Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Cynthia Johnston and Mohammed Ghobari
Reuters

SANAA: Yemeni protesters demanding an end to President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s rule said Tuesday they would insist he leave power soon, blaming him for violence that has raised U.S. fears of chaos that could benefit militants.
Explosions at an arms factory Monday killed more than 100 people in a southern town where Islamists seemed to have driven out government forces. Al Arabiya TV said the death toll could rise to about 150.

The main coalition of opposition groups said Saleh was to blame for the presence of militants, including Al-Qaeda, in Abyan Province, where the blast took place.
“We condemn this ugly crime and accuse the president and his people of involvement with Al-Qaeda and armed groups to whom government institutions have been handed over in Abyan. The chaos was planned in advance,” it said in a statement.

“Saleh’s continuation in power is a danger to Yemen, its people and international interests,” the group added.
Abyan residents said in recent days that security forces had deserted the town of Jaar, scene of the blast. The governors of Jawf and Saada Provinces in the north have also left, perhaps fearing confrontations with tribes opposed to the president.

In central Yemen, the governor of Maarib was stabbed after trying to disperse a protest earlier this month.
Saleh has said Yemen could slide into armed conflict and fragment along regional and tribal lines if he leaves office immediately.

But protesters who have been camped out around Sanaa University since early February also said they found the withdrawal of security and officials in some areas suspicious and accused Saleh of fomenting strife for political reasons.

“Saleh wants to scare us and the world with chaos, which he has started causing in some areas,” said Ali Abdel-Ghani, 31, a civil servant among thousands of protesters in Sanaa.

“But we are capable of exposing this game. There are popular committees in all provinces to bring security as the president has removed security in some places for chaos to spread.”

Dozens of policemen and soldiers from different units joined the protests Tuesday, milling around and chanting slogans such as “The people want the fall of the regime” and also “The police and army are partners in providing daily needs.”
“We are optimistic about the success of our revolution. It is just a question of time,” said Marwan Hussein, 18, a student.

Indirect talks to broker a transition from Saleh to his opponents restarted Tuesday after direct talks broke down in recent days, a source close to the talks said.
Saleh’s ruling General People’s Congress party has proposed a new government to activate Saleh’s offer of a new Constitution ahead of early parliamentary and presidential elections.

“Those who are hungry for power … they should turn to elections instead of chaos. They will get to power if they have the trust of the people,” Saleh told supporters Monday.
The opposition say they believe Saleh is maneuvering to avoid limits on his family’s future activities and a guarantee they would not face legal action over corruption.

“We are on the path to completing a deal,” an opposition figure said Monday. “The president is trying to improve the negotiating conditions, especially relating to the situation of his sons and relatives.”
The deal, if reached, would probably involve the resignation of Saleh and Gen. Ali Mohsen, a kinsman and former ally who defected and then sent troops to protect the protesters last week.