SANAA: A top Yemeni general who has thrown his weight behind street protests demanding the immediate resignation of President Ali Abdullah Saleh said he has no desire to take power or hold political office.
General Ali Mohsen, who sent troops to protect pro-democracy protesters in Sanaa, said military rule in Arab countries was outdated and that the people would decide who would govern them in the framework of a modern, civilian state. "Ali Mohsen as an individual has served for 55 years and has no desire for any power or position," he told Reuters in a written response to questions.
"I have no more ambition left except to spend the remainder of my life in tranquility, peace and relaxation far from the problems of politics and the demands of the job."
Mohsen, commander of the northwest military zone and Saleh’s kinsman from the Al-Ahmar clan, is the most senior military officer to back the protests, and his move on Monday triggered a stream of defections in the military and government.
Some protesters have displayed the general’s picture on their tents in the protest encampment in Sanaa, but opposition leaders regard his motives with suspicion and few would want him to have a role in any future transitional government.
Defence Minister Mohammad Nasser Ali has said the army still backed Saleh, setting the stage for a possible standoff with those commanders who threw in their lot with tens of thousands of protesters who have taken to the street for weeks.
The defections, after snipers shot dead 52 protesters on Friday, mounted pressure on Saleh to resign. Saleh has offered to hand over power under a new constitution after parliamentary and presidential elections by the end of this year.
Mohsen, 70, took credit for bringing Saleh to power in 1978, saying if he wanted power he would have taken it then. He said the options before Saleh were now few, and criticized what he described as his "stubbornness", but said the armed forces were committed to protecting protesters peacefully.
"As for the steps that could be taken to resolve the crisis, I think the options have become few, if they have not already vanished because of stubbornness that is shown by the regime."
Yemen free of terrorism
Protesters have largely welcomed Mohsen’s support, although some cracks have started to emerge, especially with northern Shia rebels who see him as a ruthless military leader who led the military campaign against them in a bloody civil war.
Some leftists and southerners have expressed worry that their goals for democracy will be overtaken in a struggle for sway, although the Islamist opposition is thought to view Mohsen more favorably. "The scenarios of the army taking power in the Arab world are out of date, nor is there a possibility that armies would steal the peoples’ revolutions," Mohsen said.
"The people today are the ones who will decide who will govern them in the framework of modern civil states."
Deadly clashes have already erupted between the presidential guard in the southern city of Mukalla and turncoat soldiers, and Saleh loyalist forces briefly surrounded an air force battalion in Hudeida before backing down.
The atmosphere in Sanaa, where Mohsen has a camp adjacent to the main anti-government protest area, has been quiet but tense. Mohsen’s troops are deployed near the protest zone, while tanks have deployed close to the presidential palace to protect Saleh.
"We thank God that the sons of the armed forces today are very conscious and responsible, and we don’t have fears that confrontation could occur," Mohsen said.
Washington and Riyadh, Yemen’s main financial backer, have long seen Saleh as a bulwark against a resurgent Yemen-based al Qaeda network. US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Washington had not planned for an era without Saleh.
Mohsen, an Islamist who was seen as close to the Islamist opposition, said the army would work with the international community against terrorism.
"The mission of the army has become confined to protecting the country from any foreign aggression and to work with the international community to create a new Yemen free of terrorism. –Additional reporting by Mohamed Sudam and Mohammed Ghobari
