Yemen's Perilous Future

Yemen's Ali Abdullah Saleh is likely never to return to Yemen as his injuries are quite severe - internal brain bleeding, burns over 40% of his body, chest wounds from shrapnel including one piece that was lodged near his heart, and other assorted injuries.

That's left the country in the hands of his hand picked vice president, who isn't likely to turn over the reins of power to the opposition. However, it means that Yemen is likely to be plunged into a civil war or continued violence as factions vie for control.

The country is still racked by violence, and security forces have regained control over a major port facility.



Youth and activist groups are pledging to form their own transitional government if Saleh doesn't resign and relent to a transition government.

U.S. officials said Tuesday that the 65-year-old autocrat suffered severe burn and shrapnel wounds that would prevent him from returning to Yemen anytime soon and raised doubts about his ability to rule.

“We have to take advantage of this moment,” said Riyad Zindani, 23, a student at Sanaa University. “A chance has been given to us on a plate of gold.”

If reports about Saleh’s condition are true, it could shift the balance of power in Yemen and speed up a political transition, diplomats and analysts said. Saleh’s extended absence would allow the United States and Saudi Arabia more time to persuade him to remain in exile. In Yemen, it could convince Saleh’s supporters — especially his sons and nephews, who continue to hold powerful positions in the security forces — that his nearly 33-year rule has come to an end.

That could pave the way for the acceptance of a power transfer initiative forged by the Saudi-led Gulf Cooperation Council, composed of Yemen’s neighbors — a proposal many here view as Yemen’s best hope for a peaceful transition of power. Even if Saleh were to return, though, his grip on Yemen would be severely weakened by his absence.

“When he is so badly hurt, and unable to function for at least several months, then it is inconceivable that he will be able to maintain power,” said Abdul-Ghani al-Iryani, a Yemeni political analyst. “And the main obstacle in the way of implementing the GCC initiative is now out.”

While a truce is largely holding in Sana, the capital, the same can't be said for elsewhere in the country.

The fighting has reduced Zinjibar, once home to more than 50,000 people, to a ghost town without power or running water.

Health official Alhadar Alsaidi said disease was spreading from dead bodies on the streets and wild dogs eating them. “I call on local and international health organisations to help us removing bodies from the streets and burying them,” he said.

The Yemeni army said this week it had killed 30 militants in Zinjibar, where a local official said 15 soldiers had also died in battles for the town seized by gunmen nearly two weeks ago.

Some of Saleh’s opponents have accused the president of deliberately letting al Qaeda militants take over Zinjibar to demonstrate the security risks if he lost power.

The volatile situation in Yemen, which lies on oil shipping lanes, alarms Western powers and neighbouring oil giant Saudi Arabia, who fear that chaos would give al Qaeda free rein there.

Al Qaeda and other Islamists would most definitely exploit the power vacuum created in the wake of Saleh's absence despite claims that the situation in the south is designed precisely to exploit this prediction so as to allow Saleh to hold on to power. The problem though is that al Qaeda is as much a menace to fellow Muslims as they are to the West and the US in particular. Their body count is exceedingly high among Muslims - anyone who doesn't practice Islam the way the Salafists decree.

What Next For Yemen As Saleh Continues Receiving Medical Treatment In Saudi Arabia

With Yemeni leader Ali Abdullah Saleh continuing to receive medical treatment in Saudi Arabia for the injuries sustained in the rocket attack on his compound, what exactly is next for this failed state that straddles important shipping lanes and has regularly played host to al Qaeda?

Celebrations broke out on streets when Yemenis learned that Saleh was out of the country, but Saleh's loyalists remain in control of the country. It would appear that Saleh's done as the Saudis and Americans aren't willing to allow Saleh back into Yemen.



Opposition groups are likely to fight among themselves to capitalize on Saleh's absence, and while those groups want to see Saleh gone, what they want to do next is wildly divergent.

