Yemeni VP admits security situation is deteriorating

By Nic Robertson,, CNN Senior International Correspondent

June 30, 2011 6:25 a.m. EDT

Sanaa, Yemen (CNN) -- The Yemeni government has lost control over five provinces, and security in the country is deteriorating, the nation's acting president told CNN in an exclusive interview Wednesday.
In his first interview with a Western TV network, Vice President Abdu Rabu Mansoor Hadi detailed how U.S. drones are using voice recognition to target al Qaeda leaders and help the government win back control.
Hadi has been Yemen's acting president since June 3, when President Ali Abdullah Saleh was wounded in an attack on the mosque at the presidential palace.
During Wednesday's hour-long meeting, Hadi said Saleh's wounds from what he described as an assassination attempt were so severe that he has no idea when the president will return from medical treatment in Saudi Arabia.

Hadi said he saw Saleh immediately after the bomb attack. The 68-year-old ruler's chest had been pierce by a piece of wood and his face, arms and upper body had been burned, Hadi said. But, he added, the president's health was improving daily.
The interview in the sprawling and heavily defended defense ministry underlined the many challenges facing the vice president, who many in the opposition consider to be a weak placeholder until the president returns from Saudi Arabia.
He acknowledges that his house is surrounded by opposing forces, but he challenges claims that he is unable to use the presidential palace. Hadi says he calls Saleh's son, commander of the powerful Republican Guard at the palace, whenever he wants to give him orders.
He countered opposition accusations that he has no power, saying he has been given full authority to sign a new, U.N.-sponsored peace proposal. He outlined plans that are even less favorable to Saleh's opponents than a Gulf Cooperation Council initiative he has already turned down.
Hadi said the new deal would have Saleh stepping down only when a new president has been elected, a far cry from the Gulf Council proposal that would have Saleh handing power to Hadi after 30 days with new elections within 60 days.
At times, Hadi -- who lived in Britain during the 1960s -- shifted uncomfortably in his seat, even joking at the end of the interview that he felt he'd been through an interrogation. Nevertheless, he gave a robust defense of Saleh, challenging the widely held view that the embattled leader is now part of the problem, rather than part of the solution. Saleh still has 3 million supporters, Hadi said.
"He is part of the political balance here in Yemen. He has been an expert in dealing with all differences, and with all political and tribal differences," Hadi said.
When asked how al Qaeda may have been taking advantage of deteriorating security, Hadi said government forces were targeting them aggressively. He detailed an ongoing operation in the southern Abyan province, where the capital recently fell to al Qaeda.
He also gave an account of how U.S. spy planes eavesdrop on al Qaeda conversations, running voice recognition analysis that is shared with Yemeni authorities, the CIA and the FBI before targets are attacked.
Hadi said there are two types of drones.
"One is taking pictures and collecting information, and the other one is carrying missiles. Drones carrying missiles, actually these missiles could not be fired ... unless the voice of the enemy himself is recorded," he said.
Often, he said, the United States provides the targeting information and Yemeni military forces carry out the attacks.
Hadi offered few insights into how he plans to end Yemen's spiraling economic hardships, growing fuel and power shortages and rising food prices -- issues that have sparked massive anti-government protests over the past several months and have worsened sharply since the president left for treatment in Saudi Arabia.
But he said he expected Saleh to make a speech to the nation in the coming hours that will help change the situation.
And he said the U.N.-sponsored peace proposal will create a new, parliamentary political system in Yemen, "so it will wipe out or vanish any grievances, any complaints."
Saleh went to Saudi Arabia for treatment after doctors examined him shortly after the attack in early June. They recommended he get attention from specialists, including an eye doctor. Since arriving there, he said, the president had been improving and fully intends to return.
But when asked when that would be, he said he did not know.
"It could be months. This is a decision up to the doctors. ... I have no idea about the exact date when he is coming," Hadi said.
In Washington, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen said the chaos in Yemen has been a source of concern to the United States for years. "Al Qaeda, the federated group that's in Yemen, is an incredibly dangerous group that has taken full advantage of the chaos that has been in that country," he told the National Press Club.

