COMM
I was in Yemen, approaching Marib province, viewed by the Americans as a potential hideout for Al Qaeda.
Guys with guns at filling station.
COMM
Here on the borders of Saudi Arabia, America is now fighting a high stakes battle for Arab hearts and minds.
Getting out of car
PTC
I think weve arrived in Marib. Just over there is a few men with guns and this is exactly what we were told to expect in Marib, people with guns - and everybody is armed.
More guys with guns.
COMM
Yemens government wants to be Americas friend.
TITLE: UNREPORTED WORLD
Driving shots
COMM
15 months ago the Americans assassinated a top Al Qaeda figure here. They fired a Hellfire missile at his car from a drone.
He had helped plan a suicide attack on the USS Cole when it docked in Yemeni waters back in 2000. This was a sensitive area - an army escort stuck close by us.
PTC
Weve run into a checkpoint probably one every 20 minutes along this road.
COMM
With me was a journalist from a pro government newspaper. And a minder from the Ministry of information.
COMM
Yemen has an elaborate network of tribal loyalties. In Marib, like in other northern provinces, the tribes are fiercely independent. Not long after 9/11 Government troops tried to arrest two al qaeda suspects here. They ended up in a firefight with a tribal militia.We stopped at a local market.
In Marib market
ACTUALITY
J: I hope they keep their safety catches on. I just see guns pointing in all directions. Look at this boy.How old is he? Ten years old? When did he start carrying his gun? Three years ago so hes been carrying it since he was seven.
In Marib market.
COMM
After a few minutes, a town official ordered us to stop filming.
ACTUALITY
We didnt know we needed permission. Im sorry. Im sorry. I did not know we had to see your governor first. Im sorry, Im sorry I didnt know that
In Yemen there are 60 million firearms for just 18 million people.Weapons and explosives from Yemen have been linked to post 9/11 al Qaeda attacks in Kenya and Saudi Arabia.PTCWeve just been told we have to see the Governor first before we can film here and they want to guide us to Old Marib the tourist area.My apologies I thought we had permission.
In hotel in Marib
COMMI retreated to our hotel, watched over by the ubiquitous image of President Ali Abdullah Saleh. He unified North and South Yemen in 1990.
In hotel in Marib.
PTC
We are now completely grounded. After having driven through the desert for hours and hours, were now in Marib town and all the things we were promised we could film are suddenly not possible any more.
Driving shot with our soldiers in truck
COMM
But the next morning the American ambassador arrived. We were allowed to film his visit.
Arriving with guns and stuff.
COMM
Ambassador Edmund Hull was greeted by the local leader Sheikh Rabbish.
Greeting Sheikh Rabbash, shaking hands
COMM
The ambassador is a counter terrorism expert. His job is convince tribal leaders to join the war on terror.
Hull at banquet held by Sheikh Rabbish. At lunch with Sheikh Rabbish.
COMM
The Marib sheikhs know that America views them as a magnet for al qaeda sympathisers. Theyve seen America can kill its enemies deep inside their territory. Now most are accepting the carrot of US development aid.
SHEIKH RABBISH
Hull leaving lunch with Sheikh Rabbish
INTERVIEW EDMUND HULL These are areas, remote areas with few government services, remote areas where AQ have identified operating space. Our interest is in denying that operating space to Al Qaeda. The way you do that is to strengthen the government presence through security measures and development efforts.
Ambassador kissing baby
COMM
After lunch there was a photo opportunity at a new American funded health centre.
COMM
But the ambassadors diplomacy and money could not mask the views of the local Sheikh.
SHEIKH RABBISH SYNC In Arabic.
JULIANA PTC
Sheikh Rabbish is also saying as for now they havent turned against the Americans, but if the Americans are continuing their friendship with the Jews, even though their relationship at the moment is very very good, they might find it hard to be their friends.
Driving COMM
[SHEIKH AND BOYS]We wanted to spend more time in Marib, perhaps even film its vast arms market.
[DRIVING]We were told we had to leave. But the government did authorise a visit to a secret location to meet one of the Presidents advisors, Faris Sanabani.
[WAREHOUSE]On display in this warehouse were weapons the government has bought at the tribal markets, to take them out of circulation.The government wants to starve terrorists of the means to carry out attacks. The added benefit is to curtail the power of the tribes.
SYNC FARIS SANABANI
All this comes from the Marib area.
