The battle between Yemeni forces and Shia militants in the north of the country rages on, Peter Willems reports Two weeks after the clashes started between Yemeni troops and Muslim militants, the Ministry of the Interior reported that 86 supporters of an anti-US cleric and 32 Yemeni troops had been killed in the Saada province 240 kilometres north of the capital Sanaa near the Saudi border. Sources close to the leader of the armed rebels, Hussein Al-Houthi, say that the death toll is higher, and that at least 200 people have been killed. A week into the fighting, Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh sent a delegation to convince Al-Houthi and his followers to surrender, but according to Minister of Interior Rashad Al-Alimi, "Houthi refused all mediation efforts by parliamentarians, Muslim scholars and government officials to surrender peacefully." The ministry also said that 120 government security and military forces and 21 militants had been wounded in the clashes and 331 Al-Houthi followers arrested. "The operation will continue until we arrest all the wanted men," said Al-Alimi. The government has charged Al-Houthi with instigating violent anti-US and anti-Israel protests. Al-Houthi is also a former member of parliament for the pro-monarchy Haq (Truth) Party, and head of a splinter group called "Believing Youth". Government authorities said the organisation was attempting to model itself on Hizbullah in Lebanon, and that it received funding from foreign sources. Authorities also claim that Al-Houthi has secretly organised an armed militia. Several months ago, followers of the cleric started a wave of demonstrations outside mosques, particularly at the Great Mosque in Sanaa. The government has since arrested hundreds of the protesters, who were chanting anti- US and anti-Israel slogans. According to Al-Murtadha Bin Zaid Al-Mahatwary, professor of Islamic Law at Sanaa University and head of Badr Scientific and Cultural Centre, nobody expected any sector of the minority Zaidi Shia group to become militant. "The Zaidis are peaceful, moderate Shias who are closer to the Sunnis in Yemen than the Shia are in many other countries," said Al-Mahatwary. He added, however, that the frustration and anger which is building up in Yemen, particularly within the younger generation, could lead to some form of violence. "The young people now are facing a bleak future in terms of employment opportunities, and poverty is spreading," said Mahatwary. "On top of that, fighting in Palestine and the occupation of Iraq engenders hatred and anger." Some analysts are critical of the Yemeni government's stand against Al-Houthi's militant group in the north. "The government has known about the group for a number of years, so why did it wait so long to do something about them?" said a Yemeni analyst. "It may have been less bloody if the government had dismantled the group a while back." A number of Islamic scholars recently released a statement asking the president to end the siege, arguing that the conflict was unnecessary and that, in addition to lives being lost, local citizens were being affected by the ongoing battle. And while the clashes continue, the Yemeni cabinet decided to overhaul the country's education system and close down unregistered schools to wipe out extremism. "The cabinet decided to standardise the curricula of all institutions, including private organisations," said Minister of Education Abdul-Salam Al-Joufi. "Unlicensed institutions will be closed." There are hundreds of religious schools in Yemen, many of which are unlicensed. According to analysts, many of these schools teach a radical version of Islam and advocate extremism. "It is easy to find religious schools which promote militancy," said a government official. "You don't have to go far; there are plenty in the centre of the capital." The Yemeni government passed an education law in 1992 forcing the closure of unlicensed schools. The law, however, has not been enforced so far, although this is due to change. According to Al-Joufi, "When schools open in September, those without a license will not be allowed to operate." The cabinet also aims to revamp the overall curriculum in registered public and private schools, and this includes religious studies. According to a cabinet statement, "The cabinet also stressed the need for a complete overhaul of religious education curricula to promote moderation in Islam and national unity and to increase security and stability." Some religious scholars support the cabinet's decision. "This is within the government's plan to lead the Yemeni society to moderation and against terrorism and extremism," said Judge Hamoud Al-Hitar, head of the Dialogue Committee, an organisation working with Yemeni detainees suspected of being involved in terrorist groups. "It is very important to reform the education curricula at every level because it will help unite Muslims. Yemen will benefit from the school reform," he said. Others fear that closing schools which focus on religious studies may have undesired consequences. "I am afraid that groups will go underground and form secret cells," said Al-Mahatwary. "This may be dangerous in the future." Yemen has been trying to shed its image as a safe haven for terrorists ever since it joined the US in its "war on terror" after the 9/11 attacks in the US. It has rounded up hundreds of suspected militants and captured alleged key members of the Al-Qaeda terrorist network. In early 2002 the Yemeni government expelled more than 100 foreign Islamic scholars, including some from England and France. The last major terrorist attack in Yemen was the bombing of the French tanker Limburg in 2002 near one of the country's ports. Fifteen people are on trial charged with involvement in the attack on the Limburg, plotting to assassinate US Ambassador Edmund Hall in Sanaa, and involvement in attacks on Yemeni intelligence offices. Two suspects believed to be masterminds of the bomb attack on the USS Cole in 2000 will go on trial this month. The bombing in the port of Aden killed 17 American sailors.
