Saleh terror claim is to scare away votes, says opposition

Sanaa: The Joint Meeting Parties of Yemen said the President's claim that their candidate's bodyguard was involved in the suicide attacks on oil facilities last week is an attempt to scare away voters from the opposition.

The Yemen President, Ali Abdullah Saleh, said that one of the bodyguards of his opponent, Faisal Bin Shamlan, is involved in the suicide attacks.

"The man, who is behind the opposition candidate in this picture, has links with the terrorist group planning to carry out terrorist acts in Sanaa, including the Movenpic hotel. [He was arrested this week]," Saleh said in a press conference held on the eve of the election.

Saleh showed journalists a picture of Bin Shamlan in an election rally with the man accused of terror standing behind him.

According to official media, the bodyguard, Hussain Mohammad Saleh Al Tharhani, is the owner of the house where the Ministry of Interior said four Al Qaida suspects were arrested last Sunday.

Saleh also said that at least one of the 23 Al Qaida suspects, who escaped early this year from a Sanaa prison, was also planning suicide bombings at the oil facilities in Marib and Hadhrmout.

"They don't [carry these out] themselves, they just mislead and deceive young people to carry out for them such sabotage acts," said Saleh referring to the Al Qaida fugitives.

The Joint Meeting Parties (JMPs), denied the accusation saying it is only an attempt to attract votes. It said the man accused of terror was a volunteer in Bin Shamlan's campaign but he was sacked immediately after being discovered as a security agent.

The security issue, it said, is not an issue for political wrangle.

The JMPs condemned all kinds of terror, accusing the authorities of being behind the "kidnappings and bombings" to divert attention from the elections.

"At the beginning of the campaign, we opened the door for volunteers from young people to join our campaign [for] Bin Shamlan. A number of young people came to us including [Al Tharhani]," said Mohammad Qahtan, chairman of executive board of the JMPs, in a press conference held immediately after the President's conference yesterday.

According to state-run 26 September newspaper, Al Tharhani, who carries a number of names, identification cards and passports, was chosen by Islah party to accompany the JMPs' candidate, Bin Shamlan. He used to chant slogans and cheer for Bin Shamlan in the election rallies. He was also member of a terrorist group in Afghanistan and a companion of Al Qaida leader Osama Bin Laden.

"The man accompanied Bin Shamlan for eights days, then we received information from his neighbours that he is working with the security agencies, then we thanked him for his voluntary work and told him we don't need [his services] anymore and that was before the bombings," Qahtan added.

"We can't deny the ability of the authorities to penetrate any group they like but we cannot imagine that the authorities can do something good for this country," he said.

Referring to the four French tourists who were kidnapped last week, Saleh said they would be released after the elections.