Sunday, September 21, 2014

Yemen's PM resigns as rebels take over government HQ

Less then 2 weeks ago, Obama touted Yemen as one of his foreign policy's models of success. Funny how that worked out.
(Times of Israel) Yemen’s Shiite rebels seized the government headquarters in the capital on Sunday as Prime Minister Mohamed Basindawa resigned, accusing the president of being “autocratic,” senior officials said.

The rebels, known as Huthis, have been locked in deadly clashes for days with Sunni fighters and troops. They also took over the state radio station, officials said.

A spokesman for the rebels, Mohammed Abdulsalam, confirmed on his Facebook page that the government complex had been taken and the premier had stepped down.

Yemeni security officials said heavy fighting has resumed in the capital, Sanaa, Sunday, following days of violence that left more than 140 dead and prompted thousands to flee their homes.

The clashes erupted on Sunday around the Iman University, a bastion of Sunni hard-liners that is seen as a recruitment hub for militants. More fighting raged near a major military base in the Yemeni capital.

There were no official casualty figures from Sunday’s violence.