CAIRO — Fighting between opposition tribesmen and security forces in Yemen's capital escalated dramatically Friday, as the presidential palace was shelled, prompting reports that President Ali Abdullah Saleh had been wounded. Yemen's state-run Saba news agency reported that Saleh was in "good health" after the attack and would soon make a televised speech. The rocket strike on the palace came after government forces reportedly attacked the homes of tribal leaders led by the powerful Ahmar family and military commanders who have joined the opposition, according to local news media. Read full article >> Confusion reigns in Yemen over President Saleh's injuries. Whatever the truth, the country is facing a decisive moment I started this morning planning to write a general blog post about Yemen, but events took a dramatic turn this afternoon – and are still developing. Let's start with the official version. The presidential palace in Yemen was hit by shells on Friday. Government sources said at first that President Saleh was unhurt and would be giving a news conference within an hour. The news conference didn't happen and the new line seems to be that the president has been slightly injured and is now in hospital. At present, there is no way of knowing if this is true. Being taken to hospital could explain why Saleh hasn't given the promised news conference. So would being killed. We can't be absolutely sure that Saleh is still alive until he is seen on television talking about what happened. If he were dead, Yemeni officials wouldn't necessarily say so until the resulting power vacuum had been filled. Similarly, if his injuries were serious, officials might still be expected to describe them as slight. The only thing we can be sure ... Mediation efforts between Yemen President Ali Abdullah Saleh and the political opposition have all but collapsed, leaving the country on the brink of civil war, reports Iona Craig of Global Radio News. With Yemeni forces diverted to protect President Ali Abdullah Saleh's beleaguered regime, U.S. spying and special military operations have suffered. As result, Al Qaeda has had more opportunities to recruit and plot attacks. The escalating violence in Yemen is hampering critical U.S. counter-terrorism operations and has given Al Qaeda's most active affiliate increased opportunities for recruitment and plotting, current and former U.S. officials warn. Medical workers say at least 20 dead as Republican Guards use tanks and bulldozers to clear activists in city of Taiz Hundreds of soldiers loyal to Yemen's embattled president have stormed a protest camp in a southern city and fired on the crowds indiscriminately, killing at least 20 people, according to medical officials and witnesses. The city of Taiz has been a hotbed of anti-government protests since crowds began calling for President Ali Abdullah Saleh's ouster in early February. The heavy crackdown there signalled Saleh was still intent on preserving his 33-year rule despite the upheaval, intense international pressure to step aside and defections by key allies and some army units. Security forces first tried to clear the square in Taiz on Monday with water cannon, tear gas and sound bombs, sending thousands rushing for shelter. Forces from the Republican Guard, which is commanded by one of Saleh's sons, then moved in before dawn with tanks and bulldozers, said Sadek al-Shugaa, the head of a field hospital at the protest camp. Republican Guard soldiers along with security forces and armed men in civilian clothes attacked the protesters. Some set fire to dozens of tents used by ... The very essence of diplomacy between nations in the old days—maybe even yesterday—lay in knowing the difference between official communications, unofficial ones, and those that, being leaked, might be denied. All of these modes had their uses for signaling intent, saving face, or stepping back from a brink. And they still do, as the 250,000 U.S. State Department cables that have begun appearing on Wikileaks.ch amply demonstrate. Foreign secretary makes statement to House of Commons warning that security situation in country is deteriorating rapidly British citizens should leave Yemen "without delay", the foreign secretary, William Hague, told the House of Commons today as he warned that the security situation in the country is deteriorating rapidly. On the eve of a day of marches in Sana'a on Friday, the foreign secretary warned that the British government could not guarantee a place for every British citizen if contingency plans for a military evacuation are put into effect. Hague told MPs: "Commercial flights to and from Yemen are still operating, although this could clearly change. Should there be further violence in Yemen normal means of leaving, particularly through the commercial airport in Sana'a, could be blocked, and the ability to travel around Yemen will be severely restricted. "On 12 March we advised all British nationals to leave Yemen as soon as they could. Since the situation has continued to deteriorate since then, I want to make absolutely clear today that all British nationals remaining in Yemen should leave without delay." The government has reduced the British embassy in Sana'a to a core team after mounting violence in Yemen. A ... Tribesmen loyal to a powerful opposition chief have seized public buildings including state news agency Saba, sources said Wednesday, amid raging gunbattles with Yemen's security forces that have killed 44 people. AP Examines Development, Poverty Issues In Yemen "More than 50 percent of Yemen's children are malnourished, rivaling war zones like Sudan's Darfur and parts of sub-Saharan Africa. That's just one of many worrying statistics in Yemen. Nearly half the population lives below the poverty line of $2 a day and doesn't have access to proper sanitation. ... Water is running out... Experts believe Yemen is on the brink of civil war. For the past week, the country has been rocked by violence. Security forces have clashed with tribes demanding that the president step down. Shatha al-Harazi of _ The Yemen Times _ discusses the latest news from the capital Sanaa. Washington Bureau Chief for Al Jazeera International Abderrahim Foukara explains the implications of a civil war for Yemen, the U.S., and the Yemeni arm of Al-Qaeda. Small membership in country under spotlight SANAA (Reuters) - Yemen's ruling party has called for dialogue with the opposition, the country's state news agency said late on Friday, in a bid to stem anti-government protests fueled by popular unrest in its neighbors. Where's the outrage over the Obama Administration's secret assassination attempts on U.S. citizens? There has been a sceptical response from anti-government protesters in Yemen to news that a deal to remove President Saleh might be around the… WASHINGTON - The United States says it wants to question three wives of Osama bin Laden who have been in Pakistani custody since May 2, when U.S. special forces raided a Pakistani compound where they were hiding with the al-Qaida leader. U.S. National Security Adviser Tom Donilon on Sunday said Pakistani authorities must provide Washington with [...] From Tunisia, to Jordan, to Yemen and Algeria, Egypt's protests for democracy have caused a shockwave throughout the Middle East. CBS News' Bill Plante spoke with Shadi Hamid in Jordan, director of research at Brookings Doha Center.
Key Words: yemen news
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Friday, June 3, 2011
Yemen's presidential palace struck as fighting intensifies Yemen attack on president keeps observers guessing | Brian Whitaker Video the brink of civil war chaos is good news for Al Qaeda Yemeni protesters killed in camp raid WikiLeaks Documents Show How Strong U.S. Diplomacy Is William Hague British citizens should leave 'without delay' tribesmen seize public buildings rages Also In Global Health News Poverty Yemen; China's Family Planning Policy; Preventive Medicine Cuba; Food Security Indonesia Fears Of Civil War Escalate Egypt Adventist schools suspended this week but church operations not affected Ruling party urges talks to halt protests Targeting Americans And With Little Controversy Transition plan fails US Seeks To Question Bin Laden Wives Egypt's Unrest Spreads Middle East
