YEMEN: Thousands protest president, demand swift leadership change.
Hundreds of thousands rallied in Yemen’s capital and several other major cities Monday, demanding the quick ouster of the country’s president and criticizing proposals for a gradual transfer of power.
Saudi Arabia, backed by the U.S., has proposed that President Ali Abdullah Saleh step down within 30 days and hand power to his vice president. A national unity government would run the country until elections are held.
Saleh, who is being treated in Saudi Arabia for wounds sustained in an attack on his palace last month, has refused to endorse the deal.
Protest leaders told tens of thousands in Yemen’s capital of Sana on Monday that such transition plans would only prolong Yemen’s political crisis. They said they want quick change.
LIBYA: Rebels deny peace talks with government.
A senior Libyan official, Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Kaim, said Monday that progress had been made in talks with rebels on ending more than four months of fighting, but a top rebel leader denied that any negotiations are taking place.
The rebel leader, Mustafa Abdul-Jalil, distanced himself from earlier comments attributed to him that the opposition might consider allowing Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi to stay in the country as part of a transition deal, provided he resigns and orders a cease-fire.
“The Libyans do not want Gadhafi to stay even if he’s dead . . . after what he’s done while in power and during the revolt against him,” Abdul-Jalil said Monday.
Several bomb blasts shook the capital Monday afternoon as coalition warplanes roared overhead.
Also on Monday, Libyan officials said they intercepted two boats loaded with weapons from Qatar that were intended for the rebels.
EGYPT: Riots surround court that released policemen.
Hundreds of Egyptians attacked a courtroom in Cairo on Monday, scuffled with security guards, and blocked a major highway for hours after the court ordered the release of 10 policemen charged with killing protesters during the country’s uprising.
The unrest added to tensions already running high in Egypt over the ruling military council’s failure to hold accountable security forces involved in killing protesters during the uprising that toppled former President Hosni Mubarak.
Meanwhile, Helmi al-Gazar, a senior member of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood, said the group expelled five members who launched a separate political party, the Egyptian Trend party. Among those expelled is Islam Lotfy, a member of a youth coalition that helped force Mubarak to step down in February after more than two weeks of mass protests.
Denver Post wire services
