I was very surprised to receive news information from press and social media that the US Treasury Department had included me in the list of supporters of terrorism. I have kept my reaction until I get as much information as possible about the reasons behind this decision.
First of all, I condemn all forms of terrorism that all countries and societies have recognized and I rejectterrorism under any name or slogan in terms of thought, approach, behavior and action, the last one of which was the suicide attack that targeted a crowd of people in front of the Sawlajancamp in Aden, and previousexplosions that targeted soldiers, armed forces, security personnel, scholars, activists and gatherings in markets, mosques, public places and transport means including trains and planes or those attacks that targeted aliens outside their countries or in their home countries. All those acts of terrorism are crimes against humanity, according to the international characterization of terrorism.
In the same context, I categorically deny my support to any individual or group that practices terrorism in Yemen and abroad and I denounce all such acts and any material and moral support for them.
I extend my thanks and gratitude to all who condemned and denounced the decision of the US Treasury Department and all the statements and participations in the social media means and various media channels that declared solidarity with me and denounced this fabricated intelligenceby the US Treasury Department.
I also extend my thanks and gratitude to scholars, sheikhs, dignitaries, politicians, intellectuals, activists, parties, political forces and civil society organizations that have declared clear and solid position rejecting the US decision and its intelligence references and demanding the US Administration to retract its decision.
I have no doubt that His Excellency AbdRabbo Mansour Hadi, President of the Republic and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, and Vice-President and the Government, take the right position to verify this information, which I have already denied and confirmed its falsification and fabricationsby the opponents who practiced militia terrorism. I fought against themilitiasarmed terrorism as an officer in the Yemeni armed forces, and I was promoted to several military ranks since the time of former president Ali Abdullah Saleh until I was promoted to the rank of Brigadier-General.
I am proud that the leadership of my country and people in my tribe, my governorate and my country as a whole trust me. I do not deny that I fought the Houthi militias as an officer in the armed forces under the legitimacy leadership and the army units that were established in cooperation with the tribal supporters of the legitimacy in accordance with the law of the armed forces to defend the Republic of Yemen and save its gains.
I also declare my pride and honor that I was part of the social and political forces that joined the popular youth peaceful revolution that broke out against the hereditary of power and the dictatorship of the regime of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh on 11 February 2011 in many governorates of the Republic in order to achieve the outcomes of the National Dialogue Conference which aim to build a modern civil federal Yemeni state that raises the values of citizenship, coexistence and peaceful struggle to defend the rights and freedoms and keeps the right of people to choose their political orientation and the leader who runs the public affairs through free and fair elections, with the subjection of all people to the rule of law. This is what has been turned over due to the coup in 2014 so I announced my position against the coup militias and fought against those militias sacrificing the blood of my sons and sons of my brother as well as the sons of the honorable tribes of Al-Jawf in the battlefields of shame and honor under the supreme leadership of the armed forces to restore the state, not for make revenge. When Allah helped us to defeat the militias in the areas of Al-Jawf, I stood on the ruins of my house that the Houthi militias destroyed and I ordered not to touch their houses or properties because we fight for freedom, dignity, justice and national partnership, not for revenge.
Since Yemen is a partner with the world countries, including the United States of America, in the fight against terrorism and since the articles of the Yemeni law punish overterrorism crimes and supportersof terrorists, and as an officer in the Yemeni Armed Forces and a Yemeni citizen, I put myself at the disposal of the Yemeni judiciary to investigate the US Treasury-alleged intelligence and giving me the right to refute what the American administration will present to the Yemeni judiciary in terms of the facts, evidence and references related to sucha tendentious intelligence.
The Yemeni judiciary has the right to convict, punish or decide my innocence, according to the provisions of the Yemeni Constitution and laws, in order to completely close the file of this fabricated and malicious intelligence act via a judicial statement after transparent and public investigation.
I confirm my adherence to my right, which was approved by all the laws in the world countries, the international covenants and our Islamic Shari'aand was ensured in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the American Constitution itself, and all constitutions in the world, to take a legal action against the US government over the damage I have suffered to my reputation and hold it responsible for my personal safety.
Brigadier-General
Al-Hassan bin Ali Abkar