NOW THAT British and Yemen authorities are apparently co-operating again over the Islamic Army affair, there is one piece of evidence they should work together to obtain.

Somewhere - presumably lying unpaid and collecting red-ink reminders - is an itemised bill for the calls that Abu al-Hassan, the kidnappers' leader, made on the satellite phone which was so kindly provided by Abu Hamza al-Masri, the London-based imam. The bill will show all the numbers that Abu al-Hassan called while holding the western tourists hostage - and should go a long way towards clarifying Abu Hamza's role in the fatal kidnapping and possibly other matters.

The bill will also prove or disprove claims made in court that during the kidnapping Abu al-Hassan phoned - or attempted to phone - a number of prominent Yemenis, including President Salih's half-brother, Ali Muhsin al-Ahmar.

While the men from Scotland Yard are in Yemen, they might take the opportunity to note the serial number of the phone and the equipment seized from the Britons who are on trial in Aden. They could then check who bought the equipment, and where. One uncorroborated source suggests that the satellite phone was not bought at all but was one of three which disappeared from British Telecom some time ago.

Back in London, police are still holding Abu Hamza's computer, which they seized when he was arrested under the Prevention of Terrorism Act on March 15. The sheikh's website (http://www.ummah.net/sos) apologetically explains that he is unable to read or answer email as a result. He believes that his home is also bugged and has appealed for anyone with "knowledge of counter-terrorism, espionage and anti-bugging techniques" to contact him urgently and help to "clean" the premises.

[23.4.99]

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IN OCTOBER

YEMEN'S first direct presidential elections are scheduled for October, officials in Sana'a announced on April 11. President Salih recently met leaders of the Socialist Party and Islah to discuss disagreements about procedure.

The government has promised to revise the voting lists after complaints that up to half a million people (out of 4.6 million) are registered twice. A spokesman for the Supreme Elections Committee said on April 12 that work on this would start in the next three weeks. About 13,000 people from 18 political parties are expected to take part in the revision process.

The constitution requires at least two candidates, but so far no party has declared its intentions.

President Ali Abdullah Salih insists it is "too early to say" whether he will stand, but he is expected to be nominated by the ruling party, the General People's Congress, at a meeting in July. The main opposition party, Islah, said earlier that it would be supporting Salih.

The Yemen Socialist Party, which formerly ruled south before unification, boycotted the last parliamentary elections in 1997 and as a result does not have the 10% of parliamentary seats needed to nominate a candidate. However, the GPC wants the election to appear credible and has offered to "lend" the YSP enough members of parliament to field a competitor.

In an interview with the Emirates newspaper, al-Khaleej, published on April 13, President Salih said: "We think there should be a maximum of 10 candidates ... and we have encouraged political parties to hold meetings to nominate their candidates."

[Updated 21.4.99]

ABU HAMZA ISSUES NEW THREAT

ABU HAMZA AL-MASRI, the London-based imam, has issued a new threat on behalf of the Islamic Army of Aden-Abyan. It warns the British and American ambassadors to leave Yemen - "the land of Islam" - and says that if they stay "the strike will be painful for the enemies of Islam".

The handwritten statement is signed by "Abu al-Muhsin", who is said to be the new commander of the Islamic Army following the arrest of Abu al-Hassan al-Mihdar. Abu al-Hassan is one of 14 people on trial in Yemen accused of kidnapping 16 western tourists and killing four of them on December 29 last year. He could face the death penalty if convicted.

Abu Hamza has issued previous communiques on behalf of the Islamic Army and admits speaking to Abu al-Hassan by satellite phone during the kidnapping and discussing what to do with the hostages.

Abu Hamza's son and stepson are among 10 young men from Britain currently on trial in Aden. The Yemeni authorities say they received training from the Islamic Army and were planning to bomb British and American targets in the city. All deny the charges, except for Abu Hamza's son, who has pleaded guilty to forming an armed group.

The latest addition to Abu Hamza's website - under the heading "Another one bites the dust" - is a picture of King Hussein with horns on his head, surrounded by animated flames, apparently roasting in hell. [7.3.99]

"HAPPY" COMPUTER VIRUS

A COMPUTER virus which originated in Europe early in January is now spreading among Yemeni internet users. Several cases have come to Yemen Gateway's attention during the past week.

