.- President Ali Abdullah Saleh said on Friday it was ready to relinquish power in order to stop the bloodshed in Yemen but only to "safe hands" while tens of thousands of people demonstrated against his government protests as "day of departure." Quiet conversations were taking place in two ways to resolve the details of a peaceful transition of power in the country of the Arabian Peninsula, which houses a wing of al Qaeda, Yemeni political sources said.
Western countries are concerned that militants from Al Qaeda to exploit any disorder arising from a complicated transition if Saleh, an ally of the United States and Saudi Arabia to fight for his political life, finally decided to resign after 32 years in power. "We want power, but we need to turn power over to safe hands, hands not sick, resentful or corrupt," Saleh said in a speech to tens of thousands of supporters in Sana'a.
The demonstrators carried pictures of Saleh and banners reading "No to chaos, yes to the security and stability." Some carried guns and traditional Yemeni daggers, while others waved flags and sang patriotic themes. "We are against firing a single bullet and when we make concessions is to ensure that there is a bloodbath.
We will stand and defy all the power we have," he said. However, across the capital, tens of thousands of anti-government protesters held their own movement called "Game Day" to demand the resignation of the president, a survivor of a civil war, separatist movements and militant attacks.
The protesters handed out red cards in which the president asked him to leave. Shots were fired when soldiers loyal to a general high Yemeni who has been protecting the demonstrators fired shots into the air to prevent a crowd of loyalists Saleh approached the area, witnesses said. A soldier guarding the protest was wounded when gunmen opened fire from a nearby building, witnesses added.
But violence was significantly less than a week ago, when snipers fired on a protest against the government, killing 52 people. The bloodshed led to a series of resignations that severely weakened the position of Saleh, even as senior military's top general Ali Mohsen and diplomats and tribal leaders.
Yemeni political sources said they were carrying on talks to resolve the crisis, with the help of Western mediators, which included a meeting between the president and Gen. Mohsen where they were discussing the fate of both men. Simultaneously, discussions were wider policies on a political transition in Yemen.
But a diplomat in Sanaa said it was premature to talk of a possible outcome. Yemen is situated on key shipping routes and shares borders with Saudi Arabia, the world's largest exporter of oil. Often seemed on the verge of disintegration as the northern Shiite often take up arms against Saleh and the southern dream of a separate state.
Without a clear successor to Saleh and conflict ravaging the northern and southern Yemen, the country of 23 million people facing the risk of dissolution, adding to poverty, water shortages, dwindling oil reserves and lack of central government control . 
Western countries are concerned that militants from Al Qaeda to exploit any disorder arising from a complicated transition if Saleh, an ally of the United States and Saudi Arabia to fight for his political life, finally decided to resign after 32 years in power. "We want power, but we need to turn power over to safe hands, hands not sick, resentful or corrupt," Saleh said in a speech to tens of thousands of supporters in Sana'a.
The demonstrators carried pictures of Saleh and banners reading "No to chaos, yes to the security and stability." Some carried guns and traditional Yemeni daggers, while others waved flags and sang patriotic themes. "We are against firing a single bullet and when we make concessions is to ensure that there is a bloodbath.
We will stand and defy all the power we have," he said. However, across the capital, tens of thousands of anti-government protesters held their own movement called "Game Day" to demand the resignation of the president, a survivor of a civil war, separatist movements and militant attacks.
The protesters handed out red cards in which the president asked him to leave. Shots were fired when soldiers loyal to a general high Yemeni who has been protecting the demonstrators fired shots into the air to prevent a crowd of loyalists Saleh approached the area, witnesses said. A soldier guarding the protest was wounded when gunmen opened fire from a nearby building, witnesses added.
But violence was significantly less than a week ago, when snipers fired on a protest against the government, killing 52 people. The bloodshed led to a series of resignations that severely weakened the position of Saleh, even as senior military's top general Ali Mohsen and diplomats and tribal leaders.
Yemeni political sources said they were carrying on talks to resolve the crisis, with the help of Western mediators, which included a meeting between the president and Gen. Mohsen where they were discussing the fate of both men. Simultaneously, discussions were wider policies on a political transition in Yemen.
But a diplomat in Sanaa said it was premature to talk of a possible outcome. Yemen is situated on key shipping routes and shares borders with Saudi Arabia, the world's largest exporter of oil. Often seemed on the verge of disintegration as the northern Shiite often take up arms against Saleh and the southern dream of a separate state.
Without a clear successor to Saleh and conflict ravaging the northern and southern Yemen, the country of 23 million people facing the risk of dissolution, adding to poverty, water shortages, dwindling oil reserves and lack of central government control .
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