Yemen says not time to name intelligence 'supporting secessionism'

SANA'A, May 25 (Saba) - Foreign Minister Abu Bakr al-Qirbi has said
that intelligence systems are supporting calls for secessionism in
Yemen and that it was not time to name these intelligence
services.

"The more important now is to deal with problems without taking them
out of the country and if we do this, we then will be able to hunt
those fishing in troubled waters," al-Qirbi added.

On the margins of the recent meeting of foreign ministers of the
Organization of Islamic Conference member states which was held in
Syria's capital, Damascus, al-Qirbi said remarks of the ex-Yemeni
vice president Ali Salim al-Baidh were similar to his declaration in
1994.

In 1994, a civil war between north and south Yemen, four years after
reunification, began, with separatists in the south calling for
reverting to the pre-unity status.

"Yemen's unity is an issue of fate and deemed a national and Arab
accomplishment," the minister highlighted reunification in a time
when the country has seen unrest with calls for the separation of
the south arising again.

Within the Arab strategy to keep security and stability in the
region and because what is threatening Yemen today might threaten
other Arab states in the future, Yemen together with Arab countries
are supposed to defend the Yemeni unity, he urged.

"I don't think there is some Arab country which accepts Yemen to be
separated and sees the separation is the solution for the country's
problems," he said.

On the other hand, al-Qirbi assured the participating countries that
Yemen does not accept foreign military bases on its lands, saying
its constitution never allows it to do so.

However, Yemen may provide warships that pass in the region with
necessary supplies such as water and fuel….and doing so means Yemen
deals with the matter only commercially, he added.

During his participation in the meeting, al-Qirbi renewed Yemen is
for establishing common Muslim and Arab economic interests, in an
effort o promote solidarity among the states.

He urged the issues of Palestine, Lebanon, Sudan and Iraq and the
persecuted Muslim minorities in other world parts must be placed as
foremost priorities by the Muslim states in the future.