Who care for their thoughts!!?

As a large number of young people in southern Yemen, I listen with huge interest to our older generation of politicians who have been raised during the socialist and left way of thinking .However ,we , often , do not agree with what they talk about.

Democratic Yemen, Southern Yemen or South of Yemen all the latter names refer to Democratic Republic of Yemen. The latter is the last development of South Yemen that entered the Yemeni Union Project with Arab Republic of Yemen or North Yemen if you wish to call it.

In South Yemen, there was 21 entities distributed as Sheikhdom and Sultanate until the British Colony had come. It ruled South Yemen for 98 Years to create what was named Federation of South Arabia that consisted of eastern and western Sultanates and Sheikhdoms as well as Aden , the heart of South Yemen.

After the Declaration of Independence from the British colony in the November 30, 1967, the People's Republic of South Yemen was declared, which has changed its name to People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen, and was inherited by political leaders, followers of the leftist Socialist.

Far from the details of military and political conflicts in South Yemen, there was intellectual and Religious diversity.For example in the state of Aden, there was an ethnic coexistence of Jews, Christians, Sikhs, Hindus, Magi, Bohra and Muslims and all of them coexisted side by side where still now there are Protestant and Catholics churches as well as the graveyards of the Jews and the British. Aden is always proud to have the presence of one of the main and oldest gathering of Masons in The Arabian Peninsula.

This is beside the comers from Maherah, Hadramout, Socotra, Yafea, Hougreia, and Arrivals from India and Somalia. Moreover, there were a number of British citizens who created the first core of multi ethnic community that contributed in the prosperity of life and the evolution of thought and business in Aden.

Currently, there are many talks about the future of South Yemen as a number of politicians came again to the surface that used to wrestle among themselves. They come and talk about Future of South Yemen which they have been always wrestling about which eventually led to inheritance of blood.

Today, young people who are between 20 and 30s, lived in the Yemeni Union decade with all its positive and negative aspects as well as they heard their grandparents' stories about Aden, look forward to being empowered to contribute in making their future. 

Britain warns against travel to or stay in Yemen

The British Foreign Office has warned Britons in Yemen to leave the country due to the nationwide demonstrations.

“In light of the increasing violence in Yemen, we advise against all travel to Yemen,” a travel advice posted on the Foreign Office website on March 5 said. “We recommend that all British nationals in country without a pressing need to remain should leave by the commercial options currently available.”

The advice said that political demonstrations are continuing across Yemen, including in Sana’a, Aden, Hadramawt and Taiz and security forces and plainclothes policemen have been deployed to clash with demonstrators and use violence to disperse crowds.

“There have been reports of a number of deaths during demonstrations in Aden , Taiz and Sana’a,” the Foreign Office said. “Further protests are expected and violence is likely.”

This is the first warning to foreigners in Yemen since anti-regime protests erupted almost four weeks ago.

source: http://bit.ly/efmh3x

London presses Yemen over protests crackdown

The Foreign Office said Tuesday it had summoned the charge d?affaires from Yemen's London embassy to express concern over reports of "deaths and casualties" in the ongoing protests in Yemen.

A senior Foreign Office official told Abdulmalik Al-Eryani that Britain was deeply concerned over the "use of live ammunition to control demonstrators" and urged the government to "listen to the legitimate grievances of the Yemeni people."

Britain also pressed the Yemeni government to "make urgent progress in implementing much needed political and economic reform."

The Foreign Office advised British nationals in the southern city of Aden to "take a cautious approach, maintaining a heightened level of vigilance and keeping a low profile at all times."

According to human rights group Amnesty International, at least 27 people have been killed since protests against the government of President Ali Abdallah Saleh started on January 27.

source: http://yhoo.it/glNzp5

Yemen told: 'Reform or al-Qaida wins'

Observed by: Mr. Alaa Isam

Yemen must undertake urgent political reform to counter the mounting threat posed by al-Qaida militants who are using the country as a base to launch terror attacks against Britain, according to William Hague, Britain's foreign secretary.

As Mr Hague arrived for talks with President Ali Abdullah Saleh on the third stage of his emergency five-nation tour of North Africa and the Middle East, tens of thousands of anti-government protesters took to the streets in protest at Yemen's autocratic government.

Earlier in the week Mr Saleh, who has ruled the country for 32 years, announced his intention to stand down in 2013, and confirmed he would not allow his son to succeed him. But, amid concern that unrest could spread in a country regarded as a key Western ally in the war against Islamist-inspired terrorism, Mr Hague urged the president to undertake long-promised reforms.

"The problems of Yemen are a vital issue for us in foreign and security policy," Mr Hague said following a lunchtime discussion with Mr Saleh at the presidential palace. "Economic and political reform are crucial to the long-term stability of Yemen.

"Yemen is a long-standing ally in fighting international terrorism and it is here, in Yemen, that reform in the Arab world can begin."

British security officials thwarted a major terror attack at the end of last year when they discovered a bomb at East Midlands airport among the cargo of a plane en route from the Gulf to Chicago.

Intelligence experts concluded the bomb had been made by al-Qaida terrorists in Yemen, who regularly declare their determination to attack British targets in messages broadcast on the Internet. Anwar al-Awlaki, a senior al-Qaida figure blamed for several recent terrorist attacks, maintains close links to al-Qaida from his Yemen base.

British intelligence officials remain concerned that Yemen is not doing enough to tackle the mounting threat posed by al-Qaida militants. It is estimated there is a hard-core of around 300 militants associated with al-Qaida in the region. Although Yemen's security forces have lost hundreds of soldiers fighting al-Qaida groups predominantly based in the south-east of the country, Western intelligence experts believe the government could still do more to counter the al-Qaida threat. "The Yemeni government is not taking as effective action as it could against the al-Qaida threat," said a senior intelligence official in Yemen.

"What they need to do is give them a good whacking."

Mr Hague had flown to Yemen from Jordan, where he had a private dinner with King Abdullah, who is also under pressure from anti-government protesters to undertake wide-ranging political reforms.

Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Yemen+told+Reform+Qaida+wins/4252378/story.html#ixzz1DYmd1T1F