Qatar hails President Saleh to end rebellion in Saada

DOHA, June 17(Saba)- Qatari Premier Hamad bin Jasim al-Thani highlighted President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s efforts to end the rebellion in the Yemeni northern province of Saada. Speaking to the al-Jazeera satellite channel in Qatar on Sunday, al-Thani said that the announcement of the Yemeni government and the rebels leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi to put end for bloody clashes is a result of the meeting held in Sana’a between President Saleh and Qatar Emir Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani. Al-Thani said that President Saleh had showed keenness to end the rebellion crisis in Saada and cooperated with a Qatari mediation in this case. “It is known that president Saleh reunited Yemen, followed the democratic path and made stability and security in the country,” said al-Thani. Yemeni Interior Ministry has said that military operations against Shiite rebels in Saada has been halted as al-Houthi declared an end to their struggle, following the Qatari mediation. The Qatari mediation required the rebels to hand over their heavy weaponry to the Yemeni army and the government to release rebel prisoners, pay for the reconstruction of villages ravaged by the fighting and help displaced people return home. The rebellion began in June 2004 when cleric Hussein Badr Eddin al-Houthi ordered his followers to take up arms against the government. Al-Houthi was killed in clashes later that year. The rebels accuse the government of corruption and that it is too closely allied to the west. YA/NS