Yemen MP Hashid: My car attacked to be used in terrorist act

In March 12, 2012, unknown gunman attacked Mr. Ahmed Saif Hashids car, who is a member of Yemen Parliament, in the capital Sanaa.

The attack took place while it was standing in the private park of Ibn-Sina hospital, resulting in an injury.

The attacker, around 8:50 pm, tried unsuccessfully to open the car by an apparently master-key, then shattered the rear windshield of the car to go through into the drivers seat.

In an attempted escape, he started the engine, but failed because the car was chained into movable cement blocs resulting in crashes due to the blocs bumping into the car sides and smashing a nearby car.

The park keeper, Mr. Maged al-Nafeesh, 27 years old, run to the scene to question the attacker; however the latter tried to cheat the former when he alleged that the car is “his own”. After that, Maged tried to catch him, immediately the attacker pulled his gun and shot fire on the al-Nafeesh and run away as a bullet had pierced Mr. Mageds leg.

The key besides a dagger of the assailant was found on the scene.

Mr. Hashids Land Cruiser [Prado model/1990] as revealed in photos, was parked among dozens of expensive cars standing inside the park, which seems to exceed a mere attempted steal act.

“For security reasons, the car was kept in custody of my friend Mr. Yousif Alsarari since last August”, Mr. Hashid said. “On Sunday, March 12, 2012, I brought it back as my employees used it in distributing my newspaper, al-Mustakilla, to be back at the same day”, he added.

 Yemenat newspaper makes an interview with Mr. Hashid.  

Interviewed by Abdullah al-Qubati

– Could you give details of your cars attack?

I lend my car to Yousef Alsarari in month of Ramdan, yet on the same day of the attack I phoned him to give the car back to use it for distributing newspaper of Mustakila. The distributor, a person who previously was my driver, undertook his task and provided the paper to all cities to which distribution was assigned to him.

Having finished distribution, the car was returned to Mr. Yousef to put it in its park as usual. He told me that a man with a beard had asked him whether this car was the one which distributed papers, but Yousef replied in negative. Two hours later, chaos was heard by him and rushed to see what was wrong. He found the guard of the park sustained an injury and rushed, with other people, to follow the criminal, yet came back see the injured guard, while the people continued following the taxi of the criminal which lacked a plate and its driver had refused to take a person known as Dr Galal. The taxi seemed to be waiting for the criminal, who managed to escape despite getting the taxi arrested.

– In the complaint you filed to 7 July Police Station you said you had doubts that the car might have been used to conduct a terror act, what are the reasons?

My doubts based on the fact that security apparatuses publicized about a dubious Prado in a terror act. A couple of days earlier, there was a security release on three cars doubted to perform act of terror as well as news that a number of cars may target foreign facilities. The attack did was not meant to steal my old car as there were a lot of new, much expensive and easily stolen cars in the parking place, and finally the car ownership had been focused on. Which means that some forces want to put me in trouble to be used for political purposes. I also remember that I read in Sept 2011, a date close to incident, about a red Prado that might be used in a terror act and ridiculed the coincidence. I would like also to note that a few months ago the security apparatuses had deactivated an explosive device put inside a car in front of Mualimi Police Station and Mustakilla office; my place of residence(about 10 meters apart).

The Quba mosque, in which the parliament member and preacher at Iman university Aref Alsabri gave a speech of instigation against my paper located about 15 meters off the mosque. He claimed that my paper publicizes Kufr and taboo, and a complaint in this regard was suited to inter-parliamentary union.

– Who do you think is behind the attack? And why?

I think it is the national security that is behind the operation because it want to exploit the dispute between me and Islah party and attribute the work to either Islah or Ali Muhsen, which is part of the exercises by some central forces in Yemen under pretext of AQAP to settle accounts with political rivals. Other reasons includes bad behavior by some officials in a hospital in which, as information says, a relative of the presidents is a partner in the hospital, preventing any media means inquiry with the injured park keeper, an attempt made by a security official to force Alsarari to say that he is the real owner of the car, attempt to get me let the case. The position of the police station that can only be understood as an influential exercise upon them. The man with a beard was apparently intended to be an attention diverting tool that it is Islah or First Armored Division that was behind the incidence.

I think the national security wanted to reshuffle cards and use Iranian paper as required. The abovementioned police station is the same station which tackled murder of my late driver and manipulated the case ten years ago, and the same attitude is repeated at present. The driver, who is in custody, was confident that he would be free as if he had a promise that the case would end.

– Why was your car in charge of Alsarary, and for how long?

last Ramadan, for security reasons, I gave my car to my friend and field leader of the Civic Youth Revolution Coalition Alsarary and agreed with him to pretend that he bought the car and the selling invoice is underway so that the car avoid any potential damage or steal, especially my house is situated between First Armored Division and republican guards from one hand and central security from the other. I would like to add that my Cresida was confiscated by some First Armored Division soldiers from same place, took it to their headquarters and did not return it except when I paid money. The Cresida was taken by Alsarary to a workshop for repair after some parts of it  had been looted.

– Did security apparatuses tackled the case as expected? And was there pressure to hinder it?

I immediately moved to 7 July Police Station to report the attack, and suddenly found a civilian with a rifle beside him I was informed he is the investigation director who refused to register my case, then asked the official on-duty to register it but also refused, I offered  a copy of cars ownership however.

As a civilian and to consider my notice, I made calls with both the stations manager who promised me and did not fulfill, and the security director of the neighborhood, saying that my car might be taken to perform but he neither responded nor order the case be registered

I contacted the station director to tell him that I had come according to the date fixed, yet he said the car was not my own but it is Alsararys. I told him I gave the cars card to the police station and I had strong doubts about a possible use of my car in a criminal act, he promised me to come the following day. I came as appointed, yet he did not. I noted down the doubts in question and attempted to give the paper to the secretary of the director but also rejected it. I let it before him with presence of eyewitnesses and left.

Do you have other evidence supporting that the attack did not intended stealing the car?

In Sept 2011, three gunmen came to the car parking and told Yousef that the car is Hashids but he said that “it was” and he has bought it. Yousef told me about this. He usually places the Prado in Ibn-sina hospital parking as his house is adjacent to it and the possible way to park the car is at such a park being guarded by the hospital police.

I visited the victim, who is the park keeper, three days after the attack when his health gets well, asking him to provide some information about the attack for publish. He did not mind that, yet one of the workers in the hospital objected and advise us to take permission of the administration. We followed the procedures, met a doctor, who told us the car was under scrutiny, and gave a permit to inquire the victim and take a photo. When we reached the patient room, we surprised to find person named Faisal who pretended to be brother of the parliament of the house Mohammed Alradi and prevented us from interview the patient. Another person was present, whom we suspect as a national security affiliate, besides a third person. All of them prevented us questioning the victim.