Tuesday, October 25, 2011

More Violence in Yemen


It is starting to look like Yemen is on the verge of becoming as violent as Syria or even Libya.

Yemenis of Sana'a were once again awoken by gunfire at dawn, which killed one person and wounded six others. Once again, anti-government protesters are accusing snipers of targeting a camp where protesters have been residing. It seems that the new, violent face of Saleh's reaction to protesters can also be the response of the changing face of the Arab Spring. In light of the brutal and equally mysterious death of Moammar Gadhafi has only raised the stakes not just for Saleh, but for the other leaders "next in line" in the drama of the Arab spring (Just look at has come to the men in the above picture taken just one year ago).



The day after streetfighting between troops loyal to President Ali Abdullah Saleh and soldiers and armed tribesmen who defected to the opposition, tens of thousands of demonstrators set off on a protest march on Sunday from Change Square. Protesters said it had been government snipers shooting at them.

Government officials said the total death toll from Saturday's fighting had risen to 20, including four civilians and five soldiers in the nine months of confrontation. It seems that the fighting has gotten more drastic after Tawwakul Karman won the Nobel Peace Prize earlier this month, and a United Nations Security Council resolution, passed on Friday, calling on Saleh to immediately sign a deal under which he would quit.

Karman criticised the resolution for not opposing a proposal by the Gulf C-ooperation Council (GCC) that would give Saleh immunity from prosecution if he signs the deal. Saleh has backed away three times from a transition plan brokered by the GCC and says he will only hand over power to "safe hands".


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