'Yemen's Saleh seeks to retake power'

Yemeni Ali Abdullah Saleh's power transfer is an “act of deception” engineered by the longtime ruler to “drag his feet” and retake power, a prominent analyst tells Press TV. In an exclusive interview on Monday, the director of the Institute for [Persian] Gulf Affairs, Ali al-Ahmed, said Yemen's dictator has no intention of leaving the country and has been seeking to maintain his influence over Yemen through his loyalists and then seize power. Al-Ahmed also cited the [Persian] Gulf Cooperation Council ([P]GCC)'s initiative as chicanery and said the motion was aimed at stopping the popular revolution in the crisis-stricken country. The Yemeni dictator signed a deal brokered by the ([P]GCC) on November 23, 2011, under which he agreed to transfer his powers to Vice President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi and step down within 90 days in return for immunity from prosecution. Hadi issued a decree on December 7 last year, establishing a national unity government headed by Mohammed Basindwa who had been earlier picked by Hadi as interim prime minister on November 27. The cabinet posts are equally divided between Saleh's ruling party and the opposition. Al-Ahmed went on to say that Saleh's inner circle is still in power and the Yemeni government is not able to stretch his rule over the national guards loyal to Saleh under the command of his son. “Other relatives and supporters of Ali Abdullah Saleh remain in their position. So the protesters should continue to push Ali Abdullah Saleh and put him and his supporters behind bars and put them on trials because this is really one of the most fascinating attempts at stealing a revolution and undermining a revolution,” he maintained. Hundreds of people have been killed and thousands more have been injured in Yemen since the beginning of the uprising against the Saleh regime in January 2011.