By Daily Star Editorial

Not even an attempt on Ali Abdullah Saleh’s life has weakened his resolve to cling to power. The Yemeni president was gravely wounded in an attack on his compound in June and spent months recuperating in neighboring Saudi Arabia. A lot has passed since then.

But in spite of increasing mass demonstrations calling for his abdication, proliferating acts of violence and terrorism throughout the restive state, and an economy that has been dragged toward death by the turmoil, Saleh returned to Sanaa to business as usual.

The duplicity exhibited by Yemen’s leader knows no bounds. Having repeatedly refused to sign an agreement struck by the Gulf Cooperation Council that would have seen him cede power in return for immunity from prosecution, he now claims he authorized the vice president to do so on his behalf.
After more than 30 years of assiduously barring Yemenis from voicing their views at the polling stations, he now calls for elections.

His speech on the anniversary of Yemen’s 1962 revolution, set against the backdrop of a week of violent crackdown aimed at pro-democracy protests, was quickly and rightfully dismissed out of hand by opponents. After all, Saleh’s maneuverings since the uprising began in January have not exactly painted a picture of a man of his word.
Every chance he has been given to avert disaster was ignored. Unwisely for a man that ascended to power following the assassination of his predecessor and survived an attempt himself, Saleh still exhibits all the idiosyncrasies of someone convinced of his own hegemony.

It has become very clear that Saleh cares not one iota for the good of Yemen and its people. He has proven capable of prevarication and deceit in the face of pressure from neighboring countries to quietly step aside.

In lieu of tangible internal reform and administrative overhaul, GCC countries cannot stand idly by and assume that they have done their part. Until external pressure exerted on Saleh makes his presidency untenable, Yemen’s neighbors will continue to be partly complicit in the bloodshed caused by crackdowns and security lapses.
Not only is intervention the morally right course of action, it would also benefit the region’s stability. Given Yemen’s geography – and as was evidenced by Sunday’s attack on Republican Guard barracks, it is ripe to have outlawed groups exploit its chaos. The fallout would not be confined to Yemen’s borders.

The international community, too, must act immediately to find ways of pressuring Saleh to depart. It must do so judiciously, as the go-to move of financial sanctions against a tyrant would likely have a disastrous affect on the Arab world’s poorest state.
But the need for action, in whatever form, is more pressing than ever. A solution to Yemen’s mess will not be found in continuity.