Regime Change in Yemen?

There's upheaval on the southern part of the Arabian peninsula.

Lots of defections today including NW zone commander Ali Mohsen Al Ahmar, eastern zone commander Mohammed Ali Mohsen, and the 301st armored division, Hameed Al-Qushaibi.

The Aden governor Ahmed Qaatabi and the Yemeni ambassador in Amman, Jordan Shaia Muhsen defected, as well as the Yemeni ambassador in Damascus , Syria Abdul-Wahab Tawwaf, and deputy parliament speaker, Hemyar al-Ahmar.

Tribal leaders joined the protesters as well as opposition party leaders. These defections followed the blood bath in Sanaa on Friday when 53 were killed by sniper fire and another 250 were wounded by gunshots. Half the government had resigned before that and Saleh declared a state of emergency Friday and dissolved the government Sunday.

Lets see if Saleh has the brains to leave quietly without another blood bath. Ali Mohsen al Ahmar is himself a war criminal and smuggler and many of these defectors are presidential relatives and will have to be politically neutralized, but all Saleh has left from the military are (his son’s commands) the Republican Guard and the Special Forces who are guarding the palace in Sanaa.

It is the beginning of the post-Saleh era when he recognizes it or not.

Jane Novak expertly details the conflict at Armies of Liberation.