High Time to Free Yemen
Thats the title of the current issue of Yemen Episodes, The President and the Donkey.
1. It is confirmed that internal relations between the little dictator of Yemen and his leading supporter, Sheik Abdullah Al-Ahmar, have reached a point of no return. Sheik Al-Ahmar, realizing at last the seriousness of the ill-intentions of Ali Abdullah Saleh, has decided to distance himself from close coordination with Saleh and his men. Further, Al-Ahmar took a swift move to bridge the gap which isolated him from other tribal chiefs and leading figures of political opposition parties. In addition, reports from Yemen suggest that the economic and social impact of the war in Saada which caused huge destruction and took the lives of thousands from both sides, continues to represent a constant threat and challenge to the fate of the one man show government prevailing in Yemen.
2. Sheik Al-Ahmar is at present occupied to restore his influence on his tribe of Hashid and continues to make efforts to entice other tribes to rally behind him. To this effect, the arrogance of the self-centered dictator is providing the opposition groups unlimited opportunity to accelerate demands for a peaceful hand-over of power to a fully elected government. The public announcement made by President Saleh a short time ago, stating that he will not stand as a presidential candidate next year, is proper grounds for the opposition groups in Yemen to accelerate pressure within and outside Yemen to disqualify the dictator’s candidacy.
3. The regime is increasingly isolated in its domestic environment, surrounding regional states, its bilateral relations with international financial agencies, and leading democracies have equally worsened. Consequently, a change in the system of government in Yemen is not merely a ray of hope, but is becoming inevitable.
4. It is evident that the visit of the dictator to DC is a total failure.
