Yemen protests have continued to grow as embattled president Ali Abdullah Saleh has signaled he has no immediate plans to step down, according to Reuters Africa.
Addressing supporters who had gathered outside his home, Saleh said, "I salute you for your heroic stand and thank you for supporting constitutional legitimacy.”
On Friday, dueling protests both for and against Saleh began in the town of Sanaa, continuing through Saturday. The small country on the Arabian peninsula has seen waves of protest for the past several weeks as many have called for the immediate end to Saleh's 32-year rule.
US and Saudi Arabian officials worry about a possible descent into civil war within Yemen. The country is known as a training ground for a number of al-Qaeda militants, with its unstable political climate and armed populace. Despite some efforts by Yemeni officials to involve the neighboring oil giant in negotiations, Saudi authorities have so far abstained.
President Saleh has stated his wishes to remain in power through the end of the year, when parliamentary and presidential elections would be held. Opposition leaders, however, maintain their demands for Saleh to step down prior to such a point. A number of top generals from the Yemeni army have turned against Saleh, prompting the president to issue warnings of a possible coup and ensuing civil war.
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