SYNC FARIS SANABANI
These are rockets J: You collected from the Marib area.F: Yes the Marib.J: Would you say the Marib area is one of the most heavily armed areas in the country.F: yes, simply because it is desert and simply because the people there love weapons.These are rocket launchers.Look at these mines J: Yes theyre landminesF: They could do a lot of damage to a vehicle or even a tank.
SYNC FARIS SANABANI: Does that mean Yemens government is actually spending money, its paying people who turn in these weapons? F: Absolutely, Yemen had a choice, should they go for development or should they go for security. And in order to sustain development, in order to sustain investment, you need to secure the country. So they made a priority to go for security. The weapons you see here, you see this huge big depot that we have here we have a number similar to it. It cost the Yemeni government 600 billion rials, just to give you an estimate of what can be done with 600 billion rials, you could build 300 schools in Yemen. Three hundred schools, so they decided we want security, we want stability. Why? So development can come to the country, so tourists can come, so investors can come, which will bring investment which will bring wealth to the nation.
COMM
Its the economic impact of terror that makes the Yemeni government so keen to placate international opinion
J and F walking in depot
SYNC FARIS SANABANIJ: These look pretty big
F: They could knock out a helicopter, or an aeroplane for that matter, yes.
Journey to Jibla
COMM The Yemeni government also has to struggle with the current of dislike for America that runs through Yemeni society
Outside Jibla hospital
PTC
Weve just come to the hospital of Jibla. Right here, roughly about a year ago three American baptist missionaries, were working in the hospital, had been working for more than ten years were shot, allegedly, by a radical Islamist.
Patients in hospital then Juliana and baptist walking
COMM
Lee Hixson, from the Yemen Baptist mission escaped the attack.
BAPTIST MAN
Man: The man Kamal, who that morning, came in at 6 am and he sat here and waiting for several Americans to come together in the administration office, and at about 8.00 to 8.30 that morning, he came into this office.
BAPTIST MAN
He first shot Dr Martha who was using the telephone, then he shot Mr Bill at his desk and Kathy Garrety, who was having a meeting with Mr Bill at the time.
They walk out of office and back into yard area with patients. COMMWhatever their feelings about Americas foreign policies - most Yemenis condemned the attack.
BAPTIST MAN
And we walked out about 30 of us ex pats, and we were just enveloped by the people of Jibla, they just fell on us and they cried with us, it was a great moment of healing for all of us.
SYNC BAPTIST MAN
I really love this place.
Journey from Jibla to Ibb. COMMNearby, in the town of Ibb, President Salehs government has arrested scores of men with links to Afghanistan.Our hopes of a quiet arrival soon vanished.
In car PTC/VO
Since weve arrived in Ibb the police have been driving ahead of us, clearing the way with a loudspeaker.
ACTUALITY
In Arabic, police clearing road
PTC/VO
Theyve been virtually everywhere where weve gone.
Walk into Ahmed Khaid
COMM
Id arranged to meet some of the families of suspects still in jail. My escorts stopped this happening. Instead they took me to see someone theyd chosen a detainee whod received military training in Afghanistan under the Taliban but had recently been released.
Security guys
COMM
Local officials gathered around to ensure he said the right things. His name was Ahmed Khaid.
COMM: For a man whod trained with the Taliban in Afghanistan he was remarkably conciliatory.
PTC
He says that even though he believes there is a Zionist American conspiracy against Islam, that doesnt entitle him to fight it, he says with the military training he received in Afghanistan the only reason for him to pick up arms would be to defend his country.
COMM
I asked him whether he even felt a hint of annoyance about being arrested.
PTC
He says that he never committed any crimes or terrorist acts, he has no misgivings towards the government for arresting him. [Shukran]
COMM
For those escorting me the interview had gone according to plan. I was taken to meet another recently released prisoner
ACTUALITY/PTC
Were visited by police again, everywhere weve been today theres been police. We see you everywhere we go. Hi!
Going in to see Rashad, Julianan putting on balto.
COMM
Rashad Said was waiting. As I entered his house he asked me to wear a balto. He then gave it to me as a gift. In the 1980s thousands of Yemenis went to Afghanistan to fight the Russians. He was one of them.
COMM
Our minder made careful notes of what Rashad said.
RASHAD
When he fought in Afghanistan it was as Americas friend.
PTC
He says when I went to Afghanistan that was something that had international support, everyone was behind fighting the Russians then, including from the superpowers like America or the United Kingdom.
RASHAD
After 9/11 his Afghan links became cause for arrest.
