TOP OFFICIAL: KIDNAPPED GERMAN, BRITISH STILL ALIVE

By: Mahmoud Assamiee

SANA'A, Jan. 07 (Saba)- The five German citizens and an English
man, who were kidnapped June 2009, are still alive, Deputy Prime
Minister for Security and Defense Affairs Rashad Al-Alimi, has said.

"We have confirmed information that the foreign kidnapped citizens
are still alive. We have information they are in an area links three
governorates, Jawf, Mareb and Sa'ada," said al-Alimi, in a press
conference held here on Thursday over latest developments in the
country.

Al-Alimi, who expressed regret for what has happened to these
kidnapped foreignera while they have been providing human services
to Yemenis, indicated there are information saying that these
kidnapped people are "in Sa'ada and are used by Houthis to cure
their injured militias in their war with the army. This affirms
coordination between Houthis and Al Qaeda."


In the conference, which has been attended by journalists from
across the world, the deputy prime minister announced Yemen's
refusal to existence of any foreign forces on Yemeni lands,
affirming that Yemen's cooperation with the United States and the
international community is restricted on technical and material
support as well as sharing intelligence information to fight
terrorism.

He affirmed the country's determination to follow up operation of
cracking down on Al Qaeda elements wherever they are and boosting
security and military existence in any place thought to be a
location to terrorist elements. Supporting local authority's
apparatus and working with them to enlighten people citizens on
dangers of existence of these elements are also highlighted.

He stressed that Yemen is strong enough to face any challenges
facing the country and overcome all its problems. "Yemen has faced
likes these problems before and now the country is stronger than
when it was in the past." He hailed US and international support to
Yemen for this regard.

Over information on Nigerian student Abdul-Mutaleb who is accused of
trying to explode a US airliner, Al- Alimi highlighted three issues,
the most important of them is that the explosives seized with
Abdul-Mutalaleb were brought from outside Yemen, specifically from
Nigeria.

Abdul-Mutaleb lived in Yemen from 2004 to 2005 for studying and that
he attracted by Al Qaedah while he was living in England in the
period of 2005-2009. He came to Yemen again in 2009 for higher
study. "Dutch prosecutor affirmed Abdul-Mutaleb has carried the
explosives from Nigeria not from Yemen, which means preparations for
the operation made in his country," said Al-Alimi.

Regarding recent statement of British Prime Minister Gordon Brown on
Yemen's ability on deterring terrorism and describing the country as
a failing state, he said Brown did not mean the country is failed
but said it is in its way to be a failed state. He appreciated
efforts of the British government and of the US and Yemen's donor
for their support to Yemen.

In respect to Brown's call to international conference to support
Yemen, Al-Alimi affirmed Yemen's welcome to this call because this
conference aims at supporting Yemen in field of combating terrorism
and pushing the country's development and economy.

Over the total operations carried out by Al Qaeda in Yemen, he said
the network has carried out 61 operations and killed a number of
innocent people and that the security forces have been able to foil
12 attacks in different areas in the country. But he did not give
exact number of Al- Qaeda elements in Yemen because of the lack of
accurate statistics.

However, he indicated that the efforts have been exerted by the
country has resulted in bringing hundreds of these elements to
justice and other hundreds are servicing imprisonment verdicts,
while tens are being interrogated by the prosecution to be brought
before courts.

He clarified that the country only holds dialogue with those who are
mislead young who have not been involved in carrying out attacks not
with those commit crimes and have already carried out attacks. "The
country has dialogued with 600 of the mislead people who have been
brainwashed by Al Qaeda's thoughts and has succeeded to guide them
to the right way and now are integrated with the people as good
citizens."

Over the dangers of the southern movement and the Houthis, he said,
Al- Qaeda is more dangerous because it threaten the whole world not
only Yemen. While the Houthis are at their last breaths, situations
in southern areas are stable with outlawed are brought into justice.


"No fear about the future of Yemen and all things are under
control," he sated.

On a a question that US fighters are carrying out air raids in
Yemeni territories against Al-Qaeda, the Deputy Prime Minster for
Defense and Security Affairs refuted this and affirmed that Yemen
get technical and intelligence support from the United States," US
jets never exit in Yemen."

Over a failed plot targeted the Saudi Deputy Minster of Interior
Mohammad bin Nayef and on Yemen's cooperation with Saudi Arabia in
fighting terrorism, he said a Pakistani citizen and Saudi were
involved in the failed operation and that there is strong
cooperation between the two countries in this field.

Mahdi al-Bahri, Anwar Al-Bahri and Mutahar Assyahgi contributed in
this report.