by If you are the wife or husband of an American working for the US government in Yemen, it’s time to start packing your bags. That’s because the U.S. just announced that it is removing family members of US government employees and some non-emergency personnel from Yemen.
State Department Issues Warning
The State Department has issued this decision as Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh has been getting pressure to step down, and as the airport in Sanaa was forced to close due to fighting between security forces and dissident tribesmen.The travel warning cautioned Americans “of the high security threat level in Yemen due to terrorist activities and civil unrest. The Department urges US citizens not to travel to Yemen. US citizens currently in Yemen should depart while commercial transportation is available.”While traveling in London, President Obama had a joint press conference with British Prime Minister David Cameron where he said,
“We call upon President Saleh to move immediately on his commitment to transfer power.”
Goodbye President Saleh
President Saleh has been in power for 33 years and has been facing protests demanding his removal from office since January. He has refused to sign an accord sponsored by the Gulf Cooperation Council that would allow him to relinquish power in exchange for immunity in the courts.
Urging Saleh to Leave
Obama has been joined by other governments, as well, who all encourage Saleh to accept the exit plan. Obama added, during the joint press conference with British Prime Minister David Cameron,
“We call upon President Saleh to move immediately on his commitment to transfer power.”
German foreign ministry spokesman Andreas Peschke concurred with Obama as he said, “We call on President Saleh not to seek to wait out the situation, and to seriously consider and accept the mediation offer made by the Gulf Cooperation Council.”Yemen, the ancestral homeland to Osama bin Laden, has been seen as an asset to American for the “war on terror” until recently. Washington, however, has recently added pressure for Saleh’s departure. So far, three days of fighting have resulted in the deaths of more than 44 people in the Yemeni capital, according to an ATP tally.Yemen is the Arab world’s poorest country; and yet, they have an estimated 60 million firearms in private hands, which equally approximately three for every Yemeni citizen.