Yemen's main political opposition accepted a transfer of power to the country's vice president after President Ali Abdullah Saleh traveled to Saudi Arabia for medical treatment following an attack on his compound Friday. But it's unclear who will replace President Saleh more permanently if he doesn't return, and whether Vice President Abdul Rabu Mansoor Hadi will be accepted by the other groups vying for Saleh's ouster.

Saleh was injured Friday when opposition tribesmen shelled the presidential compound, targeting a mosque during Friday prayers. Saleh's forces and Yemeni tribesmen, who have engaged in pitched battles for nearly two weeks in the capital, continued fighting this weekend, the Washington Post reports, despite a truce brokered by Saudi Arabia.

The capital erupted in fireworks after his departure, which some saw as permanent, given his injuries and increasingly weak political position. But the government rebuffed the political opposition's call for the establishment of a temporary coalition government, saying that Saleh was still Yemen's president and would return to the country soon. In the interim, Vice President Abd al-Rabo Mansur al-Hadi was named as acting president.

RELATED: Yemen 101: Who's who in the country's unrest?

US ally Saudi Arabia is expected to block Saleh from returning to Yemen (with US support), the Washington Post reports, but neither the US nor Saudi Arabia likely has an answer for how to ensure a peaceful transition to a new government that will satisfy the secular youth-protest movement's demands for change, command respect from powerful tribes, and be capable of reining in Islamist militants, including an Al Qaeda franchise active in the south.

Saleh has been a some-time ally for the US, as he's been amenable to cracking down against Islamists and al Qaeda affiliates in the region, but it's come at a significant cost. It goes without saying that al Qaeda and other Islamists are likely to capitalize on the power vacuum.

Yemen's Saleh More Seriously Injured Than Previously Indicated

Considering that Yemen's Ali Abdullah Saleh was fighting to remain in power and was seriously injured in a rocket attack on his compound, it's little wonder that his regime has given out little information about the seriousness of his injuries.

Far from being the minor injuries that were initially indicated, it appears that his trip to Saudi Arabia for treatment was an admission that he was actually quite seriously injured. In fact, reports are indicating that he required neurosurgery to address his injuries. So, while his flacks are saying that he suffered only minor injuries, Western diplomatic sources are saying he was actually quite seriously injured:

Saleh flew to Saudi Arabia Saturday after the attack, leaving Vice President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi in charge.

Yemeni ruling party spokesman Tareq Shami said Sunday that Saleh's health is "very good and this is an ordinary visit."

"Saleh is not sick and he will be back in Yemen soon," Shami said

Saleh was hurt in an attack on a mosque in his palace on Friday.

Government officials are now investigating whether the local branch of al Qaeda was behind the attack, after earlier blaming a rebel tribe.

Saleh flew to Saudi Arabia Saturday, a source close to the Saudi government told CNN.

He was immediately taken to a nearby hospital after his plane landed in Riyadh.

Saleh's medical condition is worse than originally thought,the Saudi source said.

Hadi took over Saleh's responsibilities as president Saturday, Yemeni government spokesman Abdu Ganadi said.

Saleh's flight came after months of unrest in his poor Middle Eastern country, a key battleground in the fight against al Qaeda.

Street battles broke out in the capital Sanaa in recent days between government forces and fighters of the powerful Hashed tribe.

Yemeni security forces on Friday pounded the home of Sadeq al-Ahmar, the Hashed tribal leader whose supporters were first suspected of being behind the attack on the presidential palace.

The flurry of shelling left 10 people dead and 35 others wounded, according to Fawzi Al-Jaradi, an official with Hamil al-Ahmar, a Hashed tribal confederation led by Sadeq al-Ahmar.

Demonstrators have demanded Saleh's ouster for months, and fighting between Yemeni government forces and Hashed tribesemen has spiked considerably in recent weeks.

