Skip to main content

Official: Saleh to return to Yemen following assassination probe

From Hakim Almasmari, For CNN
Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh delivers a speech from the Saudi capital Riyadh on July 7, 2011.
Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh delivers a speech from the Saudi capital Riyadh on July 7, 2011.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • Official: "I cannot give you a specific time of when President Saleh will arrive"
  • An official backtracks on claim that investigation into the attack on Saleh is complete
  • Earlier, the government accused two opposition members of planning the attack
  • President Saleh is said to be in Saudi Arabia recovering from burn wounds
RELATED TOPICS

Sanaa, Yemen (CNN) -- President Ali Abdullah Saleh plans to return to Yemen following the investigation into his attempted assassination, a government spokesman said.

The announcement follows claims weeks ago by the Yemeni government it had completed the investigation, accusing two leading opposition figures of planning the June palace bombing that left Saleh with severe burns and shrapnel wounds.

The Yemeni government switched gears Sunday, saying the investigation was nearly complete. Abdu Ganadi, the government spokesman, did not say when it would be finished nor whether those accused earlier were still considered suspects.

"I cannot give you a specific time of when President Saleh will arrive. But I can assure you that after the palace bombing investigation is over, the president will be back," Ganadi said.

The Yemeni political crisis started January 16, when youth protesters took to the streets demanding Saleh's resignation. Fears of all-out civil war have spiked in recent months as government forces and people alleged to be Hashed tribesmen slugged it out in the capital.

Saleh, who has been faced with widespread anti-government sentiment and militant activity, has been urged to accept a political transition plan that will lead to his departure. He has been in Saudi Arabia for treatment of wounds he suffered in a June 3 attack on his palace.

Some see the timing of Ganadi's announcement as a tactic by Saleh to delay stepping down from power. Saleh said in March he would leave office by the end of the year.

"If Saleh leaves office before the end of the year, history will report it that he was ousted by the revolution," said Ali Abdul Jabbar, an analyst and the director of the Sanaa-based Dar Ashraf Research Center.

Opposition members, though, see it as a way for Saleh to avoid returning to Yemen to face possible criminal prosecution.

"The opposition and revolution youth hope that Ali Abdullah Saleh comes back to Yemen so that they can try him for all the crimes he committed against the people over the last 33 years," said Hamid al-Ahmar, a leading opposition figure.

Ahmar, the opposition's wealthiest businessman, and Ali Mohsen, the most powerful military leader in the country, were accused by the Yemeni government on August 18 of planning the palace attack.

Part of complete coverage on
'Sons of Mubarak' in plea for respect
Pro-Mubarak supporters believe Egypt's former president is innocent of charges of corruption and killing protesters.
Timeline of the conflict in Libya
Fighting in Libya started with anti-government demonstrations in February and escalated into a nationwide civil war.
Who are these rebels?
After months of seeming stalemate, Libyan rebels declared they were moving in on Tripoli. But who are they?
Why NATO's Libya mission has shifted
Six months and more than 17,000 air sorties after it began, NATO's Operation Unified Protector in the skies over Libya grinds on.
Interactive map: Arab unrest
Click on countries in CNN's interactive map to see the roots of their unrest and where things stand today.
Send your videos, stories
Are you in the Middle East or North Africa? Send iReport your images. Don't do anything that could put you at risk.
Libya through Gadhafi's keyhole
Behind the official smiles for the cameras some people in Libya's capital are waiting for the rebels, reports CNN's Ivan Watson.
How Arab youth found its voice
Tunisia's Mohamed Bouazizi not only ignited a series of revolts but heralded the first appearance of Arab youth on the stage of modern history.