PRESIDENT: REBELLION IN SA'ADA AIMS TO REINSTALL RULE OF IMAMATE

SANA'A, Sep. 18 (Saba) - President Ali Abdullah Saleh asserted on
Friday that what occurs in Sa'ada is an armed insurgence against the
country intends to reinstall the rule of imams that was toppled by a
republican revolution in 1962.

"The insurgence's goals have been declared six years ago by the
outlaw rebels", President Saleh said in a conversation with the
Sudanese Satellite channel.

Speaking on the rebellion's foreign support, Saleh said that a
number of the rebels are involved in drug smuggling. He said the
foreign support is very clear for any observers for some satellite
channels and official media outlets that adopt supporting the
rebellion.

The security authority have already arrested two sells belongs to
the rebellion. Their members have admitted getting financial support
from some clerics in Iran.

He made reference to the slogan "Death to America ... Death to
Israel", saying that it is quixotic to mislead the public opinion
over the rebellion's devil goals and its armed revolt against the
state.

Extensive efforts for peace have been exerted to put an end to the
rebellion peacefully and stop the bloodshed, Saleh said, indicating
that the rebels refused such efforts.

He said that they always take advantage from any truce to rebuild
themselves and continue their sabotage and criminal acts.

Answering a question on the link between Sa'ada rebellion and what
happened in some southern governorates, Saleh said "We can not say
that it is one agenda, but their agendas all against the political
system".

Al- Houthi rebels have been launching intermittent wars against the
troops since 2004 in the northern governorate of Sa'ada, which
located close to border with Saudi Arabia.

Since then, thousands of people, soldiers and insurgents have been
killed in the governorate after the rebel group was founded by rebel
leader Hussein al- Houthi.

Hussein, the eldest brother of the current group leader Abdul-Malik,
was killed by the army in September 2004.

The Yemeni government accuses the Houthi group of trying to
reinstall the rule of imams.

Last August, the Yemeni government announced conditions for a
ceasefire in the area but it seem the defiant rebels have not yet
accepted the conditions.

The truce conditions are:

1- Full withdrawal from all Saada districts and eliminating all
checkpoints from all roads.

2 - Coming down from mountain peaks and ending banditry and
sabotaging.

3 - Giving back all military and public equipment seized during
battles with the troops.

4 - Establishing the fate of six foreigners, a German family
comprising of parents and three children and a Briton, who all
available information suggest were kidnapped by the rebels in June.

5 - Handing over kidnapped Saada locals.

6 - Stopping interference in the local government's responsibilities.

AF/AF