Yemen's President Saleh clings to power

Yemeni protesters demanding end to President Saleh's rule Tens of thousands turned out Wednesday  in protests in  Yemen's capital Sanaa against the Gulf Cooperation Council's  (GCC) roadmap to demand the immediate resignation of  President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Medical sources at the  Science and Technology Field Hospital adjacent to Sanaa

University, told Arabstoday that an initial body count was ten demonstrators killed but owing to the numbers of seriously injured, they expected the death count to rise.  It is now believed that  at least 15  people were killed and more than 130 wounded on Wednesday with no let-up in protests.
In Aden, sources informed Arabstoday that one demonstrator and one soldier were killed in a confrontation which took place in the  Khor Naxar suburb of Aden when security forces fired at demonstrators. Government sources accused demonstrators of firing at army units.  Other wintnesses told Arabstoday that government checkpoints have banned people from entering Aden over  concerns that they might take part in anti-government demonstrations.

In Taaz, another large demonstration of hundreds of thousands poured into the streets calling for Saleh's immediate resignation and refusal of the GCC's roadmap settlement.  The roadmap calls for Saleh's resignation within one month and that he would name his deputy to take  over and  make arrangements for a general election. 
In other southern provinces including  Al Baida, Al Hodeida,  and Hadramut, further demonstrations took place with the same rallying cry -- to demand Saleh's resignation.
In Lahj  province, security forces tried to disperse another demonstration by firing live ammunition and releasing  teargas, wounding two demonstrators. Others were taken to hospital  suffering from the effects of teargas.

Anti-Saleh demonstrators vowed they will not stop their agitation. "We are not against change as long as it is done by democratic and peaceful means, within the constitution, and with respect to the people's will," Saleh said Wednesday in a statement carried by the state news agency, Saba.
Saleh accused his opponents of attempting a "coup against democracy and the constitution." The embattled leader's comments came after the president and opposition agreed Tuesday to sign a landmark deal in coming days for an orderly transition and end three months of unrest that has killed more than 150 people.
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which is brokering the transition deal, said their foreign ministers would meet in Riyadh on Sunday to work out the modalities of their plan for Yemen.
"Riyadh will host on Sunday an extraordinary meeting for the Gulf Cooperation Council foreign ministers to continue the procedures for the adoption of the GCC initiative," the Gulf Arab grouping said in a statement.
The six-nation GCC had proposed the formation of a government of national unity in Yemen, Saleh transferring power to his vice president, and an end to deadly protests rocking the impoverished country.
But the protesters rejected "any initiative from any party," in a statement late Tuesday.
"We are not concerned with any side that accepts the GCC initiative. We affirm to the world that we will continue to escalate our peaceful street protests until the regime falls and the aims of the revolt are achieved," the statement said.
Under the GCC initiative, the president would submit his resignation to parliament within 30 days, with a presidential election being held within two months.
However, a defiant Saleh, who has ruled Yemen for 32 years, has publicly insisted on sticking to the constitution in any transfer of power, even though the his General People's Congress party has said it accepts the GCC plan.

In another southern province, Abyan, Al-Qaeda gunmen killed two soldiers and wounded three others on Wednesday, a security official told AFP.
Another security official said the network's militants have also seized two government buildings -- intelligence and a criminal investigations headquarters -- on Tuesday.
Abyan is considered a stronghold of Osama bin Laden's local jihadist network, AQAP. Last month, at least 150 people were killed in a massive blast and fire at an ammunition plant looted by Al-Qaeda in Abyan.
Washington has expressed fears that Al-Qaeda could take advantage of a prolonged political crisis in Yemen.