By: Jamal al-Hamadani

Translated by: Mahmoud Assamiee

SANA'A, June (Saba)-Foreign Minister Abu Bakr al-Qirbi diminished importance of sabotage acts made by outlaw members and calls for secession raised recently in some southern governorates.

In interview with Saudi Al Madina Newspaper, al-Qirbi said Yemeni Unity is the natural fate of Yemeni people. He said the Yemeni- Saudi relations are in continuous development while there is support and care from the Custodian of the tow Holly Mosques and President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

He said raising Israeli extremist right-wing to the office as Binyamin Natanyaho Prime Minister and Avigdor Lieberman as foreign minister does not bring good news in realizing peace in the region.

He indicated that Arab Peace Initiative will not remain on the table for ever and there is a meeting to Arab foreign Ministers late this year to evaluate the situation in the region and wither the initiative remain or not.

The following interview sheds lights more about the situation in Yemen.

Q: What is your explanation to recent sabotage acts and calls to cession by so called leaders of the political movement in southern and eastern governorates?

A: Calls for separation and sabotage acts in some southern governorates have made by some outlaws groups fed by separatists dreaming of to return to before 22 of May 1990. They utilize atmosphere of democracy and tolerance the homeland enjoy carrying out their goals. However, the government dealt with them with complete keenness to keep security and protect citizens while in the same time granted them the right to demonstrate and free expression according to the constitution laws. But the government will firmly act to thwart violence and sabotage acts.

Q: How do you see affirmation of Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal on unlimited support to Yemen and his saying" Yemen's stability is the Kingdom's stability and stable kingdom is stable Yemen"?
A: In fact, this attitude is not new for our brothers in the Kingdom. It reflects the natural and real situation of relations between the two brotherly countries and the extend perception and understanding of the Saudi political leadership to dangers and aftermaths unrest and instability in Yemen. Brothers in the kingdom believe that Yemen's unity was new addition to stability and security in the region.

Q: What are reasons behind reoccurrence between the government and Houthi rebels? And what is the new of this issue?
A: Situations in Sa'ada witness some times state of calmness and some others tensions as a result of practices of rebels every now and then. The government aims at keeping security and stability and reconstructing the area. Some may exploit situations in the south to push Houthis for more violence. However, president and the government are so keen to avoid war despite increasing blackmailing by Houthis.

Q: Are al-Qaeda militant still posing threat to foreign facilities in Yemen? Is there a plan to face this threat?

A: No one deny al-Qaeda and extremists' existence in Yemen as the matter in many regional and foreign countries. The problems are what are the sizes of these organizations and extend of their abilities on carrying out terrorist acts? I think, we in Yemen suffer from exaggerating of these groups' potentials because their targets are easy and soft such as targeting innocent tourists. They can not target the security and the army and they realize they carry out acts do not sever Islam at all.

Q: What are reasons behind Yemen an the United States differences over returning Yemeni detainees in Guantanamo Bay to Yemen?

A: Since the beginning, Yemen has been demanding to get its detainees at their home and committed itself to deal with them according the constitution and law. When the US party suggested Saudi experience and its success in qualifying Saudi elements coming back from Guantanamo and introduced the idea of Yemen to qualify their citizens expected to be released, we welcomed that and so Americans voiced readiness to support this experiment with $ 11 million. Yemen's did no put any condition to receive its citizens. Very sorrowfully, there are American centers and some political analysts or some officials in the US administrations consider Yemen's attitudes over Guantanamo prison as a difficulty to US administration to cure the file. Yemen wants curing detainees problem whither by returning them to their countries or sending them to nearest prisons in Europe or in the Arab World.

Q: What reasons behind hindering continuous dialogue between Palestinians and not reaching to joint point in all issues including restoring Palestinian reconciliation?

A: There is Palestinian dialogue in Cairo and Egypt exerts efforts to reach to Palestinian reconciliation and solving all problems causing the split, besides all Arab countries support these efforts to bring it into success. Whatever efforts made by Arab countries depend on Palestinian to make them successful.

Q: How do you read the future of peace process in the area on the light of current developments in Palestine and winning of Natanyahoo as Prime Minister?

A: In fact, rising of the Israeli Extreme Right-Wing to the power as Natanyahoo Prime Minister and Avigdor Lieberman as Foreign Minister does not bring good news. Even extremist Israeli statements and not admitting the two- state solution are early indicators of retreat realizing peace process. We are Arabs presented all concessions and we have nothing more to present. US Barak Obama who committee himself to the two-state solutions and supporting peace process in the Middle East has the opportunity to play great role.

Q: Is Arab initiative for peace with Israel still valid to be discussed in the light of current developments and Israeli continuous refuse to it?

A: Arab initiative for peace will not remain long on the table. Custodian of the two Holly Mosques affirmed this in Kuwait Summit. As I said, we have to wait for steps to be taken by the new US administration and see her efforts towards peace. There is a meeting to Arab foreign Ministers to be held in the end of 2009. The meeting will evaluate the situation and will see wither the initiative will remain or not. In case there is no practical improvement, Arab are not committed to proceed on and will find themselves waiting for other choices.

Q: What is your evaluation to Yemeni-Saudi relations? And how do you see the future of these relations?

A: Our country's relation with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is in continuous improvement and growth. They are influx from the two leaderships' keenness on promoting these relations to the best level. We are in Yemen satisfied with the level of economic and cooperation and political coordination between Yemen and the kingdom. We also look forward for more partnership in field economy and investment.