SANAA, Yemen, May 22, (Agencies): Yemen’s embattled president on Sunday resisted intense US and Arab pressure and stalled at signing a deal calling for him to step down in 30 days, as his regime brought armed supporters into the streets demanding he stay. Hundreds of militiamen trapped the American and other ambassadors inside a diplomatic mission for hours.
The militiamen, armed with knives and swords, blocked the entrances to the United Arab Emirates Embassy, where at least five US, European and Arab ambassadors had gathered, expecting President Ali Abdullah Saleh to arrive to sign the agreement.
Finally in the evening, Yemeni military helicopters landed at the embassy and ferried the diplomats out, taking them to the presidential palace. There they witnessed several Yemeni ruling party officials sign the accord. But Saleh, shown on state TV standing alongside the US ambassador, did not sign.
Saleh said afterward he would not do so unless opposition leaders attend and sign it as well in public, not “behind closed doors.”
“If they don’t comply, they are dragging us to a civil war, and they will have to hold responsibility for the bloodshed in the past and the blood which will be spilled later on because of their stupidity,” Saleh warned in an address on state TV.
The developments threatened to wreck a US-backed, Gulf Arab-mediated accord that diplomats hope could resolve the turmoil that has raged in Yemen for the past three months, with tens of thousands of protesters demanding Saleh step down after 32 years in power, and his regime unleashing a deadly crackdown. The accord calls for Saleh to step down in 30 days and hand power to his vice president, in return for immunity from prosecution.
A coalition of opposition parties signed the agreement in private on Saturday, and Saleh promised to sign it the following day.
Saleh has backed away from signing the deal at least twice before, adding to the opposition’s deep mistrust of a leader known for adept political maneuvering that has kept him in power for decades. A Gulf official in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, warned that the Gulf Cooperation Council, the regional body that mediated the deal, would withdraw from mediation if Saleh did not sign by the end of the day Sunday.
Throughout the day Sunday, hundreds of armed Saleh loyalists deployed in the streets of the capital Sanaa in what appeared to be a campaign orchestrated by his own regime, aiming to show that the public wants him to stay.
Dozens gathered in front of the Police Academy, where the ruling party general assembly had convened to discuss the deal. “We are coming under pressure, to reject the initiative,” said Mohammed Saad, a member of the assembly. Others erected a big tent in one of Sanaa’s main streets, blocking traffic and raising banners that read: “Don’t go, don’t sign!”
Another armed crowd blocked the road in front of the presidential palace, chanting, “We will not permit the president’s ouster.”
The diciest moment came when hundreds of Saleh loyalists, touting swords and knives, massed outside the UAE Embassy. The blocked its two main entrances, and at one point attacked a convoy bringing the GCC’s chief mediator, secretary-general Abdullatif bin Rashid al-Zayani, to the building. They pounded on the car, tried to prevent it from entering the compound and shouted against Gulf intervention in Yemeni affairs, witnesses said.
“Everybody is worried. We can’t leave the embassy,” said a Saudi diplomat inside the mission before army helicopters plucked the ambassadors out of the compound. The diplomat spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject.
Other loyalists demonstrated outside other foreign embassies. The convoy of the Chinese ambassador also came under attack by armed men before a police detail was deployed to clear the way and disperse the crowd.
On Saturday — even as he grudgingly promised to sign — Saleh condemned the proposed deal as “a coup” and warned the US and Europe that his departure would open the door for al-Qaeda to seize control of the fragile nation on the edge of Arabia.
His stalling on signing could throw Yemen deeper into turmoil. Saleh has managed to cling to power despite near daily protests by tens of thousands of Yemenis fed up with corruption and poverty. Like other anti-government movements sweeping the Arab world, they took inspiration from the popular uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt.
The president has swung between offering concessions, taking them back and executing a violent crackdown that has killed more than 150 people, according to the opposition, which says it compiled the tally from lists of the dead at hospitals around the nation.
Saleh has survived despite mass defections by ruling party members, lawmakers, Cabinet ministers and senior diplomats. Saleh’s own tribe has joined those demanding his ouster. Several top army commanders, including a longtime confidant who heads a powerful armored division, joined the opposition and deployed their tanks in the streets of Sanaa to protect the protesters.
But Saleh has kept the loyalty of Yemen’s most highly trained and best-equipped military units, which are led by close family members.
That has raised concerns the political crisis could turn into an armed clash between the rival military forces if a deal is further delayed.
Seeking to win some support in the West for his continued rule, Saleh has warned several times that without him, al-Qaeda would take control of the country.
The United States, which had supported Saleh with financial aid and military equipment to fight the country’s dangerous al-Qaeda branch, has backed away from the embattled leader.
Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula has an estimated 300 fighters in Yemen and has been behind several nearly successful attacks on US targets, including one in which they got a would-be suicide bomber on board a Detroit-bound flight in December 2009. The explosive device, sewn into his underwear, failed to detonate properly.
But even if Saleh signs the accord, it was far from certain whether that would satisfy the many different groups protesting his rule in the streets. Many protesters reject the deal, saying it falls short of their demands he leave immediately and his regime be dismantled. They also reject any immunity for the Yemeni leader and say the opposition parties don’t speak for their demands.
Hundreds of thousands poured into a central square Sunday that has become the center of opposition protests, waving Yemeni flags and shouting rejection of the deal. They held banners that read: “Now, now Ali, down with the president!” and “Go out Ali!”
Women mingled with men, unlike in previous protests when female protesters stood on the edge of the square segregated from men, in keeping with Sharia law that mandates separation of the sexes. Children had their faces painted with Yemeni flags, while youths carried pictures of slain protesters. Young men and women held a 6-foot-long (2-meter) Yemeni flag.
“This initiative is only meant to save Ali not Yemen. We are going to continue our revolution until the end. Like Tunisia and Egypt, we will go against the opposition if they form a government while Saleh is still in power,” declared Tawakul Karman, a protest leader and senior member of the opposition Islamic fundamentalist Islah Party.
Syria
Meanwhile, Syrian security forces opened fire on a funeral procession for slain anti-government protesters Saturday, pushing the number of people reported killed in a two-month uprising to more than 900 and making it one of the deadliest of the Arab Spring.
The latest bloodshed suggests that crackdowns by President Bashar Assad’s regime show no signs of easing despite international sanctions and condemnations from the US and its allies.
Excluding Libya — where battles between Moammar Gaddafi’s forces and his opponents have left possibly thousands dead since February — Syria’s death toll is now higher than any country that has been gripped by uprisings.
During Egypt’s 18-day revolt that toppled long-serving President Hosni Mubarak on Feb 11, at least 846 Egyptians died. In Tunisia — which sparked the region’s upheavals — an estimated 219 people were killed before President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali stepped down in January.
A crackdown by authorities in Yemen, has left more than 150 protesters dead, opposition groups say. The number killed in Bahrain, Oman and other places shaken by unrest is far lower.
Syria’s bloodshed also stands out because of its relative small population: about 22 million people compared with 80 million in Egypt. Tunisia has about 10.5 million people.
The Syrian toll is based on tallies by rights activists and other sources opposing Assad’s government. Syrian officials have often reported deaths of security forces and others — blaming them on armed thugs — but have not given an overall figure. Syria has banned most foreign journalists so death counts cannot be independently verified.
Gaddafi, too, has placed strict limits on media in government-held territory, making independent casualty checks impossible. Rebels have claims thousands have been killed since protests began in February.
Most of Syria’s deaths have occurred on Fridays when tens of thousands of people march to the streets from mosques following traditional noon prayers. The National Organization for Human Rights in Syria raised the latest Friday death toll to 44, making it one of the deadliest days since the uprising against Assad’s regime began in mid-March.
Assad has also shrugged off US calls to step aside as well as a new rounds of sanctions targeting him and top aides. On Thursday, US President Barack Obama said Assad should lead his country to democracy or “get out of the way.” Syria’s official news agency said Obama’s admonition amounted to “incitement.”
“International pressure is still weak,” said Hilal Khashan, a political science professor at the American University of Beirut. “Despite Obama’s speech, the regime knows that staying in power is more important and in order to stay in power the regime is ready to do anything.”
On Saturday, tens of thousands of people took part in the funeral for eight of those killed a day earlier in the central city of Homs, local activists said. The funeral procession came under fire as the people marched from a cemetery, leaving at least three dead and dozens wounded, they said.
The government repeatedly has blamed the unrest on armed gangs rather than anti-government protesters.
Syria’s state-run news agency, SANA, blamed Friday’s violence on “armed groups who took advantage of peaceful gatherings” and shot dead 17 civilians, policemen and members of the military. SANA quoted an unnamed Interior Ministry official as saying an armed group also attacked several police stations and vehicles.
In an unexpected development, activists said the Interior Ministry gave permission for a candlelight vigil in a Damascus public garden Monday for those who died since the uprising began. The opposition Syrian Mobilization Committees urged for a major turnout, vowing that the sit-in would continue “until the downfall of the regime.”
The Interior Ministry did not immediately confirm the report, but the private Sham FM radio station also said the activists were given a license to hold a vigil for two hours.
