Yemen: Clashes Kill 22; Saleh Reconsiders Visit to USA

Sanaa, Jan 6 (Prensa Latina) At least 18 Islamist militiamen and four government soldiers died in the latest hours in Yemen, while President Alí Abdulah Saleh continues to reconsider on Friday his visit to the United States amid the transition process the country is suffering.
Sources of the Yemeni army confirmed the death of four soldiers during clashes with Islamist individuals linked to Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) in the suburbs of Zinjibar, capital of the southern province of Abidjan, occupied by irregular forces last May.
The government of Yemen, now headed by vice and currently acting President Abdo Rabbo Mansour Hadi and interim Premier Mohammed Basindwa, underlined that AQAP is the most dangerous branch of the network created by late Osama Bin Laden.
In a communiqué released in this country, tribal leader, entrepreneur and head of the Al-Islah opposition party, Hamid Al-Ahmar, again demanded that Saleh be tried due to his alleged responsibility in the violent death of hundreds of demonstrators.
On the other hand, Washington continues assessing the visa request issued by Saleh "out of medical reasons", an option some analysts described as positive given that the president leaving Yemen would pave the way so that the upcoming elections can be heal peacefully.
The U.S. government inclines to favor the fact that Saleh remains in Yemen as the transition process advances.