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Today's Top News
Thousands of Yemenis Urge President to Quit
SANAA - Thousands of Yemenis, apparently inspired by events in Tunisia and Egypt, staged a mass demonstration on Thursday calling on President Ali Abdullah Saleh to quit after being in power since 1978.
"Enough being in power for (over) 30 years," chanted protesters in demonstrations staged by the Common Forum opposition in four different parts of the capital Sanaa.
In reference to the ouster of Tunisian president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, the demonstrators said he was "gone in just (over) 20 years."
But Yemeni Interior Minister Motahar Rashad al-Masri ruled out any resemblance between the protests in Yemen and the public outcry in the North African country that led to Ben Ali's departure.
"Yemen is not like Tunisia," he told AFP, adding that Yemen was a "democratic country" and that the demonstrations were peaceful.
But the slogans chanted in Thursday's Sanaa demonstration which lasted for two hours were firm in demanding the departure of Saleh.
"No to extending (presidential tenure). No to bequeathing (the presidency)," chanted demonstrators, insisting that it was "time for change."
"Common Forum go ahead. It is time for change," proclaimed banners carried in the protests.
Opposition Al-Islah (Reform) party MP Abdulmalik al-Qasuss echoed the demands of the protesters when he addressed them.
"We gather today to demand the departure of President Saleh and his corrupt government," he said.
A Common Forum activist said that the staging of the demonstration in four separate parts of the capital was aimed at distracting the security forces.
One area chosen for the protest was outside Sanaa University.
Security measures at the demonstrations appeared relaxed, but were tight around the interior ministry and the central bank.
Saleh's ruling General People's Congress (GPC), meanwhile, organised four simultaneous counter demonstrations which were attended by thousands of the government's backers.
"No to toppling democracy and the constitution," the president's supporters said on their banners.
On Saturday, hundreds of Sanaa University students held counter protests on campus, with some calling for Saleh to step down and others for him to remain in office.
Saleh, who has been president for decades, was re-elected in September 2006 for a seven-year mandate.
A draft amendment of the constitution, under discussion in parliament despite opposition protests, could allow him -- if passed -- to remain in office for life.
Saleh had urged the opposition which rejected the amendment to take part in April 27 parliamentary elections to avoid "political suicide."
The mandate of the current parliament was extended by two years to April under a February 2009 agreement between the GPC and opposition parties to allow dialogue on political reform.
The reforms on the table included a shift from a presidential regime to a proportional representation parliamentary system and further decentralisation of government -- measures that have not been implemented.
The dialogue has stalled, and a special committee set up to oversee reform has met only once.
Saleh is also accused of wanting to pass the reins of power in the impoverished Arabian Peninsula state to his eldest son Ahmed, who heads the elite Presidential Guard.
But in a televised address on Sunday, Saleh denied such accusations.
"We are a republic. We reject bequeathing (the presidency)", he said.
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45 Comments so far
Show AllIt appears to be a positive development that the people in some of the most egregious dictatorships of the Middle East are rising up against their oppressors. (Not the sort of thing we could ever hope to see here.) However, one wonders if CIA, Israel, et al may be encouraging these protests for their more nefarious objectives.
This is most certainly NOT the case. The US provides Egypt with 1.3 billion dollars a year in military aid. The vast majority of that goes - not to offensive military capacity - but to equipment designed to repress the real enemy: the domestic population of Egypt.
Democracy in Egypt would be a giant debacle for the US. Egypt is the most populous Arab country. Its geographically located at one of the most important trading posts in the world (Red Sea/Suez Canal). It is next to the two major US allies in the region Israel and Saudi Arabia. Under no circumstances would we allow democracy in Egypt because if Egypt went democratic, then perhaps more important countries like Saudi Arabia would see democratic movements. That would be a nightmare scenario for policy planners in Washington. Pan-Arabism (why are their borders on the Arabian peninsula anyways????) might return and "our" resources that happen to be situated under their land might be used for their population, not to enrich western corporations and a small, domestic, westernized elite.
Hopefully this movement will spread and the Egyptian people will take back what is rightfully theirs!
Not to mention the US's "only ally" in the Middle East. I bet them Zionists have soiled in their pants several times a day for the last week.
I am once again impressed by you, L.D. You can see my response to your very thoughtful post about Corexit, from nary a few moments ago....
How sincere you appear to be! You must be a highly well informed human being.
ps. Love your name here. Been checking out the 'new age' sites?