But, he added, the military cannot provide the whole answer. "The security piece is a necessary condition, but it is insufficient in and of itself and it's taken us a long time to figure that out."

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Aid group: Hundreds of children fleeing drought arrive in Kenya daily

By the CNN Wire Staff

June 30, 2011 6:58 a.m. EDT

(CNN) -- More than 800 Somali children are arriving at crowded refugee camps in Kenya daily after walking for days to escape a prolonged drought, an aid group said this week.
About 10 million people are at risk of starvation as the Horn of Africa region faces the worst drought in 60 years, according to the United Nations.
The drought has left thousands of children in Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia and Uganda malnourished, and millions others in danger, Save the Children said.
Nearly 1,300 people, including children, are arriving daily at the Dadaab refugee camps in northeastern Kenya, according to Save the Children.
"Children have made long journeys in terrifying conditions, often losing their families along the way and arriving at the camps in desperate need of security, health care and a normal life," said Catherine Fitzgibbon, program director of Save the Children in Kenya.
The influx of refugees in the Dadaab area has worsened conditions in a camp already battling limited resources. Dadaab, which was built for 90,000 people, is home to more than 350,000 refugees.
"Drought has forced children out of school as both human and livestock diseases spread," the United Nations said in a statement. "Competition for the meager resources is causing tensions among communities."
Conflict in Somalia is adding to the problem as government forces battle militants in the capital of Mogadishu.
The clashes between the two sides have made it hard for aid groups to access the hardest-hit areas.
"It is essential that we move quickly to break the destructive cycle of drought and hunger that forces farmers to sell their means of production as part of their survival strategy," said Josette Sheeran, the executive director of the World Food Programme.
Aid groups said the combined problems of drought and conflict have sent food prices skyrocketing.
"In Somalia, if we are not able to respond rapidly and effectively to it, there will be many more lives lost," said Mark Bowden, a U.N. humanitarian coordinator in the nation.

Food prices have gone up by 270% in some areas since last year, Bowden said.

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Four Hezbollah members indicted in Hariri death, says source

From Rima Maktabi, CNN

June 30, 2011 12:07 p.m. EDT

(CNN) -- Four members of the Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah have been indicted in the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, a high-placed source in the Lebanese Army confirmed on Thursday.
The Special Tribunal for Lebanon issued the indictments, and a U.N. source familiar with the body said the people include alleged perpetrators on the ground.
Multiple sources in the region said they include Mustafa Badreddine.
Badreddine -- who is the brother-in-law of Imad Mughniyeh, a former Hezbollah commander who was assassinated in Syria in 2008 -- is reported to be a member of Hezbollah's advisory council. The other names on the list are Hasan Oneisa, Salim Ayyah and Asad Sabra.
Two additional lists of indictments are expected later this summer and are expected to include the organizers and planners of the attack, the U.N. source said. The United Nations and the Lebanese Republic negotiated an agreement on the establishment of the tribunal, based at The Hague.
Many Lebanese believe the killing revolved around the controversies over Syria's role in Lebanon, occupied at the time by Syrian troops, and the Damascus government's strong political influence in Lebanon.
People believe Hariri wanted the Syrians to withdraw from Lebanon and lessen Syria's influence, and many suspect that Syria and its ally Hezbollah went after Hariri because of his stance on this issue.