The virus, called "happy99.exe" is passed from computer to computer via email. The virus arrives as an attachment to emails. If the recipient opens the attachment (which is usually labelled "happy99.exe") by double-clicking, the virus causes a display of fireworks on the screen, then embeds itself in the computer.

Unless the virus - which is technically known as a "worm" - is removed, it will be passed on to other users by attaching itself to every future email sent from the infected computer. Although it does no serious harm, it slows down computer networks by generating extra traffic.

Advice on how to remove it can be found at:
http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Heights/3652/SKA.HTM

[6.3.99}

BIN LADEN "HOAX LETTER"

A NOTE telling Americans and Britons to leave Yemen by the end of February is being treated as an unpleasant hoax. It is signed: "Army of Suicidals, Group No. 66, Bin Laden Militant Wing", but diplomats do not regard it as a serious threat.

It set a deadline of 276 hours, starting at 01.00 GMT on Tuesday February 16, for all Americans and Britons to leave. The note - which was written in English - said: "If you stay, then you've chosen death. ... We'll make you pay for every drop of Arab and Muslim blood you shed since the Crusades."

"Get out of this land which has nothing to offer you but hatred and violence. And when you go - take your filthy husbands with you. Or else their rotten corpses will be shipped out to you in coffins." It added that those remaining would be attacked with anthrax. [18.2.99]

PRIME MINISTER TREATED FOR MALARIA

THE YEMENI prime minister, Abd al-Karim al-Iryani, flew to Germany on February 10 to be treated for malaria. Dr Iryani, who is 65, returned to Yemen on February 21.

There have been about 700,000 cases of malaria in Yemen over the last few months and more than 2,000 people have died. [22.2.99]

A HIGH-LEVEL source in Yemen has said that an explosion in al-Dali' last November was an attempt to assassinate President Salih.

The incident, on November 19, was briefly reported at the time in al-Shoura newspaper, which said an explosion occurred 400 metres from the president's motorcade. According to the source, four local men disguised in military uniforms, tried to attack the motorcade with an artillery gun from a hilltop, but their equipment failed.

An intelligence report later said the attack was planned by Mowj, the exiled opposition group which is based in London. Mowj, however, has consistently dissociated itself from violence. [8.2.99]

THE MINISTRY of Legal Affairs has proposed a solution to the constitutional tangle which meant that President Salih was likely to be the only candidate allowed to compete in the presidential elections next autumn. It has drafted a series of constitutional amendments changing the requirements for presidential candidates, and by-passing the screening role of parliament.

There are several other proposals, including one which would make the Consultative Council a fully-fledged upper house of parliament, with legislative powers. Parliament is expected to discuss the plan in February. The ruling General People's Congress (PGC) should have no difficulty in mustering the 75% of parliamentary votes required to change the consitution. The 1990 constitution was previously amended in 1994, after the war of secession. [10.1.99]

SINCE 1990 more than 150 visitors to Yemen have had their holidays unavoidably extended as "guests" of the rural tribes. Typically, they are held for 10-14 days while the captors press demands for electricity, health centres, cars, government jobs, university places, or just a sackful of dollars.

Yemenis themselves are also at risk of kidnapping, but foreigners are more highly prized. Holding Americans, Europeans or others from countries which provide economic aid to Yemen puts more pressure on the government to comply with the kidnappers' demands.

Hostage-taking in Yemen is one facet of the long and strained history of relations between the state and tribes who have their own traditional laws, recognising central government only when it suits them. In the old days, when Yemen was ruled by an Imam, he used to keep the tribes in order by holding sons of the leading sheikhs as hostages; today the situation is reversed.

Until the most recent incident, all foreign hostages had been released unharmed - and sometimes showered with gifts by the tribe on their departure. This has been due partly to tribal attitudes towards people regarded as guests (even when entertained against their will) and partly to the government's willingness to see kidnappings resolved by negotiation. Although nothing is ever publicly admitted, there is speculation that in the past kidnappers' demands have been met. The problem with this approach is that it resolves the immediate difficulty but encourages future kidnappings.

Last August, however, the Yemeni government adopted a tougher line. President Ali Abdullah Salih issued a decree introducing the death penalty for kidnapping and several other offences. Simultaneously a tribal conference condemned hostage-taking and for a time - apart from a brief incident involving two Belgians - it seemed that the kidnappings had stopped.

