NEVER MIND

Yemen's Saleh Refuses to Sign Over Power

In deal that offers him legal immunity.

Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh has been battling the opposition for months, and it looked like he was finally going to give in when presented with a Gulf Arab-led agreement to give up power in exchange for legal immunity. But on Saturday, when the Gulf Cooperation Council's secretary general who brokered the deal arrived on Saleh's doorstep, the president refused to sign the exit plan. Instead, Secretary General Al-Zayyani met with leaders of Saleh's political party, who informed him of Saleh's reservations over the deal, which required him and his supporters to step down in one month, but granted them all immunity from legal prosecution. Yemen's opposition party accepted the deal, even though it prevented Saleh from being tried for corruption and the deaths of some 142 protesters since demonstrations began three months ago. Meanwhile, two soldiers and four civilians were killed on Saturday and at least 23 more were wounded in clashes between Saleh's forces and anti-government protesters.