, 2005 09:28 AM (M7kiy)
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I'm going back, for better or worse, as soon as I get my degree.
Posted by: yemenphotos.ca at November 05, 2005 05:14 PM (e8nIH)
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all that i read in this forum is rubish specially by Yemenphoto.ca
if you ask me i'm from Aden (south) and we are just waiting for any one Amerian ...even israely to invade us any cut us loss of this unity they call Yemen.
as for the southrners we will allways be more libral, civil, educated and open to westren values than tose A%#$@&^ from the north.
so please go ahead and invade Yemen we will be wavieing your flag (who ever the f^%& it is) at the beach welcoming you in.
any responce please post otherwise my email is a fake.... tada...
Posted by: Aden at November 05, 2005 07:18 PM (pgZy9)
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Well I guess your post does give an idea about your education and civility, but perhaps there are more important defects than bad spelling and profanity.
Ad hominem attacks aside, I can see where you're coming from, and I do sympathize with your plight. Injustice is everywhere in Yemen, I agree maybe more in Aden, but this sentiment of wanting a western power to invade us is common across the country, not just in Aden (I hope the US warmongers are not listening.) Also, the US, or at least some of the views here, seem to indicate a very narrow interest in changing regimes, namely just to stop those elusive terrorists and terrorist ideology from damaging their interests. If a people is suffering silently, i.e. without any internationally significant side effects, the US wouldn't care less; it's capitalism at its best.
It is my belief that any foreignly imposed change is unsustainable in the long run. "Modernization" has to, somehow, come from within.
Posted by: yemenphotos.ca at November 06, 2005 04:48 AM (e8nIH)
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Well, I don't remember anyone in Yemen that I met being sentimental for a western power to takeover. Most the them expressed there support and sympathy for OBL and only tolerated our presence for economic reasons. Plus I really don't think any country would try to forcefully impose chance due to the distinct differences of the north and south. Saudi tried and look what they gained and they played both ends against the middle.
Posted by: Jon at November 08, 2005 11:03 PM (GKvSS)
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