Libya
In Benghazi, Libya, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton on Sunday opened a mission office in the rebel capital, hours after NATO bombed Tripoli port and Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi’s compound.
“We are here for the long term,” Ashton told a press conference at the Tibesti hotel where the European Union mission was opened and where she met Mustafa Abdul Jalil, head of the rebels’ National Transitional Council (NTC).
The opening of an EU office to represent the 27-member bloc coupled with the vow of long-term support came as a boost for the rebels lobbying world powers to formally recognise the NTC.
Ashton called on Gaddafi, who has been at the helm of the north African nation for 41 years, to step down. “Gaddafi must leave and we must have a future for Libya which belongs to the people of Libya,” she said.
“I am here today to explain and be clear about he depth and breadth of our support in the European Union for the people of Libya,” in the fields of economy, health and education namely, Ashton said.
“The people of Libya have spoken about the future they want. I am here on behalf of all the 27 countries of the European Union to offer our support to that future,” she added.
In an earlier statement issued by her office, Ashton said it was an “honour to meet the people who have been fighting for democracy and a better future for Libya.”
The European parliament has long argued for recognition of the NTC, which so far has been recognised by France, Italy, Qatar and Gambia, but Ashton stressed it was up to the Libyan people to decide who represents them in future.
She said the EU recognises the council as an interlocutor. “They are people with whom we have a strong dialogue. It’s for the people of Libya to determine the government of Libya.”
Ashton said “protecting the civilians of Libya is fundamental” and vowed the EU would assist the rebels on border management, which is of critical concern due to the violence on the mountain ranges near the border with Tunisia.
“Too many people have died already,” she said.
Just hours ahead of Ashton’s visit, NATO-led warplanes struck Tripoli port and Gaddafi’s immense compound of Bab al-Aziziya near the capital.
“There were two raids on the port and Bab al-Aziziya”, the residence of Gaddafi which has already been targeted several times, a Libyan regime official said about the strikes early on Sunday.
An AFP journalist heard two explosions just past midnight and a fighter plane flying over Tripoli at low altitude, indicating NATO’s sustained air campaign against Gaddafi forces.
International correspondents were taken to Gaddafi’s residence in a regime-chartered bus but were unable to access the compound.
On Saturday, the Western military alliance struck one “naval asset in Sirte” — Gaddafi’s hometown — apart from some other military targets, NATO said in a statement.
NATO took command of the air campaign on March 30 from French, US and British forces, who under a UN mandate launched air strikes on Gaddafi forces after they began to crush a revolt against the strongman’s more than 40-year rule.
Late Thursday, NATO also struck eight vessels of Gaddafi’s navy, prompting the Libyan authorities to accuse the military alliance of seeking to place the country under “siege.”
NATO said it carried out “precision strikes” on vessels in the ports of Tripoli, Al-Khums and in Sirte.
Meanwhile US President Barack Obama sent a letter to Congress on Friday, asking for political support of US action in the NATO assault, as he hit a technical 60-day deadline to get official congressional approval for use of his war powers.
The White House maintains that its support role to allies does not merit a formal declaration of war as is required by the US Constitution.
Also, African Union leaders will gather for an extraordinary summit in Addis Ababa on Wednesday-Thursday to discuss the Libyan conflict, the organisation announced.
Last month, pan-African body proposed a truce but it was rejected by rebels, who insisted on Gaddafi’s departure.
Bahrain
In Manama, a Bahrain emergency appeals court upheld death sentences on Sunday for two men found guilty of killing police officers during recent unrest, punishments human rights activists said were designed to prevent more protests.
Two other men who were among the four initially sentenced to death on April 28 had their sentences commuted to life imprisonment, the state news agency said.
The report did not say when the two executions would be carried out, but Manama-based legal expert Mohammed Ahmed said they would first need to be approved by Bahrain’s king.
Bahrain, home of the US Fifth Fleet, faced a wave of Shiite-led protests in February and March demanding democratic reform and an end to sectarian discrimination in the Sunni-ruled kingdom. Some hardliners demanded a republic.
Bahrain’s rulers imposed emergency law and called in troops from neighbouring Gulf countries in March to quash the protests, which amounted to the greatest threat to the island kingdom’s Sunni rulers in Bahrain’s history.
Nabeel Rajab, head of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, questioned the ruling.
“This is a political case and it’s aimed at stopping the protests,” he said by telephone. “It’s believed that they were targeted because of their (political) activities.”
He said one of the two people sentenced to death had a full-length cast on his left leg when the killing took place.
“The man had a broken leg and was moving with crutches, how could he drive a car?” he added.
