Tens of thousands of demonstrators for and against embattled Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh rallied today, with no resolution in sight after weeks of inconclusive talks amid mounting clashes.
The United States and Gulf Arab countries including Yemen's key financial backer, Saudi Arabia, appear ready to push aside a long-time ally against al-Qaeda's Yemen-based wing to avoid a chaotic collapse of the poorest Arab state.
"Saleh's options are gone. The Gulf initiative must have come as a shock from Saudi Arabia, which was his last ally," said Mohammed Sharqi, the leader of a youth protest movement in Sanaa, referring to a Gulf Arab plan for Mr Saleh to step down.
Pro- and anti-Saleh marchers gathered in both the capital and the city of Taiz, south of Sanaa, where the funeral of protesters killed earlier this week could trigger fresh clashes.
Mr Saleh's sometimes violent response to two months of protests against his 32-year rule has tried the patience of Washington and Riyadh, both of which have been the target of attempted attacks by al-Qaeda's Yemen-based branch.
Washington froze its largest aid package for Yemen in February after protests began, the Wall Street Journal reported. "The first instalment of the aid package, worth a potential $1 billion or more over several years, was set to be rolled out in February, marking the White House's largest bid at securing President Ali Abdullah Saleh's allegiance in its battle against al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula," it said.
The Washington Post said a Yemeni opposition party leader had told a US embassy official in Sanaa about a secret plan to oust Mr Saleh less than two years ago.
Several previously undisclosed US diplomatic cables provided by the website WikiLeaks revealed that U.S. officials were aware of Yemen's political state but largely discounted the prospect that Mr Saleh could be forced out, it said.
Pro-democracy protesters held a "Friday of firmness" in Sanaa, shouting "You're next, you leader of the corrupt," as armoured vehicles and security forces deployed across the city.
Some 4km away, tens of thousands of Saleh loyalists were marching, waving pictures of the president and banners that read "No to terrorism, no to sabotage".
In a move that could spark clashes, some 700 riot police took up position in an area close Gen Ali Mohsen's forces. The veteran senior commander defected from Mr Saleh weeks ago, and his troops are protecting a protest camp near Sanaa University.
Reuters