PTC
Rashad says in my case the security forces werent right, but they didnt have much choice there were a lot of extremists around at the time. Nobody is perfect and people make mistakes and thats in effect what happened in my case
Going up onto hotel roof
On hotel roof. PTC
Weve just snuck up to the roof to do this bit of filming, because something really quite extraordinary happened today. Weve been suspecting that we were followed for quite a while and then suddenly today we got the proof. When we checked out of the hotel we were given our bill and on it were some long distance phone bills that none of us had made and when we quizzed reception they revealed to us which is extraordinary that the internal intelligence officers who followed us and checked into our hotel had made the call and actually had the nerve to charge it to our bill.
Walking in Ibb street
COMM
Nearby a reminder of the connections that plague Yemens reputation
PTC
I have been told this buillding right here is the school attended by Osama bin Ladens youngest and favourite wife. She is in fact Yemeni. She was recommended to him by a fellow Yemeni, a high ranking assistant to Osama bin Laden.
COMM
Osama Bin Ladens wife was someone we were never going to be allowed to visit.
PTC
Were told that Amal still lives somewhere round here, somewhere around Ibb but she is no where to be found at the moment but were told that the government doesnt like journalists to interview her.
Journey to Sanaa. Into night. Night in Old Sanaa.
COMM
We travelled towards the capital, Sanaa. Theres been no major al Qaeda attack in Yemen for over a year, but the threat is on everyones mind.
ACTUALITY:
Yemeni newspapers, Yemeni. Government and opposition Ive got both. Shukran. I wanted both because the big news today was that a group thats calling themselves the Yemeni branch of Al Qaeda has threatened to carry out big strikes here in Yemen against Westerns targets as well as a major impending strike in America. They said they will do that because theyve given an ultimatum to the government and the government has not reacted to it. So now its time to attack they say.
Becoming evening
COMM
Fear of Al Qaeda has scared off foreign investment and destroyed tourism. The night I was in the old city of Sanaa I didnt meet a single tourist. It feels safe - but recent events have damaged Yemens reputation again.
PTC
Only a short while ago three stabbings occurred on three consecutive nights, one of them in this area. The target in all three incidents were tourists and the newspapers wrote that the man who carried out the stabbings was somebody who was so upset about Saddam Husseins capture and the pictures shown on television that he took his rage out on foreign tourists.
Julianas in hotel by lift
PTC
By now its become blatantly clear that no-ones speaking to us freely whenever we are with our minders, and they have to be with us every time we leave the hotel.
Walking out of lift.
COMM
We told our minder we were taking the morning off.
Walking down street
COMM
In fact, Id arranged to meet a human rights lawyer whod acted for many of the suspects the government had arrested.
Into Allaws office shot from behind J
ACTUALITY
Hello and how are you, nice to meet you.
J meeting Allaw
COMM
Naji allaw had spoken to the detainees families wed wanted to meet.
PTC SUMMARY OF ALLAW
What people told him is theyve been threatened, if they talk to us then those detainees who have been released will be thrown back into prison and the internal security also threatens that those who are in prison now will never be released. This is the sort of pressure that is put on the relatives.
SYNC ALLAW[In Arabic ]
He claimed despite government denials many prisoners were treated harshly.
PTC SUMMARY OF ALLAW
Some of them have been exposed to a degree of torture, theyve been kept in solitary confinement, theyve been exposed to extremely strong light, and theyve been prevented from sleeping, but not all circumstances are known, so there could be other things that are going on.
SYNC ALLAW
In Arabic No one even knew how many people the government had detained.
PTC SUMMARY OF ALLAW
Reasons leading to arrests have been so unfounded sometimes, it could be one of the detainees just said I had lunch with so and so on a certain day , so this next person is getting arrested just for having lunch with a previous detainee. That is all.
ALLAW SYNC In Arabic TRANS
All Yemenis hold these anti American thoughts COMMHe condemns terrorism but says siding with America is difficult for Yemenis.
ALLAW SYNC
In Arabic
PTC SUMMARY OF ALLAW
So the thing is that its actually hundreds thousands if not actually the vast majority of Yemenis who harbour very strong anti American feelings. What the authorities dont want is for this to be expressed in public.
COMM
We joined up again with our minder to visit a major centre of religious education.
In car
PTC
Were on our way to Al Iman university, it is a place that for a long time has had the reputation of being an extremist education centre, and it has attracted students from all over the world.
COMM
The head of the university has denounced terrorism, but the government is still nervous. It now forbids foreigners to enrol.
J getting of car
Now outside car
PTC
Were going to see if we can find someone to talk to us. I have heard from another journalist that the last time he came here, and this was a local journalist, the last time he came here with a camera, it was actually wrestled off him and they were dragged inside the compound and held there for several hours.
