Protests Intensify in Yemen, Key Figures Desert President Saleh

March 21, 2011

An anti-government protester, center, wearing a gas mask, chants slogans along with others during a demonstration demanding the resignation of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, in Sanaa,Yemen, March 21, 2011

As protests intensified Monday, a number of top political and military figures announced they were deserting Saleh. Former allies of the president also expressed outrage about violence against the mostly young protesters, which left scores dead and wounded Friday.

General Ali Mohsen Al-Ahmar, head of the first armored division, announced he was supporting the protesters and that he had deployed troops in the capital to protect them.

He said Yemen is falling into an utter state of crisis that is threatening its political existence. He argued that the chaos is the result of a leadership unwilling to govern within the framework of the law and the constitution, and marginalizes public opinion.

Despite numerous defections, however, Defense Minister Mohammed Nasser Ahmed went on state TV to announce that the military would remain loyal to Saleh. He insists that the Yemeni military supports Saleh, that its officers will uphold their oaths to defend legality and legitimacy, and will not tolerate any military coup.

Al Jazeera TV reported that dozens of military commanders had pledged to support the protest movement, while several top ministers and members of the president’s ruling party resigned. Yemeni ambassadors to at least seven countries, including Saudi Arabia, also have resigned.