General Ahmed Saleh vows to continue protection of Yemen and its new leader Hadi

By Nasser Arrabyee,19/04/2012

The general Ahmed Saleh said his army would protect the constitutional legitimacy under the leadership of the new elected President Hadi from gamblers and greedy for the power.

He his army protected Yemen from sliding into a devastating civil war during the crisis that was made by his father's opponents who failed to take power by force.

 He accused military and tribal defectors of trying to dominate the "youth", in a clear reference to the defected general Ali Muhsen and the billionaire tribal leader Hamid Al Ahmar who led the protests against the former President Ali Abudullah Saleh last year but failed to take power by force.


"If it hadn't been for the legendary steadfastness of the people and the army and the civil institutions, Yemen would have witnessed a devastating civil war,"said thevgeneral Ahmed Saleh who was speaking to thousands of commanders of his army on Monday, April 17, for the first time since the political crisis started early last year.

"We embodied, in all our works, the sublime meanings of our military   honor, values, and principles," he said.

The general Ahmed Saleh confirmed that his army would continue now protection of the nation and its historic and smart leader, President Hadi.

Highlights of the speech:

The elections of His Excellency, President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi embodied the meanings of the peaceful and smooth transfer of power. And it was wonderful example for the Yemeni democracy which was established by the former President Ali Abdullah Saleh. More importantly, the elections were clear expression of the constitutional legitimacy which we protected in compliance with the constitution and our job. We embodied, in all our works, the sublime meanings of our military   honor, values, and principles. 

The society knows very well that we were always doing our duties without bias. As soon as His Excellency President Hadi, was elected, we immediately announced our loyalty to the new political leadership and we will continue doing our duties and commitments.And in this decisive stage of our history, we will provide all sacrifices and efforts.

We will protect the constitutional legitimacy from malignancy of gamblers, and those who stupidly  commit suicide with their greediness for power. 


However, our hope in the ability and wisdom of His Excellency Marshal Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi, who has the support of the Gulf and international communities, and also in the awakening of the majority of the parties, for moving towards the future, and building the new Yemen that every Yemeni wants. 

The Yemeni State suffered from the same group that dominated the " Youth" who had legitimate demands which were included in many official programs and plans, and the political leadership accepted these demands from the first moment, and promised even more and more within a  declared program. But this group blocked the road of the Stare and the Youth and dragged Yemen into the crisis. 

If it hadn't been for the legendary steadfastness of the people and the army and the civil institutions, Yemen would have witnessed a devastating civil war.

Brothers,
His Excellency President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi,will lead the coming stage strongly and firmly and with the smartness of the great and historic leaders, and our national duty requires us to protect our nation and our leader, and we must do our best, with every possible strength, to preserve and confirm peace so that all Yemenis can realize their hopes, hope of renaissance, development and progress.

The speech in full 

Speech of General Ahmed Ali Abdullah Saleh, Commander  of the Repulican Gaurd Forces, Commander of Special Forces in the consultative meeting with the leadership of the Repulican Guards and Special Forces, 17/04/2012.

Greeting of soldiery, responsibility, and achievement,
Greeting of high patriotic spirit, with which you do your  commitments, to please Allah, and serve your nation,

This meeting is being held in extremely complicated circumstances not only in our country but also in the whole Arab region.

And Yemen is suffering from economic, administrative, and security challenges after one year of a crisis that nealy put the country in a disaster if it were not for the sincere efforts of the political leadership which worked as one team under the leadership of the new Presidnet of the Republic, Marshal Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi since he was still the deputy of the founder of the Yemeni modern, unified, and democratic State, Marshal Ali Abdullah Saleh, in cooperation of the regional and international community for efforts of the settlement and the signing of the GCC Initiative between the parties. 


I would highly appreciate everything you have provided and are still providing , your  commitments to constitutional tasks with your brothers of the commrades of weapons in all units of of the armed forces and security, who did the best examples of sacrifice, steadfastness, and patience for protecting the national system of the Republic of Yemen, which stipulates that no legitimacy but the legitimacy of ballot box of elections, and rule of majority, which is determined and defined by the legal ways known in all over the world.

Your steadfastness was protecting the steadfastness of the overwhelming majority of our brothers in all insitutions of the State, and majority of citizens who kept praying to Allah Almighty to avoid Yemen the problems.

You all  played the most important role in protecting the institutions of the State and its capital from collapsing into chaos under the directives of the former supreme commander of the armed forces, Ali Abdullah Saleh, and the directives of the current supreme commander Marshal Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi who took leadership since the moment of the terrorist attack on the mosque of the Presidential House, and he became the President of the Republic and supreme commander of the armed forces since he took the power  in an unprecedented ceremony over the history of Yemen.