Rebel groups have laid siege to a second presidential compound, and there's little sign that the two sides can find a peaceful solution. Add to the fact that there are rumblings that the palace attack was carried out by an al Qaeda affiliate shows just how unstable the situation is and how easily al Qaeda could take advantage of the situation.

Yemen Slides Even Further Towards Civil War

A day after tribal groups fired rockets at Yemeni leader Ali Abdullah Saleh's compound and slightly injuring Saleh and several of his cohorts, Saleh's forces fired on rival tribal leaders' homes.

Fighting broke out again in the Yemeni capital of Sana'a Saturday, with the forces of President Ali Abdullah Saleh shelling the homes of anti-government leaders.

Sporadic rocket fire and firefights erupted in the al-Hasaba district of northern Sana'a, the home base of dissident tribesman Sheikh Sadiq al-Ahmar. He is a leader of what Saleh said was a "gang of outlaws" that carried out a rocket attack on the presidential compound Friday. Thousands fled the city on Saturday and roads were clogged at daybreak.

Seven people were killed in the rocket attack Friday, including key government officials, while Saleh was "lightly wounded" as the group attended prayers at a mosque inside the presidential compound.

Several top government officials wounded in the attack were flown to neighboring Saudi Arabia for treatment. Al-Arabiya TV reported that Saleh was among them, but a Yemeni spokesman said the report was not true and that he was still in Yemen.

The ongoing warfare between forces loyal to Saleh and anti-government protesters seemed to leave the country on the brink of a civil war. Saleh has three times promised to end his 33-year reign in a deal brokered by neighboring countries, but so far has reneged on the agreement.

Each passing day brings Yemen closer and closer to a civil war, and the exchanges of rocket and gunfire on the homes and compounds of rival leaders shows that neither side is particularly inclined to negotiate a peaceful solution to ending Saleh's regime.



Diplomatic efforts to broker a deal have failed three previous times, and time is running out for a peaceful resolution as the attack on Saleh's compound is likely to only harden Saleh's position and rally his supporters to fight to the bitter end.

Protests and Fighting Continues Against Autocratic Regimes Throughout Middle East and North Africa

Heavy fighting continues in Syria, where protesters continue to be murdered in significant numbers by Bashar al-Assad's security forces. At least 27 were killed when Assad's thugs opened fire on protesters in Hama. Witnesses reported that snipers opened fire on the throngs of protesters.

Protests in Hama have a particular resonance, since the city was attacked in 1982 by Assad's father, then President Hafez al-Assad, who crushed an armed Islamist uprising, killing up to 30,000 people and razing parts of the city to the ground.

"Tens of thousands turned up in Hama and Idlib in the biggest demonstrations since the uprising. This is a natural reaction to the increased killings and lack of seriousness by the regime for any national reconciliation," said Rami Abulrahman of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, who gave the latest death toll figure.

Syrian forces also opened fire on demonstrations in the eastern city of Deir al-Zor and in Damascus' Barzeh district.

Yet, despite the brutal means Assad is using to go after protesters, UN officials can't come out and declare that Assad is engaging in ethnic cleansing, war crimes, or democide, but instead call for additional investigations all while the body count rises.

Francis Deng, the Secretary-General's Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, and Edward Luck, the Special Adviser on the Responsibility to Protect, said in a joint statement that they were "gravely concerned at the increasing loss of life in Syria as a result of the continued violent suppression of anti-Government protests."

"We are particularly alarmed at the apparently systematic and deliberate attacks by police, military, and other security forces against unarmed civilians taking part in the last two months of protests. These attacks have reportedly resulted in many hundreds of deaths," the statement said.

"The deployment of armed forces and the use of live fire, tanks and artillery in response to peaceful protests, and the targeting of residential areas where protests have taken place, are unacceptable under any circumstances."

Meanwhile, opposition tribal groups managed to hit Yemeni leader Ali Abdullah Saleh. They injured him and others in his entourage when they fired rockets at his compound.

Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh was wounded when opposition tribesmen determined to topple him hammered his palace with rockets Friday in a major escalation of nearly two weeks of fighting with government forces. At least four guards were killed and seven top officials were also wounded, an official said.

The official said Saleh suffered light injuries to the neck and was treated in the palace. Yemeni state TV quickly aired a statement that Saleh was "in good health," denying a claim on an opposition TV station that the president was killed in the strike.

It was the first time that tribal fighters have directly targeted Saleh's palace in the fighting that has rocked the capital since May 23. The rocket strike came after government forces launched an intense artillery barrage at the homes of two tribal leaders and a top military general who also joined the opposition. The houses were flattened, witnesses said.

The fighting pits Saleh's troops against tribesmen loyal to Sheik Sadeq al-Ahmar, head of the Hashid, Yemen's most powerful tribal confederation. Al-Ahmar supports the hundreds of thousands of protesters who have been pressing for Saleh's ouster since February, but his tribal fighters stayed on the sidelines until Saleh's troops last week moved against al-Ahmar's residence in Sanaa.

The rockets Friday hit the presidential compound as officials were praying at a mosque inside, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation. Four guards were killed and seven other officials wounded, he said.

Repeated efforts to broker a deal for a transition government have failed as Saleh's followers have repeatedly fired on tribal groups, and Saleh has balked at several of the deals. The attack on Saleh's compound is likely to precipitate a civil war as Saleh (or his followers) wont go quietly.

Yemen's insecurity could lead to terror groups exploiting the chaos, whether by attacking shipping at sea or at any of its ports.

Then, there's the ongoing situation in Libya, and strongman Mumar Khadafi's support continues to crumble. Yet another minister has defected:



NATO has renewed its airstrikes against Libyian military forces, and extended the Libya mission for three more months. Despite the similarity between the actions by Khadafi and Assad, NATO and the UN can't seem to pull the trigger to stop Assad, while they're engaged in an all-too-alike situation in Libya. That's due to a combination of lack of military resources to commit to both locations and that Syria's backers in China and Russia have thwarted any more serious repercussions for Syria's brutal crackdown.

UPDATE:
Assad is trying to break the protests by shutting down the Internet to prevent his opposition from communicating with each other and sending reports to the rest of the world. (HT: researchok at LGF)

Yemen Sliding Towards Civil War

Civil war in Yemen appears more and more likely as a result of Ali Abdullah Saleh's refusal to agree to a deal leading to a transition government. Dozens of people have been killed in running gun battles on the streets between Saleh's loyalists and tribal groups seeking his ouster.

The crisis engulfing Yemen deepened on Wednesday with dozens of people killed as President Ali Abdullah Saleh reinforced his troops after heavy clashes with gunmen loyal to an influential tribal leader.

Overnight street battles left at least 41 people dead, some trapped in burning buildings. Fighting raged until dawn as presidential guard units shelled the headquarters of an army brigade responsible for protecting government institutions.

Arab embassies were said to be evacuating their staff and the few remaining western residents were being advised to leave urgently. The Foreign Office is urging all Britons to leave while flights are still available in a situation diplomats described as "worse than Libya."

Residents of Sana'a woke to a chorus of birdsong and machinegun fire as plumes of smoke rose into the sky, mortar blasts rattling windows and nerves. Heavy clashes resumed as Saleh's republican guard forces equipped with heavy artillery pushed the tribesmen out of government buildings. By nightfall they had wrested back control of several key positions.

The week's gun battles between rebel tribesmen and Saleh's troops have already claimed 200 lives and the confrontations are fanning fears of civil war.

Diplomats are fleeing the capital because of increasing violence. The violence is likely to spill over to the territorial waters making the transit around the Horn of Africa into the Red Sea more dangerous. Piracy is a significant concern.

It also provides an opportunity for al Qaeda to renew its efforts on the Arabian peninsula where it got its start.

