As his government collapses, President Saleh of Yemen takes "emergency powers":
A legislature full of his supporters granted President Ali Abdullah Saleh's request for a 30-day state of emergency, which suspends the constitution, bars protests and gives security forces far-reaching powers of arrest.
It is not clear if Saleh could even muster a majority of parliament for the vote.
Saleh's move is a sign of complete desperation. It comes as his government is in a state of collapse. Two days ago, the New York Times posted this list of government officials who had abandoned the government:
Army Officers:
Brigadier Ali Mohsen Saleh, head of the North Western Military Zone
Brigadier Hameed Al koshebi, head of brigade 310 in Omran area
Brigadier Mohammed Ali Mohsen, head of the Eastern Division
Brigadier Nasser Eljahori, head of brigade 121
General Ali Abdullaha Aliewa, adviser of the Yemeni supreme leader of the army
General Faisal Rajab, based in the southern province of Lahij
“Dozens of officers of various ranks” – AFP
Diplomats:
Abdel-Wahhab Tawaf, Ambassador to Syria
Mohammed Ali al-Ahwal, Ambassador to Saudi Arabia
Ambassador to Jordan
Ambassador to Egypt
Ambassador to Kuwait
Ambassador to China
Ambassador to Algeria
Ambassador to Indonesia
Ambassador to Iraq
Ambassador to Qatar
Ambassador to Belgium
Ambassador to Pakistan
Ambassador to Czech Republic
Ambassador to Spain
Ambassador to Germany
Ambassador to Oman
Ambassador to the UN
Charge d’affairs to Tunisia
Representative to the Arab League
All embassy staff in Washington except the ambassador
Local Officials:
Ahmed Qaatabi, Governor of Yemen’s southern province of Aden
Himyar al-Ahmar, Deputy Speaker of Parliament
Mayor of Aden
3 MPs
Advisor of Yemen’s premiership
Since that time, the collapse has only gotten worse. For instance, open fighting occurred in the northern governate of Al Jawf as rebels seize control of the 115 Infantry Division:
Forty killed in clashes in northern governorate of Al-Jawf
The governorate administrative buildings and the locally-based 115th Infantry Division are both controlled by anti-government tribesmen. Amer expected further casualties in the ongoing clashes with pro-government forces.
Anti-government tribesmen took over control of the 115th Infantry Division after its commander, Brig Abdurabu Hussein, refused to hand over to Brig Ali Haidara al-Henshi, appointed by President Ali Abdullah Saleh to replace Hussein, local independent news website barakish.net reported on 22 March.
Additionally, there is fighting between Saleh's Republican Guard forces and the rebelling military units:
Accusations have been traded between Saleh and his opponents in the army following clashes between EMZ troops, supporting the uprising, and Republican Guard forces in Hadhramaut. Three soldiers and an officer were killed in these clashes, eyewitnesses told IRIN from Hadhramaut on 22 March. They said EMZ tanks are now deployed on the streets of Mukalla, capital of Hadhramaut Governorate.
The Republican Guard, which has divisions in most Yemeni governorates, is led by Brig Ahmad Ali Abdullah Saleh, one of Saleh’s sons.
On the same day, Aljazeera TV reported that Republican Guard forces were besieging the Aerial Defence Division in the western governorate of Hodeidah, after its commander declared his support for the “Youth Revolution”.
Residents in the Shabwa province seize weapons from the government's paramilitaries:
In the latest evidence of the fast deteriorating security in the country, residents of Shabwa province on Wednesday seized the weapons and vehicles of paramilitary forces deployed at checkpoints in 13 of the province's 17 districts, according to security officials.
The officials said the residents made away with 43 vehicles, assault rifles and ammunition of the troops, whose national commander is a nephew of the president. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media.
Houthi rebels step up their attacks, downing a government fighter jet:
At least 20 people were killed in fighting between the Yemen Army and Shi'ite rebels in the bloodiest battle in months. The Shi'ite fighters, who belong to the Iranian-backed Believing Youth movement, assaulted a key military installation in the Jawf province.
At one point, the Yemen Air Force sent a Russian-origin MiG fighter-jet to bomb the Shi'ites. But the aircraft was downed by Shi'ite gunners, an assertion acknowledged by the Yemeni military.
Saleh, while seizing emergency powers, also proclaims his willingness to compromise, but this is unlikely to work:
Yemen's embattled president has accepted opposition demands for constitutional reforms and holding parliamentary elections by the end of the year, according to a statement issued by his office.
...
"Any offer that does not include the president's immediate resignation is rejected," JMP spokesman Mohammed Qahtan said.
Meanwhile, the US is very careful to avoid acknowledging the obvious, that President Saleh will soon fall:
US treads fine line as ally in Yemen could fall
The Obama administration sought Wednesday to avoid undermining an embattled ally in Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, offering no prediction as to whether he could ride out spirited street protests to remain in power and refusing to acknowledge any contingency plans in case he is ousted.
The caution from top officials such as Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton represented a careful balancing act for the administration. The U.S. doesn't want to add pressure on Saleh, who has proven himself a key partner in the fight against al-Qaida, even as American officials have become increasingly perturbed by the harshness of his government's crackdown on peaceful protesters.
The US hypocrisy in bombing Gaddafi but avoiding using any words that could undermine Saleh, who has now killed Yemenis numbering in the hundreds, has injured countless, and has seized dictatorial powers and suspended the constitution, is obvious.
It is also ineffective. The Saleh government is collapsing, in part due to popular protest, in part due to armed rebellion, and in part due to military coup. I greatly fear what government will follow Saleh (likely a military junta), but Saleh is going fast. Meanwhile, as the AP reports: Gates says US had no plans for a post-Saleh Yemen.