PTC Theres a guy with a gun coming.
COMM
The university fears both the Americans and the Yemeni government. They also distrust journalists.
Hand puts cap on lens.
ACTUALITY OUTSIDE AL IMAN UNIVERSITY
Fixer: No filming .J: why is that we cant go and film? J: Its never possible, for nobody? Yemeni or non-Yemeni. J: Why is that.
Walking down street, then boys playing football.
COMM
The government is doing more than clamping down on suspects. It says it wants to tackle the root of the problem by championing interpretations of Islam which denounce violence.
COMM
They are sending theologians into prisons to argue Al Qaeda is wrong.
Judge Humoud Hittar leads the effort.
SYNC JUDGE HITTAR
In Arabic COMM
He told me it was a question of persuasion.
PTC
Judge Hittar is saying an extremist is so convinced of what he is doing that really there are only two options of dealing with him, they kill him or change his mind, and of course killing was not what they intended to do, so they sat down to change their minds and what they did was use the Koran because the violent acts depended on passages of the Koran that had been misinterpreted so they worked and used the Koran to install a new version of Islamic thinking in the Islamists minds.
COMM
Throughout Yemen there is a battle for hearts and minds.
Journey to visit Sheikh Abdullah and intro scene.
COMM
I had an audience with Yemens Sheikh of Sheikhs, a hugely influential figure.
ACTUALITY SCENE AT SHEIKH ABDULLAHS DIWAN.
PTC
Ive just arrived at the palace of Sheikh Abdullah, its an amazing house, outside theres all these people waiting to ask him favours, give jurisdiction, but most of all theyre poor and they want his help.
ACTUALITY DIWAN SCENE COMM
Sheikh Abdullah al Ahmar is the speaker of Parliament but he is also the traditional leader of all Yemens hundreds of tribes. He is the link between the emerging modern state and Yemens tribal power base.
PTC
All around the diwan people are arguing to get their cases heard first, whats interesting is that many of these cases are already before the courts but people are still approaching Sheikh Abdullah because they are saying they have got no faith in the courts. They are slow and they are expensive they need a lawyer to appear then so they much prefer traditional resolution.
PTC
This man has come to ask Sheikh Abdullah a favour, but hes also reciting a praise poem. Hes calling Sheikh Abdullah a lot of names, all of them positive. Hes saying hes brave, courageous, says hes so brave that he even criticises George Bush and the Americans when he sees fit.
COMM
All this puts Sheikh Abdullah at the centre of the battle for hearts and minds.
Leaving the diwan, J walking, then panning to shoes. PTC Even when theres terrorism involved, for example when there were the clashes between the tribes and government in Marib, it was Sheikh Abdullah who was called in to mediate.
SYNC SHEIKH ABDULLAHJ:
Are you ever concerned about the level of anger you find here in Yemen against the Americans? Sheik: In Arabic.
COMM:His answer isnt what the Americans want to hear.
PTC Sheikh Abdullah says he is really concerned, about the anger that he sees here in Yemen directed against the Americans and he says the key problem is that the War on Terror is not just a war on terror but is a war that is being directed against Muslims.
COMM:He believes the War on Terror cant be won without solving the issue of Palestine.
SYNC SHEIKH ABDULLAH
Yes the Americans might want to fight the war on terror but people here are looking at Palestine and they are looking at the American hearts and what theyre really doing to Arab people and thats where the Americans are going wrong.
They stand up
ACTUALITY
Thank you shukran COMMHis message was clear. Yemens alliance with America is one of necessity but not of choice.
SYNC SHEIKH ABDULLAH
In Arabic. Our time was up but the Sheikh still had a point to make. Translator: The actual terrorism what Israel is performing now against the Palestines with the support of the United States.
SYNC SHEIKH ABDULLAH
In Arabic then translated. What I carry in my feelings is the feelings of all Yemenis. What I have expressed is the expression of all Yemenis.
Out scene Sheikh Abdullah.
ACTUALITYShukran, thank you again.
Going into Special Forces
COMM
There was a last photo opportunity. An exercise for American-trained special forces. This is Yemen displaying its new credentials in the fight against Al Qaeda.
PTC This is the thing theyre really proud of, the storming of a supposed terrorist hideout.
More of Special Forces scene.
COMM
The Yemeni Government has made a hard nosed decision to play Americas game. But the equation is finely balanced. Events in Iraq, in Palestine, in Saudi Arabia could alter everything at any moment.