Yemen's Saleh Sits Tight As Death Toll Mounts

Despite multiple efforts to cajole Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down and accept a transition to a new government, Yemen remains racked by violence between Saleh's loyalists and opposition groups demanding his removal. Saleh is hardening his position, and the death toll is swiftly rising:

Mr. Saleh's tougher position represents a prickly challenge for the international community's resolve to keep the fragile nation from civil war and support Arab democracy movements in the Middle East.

At least 35 people died Wednesday in ferocious battles between pro- and antigovernment forces, the third day of fighting since Mr. Saleh refused to sign a deal brokered by Arab diplomats and supported by Washington that offered him and his family immunity in return for leaving power.

In an interview with the Reuters news agency, Mr. Saleh, who has led Yemen throughout its modern history, struck a defiant tone, saying he would make "no concessions" to his political opponents and that he wouldn't capitulate to the use of force against him. "The truth of the matter that everyone should understand is that we do not take foreign orders," he said. The political stalemate and violence was "an internal matter."

The clashes that have transformed parts of San'a into an urban war zone this week represent one of the worst-case scenarios for U.S. policy makers. The battles pit pro-government security forces under the command of Mr. Saleh's relatives that previously have received U.S. training and weapons and heavily armed tribesmen who switched loyalties away from the leader to the opposition that demands an end to his 33-year rule.

Loyalists are fighting with tribal groups backing a rival tribal leader. Saleh shows no sign of leaving anytime soon, and Sa'ana residents are fleeing the capital in light of the increasing violence.

Yemen's Saleh On Verge Of Signing Off On Transition Deal; Diplomats Cornered

After twice backing out of a planned transition to a new government, Yemen's Ali Abdullah Saleh is expected to sign off on a deal that would lead to a new government and Saleh's loyalists aren't happy. They're trying to hold up the deal by blocking diplomatic traffic and surrounding the UAE embassy in an attempt to thwart a deal:

Armed Yemeni government loyalists trapped Arab and Western diplomats inside an embassy on Sunday to block the signing of a political accord that would unseat President Ali Abdullah Saleh, witnesses said.

Saleh, a political survivor who has twice backed out of signing at the last minute, is under strong diplomatic pressure to seal the Gulf-brokered deal to end three months of protests against his rule.

The deal, if Saleh signs, would within a month make him the third Arab leader ousted by popular street protests this year. But a diplomat, speaking hours after Saleh was due to have signed, said chances of a signing were now looking slim.

"The issue of the ruling party signing is being complicated, and chances of finishing the deal are getting weak," a Gulf diplomat told Reuters in the Yemeni capital.

The deal would give Saleh immunity from prosecution, ensuring a dignified exit after nearly 33 years at the helm of the Arabian Peninsula state, located on a shipping lane through which three million barrels of oil pass every day.

Hundreds of armed Saleh loyalists rallied against the deal on Sunday, blocking main roads and preventing a Gulf mediator from heading to the presidential palace in Sanaa,.

Later they surrounded the United Arab Emirates embassy, witnesses said.

"We reject signing the Gulf initiative and the coup against legitimacy," some pro-Saleh demonstrators shouted from their cars over loudspeakers while others piled up stone barricades to block traffic.

Yemen's Saleh Accepting Resignation Deal Tomorrow

It is expected that Yemen's autocratic ruler, Ali Abdullah Saleh, will resign according to a deal to be signed tomorrow but the key concern is that Saleh will avoid prosecution because he's been granted immunity:

Yemen's government and opposition will sign on Wednesday a deal under which President Ali Abdullah Saleh would step down 30 days later, officials say.

Mr Saleh's General People's Congress party and the opposition coalition, the Common Front, have both agreed to take part in a national unity government.

Despite the imminent deal, protesters are continuing to be killed by security forces and the country remains in turmoil:



The deal hinges on the Parliament passing legislation providing immunity from prosecution for the president, his family "and those who worked with him during his rule". That's quite a wide net - and means that those who engaged in torture, indefinite detentions, and other criminal mischief would not be able to be prosecuted.

