Saleh of Yemen may close in exchange for immunity, says official

April 24, 2011, 4: 41 am EDT by Mohammed Hatem and Glen Carey

(Updates with comment fifth and seventh paragraphs.) See the EXTRA and places to learn more about regional unrest).

April 24 (Bloomberg) - Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh has accepted a plan negotiated in the Council of the Gulf Cooperation that allows it to relinquish power in exchange for immunity, a government official said.Saleh would transfer power to a Deputy Minister within 30 days and hold elections 60 days after that this, Tarik al-Shami, spokesman general decision of the Congress of the people, said in a telephone interview yesterday. The opposition must put an end to demonstrations and accept immunity for Saleh and his assistants and all of the terms of the GCC plan, said al - Shami .the GCC officials seek to avoid an escalation of violence in the country, or a military fatal gap like in Libya. Growing social unrest also threatens to strengthen al-Qaeda seeks to use the Yemen, the poor Arab nation, as a base to destabilize the neighbor Saudi Arabia, the largest exporter of crude oil.Saleh would be the third leader forced from Office since popular unrest spreading across the Middle East, this led to the overthrow Hosni Mubarak in Egypt and Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in Tunisia.Police and snipers killed 46 demonstrators in Sanaa, the capital, last month, which prompted several military and Government officials to abandon the system of Saleh. A total of 109 demonstrators have been killed since February 11, according to Majed al-Madhaji, Arab sisters Forum spokesperson for the human rights of the Sana ' A.Longtemps "it is possible that Saleh is manoeuvring," Theodore KarasikDirector of research at the Institute based in Dubai for the Middle East and the military analysis of the Gulf, said today in a telephone interview. "The more time that it gets the better it is for himself and his followers.". Thirty days is long in Yemeni politics and it is likely to be more disputes. "The United Arab Emirates United, Minister for Foreign Affairs Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al Nahyan urged all parties to the Yemen to accept the plan of the CCG at a meeting yesterday with his Yemeni counterpart, Abu Bakr Al-Qirbi, said Emirates News Agency. The GCC "keeps on stability and unity of the Yemen," Sheikh Abdullah was quoted as saying by the press service.The plan of the Yemen Council could "solve the political crisis in a peaceful and orderly manner," the Obama administration yesterday said in a statement by the White House email. "We encourage all parties to act quickly to implement the terms of the agreement", said the statement.Protest against RightsA weak central Government in the risk Yemen also mirroring the situation in Somalia, across the Gulf of Aden, there where it has not been an administration works since 1991. Somalia became a breeding ground for pirates who attack shipping lanes.The Parties of the joint meeting, a coalition of six opposition groups, also accepted the plan of the CCG. They would not participate in a Government of national unity Saleh during the 30 days it will remain in power, said Mohammed al-Sabri, a leader in the opposition. They also support the right to protest. "When they said that the ruling party has accepted the plan, it was clear that he has accepted as Saleh is the President of the party,"said ruling party al-Shami. The party him Secretary General Abdel Latif al-Zayyani that he has approved the plan, said.Civil war RiskSaleh meeting with al-Zayyani April 21 to resolve the crisis. The Council, which includes Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates United, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain and Kuwait, held separate meetings this month with representatives of the General Congress of the people and the opposition.Saleh said yesterday that the opposition was pushing the country of the Arabian Peninsula toward civil war. "They want to drag the area of civil war and we refuse to be moved to the civil war, Saleh said in a speech to the military and students, the official Saba press service. He said power should change "at the ballot box and not by a coup," and those who want power "should be brave and to call for early elections if presidential or parliamentary elections," according to Saba.Protests continued yesterday in the city of Taizwhere the crowds demanded the end of the rule of the Saleh, Rashad Mohammed, an eyewitness, said by telephone. The majority of the stores of the city was closed for a general strike, he said. In Aden, more than 90 percent of shops, schools and businesses were closed on Saturday, said Marwan al-Yafee, an eyewitness.

-With the help of Todd Shields in Washington. Editors: Andrew j. Barden, Paul Armstrong

To contact the reporters on this story: Mohammed Hatem to Sana ' A-mhatem1@bloomberg.net. Glen Carey in Riyadh at the gcarey8@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Andrew j. Barden at barden@bloomberg.net

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Mass rally in the Yemen for and against Saleh - Reuters

Supporters of Yemen's President Ali Abdullah Saleh take to part in a rally showing their support in Sana'a, Yemen 22 April 2011.

Credit: Reuters/Ammar AwadBy Mohamed Sudam and Mohammed Ghobari

SANAA | Fri Apr 22, 2011 5:05 pm EDT

SANAA (Reuters) - Yemenis the streets of Sanaa and Taiz Friday in flooded rival demonstrations for and against President Ali Abdullah Saleh, gave a guarded welcome to Gulf Arab Plan for a three month transition which makes.

