Al-Qirbi: al-Qaeda is under control in Yemen and in Saudi Arabia

SANA'A, Feb. 12 (Saba)- Foreign Minister Abu Bakr al-Qirbi minified the importance
of what have been circulated recently over announcing a new group of al-Qaeda
militants called "al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula".

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

"Al-Qaeda elements do not provide anything other than violence, destruction and
damages to their homelands and to Islam and Muslims", said al- Qirbi, affirming that
his country is currently preparing a center for rehabilitating their citizens
returning from the U.S.-run prison camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The center aims to
rehabilitate these elements in order to be reintegrated into society after they
receive bad treatments and physical and psychological torture there.

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

Unifying Palestinian Front

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

A: The Yemeni recent initiative is based on the previous initiatives, Sana'a treaty
between Fatah and Hamas and Cairo and Mecca treaties. Previously, there were forces
refusing reconciliations between Fatah and Hamas from inside and outside the region.
Now, after the 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 No. 1860
affirms reconciliations and includes Hamas in a peace process. Peace will not be
realized and difference will not be settled without Hamas's 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 the 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 and boosting the confidence will provide the suitable environments for
reconciliation.

Enhancing Arab-Arab relations

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

A: The Kuwait summit represented an important step on level of enhancing Arab-Arab
relations embarking on directing necessary support for realizing an economic and
social development. It has become clear that Arabs are in need for a special
approach for dealing with their issues. The policy alone will not enable them for
realizing partnership or securing their national security. Hence, there are
satisfactions 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 citizens 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 the Arab
national security.

Yemeni-Saudi relations



Q: How do you evaluate the 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 a similar vision over different Arab, Islamic
and international issues.

Arab initiative for peace

Q: What is your reading to the peace process in the region in the light of the
latest Israeli aggression against Gaza?

A: The Israeli barbaric aggression reflects Israel's mentality seeking to impose the
peace it wants without giving deference to the international legitimacy's
resolutions, related to international agreements or laws. It is clear that its
recent aggression had convinced many that Israel is not reliable as a partner in
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 a peaceful
basis for realizing just an inclusive solution. However, this initiative, as Saudi
King Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz mentioned in the Kuwait Summit, 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 the Arab Initiative for
Peace.

Al-Qaeda existence

Q: It has been announced recently on forming what is called "al Qaeda in the Arabian
Peninsula", a new group of 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 group?

A: We know the whereabouts of al-Qaeda in the region and other parts in the world.
Security services know the whereabouts of al-Qaeda elements in Yemen and in the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and they are under control and follow-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 a justification for harming Islam
and creating problems in our Islamic world. Surely, security apparatus in both Yemen
and Saudi Arabia are exchanging information for protecting the security of the two
countries.

Security Cooperation

Q: What are the objectives of the recent visit of Saudi Assistant Minister of
Interior Prince Mohammad bin Nayef to Yemen?

A: This visit has come in the framework of security coordination and cooperation
between the kingdom and Yemen. Such visits are happening periodically.

Center for rehabilitating returners from Guantanamo

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

A: The center, Yemen prepares, aims at receiving returners from Guantanamo bay and
rehabilitating them to be reintegrated into their society. We have to understand
that these young have underwent several types of sufferings as a result of
investigations, torture and non-humanitarian treatments. Of course, they have
affected their psychological and physical conditions.

It is necessary to provide them help and physical and material support. They have to
be rehabilitated in order to return to their normal life and we have to provide them
work opportunities and train them if this is needed.

Coordination Council

Q: What are the latest efforts of Yemen for facing Somali piracy in the Gulf of Aden
and the Red Sea?

A: Yemen's efforts are represented in facing piracy via its coast guards' patrols
that protect our regional waters as well as coordination with the international
community whose military ships are exiting in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean
for following up pirates.

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

Saba