You can't be serious. I suspect the CIA is working feverishly to derail these uprisings. Serious cracks in the corporate fascist foundation are beginning to appear.
I doubt the US is behind it. the demonstrations are more detrimental to their national interests if anything. these are real genuine outpours of anger and discontent with the state of the economy and thier respective corrupt dictators. I hope it spreads all over the world.
Yes, the revolution will be televised! Its coming to your county soon- wake up amerika !
Soldarity with the Yemeni people in their aspiration to freedom and self-determination.
Can you imagine GW president for 30 years?
Or the liar Obama?
Aren't they the same?
No, they aren't the same. Obama has a tan and a better education and vocabulary. About everything else is the same.
Indeed, i can, sixkilo. He is already in his third term. Or haven't you noticed that yet?
But maybe you have gotten the change that you believed in.
Yes. The US has been run by Chamber of Commerce fascists since 1980. It's already been over 10 years since the right-wing coup overthrew the US republic.
Reagan, Bush, Clinton, Bush, Obama -- with a crew like that you can pretend you have the semblance of democracy as you march towards ever-more oppression.
Long ago I made a bet with a college friend that Saudi Arabia
would have a revolutionary overthrow of the Saudi monarchy
by the Year 2000. Obviously it didn't happen...
But Saudi Arabia with its anachronistic monarchy and the Saudi
family running virtually everything is ripe for change.
As Arabian citizens become educated and wired into the Internet, how long before they throw off the monarchy?
This could have enormous implications as (Saudi) Arabia has
the world's largest oil reserves in the age of peak oil as
we are past the era of cheap energy...
The Nation this week has James Kunstler's thoughts on
Peak oil and finance which is highly
recommended:
http://www.thenation.com/video/157892/james-howard-kunstler-peak-oil-and-our-financial-decline
We truly live in interesting times...
Major change is on the way whether the global elite realizes it or not...
Throwing over a monarchy doesn't guarantee democracy. Ask the Egyptians, the Libyans, the Iraqis.
Or the Cubans.
Yes, I think this is an example of democratic expression in the facebook/twitter age. The CIA will watch this carefully, in particular how large masses of people filled with latent anger can be rallied to act using facebook as a conduit. I don't think this one is CIA generated but I wouldn't put it past them to try to generate protest this way in Cuba or Venezuala.
My friend, it will never happen in Cuba. The people are too hungry to do anything else but what they're dictated to do. Notwithstanding what you've been told to the contrary. And after 52 years of oppression, repression and hardship, the only thing they may respond to is a Big Mac. If the CIA marches in with drones and drops boxes of Big Macs and Double Cheeseburgers, then, they may get a riot on their hands but not to overthrow a regime they've got to survive with but to get to the food.
Today millions of Homeless, Unemployed and Informed USA citizens took to the streets today lead by Veterans for Peace, in all the major US cities bringing rush hour traffic to a standstill.
Local law enforcement pocketed their badges and stood in solidarity with the protestors. Agent provocatuers were identified and incarcerated awaiting speedy trails.
Oilybomber and most congressional delegates were fleeing to awaiting transport with much extremely weighty luggage for undisclosed distinations.
Banks and financial institutes have been nationalized and every citizen granted a $50,000 income. Wealth over $1 million annual is taxed at 90%.
A new Constitutional Party provisional government has declared a cessation of all criminal wars, a quick phasing out of fossil fuels, GMOs, toxic chemicals in the environment,and single payer and free education K-PHD.
What did I forget?
The yellow brick road? Tony
You forgot that you were dreaming!
Me and MLK
RE: What did I forget?
The self-immolation part.
More seriously, the question you intimate is important: is our country really any less corrupt than Yemen, Egypt or Tunisia? Why can't that kind of mass uprising happen here?
Working people, middle class (whatever that is anymore) have no effective representation in this country. The US is country of the rich, by the rich and for the rich. If you forgot something it is that too many Americans don't know it. The people in those countries rebelling do. The political consciousness of the average American is not yet where it needs to be for that kind of mass action. Though, with Obama/GOP austerity plan, we may get there.
How I wish it would happen! A more just, more fair, and happier life for all of us and our children.
You forgot to wake up.
Its going to be a little harder in Saudi Arabia where the Bushes have armed the King's praetorian guard to the hilt.
obomber has outdone bushies' in arming the saudi parasites against the people of the region.
Yemen has the same history as many other nations around the world, from afghanistan to somalia, from korea to congo:
1) people want a socialist - communist government and establish one through democratic election.
