Yemeni opposition coalition approves formation of "National Council"

Sources in the Yemeni opposition revealed yesterday to Al-Bayan that the Joint Meeting Parties [JMP] approved the formation of a "National Council," which embraces all political parties, instead of the establishment of a "Transitional Council." In another development, media reports have said that 50 Al-Qa'idah Organization elements were killed in a US raid on Abyan City and a leading figure in the JMP was assassinated in Aden.

A key pro-opposition figure, who requested to remain unidentified, told Al-Bayan yesterday that the JMP has approved the formation of a national council instead of establishing a transitional council, as all political parties in the country will be part of the national council, including the Justice Party, dissociated from President Ali Abdallah Salih, the JMP, and the opposition.

On another note, Ahmad al-Qama, a leading figure in the Southern [Mobility] Movement [SMM] was assassinated in mysterious circumstances in the heart of Aden City where he had escaped from the fight between the army forces and armed Islamic elements in Abyan Governorate.

At the security level, media sources have talked about the killing of 50 persons and wounding of dozens by an air raid launched by US aircraft early yesterday morning, against potential Al-Qa'idah Organization elements in Al-Wadi District in the southern Abyan Province. Moreover, two were killed in Ta'izz during a fight over fuel, while the manager of the Yemeni Petroleum Company's branch in the city asserted that the company officials caused this crisis for not getting their share of petroleum.

Source: Al-Bayan website, Dubai, in Arabic 15 Jul 11