Honolulu, Dec 28 (ANI): To accelerate a government transition in Sana, the Obama administration is trying to influence Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh's decision to come to the US for medical treatment.
The US is seeking assurances from Saleh that in exchange for allowing him to receive treatment at an American hospital for injuries he sustained in an attack on his presidential compound in June, he would make good on his pledge to facilitate a smooth transfer of power, officials said.
US and Yemeni officials are working out the details of an agreement that would set a timeline for the completion of a political transition in Yemen and stipulate a definitive end to Mr. Saleh's leadership. U.S. and Arab officials said the Obama administration also wants a timetable for a proposed medical stay in New York.
The Obama administration is also seeking ways to minimize any political backlash from a decision by President Barack Obama to allow a Saleh visit, said Arab officials involved in the discussions, The Wall Street Journal reports.
Specifically, the US has been reaching out to Arab countries to host Saleh at a medical facility prior to his departure to the US, these officials said.
The administration's hope is that an Arab medical facility would then formally refer the Yemeni leader's case to an American hospital on the grounds that the US is better suited to treat Saleh's specific ailments, thereby further legitimizing his visit, officials said.
Months of protests gave way to a period of exile in which Saleh received medical treatment in Saudi Arabia following the June assassination attempt. (ANI)
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