Yemen’s Leader In Surprise Return

Yemen’s President Ali Abdullah Saleh has returned to the country from Saudi Arabia three months after surviving an assassination attempt. Hours after his arrival, a presidential official said Saleh was calling for a “truce and a cease-fire”.

He went to Saudi Arabia in June for treatment following a rocket attack on the grounds of the presidential palace. President Saleh, who has been in power for more than 30 years, has faced months of protests urging him to quit.

Lisa Mullins talks to Mohammed Qubati, Spokesperson for the Yemeni National Council, about the surprise return of President Saleh.

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Lisa Mullins: The embattled President of Yemen made a surprise return to his country today. Ali Abdullah Saleh spent the last three months in Saudi Arabia. He was there to get treatment for injuries that he suffered in an assassination attempt back in June. President Saleh has resisted months of protests and violence aimed at forcing him to give up power. His return today was followed by loud explosions and fighting in the Capital of Sana. Mohammed Qubati is a spokesperson for the Yemeni National Counsel. That is an umbrella organization that represents opposition groups in Yemen. Qubati is also a former advisor inside President Saleh’s government. He says Saleh is not backing down.

Mohammed Qubati: He wants to let his family stay by any means, and he’s speaking about conducting elections. What sort of elections? All elections have been rigged since 2006, and he’s speaking about elections. We don’t mind the rest of the ruling group just stay there, just only he and his family leave and then we are intending to convene a national dialogue conference whereby we come out with a new constitution to build a new democratic and federal Yemen. Without federalism, the south and the north of the north are going just to be not convinced to play a part in the coming arrangements.

Mullins: On the condition that he and his family leave?

Qubati: Yes.

Mullins: And do you expect that that would happen. I mean, this is a man, as you say, who has come back to a certain amount of chaos in order to make sure his family stays in power. Do you have any hope that he really would leave?

Qubati: Lisa, what he was offered is a lot. Nobody has got that offer. He was going to be given immunity from prosecution. And he was going to keep all the fancy he has embezzled the country. The arrangements were so on his side, you know? All of them, all of the conditions he has put at one time, the [??] countries has convinced the opposition to accept them. And they were accepted. All those things were given to him. Those chances were not given to Mubarak or the dictator in Libya, or in Syria or in Tunisia. He had that chance. And…

Mullins: But he didn’t take it.

Qubati: He didn’t take it, unfortunately.

Mullins: So why would he now?

Qubati: Well, he thinks that he has got the power to force his family and to rule the country by hook or crook. Unfortunately, our friends in the west, they have trained some units for him, and they have also armed those units. Instead of using them against the terrorists, he has been using them against our people who are demonstrating unarmed and peacefully in the streets.

Mullins: Unarmed and peacefully as opposed to those who have been beating on them as part of the government. Do you think that there could be even more violence as a result of President Salah’s return, even though he’s calling for a cease-fire?

Qubati: That is what we are worried about. We think the country, with his return, is sliding relentlessly towards anarchy and civil war.

Mullins: So what do you want, for instance, Washington to do?

Qubati: OK. Let me read just, if you don’t mind, one sentence from a letter directed by the National Counsel to the Chairman or the President of the Human Right Counsel. It says, ‘Without international intervention, Yemen will explode and disintegrate. This explosion will spill over into the neighboring region and international trade rules. Action must be taken now to prevent the crisis from spreading and becoming far beyond repair. We’d expect the international community to shoulder it’s responsibilities towards what’s happening in Yemen and to respect the choices of our people in democracy and freedom.’

Mullins: Dr. Mohammed Qubati is spokesperson for the Yemeni National Counsel. He talked to us from London. Thank you.

Qubati: Thank you, Lisa.

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