Yemen’s president Saleh plans to return home despite protests

Yemen's President Ali Abdullah Saleh has planned to return to his country from Saudi Arabia following his treatment for severe injuries that resulted from attack on his palace on June 3. In the midst of Saleh's plan to return home, thousands of protesters rallied the streets of Yemen on Friday chanting slogans that he would not be welcome back.

Saleh was seriously injured in the June 3 explosion at his palace. The explosion also injured several of his senior cabinet members besides killing around 11 security guards.

In the absence of Saleh, the opposition parties of Yemen have made efforts to convince the ruling party to unite together with them in a transitional headship that would efficiently shut out President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who has defied strong pressure at home and from the international community to step down.

However, Saleh's loyalists are firm that the president will arrive home and continue his duties. Ahmed, Saleh's influential son who instructs and looks after some of Yemen's top trained and skilled armed forces, has stayed behind in Yemen to rally round to uphold his father's rule.

Meanwhile, Yasser al-Yamani, an official of Saleh's party, has said that plans are underway to welcome the president on his return from Saudi Arabia.

"He will return home after medical reports said he is getting better," he said Friday.

Saudi government authorities said President Saleh was finishing his treatment and carried out some physical workouts.

It should be noted that political affairs and security are to a great extent at risk as a result of the uprising in Yemen, which kicked off with anti-government demonstrations in February.

Yemen is the poorest country in Arab and has for several decades experienced internal clashes. Besides, it has proved to be a source of shakiness and insecurity for neighboring Saudi Arabia and other oil-rich countries in the region.

For the U.S. and European countries, the key threat is the al-Qaida group that has found safe haven in the mountain regions of Yemen. Furthermore, this offshoot of al-Qaida has launched several attacks against U.S. presence across the world.

The United States, which has long sought the cooperation of Saleh in fighting the Yemen-based al-Qaida offshoot, recently pushed Saleh to step down and put an end to the turmoil.

It should be noted that the uprising in Yemen has provided militants complete freedom to expedite their operations. Moreover, the Islamic militants took hold of two towns in Southern Yemen.