Yemen criticised for not attending Doha conference

Sana'a: The Yemeni opposition parties criticised the government's decision for not attending the Doha summit on Gaza as an "irresponsible response to regional pressures".

Yemen initially agreed to attend the summit but later changed its decision.

"This hasty and irresponsible decision does not express the Yemeni people's position but expresses the confusion of the regime inside and outside the country," opposition groups said in a statement.

The opposition parties said the recantation of the government was just a response to regional dictations and pressures, referring to Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

"The Yemeni position should not have been subjected to regional and international dictations and pressures which are used as a cover for the increasing Zionist aggression," they said.

The Foreign Minister Abu Bakr Al Querbi said Yemen did not attend the Doha summit because the quorum was not complete.

"I think it's suitable to give the priority to the Palestinian issue in the Kuwait summit especially all Arab leaders, or most of them, will be there," he said.

Yemen's moven came after President Ali Abdullah Saleh had a meeting with the senior officials of the state on Thursday.

"No good results can be reached for confronting the Israeli aggression without holding a summit that brings together all Arab leaders," Minister of Information, Hussan Al Louzi, said after the meeting.

The Minister Al Louzi said that the meeting also discussed a new initiative for reconciliation between the Palestinian factions mainly Hamas and Fatah. He said the new initiative will be sponsored by Egypt, Syria, and Turkey.