Al Houthi preparing for war: government

Sana'a: The Yemeni government on Thursday accused the Al Houthi rebels of beating drums for a new war in Sa'ada, north of the country.

Earlier in the week, Al Houthi spokesman, Saleh Habra, said the problem of Sa'ada will be solved only by abiding by the Qatari-brokered deal between government and rebels which was reached in 2007.

"Al Houthi and those outlaws with him like Habra, who beat the drums of war, were the first to refuse the Doha agreement and all peace efforts," said an official statement published by the government media.

"Saleh Habra was and still is thinking that the Doha agreement will bestow a lot of money and personal advantages on him."

On his part, Saleh Habra, in a statement sent to journalists, said, "If the Yemenis want a solution for Sa'ada problem, they should demand the government to abide by the Doha agreement."

"I'm sill adhering to Doha agreement and if the government does not want me as a person, it does not mean that the agreement is no longer valid."

He said they will defend themselves against any possible attack, warning all Yemenis from being passive observers.

"If everybody keeps just watching and doing nothing, then they will all pay the price for that attitude, and they will be held accountable to Allah. For us, we will defend ourselves,'' he said.

The government accused the rebels of violating the truce which was declared by President Ali Abdullah Saleh on July17th, 2008 to end a four-year sporadic war.

"Those deviant and astray elements are still doing banditry and sabotage acts, undermining security and social tranquility, plundering private and public properties, killing and assassinating tribal sheikhs and social dignitaries from Sa'ada province," said the official statement.

Al Houthi and his subordinate Habra do not prefer a climate of peace and security as they get their advantage from wars. Not only do they get money but they mislead naive young people into battles, the statement added.

The statement said the rebels built new trenches and ditches in the mountains like the Ghaflah in Galahad, and they are now building ditches and fortifications and refuges in the mountains which overlook the roads in Maran.

"The rebels kidnapped an employee from the communication building in Sakeen town, in Sa'ada, and bombed a house of a citizen there, and fired at the positions of the government troops in Lahman, Jaza'a and Mosoh mountains in Haidan and Malahaidh districts."

Meanwhile, the opposition parties called for a national solution for the armed rebellion in Sa'ada.

"The quick fix solutions are not enough; there should be national solutions based on good knowledge of the reasons behind this war," said Sultan al Atwani, the chairman of the supreme council of opposition alliance.

"The constitution and laws should govern the government and Al Houthis, interest of the nation should be above the nterests of individuals," he said.

These developments came after government accused Al Houthi rebels of killing two road workers and injuring two others in Al Mahather area in Sa'ada earlier this week. The rebels also were accused of assassinating a prominent tribal Shaikh and his son who are loyal to the government.