The US is prepared to admit the politically besieged president of Yemen, Ali Abdullah Saleh ? ostensibly for medical treatment ? following vigorous debate within the Obama administration over whether the move would be seen as support for an Arab despot with blood on his hands.
Saleh, who has ruled for 33 years, said at the weekend that he plans to travel to the US to end the political crisis that has claimed the lives of hundreds of anti-regime protesters in Yemen.
"I would like to get away from attention and TV cameras and allow the consensus government and the local authorities to prepare properly the upcoming elections," he said.
However, a dispute has broken out over the terms of Saleh's admission, with the US saying he will only be allowed in for "legitimate medical treatment" for injuries sustained in a bomb attack on his presidential compound in June.
Some in the US administration are concerned that Saleh is looking for a way out of his country to avoid prosecution for his army's slaughter of protesters earlier this year.
Washington does not want to be seen to be giving Saleh asylum or protection, but other administration officials believe his departure could open the way for an end to Yemen's political crisis.
Washington has one eye on the decision by President Jimmy Carter to allow the Shah of Iran to travel to the US in 1979, which contributed to the anger of Iranian revolutionaries who seized the US embassy in Tehran and took diplomats hostage.
Saleh said he only intends to go to the US for "a few days" and he "will not abandon my people and my comrades". But opposition activists believe that if he leaves Yemen in the present political climate, he will not swiftly return.
His opponents celebrated when he left the country for Saudi Arabi in June for treatment after the failed assassination attempt, but he returned home in September.
Following months of protests, Saleh signed an agreement last month to hand over powers to his vice president, Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, and leave office after next year's election in return for immunity from prosecution for crimes, including the killings of anti-regime protesters, during his rule.
The immunity deal has infuriated many of the regime's opponents, who say Saleh continues to wield considerable power through his relatives and political loyalists who retain office.
About 20 people were killed over the weekend in protests against the immunity deal in the capital, Sanna, and the southern city of Taiz.
Tens of thousands of Yemenis took to the streets of Sanna on Monday to demand Hadi's resignation over his failure to bring to justice those responsible for killing protesters.
The New York Times reported that the US had set conditions, including requiring an itinerary, for issuing Saleh a visa. Although those conditions have yet to be met, officials said Saleh could arrive in the coming days.
Source: http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?r5670462766
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