Poles apart, two regimes find a common interest

South Yemeni President Abdul Fattah Ismail is due to visit Saudi Arabia shortly, marking an upturn in relations between two countries with diametrically opposed political sympathies. In the present conjuncture of Gulf rivalries, it makes considerable sense for Riyadh to make friendly noises to Aden even though Ismail has signed a 20-year friendship and cooperation treaty with the Soviet Union.