Those suspected connections of Hezbollah and the Syrian government to the killing have raised tensions in the country, stoking fears of sectarian conflict erupting in the ethnically and religiously diverse nation, which endured a civil war from 1975 to 1990.
Besides being prime minister of Lebanon for 10 years between 1992 and 2004, Rafik Hariri was the driving force behind Beirut's renaissance as a Mediterranean jewel, investing in the restoration of a city center that not so long before had been the frontline in Lebanon's civil war.
Rafik Hariri was 60 when he was killed, a self-made Sunni billionaire of humble origins. His son Saad, 40, leads a political bloc known as "March 14," which includes prominent Christian leaders. The group's adversaries include Hezbollah and other factions.
Syria had thousands of troops in Lebanon and great influence in the country until mass protests after Hariri's assassination forced their withdrawal. Syria has denied any involvement in the assassination.
But six years later, the shadow cast by that day still hangs over Lebanon, which finds itself in a political crisis -- in part caused by the bitter divide over the country's special tribunal that is tasked with investigating Hariri's assassination.
Hezbollah is a political faction in Lebanon and provides social services to Shiites, but it has long been regarded as a terrorist organization by the United States and as an ally of Iran. It has had longstanding animosity toward the tribunal, based on the expectation that some of its members would be indicted as conspirators in Hariri's assassination.
The Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah, has accused the group's arch-enemy Israel of the assassination. The movement, which fought a war on Lebanese soil against Israel five years ago, claims the tribunal is a plot involving the United States, Israel and France. Ibrahim Mousawi, a Hezbollah media relations officer, said it had no immediate reaction to the indictments.
Rafik Hariri and 22 others were killed on February 14, 2005, when a bomb went off as his motorcade passed by. Saad Hariri, Rafik Hariri's son and a former Lebanese prime minister, said on Thursday the indictments were issued after years "of patience and waiting and a constant national struggle."
Saad Hariri called on all factions to accept Lebanon's "obligations" to the tribunal and said on Thursday "there is no excuse for anyone to escape from this responsibility."
"Today, we witness a distinctive historic moment in the life of Lebanon's political, judicial security, and ethical systems. And I feel in the beat of my heart, the embrace of all the hearts of the Lebanese who defended the cause of justice and refused to bargain on the blood of the martyrs," Saad Hariri said in a statement.
Earlier this year, Hezbollah brought down Saad Hariri's government. His replacement is Prime Minister Najib Mikati, a Sunni political independent who was backed by Hezbollah and its allies.
Nasrallah said in January that Hezbollah nominated Mikati to form "a national salvation government in which parties from across the political spectrum would take part." He disputed the view that Mikati is a Hezbollah figure. He said Mikati is a consensus candidate and "we will not lead the new government and it will not be the government of Hezbollah."
Speaking on TV on Friday, Mikati said the "delicate situation" Lebanon is experiencing "requires us to be wise" and avert civil strife. He stressed that the "indictments -- no matter what their source is -- are not sentences, and that charges need to have compelling evidence, away from any doubt, and that everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty."
"This is not a verdict of guilt and any accused person is presumed innocent unless his or her guilt is established at trial," the Special Tribunal said in a statement.
"At this time, the STL has no comment on the identity or identities of the person or persons named in the indictment. Indeed, Judge (Daniel) Fransen has ruled that the indictment shall remain confidential in order to assist the Lebanese authorities in fulfilling their obligations to arrest the accused."

The tribunal says arrest warrants have been submitted to the Lebanese authorities, and that they must inform the tribunal president "within 30 days after the confirmation of the indictment of the measures the state has taken to arrest the person(s) named in the indictment."    

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Tropical Storm Arlene makes landfall on Mexican coast

By the CNN Wire Staff

June 30, 2011 11:28 a.m. EDT

 

