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Arabia

Saleh has reneged on promises: Clinton

2012-01-18

SANAA, Yemen -- Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Tuesday that the U.S. regrets that Yemen's president has not complied with agreements to leave the country and allow elections for a successor.

Since he's still in Sanaa it seems that indeed, he has not complied...

Now they're talking about moving the capital out from under him.

Perhaps he can be the 'historical president' to go along with the 'historical capital'...

Her comments came as Yemen's foreign minister suggested next month's presidential vote could be delayed because of security concerns. A top ruling party official also told The Associated Press that President Ali Abdullah Saleh met with high-level security officials this week and decided to ask parliament to delay the elections until May 22, which would be a violation of the U.S.-backed agreement the president signed in November.

"There have been agreements with respect to the way forward that have not been fulfilled," Clinton said during a trip to Ivory Coast. "We regret that the president has thus far failed to comply with his own commitments to leave the country, to permit elections to go forward that give the people a chance to be heard and be represented."

Saleh, Yemen's authoritarian leader of 33 years, agreed under pressure to a plan brokered by Yemen's Gulf Arab neighbors to transfer power to his vice president and hold presidential elections in February that will essentially rubber-stamp the vice president's takeover. The agreement did not spell out that Saleh must leave the country. But Clinton's remarks appeared to confirm what Yemeni officials close to Saleh have told the AP -- the alongside the Gulf-brokered deal, Saleh made a "gentleman's agreement" with the United States to leave the country.

Saleh, however, may be having difficulties finding a country to take refuge in.

One that won't rat him out to the International Criminal Court, that is...

And since the agreement was signed, there have been growing fears he may try to slip out of the deal and cling to power.

Since he's a slippery fellow...

The suggestion of a delay in the vote will feed those fears.

The Gulf initiative says that presidential elections are to be held on Feb. 21, and that Saleh will not be allowed to run. It was agreed that the only presidential candidate will be Saleh's deputy.

Not much of an 'election' then...

Posted by:Steve White

#5 Well, she obviously can't be held accountable for every undercapitalized dictatorship out there.

Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain 2012-01-18 17:29

#4 The word was "sala", and it literally means "your sister".

What about "yo' mama"?

Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305 2012-01-18 15:51

#3 And if there's anyone that knows about reneging on promises it's a Clinton.

Posted by: AlanC 2012-01-18 12:38

#2 Many years ago, I discovered that one of the most highly admired curse words in the world was from India, because of its ornate and complex implications.

The word was "sala", and it literally means "your sister". Figuratively, however, it meant 5 or 6 long paragraphs about your sister's ancestry, hygiene, habits, manners and morals, etc.

In practice, it is the word they save until just before the knives come out.

In any event, it was trivial enough information so after explanation, soon all my young peers were using it as a friendly greeting, along with the traditional two fingered Indian nod, giving us great hilarity.

It didn't hurt that to a casual listener, it sounded close to "Salaam", which is a real greeting, the word for "peace" in Arabic, though ill used in the last century.

Posted by: Anonymoose 2012-01-18 10:02

#1 One that won't rat him out to the International Criminal Court, that is...
I thought that's what the Magic Kingdom is for.

Posted by: Spot 2012-01-18 07:39

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