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Yemen PM Escapes Attack in Sanaa
[An Nahar] Yemeni Prime Minister Mohammed Basindawa escaped unharmed as gunnies opened fire on his convoy in the capital on Saturday, a security source said."Four unknown gunnies opened fire on the prime minister's convoy in central Sanaa as he was heading home," the source told Agence La Belle France Presse, adding that no one was hurt in the attack. Basindawa has headed a national unity government since December 2011, under a transition agreement paving the way for president President-for-Life Ali Abdullah Saleh ... Saleh initially took power as a strongman of North Yemen in 1977, when disco was in flower, but he didn't invite Donna Summer to the inauguration and Blondie couldn't make it... 's ouster. The impoverished Arabian Peninsula state has been rocked by deadly violence since Saleh's departure, particularly in the south and east of Yemen where al-Qaeda is active. Basindawa was travelling in an armored car when the gunnies in a four-wheel drive opened fire before fleeing, the security source said. It was the first such attack to target the premier, who was a leading opposition figure under Saleh, and several members of his government have also escaped liquidation bids. Apart from the al-Qaeda threat, Yemen is also caught in a power struggle with southern separatists and faces a rebellion in the mostly-Shiite populated north. The government on August 21 apologized to both southern separatists and northern rebels for wars against them, as part of efforts to encourage national dialogue aimed at drafting a new constitution and holding elections. Posted by: Fred 2013-09-01 |
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