Al-Qirbi: al-Qaida is under control in Yemen and in Saudi Arabian Kingdom

By: Jamal al-Hamdani

Translated by: Mahmoud Assamiee

SANA'A, Feb. 11 (Saba)- Foreign Minister Abu Bakr al-Qirbi minified
importance over what have been circulated recently over announcing
new system to al-Qaida elements called "Jazirat al-Arab".

Speaking to Saudi al-Madina Newspaper, al-Qirbi stated that the
Yemen and Saudi authorities have information on the whereabouts of
these elements in the Kingdom, Yemen, in the area and other place.
"They are under security control and censorship."

Al-Qaida elements do not provide anything other than violence,
destruction and damages to their homelands and to Islam and Muslims,
said al- Qirbi. He affirmed that his country is currently preparing
a center for qualifying their citizens returning from Guantanamo.
The center aims and requalifying these elements after bad treatments
and physical and psychological torture to be integrated with the
society.

Al-Madina Newspaper conducted the following interview with al-Qirbi
for more about issues in the region.

Unifying Palestinian Front

Q: How do you see Yemen's new initiative for healing refit between
Palestinian factions, especially after failure of the previous
initiative in reconciliation between the greatest factions of Fath
and Hamas movements for finishing split between the two parts?

A: The Yemeni recent initiative is based on the previous
initiatives, Sana'a treaty between Fatah and Cairo and Mecca
treaties. previously, there were forces refusing reconciliations
between Fatah and Hamas from inside and outside the region. Now,
after Israeli aggression against Gaza, the Palestinian factions have
become convinced that dialogue and reconciliation are the way for
unifying their front.

Furthermore, international community, or UN Security Council's
resolution 1860 affirm reconciliations and including Hamas in the
peaceful process. Peace will not be realized and difference will not
be settled without Hamas participation.

Q: What are the guarantees for making this initiative successful,
especially after speculations on exchanged accusations between Hamas
and Fatah and giving every part a group of conditions for starting
the dialogue over Yemeni initiative or other ones?

A: The real guarantees are the wisdom of Palestinian leaderships for
making interests of the people above their own interests. There is
no doubt that the dialogue, the reconciliation and enhancing the
confidence will provide the suitable environments for agreement.


Enhancing Arab-Arab relations

Q: How do people can evaluate results of Kuwait Economic and
Political Summit? What is the difference between these results and
of Doha Consultative Summit's meetings for Gaza?

A: Kuwait summit represented important step on level of enhancing
Arab-Arab relations embarking on directing necessary support for
realizing economic and social development. It has become clear that
Arab are in need for special approach for dealing their issues. The
policy alone will not enable them for realizing partnership or
secure their national security. Hence, there are satisfaction that
investments in development fields are the real investments that
realize the economic revenue and provide guarantees to such
investments.

In addition, raising living level of Arab citizen in the poor
counties and increasing the development's wheal speed in these
countries will have economic revenues on the investing countries.
Development and prosperity that would be realized in countries
receiving investments would lead to strengthen Arab national
security.

Yemeni-Saudi relations

Q: How do evaluate Yemeni-Saudi relations and their future,
especially in security domain? A: The Yemeni-Saudi relations are
unique and are improving as a result of the two leaderships'
keenness on political and security cooperation and coordination.
Besides this the two countries have similar vision over different
Arab, Islamic and international issues.

Arab initiative for peace

Q: What is your reading to peace process in the region in the light
of incidents and latest Israeli aggression against Gaza?A: The
Israeli barbaric aggression reflects Israeli mentality seeking to
impose the peace it wants without giving deference to international
legitimacy's decisions, related agreements or international law. It
is clear that its recent aggression has convinced many that Israel
is not reliable as partner for realizing peace. Thus the
international community should face it with resolutions like those
in the seventh chapter to respect the right of Palestinians in
establishing their state on their national soil.

Arabs have presented their initiative for peace. This initiative
provides peaceful basis for realizing just and inclusive solution.
However, this initiative, as the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques
King Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz, has mentioned in Kuwait Summit that
will not remain on the table for ever.

So a golden chance will vanish before the world and Israel for
ending violence. Israel must understand that timing is not in its
interests and that there is no choice before it other than accepts
solutions provided by Arab Initiative for Peace.

Al-Qaiday existence

Q: It has been announced recently on forming what is called " new
system to al-Qaida in Yemen", how do you read such a step? What
are the most important measures could be taken for facing such
announcement? Is there Saudi-Yemeni coordination for facing this new
system?

A: We know the whereabouts of al-Qaidah in the region and other
parts in the world. Security apparatus know the whereabouts of
al-Qaidah elements in Yemen and in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and
they are under control and following up. Sorrowfully these elements
do not provide anything other than violence, destruction and harming
their homelands, Islam and Muslims.

Islam enemies use these elements' activities as justification
for harming Islam and create problems in our Islamic world. Surely,
security apparatus in both Yemen and Saudi kingdom are exchanging
information for protecting the security of the two countries.

Security Cooperation

Q: What are the objectives of Saudi Interior Minister Assistant
Prince Mohammad bin Nayef toYemen?A: This visit has come in the
framework of security coordination and cooperation between the
kingdom and Yemen. Such visits are happing periodically.

Center for qualifying comers from Guantanamo

Q: Would you clarify to us the nature of the center Yemen is
preparing for receiving its citizens detained in Guantanamo?

A: The center, Yemen prepares, aims at receiving comers from
Guantanamo bay and qualifying them to be integrated in their
society. We have to understand that these young have underwent
several types of sufferings as a results of investigations, torture
and non-humanitarian. This of course has affected their
psychological and physical conditions.

It is necessary to provide them help and giving physical and
material support. They have to be qualified to return to their
normal life and providing them work opportunities and training them
if this is needed.

Coordination Council

Q: What are the latest efforts of Yemen for facing Somali piracy in
the Arabian Sea and the Red Sea?A: Yemen's efforts are represented
in facing piracy via coast guards' patrols that protect our regional
waters as well as in coordination with the international community
whose military ships are exiting in Arab Sea and the Indian Ocean
for following up piracy.

Yemen also has participated in a number of conferences that aim at
improving means of fighting piracy. Among this measures establishing
a center for coordinating efforts for fighting piracy. This center
will be in Aden.