Then, on December 6, armed men from the Bani Dhabyan tribe held up a car carrying four German tourists and took them off to a remote mountain stronghold in Marib province. It was the fourth kidnapping by the tribe in the space of 14 months. The government responded by surrounding the area with troops and arresting members of the tribe at random - in effect, making them hostages of the state.

The Yemeni government had hoped that the death penalty would deter further kidnappings, but there is a danger that it may simply escalate conflict between the state and tribes. If the incident ends in executions or a shoot-out, it could assume the character of a blood feud, rumbling on for years.

Some travel companies are also unhappy about the tougher approach. In the past some of them paid bribes to tribesmen to guarantee a safe passage for their customers. Now, they fear that the trend towards armed escorts for tourist convoys is increasing the risk of injury or death.

Although the hostage risk deters some companies from offering Yemen as a tourist destination, tourists themselves seem undeterred, perhaps even attracted by the frisson of excitement. Last year 84,000 tourists visited Yemen - twice as many as four years ago. Germany, France, Italy and the UK account for almost half the total. [3.1.99]

THE MALARIA outbreak in Yemen has killed 1,195 people since October 13, according to the health ministry. Unofficial medical estimates put the figure higher - about 2,000 deaths in October and November, among a total of 425,000 cases.

On December 2, the health minister, Abd al-Wali Nashr, appealed for international aid to fight the disease.

According to Yemeni press reports, cases have occurred in the provinces of Dali', Aden, Shabwa, Lahj, Ta'izz, Hodeidah and Ibb. The worst affected area is Dali' (al-Haq, 15.11.98).

In Shabwa, 8,000 people are said to be suffering from malaria, and in Ta'izz during November , several hundred people were reportedly arriving at hospitals every day. Medical teams sent to the affected areas have been hampered by shortages of medicine.

Although the centre and south of Yemen is most seriously affected, there are also said to have been some cases in Sana'a, Jauf, Marib and Soqotra. 

The government has been reluctant to discuss the outbreak - probably to avoid spreading alarm - though early in November  Dr Nashr promised ten vehicles to spray insecticides in malaria-stricken areas, plus 80 million riyals to fight the disease. More recently, members of parliament have summoned the minister to question him about the spread of malaria, as well as outbreaks of typhoid and hepatitis.

Despite government efforts to combat malaria over the last nine years, heavy rain in the summer created a large number of swamps which became a breeding ground for disease-carrying mosquitoes.

LATEST REPORTS: In Ta'izz, 70,000 malaria cases have been treated since the start of the national campaign to combat the disease (al-Sahwa, 17.12.98). The Health Minister has disclosed that "friendly countries and donor organisations" have granted $6 million to support anti-malaria campaigns in Yemen (26 September newspaper, 24.12.98).

Sources: al-Haq, 15.11.98; al-Shoura, 8.11.98; al-Thawri, 29.10.98; al-Wahdawi, 3.11.98; al-Umma, 5.11.98; al-Sahwa, 12.11.98 and 19.11.98; Reuters 2.12.98.

IN POOR countries such as Yemen, importers are always on the look-out for foreign goods to buy at knock-down prices. When the goods arrive, rigorous inspection by officials is often lacking - especially if someone gives them a few thousand riyals to lubricate the process. All this makes Yemen a wonderful place to dump defective goods.

But when food and medicines are the goods concerned, the practice is a potentially lethal.

A few months ago it was reported that customs officers at Sana'a airport had intercepted several packages containing labels for food cans. The purpose of the labels was obvious: someone was planning to re-label cans which had passed their "use by" date (al-Ray al-Aam, 28.7.98).

Meanwhile there were reports of dirt being found in Coca Cola bottled at a factory in Yemen. Laboratory tests had also reportedly shown that outdated raw materials were being used (al-Balagh, 20.10.98).

The Yemeni embassy in Austria warned that imports of blood should be properly checked, following reports that Israel was importing blood from African countries and re-exporting it to the third world - though at present there is no evidence that any has reached Yemen (RAY, 20.10.98).

In Hodeida 24 people, including 11 children, were poisoned after eating bread from a bakery in al-Salakhana area (Attariq, 2.2.99).

More than 89,000 sacks of expired wheat have been sold in the local market in the past month (al-Wahdawi, 2.2.99).