(CNN) -- Tropical Storm Arlene made landfall along Mexico's Gulf coast early Thursday, the National Hurricane Center reported.
Arlene, the first named storm of the 2011 Atlantic hurricane season, was moving at about 8 mph, packing sustained winds of 65 mph -- a bit under hurricane status.
The storm was over the Mexican coast near Cabo Rojo at 8 a.m. ET.
"Arlene is expected to continue moving inland over mainland Mexico today," the weather service said. "Weakening is forecast today and Arlene is expected to dissipate on Friday."
Authorities in the Mexican states of Tamaulipas, Veracruz, San Luis Potosi and Nuevo Leon braced for heavy rains. Forecasters from the National Hurricane Center warned of possible flash floods and mudslides.
"With any storm of this size, it's easy to overlook it and call it insignificant," said CNN meteorologist Chad Myers. "The major effect with this storm will not be wind damage, but will be inland flooding from up to 12 inches of rain in the mountains of Mexico."
In Tamaulipas, rains had already began, and precautions were being taken in the southern part of the state, which is expected to be among the hardest hit, said Adan Moctezuma, spokesman for the state government. An alert had been issued in the region, telling residents to prepare for evacuations if necessary.
Mexican authorities issued warnings as Arlene advanced.
A hurricane warning in Mexico stretches from the eastern coastal town of Barra de Nautla north to La Cruz. Authorities have also issued a tropical storm warning from La Cruz north to La Pesca, and from Palma Sola south to Veracruz.
Myers added that while Mexico's major northeastern city of Monterrey should be just north of the maximum rainfall, Victoria "may be right in the middle of the bull's-eye."
The storm is expected to produce 4 to 8 inches of rain in some areas, while isolated amounts of up to 15 inches could fall in mountainous terrain and could cause life-threatening flash floods and mud slides.
Arlene's landfall could spark a storm surge that may raise water levels up to 2 to 4 feet above normal tide markers.

The Atlantic hurricane season spans June 1 to November 30.

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Libya's Gadhafi calls for volunteers, women answer

By David McKenzie, CNN

June 30, 2011 12:29 p.m. EDT

Tripoli, Libya (CNN) -- Embattled Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi is calling for fresh volunteers in a months-long war with rebels attempting to bring about an end to his 42-year rule -- and women of all ages are answering, CNN has learned.
Women from in and around Gadhafi's stronghold of Tripoli have been traveling south to a training facility in Bani Walid to practice with weapons, a common sight in a country where young girls receive military training in schools.
As NATO's airstrikes crossed the 100-day mark and rebels continue to fight to oust Gadhafi, he is tapping everything and everyone in his arsenal to hold on to power.
At the training facility in Bani Walid, women are training to "defend Moammar and the country," said Sgt. Faraj Ramadan, a woman who is training other women to properly handle weapons.
"They train to use it, assemble it and take it apart, and to shoot," she told CNN recently. "They were trained and got excellent scores."
At a recent graduation at the facility, 40-year-old Fatima Masoud said she liked the training. She said she left her textile job every day at 4 p.m. to train.
"I liked training and defending my country, and now I'm am training women from all ages to use weapons," she said.
It is unclear how many have answered Gadhafi's call or how many had graduated from the program at Bani Walid.
But women are fighting alongside government forces.
A woman, who did not want to identified, fresh from the frontlines, attended the graduation. She was still wearing a cannula in her wrist.
"Do not underestimate any woman in Libya, whether old or young," the woman said. "The woman is still able to perform more than you think."

Gadhafi's government claims it has handed out more than a million weapons to civilians since the uprising began. CNN cannot independently verify the claim.

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Man grabs French president before being tackled by security

By the CNN Wire Staff

June 30, 2011 11:24 a.m. EDT

(CNN) -- A man grabbed French President Nicolas Sarkozy by his shoulder and pulled him up against a barricade Thursday before being tackled by security officers.
The incident came as Sarkozy visited the town of Brax in southwest France.
Television footage showed the man being wrestled to the ground by four bodyguards.
The suspect, who is 32 and works at a local music school, was taken into custody and questioned by police who were already present for security reasons, a police spokesman said. He is now being held at Agen police station, the spokesman added.
Sarkozy appeared to have been seized by the shoulder of his jacket as he shook hands with members of the public lined up behind a metal security barrier in the town, near Agen.
The president was due to attend a meeting of local mayors during his visit to the Lot-et-Garonne region, according to local media reports. Earlier, he was to tour a local factory.

