Almotamar.net, Saba - President Ali Abdullah Saleh has expected the Arab summit, to be held on 29-30 March in Qatar's capital, Doha, will go after previous summits without effective decisions, urging Arab leaders to put an end to their rift.

In an interview with the London-based Alhayat newspaper, Saleh called on his Arab counterparts narrow choices for foreign interventions, saying the current situation in the Arab World prompts Israel's arrogance and the surge in foreign roles at the expense of Arab states.

Internally, and particularly regarding the most crucial issue in the democratic history in the country, Saleh said he wanted this year parliamentary elections to be delayed for only sixty days but, he said, the ruling party and opposition preferred a two-year delay to solve all differences.

Saleh, however, pointed out that Yemeni figures living abroad help ignite turbulence in Yemen particularly in south.

In reply to a question on a surge in terrorist attacks in Yemen, Saleh said al-Qaeda finds Yemen as a good operating location due to its geographic nature where there are suitable desert and mountainous places to recruit, plan and commit attacks.

Among other reasons, he said, are that the organization takes advantage of young failure to wash their brains and that it uses poverty and bad living conditions to employ needy people.

Another factor is that Yemen was one of regional countries who sent citizens to fight soviet troops in Afghanistan and when they returned to their homeland they used to attract those young who did not complete their study and are poor.

Among al-Qaeda operatives in Yemen are Saudis, he said, affirming coordination between Yemen authorities and their Saudi counterparts is good that the two countries are tightening border security to thwart drug and weapon trafficking and wanted suspects' infiltration.

In reply to a question about Iran's influence in the region, Saleh said the absence Arab united voice towards all developments in the Arab region is behind all disasters in many parts of the region, mainly Somalia, Iraq, Sudan and Comoros. We welcome Iran as it is a Muslim state but Arabs come first when solving Arab issues.

Interventions in Arab affairs either from Muslim and foreign countries is a direct result of Arab failure in dealing with our issues seriously and with responsibility, he said, adding, commenting on a question on Iranian and Libyan roles in the Houthi rebellion, that Iranians and Arabs seek a mediation role in tackling the crisis in north.

On the conflict in the northern province of Saada, President Saleh said the two sides had agreed to cease fire with the government side proposing some terms that rebels have to adhere and those the Houthi followers accepted.

Saleh said Hezbollah doesn't provide any aid for the rebels but some Hezbollah affiliates may do so.

Regarding the handover of Gitmo's Yemeni detainees, Saleh said we called for transferring them to homeland but the US asked to detain the Yemeni Gitmo returnees.

"We can't jail innocent people and those can be found guilty will stand trial," he said.

And when we informed the US authorities will establish a special center to rehabilitate Yemeni Gismo returnees, US said that they doubt effectiveness of our rehabilitation programs.

The US wants to send the detainees to Saudi Arabia in a bid to ensure they will not regroup, affirming they talked to Saudis about matter who accepted to receive Yemeni Gismo returnees. But we insist on receiving our nationals and that we can ensure their reintegration into the society.


Saba