Saleh responded to his people's protesting with a combination of conciliatory offers and violence. As a result, the international community has begun to formally denounce their support of his presidency. The Gulf Corporation Council (G.C.C.), made up of Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Quatar, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates, has joined the European Union in calling for a power shift in Yemen. Even the U.S., which has long backed Saleh because of his aid in fighting Al-Qaeda, has come to the conclusion that he is not likely to implement reforms, and has somewhat discreetly removed support from Saleh.
Members of the G.C.C. were hopeful that change would occur after Saleh responded positively to an invitation to a discussion of a transfer of power; however, Saleh more recently lashed out at the G.C.C., saying that the international community should "respect the feelings of the Yemeni people."
A youth protest leader, Adel al-Surabi, grants Saleh this statement on its face, but disagrees with everything else Saleh has done. He says, “No one can speak in the name of the people...We cannot speak in the names of the martyrs’ families and the people who have suffered for 33 years. We still have the right to prosecute him and to ask for compensation for his crimes.”
Will Saleh actually listen to and respect his people, as he himself explicitly told the international community to do? Will the international community continue to speak out against him? This issue will be very interesting to pay attention to as it unfolds further.
-Gracie Hollister
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