I was in Yemen, approaching Marib province, viewed by the Americans as a potential hideout for Al Qaeda.
Guys with guns at filling station.
COMM
Here on the borders of Saudi Arabia, America is now fighting a high stakes battle for Arab hearts and minds.
Getting out of car
PTC
I think weve arrived in Marib. Just over there is a few men with guns and this is exactly what we were told to expect in Marib, people with guns - and everybody is armed.
More guys with guns.
COMM
Yemens government wants to be Americas friend.
TITLE: UNREPORTED WORLD
Driving shots
COMM
15 months ago the Americans assassinated a top Al Qaeda figure here. They fired a Hellfire missile at his car from a drone.
He had helped plan a suicide attack on the USS Cole when it docked in Yemeni waters back in 2000. This was a sensitive area - an army escort stuck close by us.
PTC
Weve run into a checkpoint probably one every 20 minutes along this road.
COMM
With me was a journalist from a pro government newspaper. And a minder from the Ministry of information.
COMM
Yemen has an elaborate network of tribal loyalties. In Marib, like in other northern provinces, the tribes are fiercely independent. Not long after 9/11 Government troops tried to arrest two al qaeda suspects here. They ended up in a firefight with a tribal militia.We stopped at a local market.
In Marib market
ACTUALITY
J: I hope they keep their safety catches on. I just see guns pointing in all directions. Look at this boy.How old is he? Ten years old? When did he start carrying his gun? Three years ago so hes been carrying it since he was seven.
In Marib market.
COMM
After a few minutes, a town official ordered us to stop filming.
ACTUALITY
We didnt know we needed permission. Im sorry. Im sorry. I did not know we had to see your governor first. Im sorry, Im sorry I didnt know that
In Yemen there are 60 million firearms for just 18 million people.Weapons and explosives from Yemen have been linked to post 9/11 al Qaeda attacks in Kenya and Saudi Arabia.PTCWeve just been told we have to see the Governor first before we can film here and they want to guide us to Old Marib the tourist area.My apologies I thought we had permission.
In hotel in Marib
COMMI retreated to our hotel, watched over by the ubiquitous image of President Ali Abdullah Saleh. He unified North and South Yemen in 1990.
In hotel in Marib.
PTC
We are now completely grounded. After having driven through the desert for hours and hours, were now in Marib town and all the things we were promised we could film are suddenly not possible any more.
Driving shot with our soldiers in truck
COMM
But the next morning the American ambassador arrived. We were allowed to film his visit.
Arriving with guns and stuff.
COMM
Ambassador Edmund Hull was greeted by the local leader Sheikh Rabbish.
Greeting Sheikh Rabbash, shaking hands
COMM
The ambassador is a counter terrorism expert. His job is convince tribal leaders to join the war on terror.
Hull at banquet held by Sheikh Rabbish. At lunch with Sheikh Rabbish.
COMM
The Marib sheikhs know that America views them as a magnet for al qaeda sympathisers. Theyve seen America can kill its enemies deep inside their territory. Now most are accepting the carrot of US development aid.
SHEIKH RABBISH
Hull leaving lunch with Sheikh Rabbish
INTERVIEW EDMUND HULL These are areas, remote areas with few government services, remote areas where AQ have identified operating space. Our interest is in denying that operating space to Al Qaeda. The way you do that is to strengthen the government presence through security measures and development efforts.
Ambassador kissing baby
COMM
After lunch there was a photo opportunity at a new American funded health centre.
COMM
But the ambassadors diplomacy and money could not mask the views of the local Sheikh.
SHEIKH RABBISH SYNC In Arabic.
JULIANA PTC
Sheikh Rabbish is also saying as for now they havent turned against the Americans, but if the Americans are continuing their friendship with the Jews, even though their relationship at the moment is very very good, they might find it hard to be their friends.
Driving COMM
[SHEIKH AND BOYS]We wanted to spend more time in Marib, perhaps even film its vast arms market.
[DRIVING]We were told we had to leave. But the government did authorise a visit to a secret location to meet one of the Presidents advisors, Faris Sanabani.
[WAREHOUSE]On display in this warehouse were weapons the government has bought at the tribal markets, to take them out of circulation.The government wants to starve terrorists of the means to carry out attacks. The added benefit is to curtail the power of the tribes.
SYNC FARIS SANABANI
All this comes from the Marib area.
