Intervju med Adenalghad newspaper

Some questions to the Norwegian activist the Deputy of the chairman of the Red party in Norway, (Marielle Leraand) in an exclusive interview with the newspaper of Adenalghad (den største dagsavisa i Sør-Jemen)

Internationally ,

-How the Red Norwegian party reads the recent visit of the United Nations Secretary Mr. Ban Ki-moon to Sana'a on 19 November?

This is a visit to the regime in the North, and doesn´t reflect the total picture of what is going on in Yemen.

-Mr. Ban praised the political shifts in Yemen and called for helping the Gulf initiative success which provides the power transfer deal in Sana'a , on the other hand he did not mention the southern issue . How do you explain this from international top position?

Ban Ki-Moon could have raised the issue of the occupied people of the South, but I would have been surprised if he did. Now everyone in the establishment amongst the allies with the US proclaims the idea of "the arab spring", and there are few discussing the old power-structures still in place in the Middle East. 

-The demands of the southern people have been ignored by some powerful and well respected  people in the world who claim to respect the peoples' choices. In your point of view what do you think about that?

This is obvious. The Western media, hand in hand with Al-jazeera and Al-Arabiya, deludes the citizens of -both the Middle East -and the people in the West. The media is the biggest and most influential allied of the big lie about "freedom" and "democracy". This is all a big game, where Qatar-Saudi-Arabia is gathering terrain in the whole region where we have seen the "arab spring", and they do it as a "Missionary Man" combined with support to jihadi-linked rebel-groups. And The issue of South Yemen no one cares about. The regime in the North allied with US and the wahhabis; all they care about is control over the important transport-route bay of Aden represents. And it´s about control over oil-resources. And they will suppress everyone that threatens their current position in these issues. 

There is conflict poles in the world , which has a great effect on the ongoing events in the middle east , the south is a part of that events, in your view , what is the smart ways to deal with such conflicts in order to achieve  the victory of the southern issue?

You have to make friends, and as I see it you have two choices; sell your souls to the US-Saudi-Arabian axis. Or you make friends with their enemies. You could work with the russians and the chinese, but you should try to make contacts with the progressive friends you find in Latin-Amerika; especially in Venezuela and Cuba. They are still foes of the West, and represent a "shield" against the ideas of a US-dominated world. 

There are   crimes and massive violations happening in the south of Yemen till this moment , how do you explain the international bodies and  human rights organizations overlook about what's happening in the south?

Most of the human rights organizations follow the money and they follow the mainstream- media. 

-Southerners accuse the radical extremist religious parties such as Reform Party(Islah) of Yemen in an attempt to control the south, with international support . How do you read the international community's support for the forces of the radicalism in helping them to reach the power , while they are being accused of supporting the extremism and terrorism?

This goes into the geopolitical picture I mentioned before, but I want to undeline this: The Wahhabis in Saudi Arabia have for many years sent their "missionaries" to different parts of the Middle East. They buy their ways into arab-spring- countries like Tunisia, Libya and Syria. If you see what is now happening in Syria, you can also see a reflection of what is going on in the South. Since 2006 the Saudis have established schools and mosks in Syria, for example, and they have financed rebel-groups who have hijacked the uprising against Bashar AL-Assad. This also happened in Libya and is now going on i Syria. They bring weapons into jihadi-groups, and the ulitmate goal is regime-change in their favor. Again this is all about Iran and the isolation of the iranian regime, and ulimately Saudi-Arabia, US and their allies have a "wet dream" about a regime-change in Iran. In this picture the southerners are just a pice of the puzzle. But, yes; they will try to infiltrate your movement with both the missionary men of the wahhabis AND rebel-groups, linked to Al-Qaeda. As I see it, this has more to do with classical imperialism, and this time, Saudi-Arabia are a major factor. 

-In your point of view , how can the southerners deal with international hardening attitude towards the southern issue , and what is your advice to the leaders of the south in this regard?

As I said earlier: make friends, make allies, and try to establish an english-speaking news-channel. 

How do you see the future of the political process in the south and in Yemen in general?

I think the struggle will be hardening, because of the geopolitical factors I explained earlier. The issue of the South is also linked with everything else that is going in the region. Syria, the only friend of Iran (except of Hizbollah) is where the world now have their eyes, and if the Assad-regime falls and get replaced by The muslim Brotherhood or/combined with the Salafis, then Saudi-Arabia has gained terrain, and will be stronger than ever. The Saudis are arming themselves for a big fight, but they are clever enough to finance someone else to take their wars. And the regime in North Yemen will be stronger when Saudi-Arabia gets stronger in the region.

on the Norwegian level ,

The Norwegian Red Party declared his support to the southern movement in last July , this step was popularly welcomed by the people of the south, how can you read this reaction in the south?

Well, I read it by the overwhelming reactions from ordinary people that have sent me thankful messages.

Did the Norwegian Red Party make any actions or activities that might support the southern issue on the Norwegian level?

Together with some refugees in Norway and in Europe, headed by Ahmad Al-Diyani, Red Party  arranged a demonstration in Oslo in July, and I have also written about the Southern Issue in Norwegian newspapers.

On the official level in Norway, how the Norwegian politicians view the southern issue?

The government in Norway is allied with US and NATO, and would never say anything to disrupt these relations.

Do you intend to carry out any activities that will support the southern issue at the European level?

You tell me what I can do, and I will be your servant.

 Do you have any connections with the leader and political parties in the south of Yemen?

No.

You have been threaten by some people in Sana'a because of what have been published in Adenalghadnewspaper  earlier , what are the latest result of the investigation on this case ?

The investigation is closed, and I don´t think the government in Norway would have had an interest in following this further and investigating what this all boils down to.

Have you been threaten again after that? And why the Yemeni authorities carry out such tactics from your point of view ?

I have not been threatened again. I´m not surprised that they will use any means of pressure. But in Norway the citizens are well protected, so I´m not concerned.

Do you have any information about the latest development on the issue of the murdered Norwegian "Martin" who was killed by the son of the influential Yemeni business man "Shaher Abdul Haq" in London in the year 2008?

No.

On the southern level ,

Continuation of the peaceful revolution of the people of the south, there is a great preparation for the 45th anniversary of the independence of the south Yemen from Britain on Nov.30 , what is your message to the people of the south on this occasion?

I want to say that the struggle for freedom have to be continued, and I hope, by peaceful means. Don´t let the regime in the North hijack your movement. But use guerilla-tactics, and the best way to do that in the world we now live in is; spread the news! You need an english-speaking channel that can show your struggle and oppose the silence. 

As a politician Norwegian activist, what is your message to the southern woman and her role in what's happening in the south Yemen?

The peace-movement have historically been dominated by women. The fighting against occupation and war is a way to challenge the male-dominace in the societies all over the world. Women have to take leadership, also after a revolutionary phase. As we see in Egypt; the women were in front in the streets, but when they got rid of Mubarak, the women were more or less back where they started. Women have to take her share of the power -again and again -in a revolutionary phase, but also after, when the decisions are made about what kind of society we want. 

Your last message you would like to forward to the concerned parties?

To the southerners I say it with the words of Che Guevara: "Hasta la Victoria Siempre!"

Thank you , Marielle Leraand.

Adenalghadnewspaper.