While the armed forces and security pay everyday the price of their confrontation with Al Qaeda and extremism and terrorism, the political parties are still unable until today, unfortunately, to realize the need of the armed forces for standing against challenges, the most dangerous of which is the terrorist activity in the Arabian and Red Seas.

I would confirm to you all that we are capable to face the impossible for our  nation, and for protecting the Republic, Unity, and Freedom, and we trust a lot in our people and our political leadership, and that future is being tissued every day with hope, work, patience, and solid will. The Yemeni people will never ever be defeated whatsoever the difficulties and challenges are.

Brothers,
We are optimistic and confident that we are able to face all problems and fix all mistakes and forget  the past, and he who reads the history of our great republic, he he would find that threats and dangers only strengthened the Yemenis more and more. 

The glory of Yemenis is always to face and overcome the challenges whatever they were, with spirit of heroism and defiance.And with wisdom and reason they always tissue and build the life with tireless efforts to make themselves a success, and they draw in the pages of history their luck in dignity, justice and freedom.

Brothers,
What is required of everyone of us  is to stand with pride and we must defeat the fear and doubt, illusion, and accusations,and we should exerrt efforts and provide sacrifices to achieve the goals of Yemenis with the spirit of harmony and brotherhood. 

Time has come to leave alone the split and divisions  and to  build a new strategy which meets the ambitions of the people for change and building and achaiveing the change.  Our national duty is to build a historic and national bloc  to protect the future. Yemen is our glory for which we should provide sacrifices and there is no impossible if there is strong and  unified will heading to the fututre.

Brothers,
In this turning point of history, we should continue in our steadfastness as free and noble people, in front of spoil of greediness and selfishness and worrisome and confused ambitions which nearly led us to split and divisions, and some are still spoiling with the lands and human.

Brothers,
We have been patient, and we bore, and we bet only on the nation during this crisis and  we stood before all malignant attempts which targeted its security and stability and tried to destroy all its great achievements.

And the political settlement and compromise which resulted from the GCC Initiative and its implementation plan,was only the fruits of our great efforts and this was a realistic product to rescue Yemen and get it out from the schemes of chaos, destruction, and sabotage.

Brothers,
Today, we face great challenges and dangers, terrorism and conspiracy are still standing, our national economy is suffering, and obstacles in front of the settlement are being made by people who can not leave the past. I would confirm to you that the wheel of transformations is moving forward in the direction of fututre, and the deluded people  will not be able to obstruct it. 

The building of the modern state, state of the law and order is the essential introduction to move forward to the future. And we will not be able to to move to the future without unifying our efforts and positions and without building the bridges of confidence and without restoring the  humanitarian meaning of brotherhood. With these things we will be able to unify our word for establishing freedom and justice.

Brothers,
The elections of His Excellency, President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi embodied the meanings of the peaceful and smooth transfer of power. And it was wonderful example for the Yemeni democracy which was established by the former President Ali Abdullah Saleh. More importantly, the elections were clear expression of the constitutional legitimacy which we protected in compliance with the constitution and our job. We embodied, in all our works, the sublime meanings of our military   honor, values, and principles. 

The society knows very well that we were always doing our duties without bias. As soon as His Excellency President Hadi, was elected, we immediately announced our loyalty to the new political leadership and we will continue doing our duties and commitments.And in this decisive stage of our history, we will provide all sacrifices and efforts.

We will protect the constitutional legitimacy from malignancy of gamblers, and those who stupidly  commit suicide with their greediness for power. 

However, our hope in the ability and wisdom of His Excellency Marshal Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi, who has the support of the Gulf and international communities, and also in the awakening of the majority of the parties, for moving towards the future, and building the new Yemen that every Yemeni wants.

The Yemeni State suffered from the same group that dominated the " Youth" who had legitimate demands which were included in many official programs and plans, and the political leadership accepted these demands from the first moment, and promised even more and more within a  declared program. But this group blocked the road of the Stare and the Youth and dragged Yemen into the crisis. 

If it hadn't been for the legendary steadfastness of the people and the army and the civil institutions, Yemen would have witnessed a devastating civil war.

Brothers,
His Excellency President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi,will lead the coming stage strongly and firmly and with the smartness of the great and historic leaders, and our national duty requires us to protect our nation and our leader, and we must do our best, with every possible strength, to preserve and confirm peace so that all Yemenis can realize their hopes, hope of renaissance, development and progress.

Long life Yemen, long life Yemen, free, and defiant, victory for all freedom fighters, and defeat for cowards.

May Allah Almighty bless you and help you for the interest of the nation and people.
And peace be upon you all.