YEMEN In the Old Style
When the old Imam Ahmad ("Ahmad the Devil") ruled Yemen, justice was swiftand final. Enemies were decapitated and their heads carried around town on long poles. Lesser offenders lost their hands or feet. Last week General Abdullah Sallal, leader of the Egyptian-backed regime that overthrew the Ahmad dynasty in 1962, borrowed a leaf from Ahmad's book of horrors. In little more time than it took to cock a rifle, he staged a drumhead trial for seven of his former colleagues, including an ex-Cabinet Minister, then sent them swiftly to their deaths before a firing squad.
The seven...