SYNC FARIS SANABANI
These are rockets J: You collected from the Marib area.F: Yes the Marib.J: Would you say the Marib area is one of the most heavily armed areas in the country.F: yes, simply because it is desert and simply because the people there love weapons.These are rocket launchers.Look at these mines J: Yes theyre landminesF: They could do a lot of damage to a vehicle or even a tank.
SYNC FARIS SANABANI: Does that mean Yemens government is actually spending money, its paying people who turn in these weapons? F: Absolutely, Yemen had a choice, should they go for development or should they go for security. And in order to sustain development, in order to sustain investment, you need to secure the country. So they made a priority to go for security. The weapons you see here, you see this huge big depot that we have here we have a number similar to it. It cost the Yemeni government 600 billion rials, just to give you an estimate of what can be done with 600 billion rials, you could build 300 schools in Yemen. Three hundred schools, so they decided we want security, we want stability. Why? So development can come to the country, so tourists can come, so investors can come, which will bring investment which will bring wealth to the nation.
COMM
Its the economic impact of terror that makes the Yemeni government so keen to placate international opinion
J and F walking in depot
SYNC FARIS SANABANIJ: These look pretty big
F: They could knock out a helicopter, or an aeroplane for that matter, yes.
Journey to Jibla
COMM The Yemeni government also has to struggle with the current of dislike for America that runs through Yemeni society
Outside Jibla hospital
PTC
Weve just come to the hospital of Jibla. Right here, roughly about a year ago three American baptist missionaries, were working in the hospital, had been working for more than ten years were shot, allegedly, by a radical Islamist.
Patients in hospital then Juliana and baptist walking
COMM
Lee Hixson, from the Yemen Baptist mission escaped the attack.
BAPTIST MAN
Man: The man Kamal, who that morning, came in at 6 am and he sat here and waiting for several Americans to come together in the administration office, and at about 8.00 to 8.30 that morning, he came into this office.
BAPTIST MAN
He first shot Dr Martha who was using the telephone, then he shot Mr Bill at his desk and Kathy Garrety, who was having a meeting with Mr Bill at the time.
They walk out of office and back into yard area with patients. COMMWhatever their feelings about Americas foreign policies - most Yemenis condemned the attack.
BAPTIST MAN
And we walked out about 30 of us ex pats, and we were just enveloped by the people of Jibla, they just fell on us and they cried with us, it was a great moment of healing for all of us.
SYNC BAPTIST MAN
I really love this place.
Journey from Jibla to Ibb. COMMNearby, in the town of Ibb, President Salehs government has arrested scores of men with links to Afghanistan.Our hopes of a quiet arrival soon vanished.
In car PTC/VO
Since weve arrived in Ibb the police have been driving ahead of us, clearing the way with a loudspeaker.
ACTUALITY
In Arabic, police clearing road
PTC/VO
Theyve been virtually everywhere where weve gone.
Walk into Ahmed Khaid
COMM
Id arranged to meet some of the families of suspects still in jail. My escorts stopped this happening. Instead they took me to see someone theyd chosen a detainee whod received military training in Afghanistan under the Taliban but had recently been released.
Security guys
COMM
Local officials gathered around to ensure he said the right things. His name was Ahmed Khaid.
COMM: For a man whod trained with the Taliban in Afghanistan he was remarkably conciliatory.
PTC
He says that even though he believes there is a Zionist American conspiracy against Islam, that doesnt entitle him to fight it, he says with the military training he received in Afghanistan the only reason for him to pick up arms would be to defend his country.
COMM
I asked him whether he even felt a hint of annoyance about being arrested.
PTC
He says that he never committed any crimes or terrorist acts, he has no misgivings towards the government for arresting him. [Shukran]
COMM
For those escorting me the interview had gone according to plan. I was taken to meet another recently released prisoner
ACTUALITY/PTC
Were visited by police again, everywhere weve been today theres been police. We see you everywhere we go. Hi!
Going in to see Rashad, Julianan putting on balto.
COMM
Rashad Said was waiting. As I entered his house he asked me to wear a balto. He then gave it to me as a gift. In the 1980s thousands of Yemenis went to Afghanistan to fight the Russians. He was one of them.
COMM
Our minder made careful notes of what Rashad said.
RASHAD
When he fought in Afghanistan it was as Americas friend.
PTC
He says when I went to Afghanistan that was something that had international support, everyone was behind fighting the Russians then, including from the superpowers like America or the United Kingdom.
RASHAD
After 9/11 his Afghan links became cause for arrest.
