Yemen and things

Recently revealed documents show that the United States was warned about the vulnerability of Ali Abdallah Saleh's regime in Yemen  for more than two years.
A Yemeni Sheikh and business man Hamid Al Ahmar had vowed to an embassy official that if Saleh did not guarantee the fairness of parliamentary elections scheduled for 2011 he personally would organise mass demonstrations modelled on protests that toppled Indonesia's President Suharto more than ten years ago.
Though he warned of controlled chaos his warnings were dismissed as no more than mild irritations for Saleh.
While Saleh is barely hanging on Al Ahmar looks as he could possibly be a candidate for the Yemeni Presidency.
Leaked cables show that even though the Americans were aware of the vulnerability of the regime they chose to ignore them despite European diplomats and Saudi Princes warnings that the chaos that would ensue would be destabilising for the region as a whole.
Though Yemen has been an important front for the fight against terror the United States chose to back and cheer the autocratic despot instead of encouraging him to make the rapid and smooth reforms demanded by the people.
When they get it wrong they get it wrong and the people of the region have to suffer.
Let us hope that his rapid departure is negotiated sooner rather than later as when he started to kill his own people his right to rule was revoked.