Yemen sets up agency for national security

Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh yesterday issued a decree for setting up the National Security Agency (NSA) in the country.

"The Agency aims to ensure safety and integrity of Yemen, protect its national security and take all measures to preserve its sovereignty and high interest," said the decree.

The Agency shall assume respo-nsibility for collecting and analysing intelligence information on all hostile situations and activities directed from abroad and the ones which form a threat to the country's national security, and its sovereignty, its political system, its economic and military positions.

The Agency shall be based in the capital Sanaa and may have branches in the governorates, the decree stipulates.

It is also the Agency's business to forward suitable proposals and opinions to confront and deal with those situations.

Moreover, to discover and combat the sabotage acts inimical to national security, protect the borders of the country and its islands and enemy elements directed from abroad, are also among the functions of the Agency.

It is to collect and record information about all directed spying activities in all its forms, purposes and must work to fight this.

In cooperation with the bodies concerned, the Agency shall do fact-finding works about those who may have been involved in committing sabotage acts, the decree reads. The Agency shall exercise its duties and functions without affecting the principle of the multi-party system, public liberties and human rights.

Its functions and jurisdictions should be in line with the constitution and the laws in effect. It is entitled to request information from any governmental body when the need arises.

It works in coordination with the Presid-ential Office, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Interior and the Political Security Organisation, the decree concludes.

Yemen has shown remarkable cooperation with the U.S. in the framework of combating 'terrorism' especially after the September 11 attacks.

The U.S. has recently supported Yemen to set up the General Coast Guards Authority with the purpose of preventing any suspected elements from infiltrating into the country.

Tens of U.S. military 'experts' have been training Yemeni Special Forces to combat terror.