PTC
Rashad says in my case the security forces werent right, but they didnt have much choice there were a lot of extremists around at the time. Nobody is perfect and people make mistakes and thats in effect what happened in my case
Going up onto hotel roof
On hotel roof. PTC
Weve just snuck up to the roof to do this bit of filming, because something really quite extraordinary happened today. Weve been suspecting that we were followed for quite a while and then suddenly today we got the proof. When we checked out of the hotel we were given our bill and on it were some long distance phone bills that none of us had made and when we quizzed reception they revealed to us which is extraordinary that the internal intelligence officers who followed us and checked into our hotel had made the call and actually had the nerve to charge it to our bill.
Walking in Ibb street
COMM
Nearby a reminder of the connections that plague Yemens reputation
PTC
I have been told this buillding right here is the school attended by Osama bin Ladens youngest and favourite wife. She is in fact Yemeni. She was recommended to him by a fellow Yemeni, a high ranking assistant to Osama bin Laden.
COMM
Osama Bin Ladens wife was someone we were never going to be allowed to visit.
PTC
Were told that Amal still lives somewhere round here, somewhere around Ibb but she is no where to be found at the moment but were told that the government doesnt like journalists to interview her.
Journey to Sanaa. Into night. Night in Old Sanaa.
COMM
We travelled towards the capital, Sanaa. Theres been no major al Qaeda attack in Yemen for over a year, but the threat is on everyones mind.
ACTUALITY:
Yemeni newspapers, Yemeni. Government and opposition Ive got both. Shukran. I wanted both because the big news today was that a group thats calling themselves the Yemeni branch of Al Qaeda has threatened to carry out big strikes here in Yemen against Westerns targets as well as a major impending strike in America. They said they will do that because theyve given an ultimatum to the government and the government has not reacted to it. So now its time to attack they say.
Becoming evening
COMM
Fear of Al Qaeda has scared off foreign investment and destroyed tourism. The night I was in the old city of Sanaa I didnt meet a single tourist. It feels safe - but recent events have damaged Yemens reputation again.
PTC
Only a short while ago three stabbings occurred on three consecutive nights, one of them in this area. The target in all three incidents were tourists and the newspapers wrote that the man who carried out the stabbings was somebody who was so upset about Saddam Husseins capture and the pictures shown on television that he took his rage out on foreign tourists.
Julianas in hotel by lift
PTC
By now its become blatantly clear that no-ones speaking to us freely whenever we are with our minders, and they have to be with us every time we leave the hotel.
Walking out of lift.
COMM
We told our minder we were taking the morning off.
Walking down street
COMM
In fact, Id arranged to meet a human rights lawyer whod acted for many of the suspects the government had arrested.
Into Allaws office shot from behind J
ACTUALITY
Hello and how are you, nice to meet you.
J meeting Allaw
COMM
Naji allaw had spoken to the detainees families wed wanted to meet.
PTC SUMMARY OF ALLAW
What people told him is theyve been threatened, if they talk to us then those detainees who have been released will be thrown back into prison and the internal security also threatens that those who are in prison now will never be released. This is the sort of pressure that is put on the relatives.
SYNC ALLAW[In Arabic ]
He claimed despite government denials many prisoners were treated harshly.
PTC SUMMARY OF ALLAW
Some of them have been exposed to a degree of torture, theyve been kept in solitary confinement, theyve been exposed to extremely strong light, and theyve been prevented from sleeping, but not all circumstances are known, so there could be other things that are going on.
SYNC ALLAW
In Arabic No one even knew how many people the government had detained.
PTC SUMMARY OF ALLAW
Reasons leading to arrests have been so unfounded sometimes, it could be one of the detainees just said I had lunch with so and so on a certain day , so this next person is getting arrested just for having lunch with a previous detainee. That is all.
ALLAW SYNC In Arabic TRANS
All Yemenis hold these anti American thoughts COMMHe condemns terrorism but says siding with America is difficult for Yemenis.
ALLAW SYNC
In Arabic
PTC SUMMARY OF ALLAW
So the thing is that its actually hundreds thousands if not actually the vast majority of Yemenis who harbour very strong anti American feelings. What the authorities dont want is for this to be expressed in public.
COMM
We joined up again with our minder to visit a major centre of religious education.
In car
PTC
Were on our way to Al Iman university, it is a place that for a long time has had the reputation of being an extremist education centre, and it has attracted students from all over the world.
COMM
The head of the university has denounced terrorism, but the government is still nervous. It now forbids foreigners to enrol.
J getting of car
Now outside car
PTC
Were going to see if we can find someone to talk to us. I have heard from another journalist that the last time he came here, and this was a local journalist, the last time he came here with a camera, it was actually wrestled off him and they were dragged inside the compound and held there for several hours.
