Yemen protests

Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh is sternly dealing with the anti -government protests which entered the tenth day  .In an effort to retain power Saleh governmnet is taking brutal steps to control the crisis .Scores of people have been injured when  Saleh loyalists armed
with guns ,batons attacked a crowd of protesters in Sanaa.

 At least six people were killed in clashes between government supporters and pro-democracy protesters who are demanding the ouster of Yemen's President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Four people died during protests in the southern port city of Aden one in the city of Taiz,Another student was killed near the Sanaa University campus in the capital . The 16-year-old was shot dead when


Yemenis are fed up of rampant corruption ,rising unemployment,inflation  in the country .The country's economy is  mainly dependent on oil production but there are growing fears that yemen economy  will collapse beacuse  of declining oil production, which contributes two-thirds of the country's revenue.

Emboldened by the revolutions in Egypt and Tunisia , protesters are demanding the end of Saleh's 32 years of autocratic rule .


Last week, Saleh said that he would not run in the 2013 presidential election.

On Friday, at least three pro-democracy protesters were killed and dozens of others injured during clashes with  Yemeni security forces in Aden's Khor Maqsar district.




The opposition coalition  agreed  to enter into a dialogue with the ruling party .The opposition said it will stop organising protests  with some  conditions.First  that Saleh must step down in 2013 as he promised,Second that the president's family members  should be removed  form top posts i.e. military  and security including his son.

On the other hand Yemeni president took some steps to appease the people of the country  like enhancing salaries of the  government employees  and also to increase the job opportunities  which he assured to provide 60,00 job opportunities.

Saleh Government  has strained relations with tribal leaders  and is also confronting a secessionist movement in the south.
 
The heavy handed response of the Saleh government in dealing with protests will destabilize the country .One one side People are demanding democratic reforms   and the current situation can be exploited by the  AQAP Al Qaeda terrorists   as there is a lot of resentment among the people  against the 32 year old Saleh  government

Yemen is  considered as  a major western ally in the war against terrorism.US President Barack Obama condemned the use of force against protesters in Yemen.Yemen receives huge amount of military aid from US  and  Britain to carry out operations against Al Qaeda in the country. Now Britain and US is urging saleh  government  to carry out political and economic reforms .Last year, Yemen received $300 million aid to fight Al qaeda in the Arabian peninsula.