MUSCAT: Yemen's outgoing President Ali Abdullah Saleh is seeking exile in neighboring Oman, but the sultanate is reluctant to host him for fear of hurting its relations with any future Yemeni government, diplomats said on Tuesday.
| Being next door creates problems for Oman, and opportunities for Saleh. |
Saleh left Sanaa on Sunday and headed to the United States for medical treatment following a brief stopover in Oman, though he said in a parting speech he would return to Yemen.
| Easier to do from Oman, particularly if you plan to return riding on top of a tank... |
A foreign diplomat in Muscat said Saleh has sought permission to reside there. An Omani government source declined to confirm or deny receiving such a request, but said Oman would be reluctant to grant it in case this might harm future relations with Yemen.
The United States, which endorsed a plan to coax Saleh out of office by granting him immunity from prosecution over the deaths of protesters during an uprising against his rule, defended its decision to issue him a visa, despite criticism that it would be seen as sheltering him.
| Or perhaps we were clever and cynical enough to insist that he stop in Oman. "For a few days." |
"We ... believe that his absence from Yemen at this critical juncture will help facilitate a transition that completes the end of his rule, helps Yemen and ultimately has a positive effect on the rights and dignity of the Yemeni people," White House spokesman Jay Carney said on Monday.
"Our policy focus remains on preventing further instability and keeping that transition on track," he said, adding that Saleh would stay in the United States for a limited time only.
Despite Saleh's departure, many believe he and his supporters will still wield influence over Yemen, which has seen a year of anti-government demonstrations punctuated by warfare between Saleh's forces, those of a rebel general, and tribal militias.
| Certainly he'll wield influence as long as his brothers, half-brothers and distant cousins run the military and the banks... |
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