Defected general accused of being behind Saleh’s failed assassination

By Nasser Arrabyee/21/07/2011

A party of Yemen’s political crisis was involved in the failed assassination attempt against the President Ali Abdullah Saleh on June 3, said the Yemeni deputy minister of information on Thursday.

The deputy minister Abdul Janadi did not give any further details.

“The indicators of the ongoing investigations of say that a party of the political crisis was behind the terrorist attack on the mosque of the Presidential Palace,” he told reporters in a press conference held in Sana’a.

“This party is involved now in military confrontations in Arhab and it tries to control the international airport of Sana’a,” said Abdul Janadi.

“If he thinks he has supporters in Arhab, he should know that the other s have their own supporters,” said Abdul Janadi in a clear reference to the defected general Ali Muhsen. Muhsen is accused of supporting the Islamist tribesmen in Arhab where clashes take place almost every day with the republican guards.

Arhab is about 40 km to the north of the capital Sana’a where international airport of Sanaa is not far.