Embattled Yemen president will not go to US
Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh speaks on December 24, 2011, in the capital Sanaa. One of his aides announced today that he would no longer be traveling to the US for medical treatment.
He will go to the US. No, he will stay in Yemen. He will resign, yes. But he will join the opposition.
Yemen's president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, has made a series of startling and often contradictory statements about both his political and travel plans in recent weeks.
Today, a Yemeni official announced that Saleh would not travel to the US for medical treatment, after announcing he would go last month. (The US embassy in Sanaa said it had not received any formal request from the president to travel).
More from GlobalPost: Has the US traded freedom for security in Yemen?
Saleh has been grappling with several conflicts, including protests and out-right wars with militants, within Yemen's borders this year. He suffered severe burns when a rocket struck his compound in June.
He's staying in Yemen now to oversee presidential elections in February, when he is obliged to resign under a Gulf-led initiative to end the political crisis.
Last month, he said he would pursue his political career through his party as part of the opposition, according to Yemen's official news agency. But Saleh has already ruled Yemen for 33 years.
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