2) the global capitalist terorrists replace it with their thugs through direct military coup and / or financial terrorism.
3) the global thieves and their local thugs grind the country into the ground, politically and economically.
4) the people have to fight a perpetual war against their thuggish leaders backed by the global elites.
what's new? the fight is not religious or nationalist. the fight is between the global capitalists and the rest of the people.
I guess some of you guys haven't noticed yet how well Communism has worked around the world, eh?
Ah, Glenn, you're dreaming, though lucid.
It would be a wonderful dream come true though.
'Aid is central to Washington's relationship with Cairo. The US has provided Egypt with $1.3 billion a year in military aid since 1979, and an average of $815 million a year in economic assistance. All told, Egypt has received over $50 billion in US largesse since 1975.'
'Each year USAID gives $200 million to the Egyptian government in cash handouts to do with as it pleases. The money is theoretically conditional upon economic reforms in problem areas such as deregulation, privatization, and free trade.'
Source: www.csmonitor.com/2004/0412/p07s01-wome.html
Didn't Julian Assange predict all this? O oracle!
As many note, the US Empire is the greatest impediment to self-determination globally, a fact existing since 1919. Indeed, it ought to be said that the whole of what's called the Cold War was in reality a war against self-determination, a war the Global War OF Terror was made to replace with the same goal in mind. It shows the shallowness of thinking that Sec. of War Gates belittled Wikileaks as not being a significant threat to US Imperial policy as the exact opposite is proving to be true.
The global drive for self-determination is now in full swing following the lead of Venezuela. Each country's situation is unique except for ties to the Great Satan. The tired rhetoric of Democracy Promotion employed by the US Empire no longer carries any weight--indeed, it's laughed at. And like the former USSR, as the US Empire continues its economic spiral downward, it will be forced to relinquish its overseas outposts and eventually cease its War OF Terror. This process can be hastened if the Republicans are able to defeat the bill allowing the expansion of the national debt.
So, the State of the Union is improving depite Obama's best efforts. It's just that improvement is happening elsewhere instead of within the USA's borders. Europe is where the US Empire stands to lose the most, and that's where the already ongoing battle will escalate next. And yes, at the bottom of it all is the Class War.
So does Republican power equal more speedy Empire collapse?
Karlof, the "Spanish American War" era began the suppression of Democracy by the USA, in Pillipines, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guam, Hawaii.
Read " The Imperial Cruise" and you will learn that Teddy R. practically forced Japan, "Asian Aryans", to steal Okinawa, Taiwan, Korea, and parts of China.
Hi Glenn--The answer to your first is yes: Nixon started it, Reagan increased the throttle, and W pushed it to wide open. It's not that Democrats back-off from trying to expand the Empire; rather, they are more prudent and actually spend less money at their efforts than Repulicans. I suggest Paul's attempt to cut all foreign aid would result in even speedier change as the primary agents of destabilization and democracy deterents are financed through the agencies getting those funds.
As far as the supression of democracy by the US Empire goes, it's been at it since day #1; fisrt domestically, then internationally.
Watch the U.S. provide support for the dictator, thru information, arms, ammunition, publicity, etc. It would not surprise me to see U.S. armed forces there in 6 months.
I guess you haven't heard that the US has been paying the tyrant in charge of Yemen to allow the CIA to fly its birds of death inside Yemen and target kill the civilians, eh? It was in a WikiLeaked cable. It's old news now and of course, everybody seems to have forgotten that. That's why they're such good friends, nothing like state-sponsored murder.
http://articles.cnn.com/2010-11-28/us/wikileaks.yemen_1_yemeni-president-yemeni-american-president-ali-abdullah-saleh?_s=PM:US
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2033511,00.html
http://www.democracynow.org/2010/11/16/headlines#7
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/08/25/eveningnews/main6805610.shtml
The people of Yemen should take great care not to make the same mistake the brave people of Tunisia have made and let their tyrant in chief go scotts free. Their monster has taken money from the US is exchange for allowing the Amerikans to bomb their own citizens. The Yemeni people should charge him with war crimes and crimes against humanity. After all, their country is engaged in a "War of Terror," is it not? Well, time for some of these brown people being slaughtered to use that meme to their advantage. March the bastard straight to The Hague in an orange jumpsuit and with a pointy hood over his head as the terrorist he is. Then, come back for his Amerikan counterparts and do the same.