Foreign conspiracy in Yemen, President Saleh’s says as violence increases in his country

By Nasser Arrabyee/19/02/2011

The Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh said Saturday what’s happening in his country now is just a foreign conspiracy, as dozens were killed and injured over the last two days in violent demonstrations calling for his ouster.

“It’s a foreign agenda, and conspiracy against security and stability of the nation,” said President Saleh in a big gathering of tribal leaders from his tribe, Hashed, the Yemen’s most influential tribe.

“There are thugs in the streets, hired thugs, and we know who hired them,” Saleh said in the Saturday’s tribal gathering in the capital Sana’a, which is the eighth tribal gathering he held in a week.

“He who wants to take the power should take it through polls, and the people will confront the saboteurs and outlaws,” He told the tribesmen who came to express their support for him from the northern province of Amran where Hashed tribe is based.

He said it’s only the citizens who will pay the price if the country collapsed into a civil war. “ Those who pay and push citizens to the streets will be hiding the bad-rooms, with their bags in their hands to go abroad where their bank credits are.”

President Saleh was obviously referring to Hamid Al Ahmar, politically ambitious businessman and Islamist leader, and also the son of the chief of Hashed, the departed Abdullah Al Ahmar.

Now, with the Yemeni streets simmering with anti-regime protests, the government media keeps accusing Hamid Al Ahmar of being behind some violent cases, exactly the same way as the opposition accuses the government of sending thugs to beat and scare the protesters.

Hamid Al Al Ahmar has his own satellite TV, Suhail. Hamid’s brother, Hussein who says now he’s independent after he resigned from Saleh’s party, has been also meeting with Hashed tribesmen during over the last few days. He said is ready to send his tribesmen, from Hashed, to protect the demonstrators in Sana’a.

Clashes between rival demonstrations take place almost every day in the capital Sana’a where the pro-government demonstrators chase after the opposition demonstrators everywhere they go.

One young man was killed and at least six anti-government demonstrators were injured on Saturday, February 19th, 2011 when armed men loyal to the government fired to disperse rival demonstrators clashing with hands ,sticks and stones at the gate of the university of Sana’a.

Eyewitnesses said, about 200 protesting students, who were demanding the ouster of President Saleh, tried to stage a demonstration at the gate of the university, but the pro-government demonstrators came and clashed with them and drove them out.

“The clashes were with hands, sticks, batons, and the armed men were firing to disperse the demonstrators and I saw at least five of them injured,” said one of the students who were not siding, but were only watching.

The capital Sana’a and many other cities mainly Taiz and Aden, have been witnessing increasing violent demonstrations calling for toppling the regime.

As violence started to increase in the demonstrations which spread across the country, the US embassy in Sana’a called the Yemeni government to fulfill its responsibility to protect the life and property of all Yemenis and to safeguard their basic human and civil rights।