The Yemeni youth movement reported to be the driving force behind months of protests in the country, have delivered a letter to the UN, asking to ensure President Ali Abdullah Saleh faces trial at the International Criminal Court.
The letter addressed to UN Secretary General Ban-Ki Moon said,
"We call on the UN to refer Saleh, his sons and his gang to the International Criminal Court for their crimes against peaceful protesters."
It also called on the international community to place sanctions on Saleh’s regime, asking them to freeze the assets of "Saleh, his family, and their supporters in the regime".
The US has called on President Saleh to begin his “transfer of power” immediately, with White House spokesman Jay Carney saying,
"We call on him and his government to cease any violent actions against the Yemeni people."
This is despite Yemen’s deputy information minister Abdu al-Janadi, claiming that Yemen intelligence was key in the assassination of Al-Qaeda cleric Anwar al-Awaki earlier this week.
Janadi told reporters,
“After this big victory in catching Awlaki, the White House calls on the president to leave power immediately? The Americans don’t even respect those who co-operate with them.”
One Western diplomat commented on Saleh’s apparent use of intelligence on Al-Qaeda as leverage to stay in power.
Talking to the Financial Times he said,
“I think he’s trying his luck. But I don’t think the Americans are going to change their overall policy.”
See our earlier post: 'US urges restraint in Yemen' (Sep 2011)
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