Yet, despite that golden parachute, the General People's Congress immediately accepted the GCC proposal, while the Common Front agreed on Sunday only after its leaders had received "assurances" from the GCC, the US and Europe on the transfer of power. A peaceful handover of power is preferable to the ongoing turmoil, and this is considered the lesser of evils.

Yemen's Saleh Given An Exit Strategy

Despots and dictators the world over know that when the end is near, and their regime is to fall, an exit strategy is a good idea. Wishing for a golden ticket is ideal. Yemen's Ali Abdullah Saleh has been presented with that very scenario.



After weeks of delays and using force to remain in power, Saleh has accepted a brokered deal to step down so long as he is given immunity from prosecution.

Yemen President Ali Abdullah Saleh agreed to accept a Gulf Cooperation Council-brokered plan that allows him to cede power in exchange for immunity, a government official said.

Saleh agreed to transfer power to a deputy within 30 days and to elections 60 days after that, Tarik al-Shami, spokesman at the ruling General People’s Congress, said in a telephone interview today. The opposition must end protests and accept immunity for Saleh and his aides and all terms of the GCC plan, al-Shami said.

Saleh would be the third leader forced from office since popular unrest spread through the Middle East, resulting in the ouster of Hozni Mubarak in Egypt and Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in Tunisia.

Tensions escalated last month when police and snipers killed 46 demonstrators in Sana’a, the capital, prompting several military and government officials to abandon Saleh’s regime. A total of 109 protesters have been killed since Feb. 11, according to Majed al-Madhaji, a spokesman at the Arabic Sisters Forum for Human Rights in Sana’a.

Yemeni Security Opens Fire On Protesters, and US Considers

Yemeni security forces have once again opened fire on protesters, and the US is now considering withdrawing its support for Yemen's Ali Abdullah Saleh's regime. Indeed, it would appear that the US is paving the way for regime change and pushing Saleh from power:

Security forces and plainclothes gunmen opened fire on crowds of Yemenis marching through a southern city Monday, killing at least 15 and wounding dozens, in an intensifying crackdown against the uprising against the 32-year rule of President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Witnesses described troops and gunmen, some on nearby rooftops, firing wildly on thousands of protesters who marched past the governor's headquarters in Taiz in the second straight day of violence in the southern city. Some — including elderly people — were trampled and injured as the crowds tried to flee, witnesses said.

Violence has swelled in recent days amid frustration over behind-the-scenes efforts to convince Saleh to step down in the face of a nearly two-month-old uprising. The United States and European countries have been contacting Saleh and his opponents, trying to find a formula for the president to leave his post with a stable transfer of power, an opposition spokesman said.

The New York Times on Monday said Washington had "quietly shifted positions" and "concluded that [Saleh] is unlikely to bring about the required reforms and must be eased out of office."

At least 12 people were killed in the latest skirmishes, and there's no sign that Saleh will be able to impose any kind of political or social changes that will placate the opposition.

I have no doubt that al Qaeda will attempt to exploit and benefit from the ongoing power vacuum and struggle to control the country. The terror group has long used Yemen as a safe haven, and its lawless border regions provide easy access to and from Saudi Arabia and its location astride major shipping channels provides further access.

"Day of Departure" In Yemen Hits Snags As Saleh Dickers Over Terms Of Exile

Yemeni leader Ali Abdullah Saleh is dickering over the terms of his exile and negotiations are continuing. He spoke to a sympathetic crowd calling for a peaceful transition to capable but not malicious hands that are elected:



Opposition groups also held protests demanding his ouster.

