Yemeni civilian deaths and Saleh's immunity sparks protests

Tens of thousands of Yemeni protesters demonstrated again Sources close to al-Qaeda leaders in Yemen said on Tuesday, that 30 members of the organisation were killed in Hadramaout, eastern Yemen in less than two weeks. The deaths were caused by armed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs),which the sources believe to be  American. The sources confirmed to Arabstoday that Khattab al-Wahishi, cousin of the al-Qaeda leader in Yemen Nasser al-Wihishi and militant chief Khalid Batis were among the dead.
Yemeni counter terrorism forces arrested six suspected al-Qaeda members in a neighbourhood of Sanaa on Tuesday, while unknown militants detonated two bombs in an oil well in the Marab governorate to the east of Sanaa.
The Yemeni parliament decided on Tuesday to call the Yemeni Interior Minister, to provide clarification on the death of at least 10 civilians. The civilians including women and children who died in a US air attack in the Rada area of the al-Baydaa region. The incident caused public discontent and large scale condemnation.
The government is seeking information concerning assassination attempts on the President’s advisor Dr Yassin Saeed Noman and the Minister of Transport Dr Waed Badhib.
MP Nabil al-Basha criticised the government’s stance on these attacks saying: “Americans kill and Yemen pays the bill. The government uses external forces because it’s powerless." Al-Basha said, “any killing of civilians outside the law is prohibited. Even against al-Qaeda.”
Tribal sources in the Radaa area said the government sent key figures and tribal nobles to calm people after the attacks. The families of the air-strike victims re-opened the road between al-Baydaa and Sanaa after blocking it in protest.
Thousands of protesters rallied in Sanaa's streets on Tuesday, calling for an end to the former president Ali Abdullah Saleh's judicial immunity. This status was granted during the GCC power transfer deal. The demonstrators also called for sacking Saleh's relatives from their positions in the army and security forces. The rallies passed through a street close to Saleh's house.
The protest follows two months of peace in Yemen's capital. It came as a response to a speech by Saleh on Monday, in which he called his opponents "losers". Saleh was talking at the annual convention of his party, the General People's Congress (GPC). The congress was not attended by President and party member Abdrabbu Mansour Hadi.