At least 29 people, all but six of them Shiites, have been killed since the protests started, inspired by Arab revolts that ousted the autocratic rulers of Egypt and Tunisia.
The six non-Shiites included two foreigners — an Indian and a Bangladeshi — and four policemen. A hospital source said in March that at least two of four Bahraini policemen killed during the protests had been run over by cars on March 16.
The death sentences were only the third in more than three decades issued against Bahraini citizens of Bahrain.
One of the prior death penalty cases came in the mid-1990s, during the greatest political unrest Bahrain had seen before this year. A protester was put to death by firing squad for killing a policeman during that time.
Hundreds of people, mainly Shiites, have been arrested and dozens put on trial in Bahrain’s crackdown on those who took part in protests. Others have been fired from government jobs. A state of emergency is due to be lifted on June 1.
“There’s no household in the Shiite community that doesn’t have a member arrested by the government or a member that was sacked from his job,” Rajab said.
He said his own house was attacked twice in the past few weeks. On Saturday, two tear gas grenades were thrown into his house where his mother, brother and their families live, he said. Two other grenades landed outside the house, he added.
Last week, four journalists from the kingdom’s only opposition newspaper, Al Wasat, pleaded not guilty to charges of fabricating news about the security forces’ crackdown on anti-government protests.
Egypt
In Cairo, an Egyptian court condemned a policeman to death on Sunday for killing 20 protesters, in the first such sentencing of a security forces member for the murder of demonstrators during a January-February revolt.
Mohammed al-Sonni was found guilty of having shot dead “at random” 20 demonstrators and wounding 15 others to fend off a raid on a police station on January 28, one of the bloodiest days of the revolt.
The court asked the mufti of the republic, Ali Gomaa, who is tasked with interpreting Islamic law for Egypt’s government, to confirm the sentence as required by Egyptian law.
According to an official toll, 846 people were killed and thousands injured in the uprising which toppled president Hosni Mubarak on February 11.
Tunisia
In Tunis, the president of Tunisia’s independent election committee, Kamel Jandoubi, proposed postponing an upcoming election to Oct 16 from July 24, citing operational reasons.
Speaking on Sunday at a press conference, Jandoubi said it would be impossible to have elections on the expected date in July.
“The time would not be enough to prepare all that is necessary for transparent elections,” he said.
He said: “Personally, I propose the date of October 16.”
Ali Larayad, a spokesman for Ennhada, the main opposition and Tunisia’s only Islamic party, told Reuters: “In my opinion, I am not convinced that an election day three months later than expected is in the interests of the country and its political stability or security.”
“I am afraid this decision is political, not operational.”
The timetable for the election, the first since the ousting of former Tunisian president Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali in January, has been contentious, with smaller, less mobilised parties expressing misgivings over an early date.
But street protests in the Tunisian capital have put pressure on authorities to hold elections in two months’ time even if this could risk more instability in the long run.
Hamma Hammami, president of the Communist POCT party, told Reuters: “Since the beginning, we have been demanding an election date in October. Today we find the proposal of October 16 very logical.
“This date gives political parties the opportunity to present their programmes and gives the Tunisian people the opportunity to get to know the different opposition parties.”
The new election date recommendation would usually need the approval of the intermim government to be formally adopted.
Morocco
Moroccan police beat dozens of protesters who defied a ban on demonstrations on Sunday, leading to several injuries and arrests, witnesses said.
The police violence appears to signal a tougher government line against the protest movement, which has become more defiant after festive demonstrations starting in February.
Some are also becoming more outspoken about criticising the king, but the protests have failed to match the scale of those in several other Arab countries.
“Protest is a legal right, why is the Makhzen afraid?” crowds in Casablanca chanted, referring to the royal court. “Makhzen get out. Down with despotism.”
A Reuters correspondent saw seven riot police attacking one bearded man in his 30s, repeatedly hitting his head and body, causing severe bleeding.
“We have been called here to preserve order because of this unauthorised protest,” said a senior police officer on the scene who declined to give his name.
Protestors wanted to camp in front of the parliament in Rabat, but authorities were anxious to avoid a repeat of the events in Cairo earlier this year when protesters occupying Tahrir Square eventually helped topple the government.
In both the capital Rabat and Casablanca, police armed with batons and shields moved people off the streets wherever they gathered. Protestors broke off into smaller groups, often with police chasing behind.
One prominent protest leader in Rabat who had been beaten the week before suffered severe concussion, said protester Jalal Makhfi. About six people were injured in Rabat, he said, but others said far more were hurt.
Demonstrators said police beat dozens in Casablanca. “We are standing together for dignity,” one protest leaflet said. “We are against despotism, against corruption. We are for dignity, freedom, democracy and social justice.”