Tuesday, August 18, 2009 SANAA: Yemeni security forces have killed a rebel leader in renewed clashes in the north of the country, in which dozens of troops and rebels also died, government sources said on Monday.Hussein Kamza, who led rebels in the northern Amran province loyal to Abdul-Malik al-Houthi of the Houthi tribal group, was killed during fighting on Sunday, a government official said.Clashes continued on Monday, mainly in Saada province in the north of the country, where al-Houthi has his headquarters, officials said. Saada is also where the rebels kidnapped 15 local aid workers last week, according to the province's governor. Fighting between Yemeni troops backed by fighter aircraft and rebels has killed dozens on both sides since the government launched a wide offensive against the rebels earlier this month after weeks of skirmishes.Yemen on Thursday announced conditions for a ceasefire to end its offensive, but the rebels rejected the truce offer and denied holding any kidnapped civilians.Officials say the rebels want to restore a form of clerical rule prevalent in Yemen until the 1960s. The rebels say they are defending their villages against government oppression.Yemen, one of the poorest Arab countries, has been battling a rebellion, rising secessionist sentiment in the south and a wave of al Qaeda attacks.Al Qaeda's wing in Yemen named a new leader this year and said it would expand the scope of its attacks to all Gulf Arab states, including top world oil exporter Saudi Arabia.In July 2008, Yemeni President Ali Abdullah said four years of intermittent fighting against the rebels had ended and dialogue should replace combat. Despite attempts to start talks, sporadic fighting continued and intensified in recent weeks.The rebels belong to the Zaydi sect and want Zaydi schools in their area. They also oppose the government's alliance with the United States, and say they are defending their villages against government oppression.
BEIRUT: Thousands of people converged Saturday on central Beirut to mark the fourth anniversary of the assassination of Lebanese former premier Rafiq Hariri.Waving Lebanese flags and carrying pictures of the slain leader, men, women and children gathered under sunny skies in Martyr's Square where members of the parliamentary majority were to address the crowd. The rally comes as final preparations are underway in The Hague for the launch of the international tribunal set up to bring Hariri's killers to justice. It also comes as the country prepares for legislative elections in June that will pit Western-backed political parties against a Hezbollah-led alliance backed by Syria and Iran.Hariri died in a massive car bombing on February 14, 2005 that also killed 22 others. The assassination was widely blamed on then Lebanese power-broker Syria, which has denied any involvement. The attack on the Beirut seafront was one of the worst acts of political violence to rock Lebanon since t...
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