White House disputes that it will grant Yemeni president Saleh a medical visit to US

The Obama administration has knocked down a report that it has agreed to allow Yemen's outgoing president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, to undergo medical treatment in the US under certain conditions.

The New York Times on Monday cited an unnamed White House official as confirming that Saleh would be allowed to enter the country to receive specialized medical treatment in New York.

VOA and others reported that Saleh is seeking treatment for injuries sustained in an attack on his palace in June, with Politico citing a senior administration official as saying that the American Embassy in Sanaa had been contacted about admitting him into the United States for that reason.

However, according to several reports, no decision had yet been made. And Politico quoted principal deputy press secretary Josh Earnest as saying that: “US officials are continuing to consider President Saleh's request to enter the country for the sole purpose of seeking medical treatment, but initial reports that permission has already been granted are not true.”

Saleh — who last month agreed to end his 33-year rule amid violent street protests — said Saturday that he would travel to the US to calm the atmosphere in Yemen ahead of presidential elections scheduled for Feb. 21, according to the Washington Post. He relinquished power to the Yemeni vice president on Friday.

However, VOA quoted a US official as saying that the request would only be approved for medical reasons.

And according to VOA:

Protests have continued in Yemen despite Saleh's agreement to vacate the presidency. Pro-government security forces killed nine demonstrators on Saturday as they demanded the Yemeni president be tried for the deaths of more than 1,100 people since January. Protesters object to the immunity granted Saleh as part of the accord he signed in the Saudi capital, Riyadh.

The Washington Post wrote that allowing Saleh into the US could be politically risky for President Barack Obama.

Saleh, who has cooperated with Washington in fighting Al Qaeda-linked Islamic extremists, is behind several attempts to attack US targets, including the failed attempt to down a passenger jet bound for Detroit on Christmas Day 2009.

Washington believes [Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula] is the most dangerous of several Al Qaeda's offshoots around the globe.

Saleh has also "used the threat of Al Qaeda in arguing that he could not relinquish power in Yemen despite the protests calling for him to go since February," according to the Post.