PTC Theres a guy with a gun coming.
COMM
The university fears both the Americans and the Yemeni government. They also distrust journalists.
Hand puts cap on lens.
ACTUALITY OUTSIDE AL IMAN UNIVERSITY
Fixer: No filming .J: why is that we cant go and film? J: Its never possible, for nobody? Yemeni or non-Yemeni. J: Why is that.
Walking down street, then boys playing football.
COMM
The government is doing more than clamping down on suspects. It says it wants to tackle the root of the problem by championing interpretations of Islam which denounce violence.
COMM
They are sending theologians into prisons to argue Al Qaeda is wrong.
Judge Humoud Hittar leads the effort.
SYNC JUDGE HITTAR
In Arabic COMM
He told me it was a question of persuasion.
PTC
Judge Hittar is saying an extremist is so convinced of what he is doing that really there are only two options of dealing with him, they kill him or change his mind, and of course killing was not what they intended to do, so they sat down to change their minds and what they did was use the Koran because the violent acts depended on passages of the Koran that had been misinterpreted so they worked and used the Koran to install a new version of Islamic thinking in the Islamists minds.
COMM
Throughout Yemen there is a battle for hearts and minds.
Journey to visit Sheikh Abdullah and intro scene.
COMM
I had an audience with Yemens Sheikh of Sheikhs, a hugely influential figure.
ACTUALITY SCENE AT SHEIKH ABDULLAHS DIWAN.
PTC
Ive just arrived at the palace of Sheikh Abdullah, its an amazing house, outside theres all these people waiting to ask him favours, give jurisdiction, but most of all theyre poor and they want his help.
ACTUALITY DIWAN SCENE COMM
Sheikh Abdullah al Ahmar is the speaker of Parliament but he is also the traditional leader of all Yemens hundreds of tribes. He is the link between the emerging modern state and Yemens tribal power base.
PTC
All around the diwan people are arguing to get their cases heard first, whats interesting is that many of these cases are already before the courts but people are still approaching Sheikh Abdullah because they are saying they have got no faith in the courts. They are slow and they are expensive they need a lawyer to appear then so they much prefer traditional resolution.
PTC
This man has come to ask Sheikh Abdullah a favour, but hes also reciting a praise poem. Hes calling Sheikh Abdullah a lot of names, all of them positive. Hes saying hes brave, courageous, says hes so brave that he even criticises George Bush and the Americans when he sees fit.
COMM
All this puts Sheikh Abdullah at the centre of the battle for hearts and minds.
Leaving the diwan, J walking, then panning to shoes. PTC Even when theres terrorism involved, for example when there were the clashes between the tribes and government in Marib, it was Sheikh Abdullah who was called in to mediate.
SYNC SHEIKH ABDULLAHJ:
Are you ever concerned about the level of anger you find here in Yemen against the Americans? Sheik: In Arabic.
COMM:His answer isnt what the Americans want to hear.
PTC Sheikh Abdullah says he is really concerned, about the anger that he sees here in Yemen directed against the Americans and he says the key problem is that the War on Terror is not just a war on terror but is a war that is being directed against Muslims.
COMM:He believes the War on Terror cant be won without solving the issue of Palestine.
SYNC SHEIKH ABDULLAH
Yes the Americans might want to fight the war on terror but people here are looking at Palestine and they are looking at the American hearts and what theyre really doing to Arab people and thats where the Americans are going wrong.
They stand up
ACTUALITY
Thank you shukran COMMHis message was clear. Yemens alliance with America is one of necessity but not of choice.
SYNC SHEIKH ABDULLAH
In Arabic. Our time was up but the Sheikh still had a point to make. Translator: The actual terrorism what Israel is performing now against the Palestines with the support of the United States.
SYNC SHEIKH ABDULLAH
In Arabic then translated. What I carry in my feelings is the feelings of all Yemenis. What I have expressed is the expression of all Yemenis.
Out scene Sheikh Abdullah.
ACTUALITYShukran, thank you again.
Going into Special Forces
COMM
There was a last photo opportunity. An exercise for American-trained special forces. This is Yemen displaying its new credentials in the fight against Al Qaeda.
PTC This is the thing theyre really proud of, the storming of a supposed terrorist hideout.
More of Special Forces scene.
COMM
The Yemeni Government has made a hard nosed decision to play Americas game. But the equation is finely balanced. Events in Iraq, in Palestine, in Saudi Arabia could alter everything at any moment.