In
Yemen, Saleh's
President of
GPC, Son Heads
Republican
Guard
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
July 17 --
When the UN's
envoy to Yemen
Jamal Benomar
emerged from
the Security
Council to
speak to the
media early
Tuesday
afternoon,
Inner City
Press asked
him three
questions.
Benomar had
referred to
"those who
undermine the
government,"
so Inner
City Press
asked who
these might be
-- Ali Saleh,
or for example
the
Yemeni
Socialist
Party, which
has criticized
President
Hadi?
Benomar
said,
"there is a
lively debate
in Yemen, all
Yemeni
constituencies
are competing
to participate
in the
national
dialogue,
this is very
healthy."
He
acknowledged
that there are
"spoilers
lurking in
background,"
but said that
in the
Security
Council's
closed door
meeting he
"didn't get
into further
details."
So
Inner
City Press
asked, what IS
the role of
Ali Saleh now
in Yemen?
Benomar said
that "Mr Saleh
is still the
president of
the GPC." Video
here, from
Minute 5:21.
Benomar
had
mentioned
government
victories over
Ansar
Al-Sharia in
Abyan
province. But
the Republican
Guard,
controlled by
Saleh's son,
is
still central
to security in
Sana'a, Aden
and Taiz,
where an
American
teacher was
killed, and
then protested
FOR by local
residents,
we're
told.
Finally,
Inner City
Press asked
Benomar if the
High
Commissioner
for Human
Rights is
going to do
any report on
Yemen and the
killings in
2011 (many of
which were
ordered by
Saleh).
Benomar
replied
that "the
office of the
High
Commissioner
is preparing a
new report to
the Human
Rights
Council... We
as UN and
envoy are
urging the
government to
implemented
the Human
Rights Council
resolution to
establish a
commission of
inquiry."
He
said
that the
previous
government had
committed to
implement, but
"so
far no
progress on
setting it
up." Watch
this site.
, 