He told supporters in Sana'a, Yemen arrangements "in line with the Constitution of Yemen" - the objections to the plan are language - mask could and also promised, but "Challenge with challenge to confront" had to without bloodshed.

"Guns can be used today but do not use exclude them tomorrow." We are against war, "Saleh told."

Ten soldiers in three attacks by tribesmen and al Qaeda fighters in several provinces to life came, officials said.

In the southern city of Taiz, riot police fired in the air to keep large, said mass unruly demonstrators of Pro and anti-Saleh apart, but there were no serious injuries, witnesses.

A sea of anti-Saleh demonstrators flooded perhaps in the hundreds of thousands, the streets of third city of Taiz, Yemen and an epicenter of opposition to the 69-year-old President.

But Northwestern in Yemen town of Hajja, a 12-year-old boy killed when security forces opened fire on a crowd of anti-government protesters in the city to prevent witnesses told of Reuters by phone.

"Friday of the reconciliation," Yemeni waving flags and pictures of the President turned tens of thousands of Saleh loyalists out in Sanaa, which they have a capital, for what called.

Their numbers were by protesters demanding Saleh's immediate departure, spilling their usual protest area around Sana'a University "Last chance Friday" in the nearby Siteen Street, mark matched where was a heavy security presence.

Raised the concern that Saleh of the security forces and Republican Guard with troops loyal to General Ali Mohsen, protection of the demonstrators in Sanaa renegade clash could.

Demonstrators expressed skepticism about the latest golf plan to mitigate Yemen's descent into more violence and chaos.

The proposal of the Six Nations calls for Gulf Cooperation (GCC) Saleh to hand his Vice President a month after signing an agreement authorized. A leader of the opposition he insert interim cabinet with the preparation for the presidential election would appoint two months later charged a Yemeni official said.

IMMUNITY FROM CRIMINAL

The plan, presented Thursday, provides also immunity against criminal prosecution with Saleh, his family and his Adjutanten--anathema to stop his enemies, which would also protest the proposal.

Protesters Manea Abdullah said "We each initiative depend will not, that does not require, that this man can be immediately". "We are adhering to the requirements of the revolution for immediate departure and persecution of those who killed our comrades."

Saleh's long Gulf and Western allies worried that chaos in the Yemen will open more opportunities for ambitious al Qaeda fighters, trying to bring about an orderly transition after three months of protests against Saleh's 32-year rule.

Protests in the southern port of Aden was later in the evening on Friday, as called for Saleh's departure to avoid thousands of demonstrators temperatures of over 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit).

Many demonstrators trust although organized opposition, still can ready to do a deal, the parties to implement not Saleh.

"This guy a liar, we believe not all others also if the opposition accepts the golf initiative", said Abdulnasser Ahmed.

"Every time, if he agrees something, saves then." We know his ways and hence the rest of the world. That is, why should the world support our demands that he go. "

Anti-Saleh tribesmen in the lawless Eastern Province of Maarib, a local official had said troops try, a major route for gas shipments to secure two soldiers kill, wounding 18 and destroy a tank and an armored vehicle in an ambush.

Tribesmen disturb the main street of Sanaa after Maarib, where most of the Yemen gas is produced, are impossible for trucks to distribute cooking gas to the rest of the country made.

Deficiency have quadrupled cooking gas prices on the black market to 5,000 rials ($20) from 1,200. Angry residents blocked roads in some areas Sanaa with empty gas bottles. The crisis led others to anti-Saleh protests, where have they scrawled on gas bottles "left".

Ongoing turbulence the Rial in nearby deep of around 250 dollars of 214 record driven has nine weeks. It is more difficult to points of sale, sell dollars become find, residents say.

Suspected al Qaeda fighters with violence flared up with seven soldiers killed, when their convoy under fire in Maarib, came on Friday, an official said.

A soldier killed and another injured when the army clashed with armed thought to al Qaeda Yemen-based wings are trying to use a post office in Zinjibar, in the southeastern province of Abyan. The armed men later away accelerated on motorcycles.

The toll in a clash Thursday night in the southern province of Lahej rose to five soldiers killed and three wounded, according to a local official. Two fighters were also killed.

(Additional Mohammed Mukhashaf in Aden and Erika Solomon in Dubai, writing of Alistair Lyon, editing by Philippa Fletcher)

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Yemen Saleh: Mediation, not intervene, welcome - Reuters

SANAA, April 8 | Fri Apr 8, 2011 8: 26 to the EDT

"The Yemeni people are free to arranging their brothers and friends to accept, but they defend themselves against orders or intervention," he said news agencies in a statement released to State.

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