Yemen Gateway invites readers to send other examples of this type of malpractice.

GENERAL Anthony Zinni, head of US Central Command, met President Salih on December 12 to discuss "co-operation on demining and joint military exercises," according to the Saba news agency.

This was the seventh senior US military delegation to visit Yemen in 1998. There have also been three joint military exercises and several courtesy visits by US warships to Yemeni ports.

The United States has been involved in operations to remove mines left behind after the 1994 war, when southern leaders attempted to set up a breakaway state. According to the Yemeni armed forces' newspaper, 26 September, US experts have already removed 29,000 of the 56,000 anti-tank mines and 227 of about 2,000 anti-personnel mines. On December 13, General Zinni was attending a graduation ceremony in Aden for 150 US-trained Yemeni de-mining personnel.

However, there have been persistent rumours - officially denied - that the US wants to establish a military base in Yemen. Various locations have been suggested, including Socotra island and the Red Sea port of Mukha.

For some time now, Yemen has been quietly nurturing its relations with the United States, despite opposition from some sections of public opinion. Relations have moved a long way since 1990-91 when Yemen's attitude to the conflict with Saddam led to American aid being cut off. In 1997, during the arms inspection crisis with Iraq, Yemen kept a noticeably low profile. More recently, following the bombings of the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania last August, President Salih wasted no time in sending condolences to President Clinton.

• In February, American and Yemeni forces held their first joint military exercise, and more are planned.
  
• In March, the US warship, Mount Vernon, visited Aden – only the second such visit since the British left in 1967.
  
• In May, General Anthony Zinni, commander of US forces in the region, held talks with Yemeni leaders.
  
• In July, Yemen was among poor 18 countries and regions named by the United States as eligible for donations of wheat.
  
• In October, Lieutenant General Carlton Fulford, head of US marine forces in the Pacific, met President Salih. They discussed joint training, exchange visits and progress on joint operations to clear mines left over from the 1994 war. Later that month, Vice-Admiral Charles Moore, commander of the US Fifth Fleet in the Gulf, met President Salih and the prime minister for discussions which included military cooperation.

These are small steps, however, and the relationship is heavily one-sided. The prospect of American wheat donations is not entirely motivated by generosity: the US wants to rid itself of surplus grain in order to maintain high prices for its own farmers and the donations - although bringing some temporary relief - will not help Yemen to improve its own agriculture.

Yemen is paying a high price for its new relationship with the US in terms of protests from Islamists against co-operation with "the great satan", and complaints from ordinary people about increases in the cost of basic goods forced upon Yemen by the IMF.

But the relationship also has a more positive side. Ultimately, the US is likely to play a key role in any settlement of the border dispute between Yemen and Saudi Arabia. At that stage Yemen will need as many friends in Washington as it can muster.

Opponents of military co-operation struck back last October, circulating a document entitled: "US Department of State: Report on some important issues for 1998" which claimed, among other things, that the US Marines had established a base in Aden.

The US Embassy in Sana'a said the document was a forgery containing "numerous lies". A spokesman said: "The United States does not have - and does not intend to establish - any military bases in Yemen."

However, some diplomatic sources suggest that the Fifth Fleet does plan to use Aden for oil bunkering and resupply.

Nevertheless, some Yemeni journalists are convinced that more significant developments are afoot. On October 27 al-Ra'y al-'Aam newspaper claimed that the government would indeed be granting the US military facilities and a naval base - not in Aden but at Mukha, the small fishing port and ancient home of coffee on the Red Sea coast.

The paper pointed out that Mukha is well away from centres of population, and US forces would feel more secure there, well away from prying eyes.

It has also been noted that a number of modern houses to the east of the US embassy in Sana'a have been commandeered by the government (through the Yemeni Economic Institution) and refurbished at record speed. Construction of some additional four-storey houses has started nearby and there is speculation that they will be occupied by Americans in the second half of 1999.

Al-Wahdawi newspaper reported on October 27 that two US military helicopters had landed at Aden airport the previous week, carrying equipment and supplies from naval vessels anchored off the coast of Abyan. This, the paper said, was related to the joint de-mining operations which are intended to clear up after the 1994 war in Yemen. Al-'Umma newspaper (October 29) commented on the large number of American trainers involved: one trainer for each Yemeni trainee. [Updated 13.12.98]