Yemeni President Saleh reaches US for medical treatment

Washington, Jan 29 (ANI): Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh has reportedly reached the United States for medical treatment in the latest stage of an effort to help ease the transition from his rule.

The President's spokesman, Ahmed al-Soufi, said that Saleh had arrived in London and left for New York on Saturday for medical treatment for wounds suffered in a June assassination attempt.

According to Fox News, Saleh left Yemen for neighboring Oman a week ago, planning to head to the US, after weeks of talks with America, over where he could go.

The US has been trying to get Saleh to leave his country, but it does not want him to settle permanently in America, amid fears that it would be seen as harboring a leader considered by his people to have blood on his hands.

Meanwhile, a Foreign Office spokeswoman in London confirmed that Saleh's plane was scheduled to land Saturday at a British commercial airport "to refuel en route to the United States."

She said Saleh and those accompanying him were not going to enter the UK.

According to the report, Saleh traveled on a chartered Emirates plane with a private doctor, translator, eight armed guards and several family members. (ANI)