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British strikes set to cause chaos for schools, travel

By Richard Allen Greene, CNN

June 30, 2011 11:36 a.m. EDT

London (CNN) -- Hundreds of thousands of British teachers, air traffic controllers, customs officers and other public sector workers went on strike Thursday, causing potential chaos for schoolchildren and travelers.
Workers are demonstrating in many British cities, including London, where thousands of strikers marched peacefully in the center of the city, their route taking them near the prime minister's office at 10 Downing Street.
"We've paid into our pensions, we've paid our taxes," striking adult education tutor Annie Holder said, adding that she was "really angry about the government's politically motivated attempt to steal our pensions."
She blamed "the banking sector" for the country's budget woes.
And she rejected rhetoric from opponents of the strike about the public sector's "gold-plated pensions."
"Our pension will be about 60 pounds ($96) a week. It's hardly gold-plated. We'll have to work much harder and pay more," Holder said.
Police in London said they had made 24 arrests in total as of mid-afternoon.
Since Thursday morning, 18 had been arrested for offenses including possession of drugs, criminal damage and breach of the peace, the police said, with six others detained overnight in Trafalgar Square.
Police declined to estimate the size of the crowd, but one union said it was in the tens of thousands in London.

Striking British teachers 'furious'

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CNN reporters in the central Whitehall area said there were more police and media present than protesters, and that there were minor scuffles earlier. Some demonstrators continued to sit in the street in Whitehall in protest, but the public had been allowed back into Trafalgar Square.
Four unions have told their members to stop work over planned government changes to the pension system.
Perhaps ironically, state pension staff are among those on strike, as members of the Public and Commercial Services Union.
Three teachers' unions are also on strike -- the National Union of Teachers, the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, and the University and College Union -- which together have more than 350,000 members.
The PCS, Britain's fifth biggest union, boasted it had 84% participation from its 300,000 members.
Some 80% of schools across the country are closed or partially closed as a result of the strike, the National Union of Teachers said, and there are fears that airports and ports will be snarled as well.
Nine out of ten police staff who answer calls from the public were on strike, London's Metropolitan Police said.
The National Union of Teachers said the strike is because "the government is planning to cut your pension. They want you to pay more, work longer and get less," arguing that because pensions are "deferred pay ... you are effectively being asked to take a pay cut."
The government, a coalition of Conservatives and Liberal Democrats, is trying desperately to slash government spending in the face of huge deficits.
Danny Alexander, the No. 2 official in the British Treasury, argued earlier this month that "it is unjustifiable that other taxpayers should work longer and pay more tax so public service workers can retire earlier and get more than them."
"It is the employees who are benefiting from longer life and generous pensions, but it is the taxpayer who is picking up the tab," he said.
Alexander, a Liberal Democrat, said the changes the government was proposing aimed to ensure that "public service workers continue to receive among the best, if not the best, pensions available."
Holder, the striking teacher, said the government's explanations for planned changes to the pension system were "nonsense."
The government's Cabinet Office said less than half of PCS workers went on strike Thursday.
Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude, a Conservative, said Wednesday that the strike was "premature" while negotiations between the government and unions were still going on.
He argued that only a minority of civil servants and teachers had voted to strike.
Feelings were strong, however, among many of the workers involved.
Jenny Adams, a teacher from Croydon, said, "We've got a situation where young people are not going to want to stay in this profession.
"It's about who's being asked to foot the bill for a mess that was made by others. We're in a profession that is not kind when it comes to age. It's inconceivable to be in a classroom in (one's) late 60s."
Union leader Dave Prentis warned last week that if the government does not change course on pension reform, the country could face the biggest strikes since 1926. Between 1.5 million and 1.75 million workers participated in a general strike lasting nine days that year.
Prentis, the head of Britain's largest public-sector union, Unison, issued a similar warning in 2005.

Unison is not participating in Thursday's strike but has not ruled out holding one in the autumn if the government presses ahead with its plans.

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