Saleh has refused to exit unless there can be a handover of power to those who have previously been loyal to Saleh and that he and his relatives would not be prosecuted, particularly those involved in counter terrorism operations:

SAN'A, Yemen—Yemeni negotiators hashing out a transfer of power that would have longtime President Ali Abdullah Saleh resign within days are stuck on crucial details concerning the fate of his relatives who lead the country's elite counterterrorism units, a key concern of the embattled leader as well as of international allies like America and Saudi Arabia, according to people familiar with the discussions.

The negotiators, which include aides to Mr. Saleh, Yemen's leading general who defected to the side of antigovernment protests and two leading opposition political leaders, are working out these details amid increasing tension across the Arab nation. The streets of the capital San'a bristled with tanks and armed soldiers on almost every major intersection Friday, as thousands of demonstrators gathered there and other major cities to push their demands for regime change.

Ahead of the noon prayers on Friday, protest organizers in San'a announced that they wouldn't follow through on plans to march from the central Tahrir Square where they have based their demonstration toward the presidential palace, saying they wanted to minimize the chance for violence and allow political negotiations more time to advance.

People familiar with the negotiations say that President Saleh is trying to insist on guarantees of immunity from prosecution for him and his family and that a transitional authority contain figures he considers allies, like the current vice president or the prime minister. One person close to the talks said that the leader does not want to end up like former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who is now facing a corruption investigation after being forced from office in February. "Saleh has learned from Egypt that he would face trials if he leaves with no guarantees," said this person.

Saleh wants power handed over to "safe hands". He's also met with the top general who defected earlier this week.

Yemeni Leader Offers To Step Aside By Next Year

Yemen's leader, Ali Abdullah Saleh, has offered to leave office by the end of the year, but is saying he wont leave office unless he knows who will be replacing him. He wants a formal handover following parliamentary elections.

That's not going to be sufficient for opposition groups, who were bolstered by the defection of several top military officials in the past 24 hours:

Throughout much of the day on Tuesday, there were conflicting reports about the nature of the proposal that Mr. Saleh had endorsed as spokesmen for the government and opposition groups traded barbs.

A spokesman for the Joint Meetings Parties, a coalition of opposition parties, called the president “a liar” and said that the group had not been in communication with Mr. Saleh since a bloody assault on a demonstration last Friday that killed at least 50 people.

“He has one option and it is to leave now, right now, without delaying, without conditions,” the spokesman, Mohammed Qahtan, said.

Mr. Saleh, too, struck a defiant tone in a short, nationally televised address on Tuesday before the country’s National Defense Council, telling the assembled military officers still loyal to him that “the winds won’t shake you” and warning against a coup.

A government official, who spoke in return for anonymity because he was not authorized to brief reporters, said on Tuesday that the details of Mr. Saleh’s proposal were not yet clear and were “still in the works.” The opposition plan, initially proposed by the formal opposition parties earlier this month but rejected by street protesters, urged Mr. Saleh to complete arrangements for his departure by the end of the year. But since then, the opposition parties have backed away from the offer, joining with street demonstrators calling for Mr. Saleh to quit immediately.

Mr. Saleh appeared willing to shift ground after a wave of high-level officials, including the senior commander, Maj. Gen. Ali Mohsin al-Ahmar, abandoned him and threw their support behind protesters calling for his ouster. Previously Mr. Saleh had offered only to leave by 2013.

The latest of the departures came on Tuesday when Abdel-Malik Mansour, Yemen’s representative to the Arab League, told Al Arabiya television he had thrown his support behind the protesters. Abdul-Rahman al-Iryani, the minister of water and environment, who was dismissed with the rest of the cabinet on Sunday, also said he was joining “the revolutionaries.”

Military units appeared to take sides in the capital on Monday, with the Republican Guard protecting the palace of President Saleh and soldiers from the First Armored Division under the defecting military commander, General Ahmar, protecting the throngs of protesters in Sana.

It goes without saying that the turmoil in Yemen is sure to benefit al Qaeda, which has repeatedly used the country as a safe haven and from which it has launched attacks, including the attack on the USS Cole in Aden that killed 17 sailors.