More Duplicity from Yemen's Saleh

Saba News Agency, the state media of Yemen's government, has released an interesting document outlining an 8-point plan to "end the current crisis in the country." Likely a fluid document despite coming from President Ali Abdullah Saleh's own mouthpiece. The initiative is as follows:

1. The withdrawal of the current election and referendum draft laws. Parliament will have to approve a new law with the consensus of both parties.

2. The withdrawal of proposed constitutional amendments.

3. Establishment of a mediation committee to end political disputes. Five prominent judges will be selected to the committee. GPC will choose two Judges, JMP will also select two and the Committee of Religious Scholars will choose the fifth member.

4. All parties are to end inciting and provocative media campaigns in order to create a suitable environment for national dialogue.

5. The release of prisoners who has not been proven guilty or don’t have pending court cases.

6. Forming a national unity government.

7. Intensifying anti-corruption investigations and activities by speeding up the prosecution of pending cases.

8. All parties are to end demonstrations and sit-ins to bring an end to streets congestion, preventing chaos, destruction of public and private properties.

This new proposal makes no mention of Saleh's resignation - himself responsible for inciting a provocative media campaign - and bulldozes over the secessionist Southern Movement with "unity." Corruption probes have been ongoing for years. Now breaking news has the northern Houthi tribe accusing the government of bombing their rallies.

"During a peaceful protest this Friday morning... demanding the fall of the regime, an end to corruption and political change, a military site fired rockets at a group of protesters and hit dozens of people," the tribe said in a statement.

Saleh is a notorious liar, so we cannot understand what Yemeni protester will accept his "cleric-approved" proposal. Also, Abdul Majeed al-Zindani happens to have crafted the initiative. al-Zindani, head of the Muslim Brotherhood in Yemen and designated as a "global terrorist" for connections to Osama bin Laden, has threatened jihad if America sends military forces to Yemen. This leads to questions of whether his proposal simultaneously favors Saleh and al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), as AQAP is growing under Saleh's watch.

A confusing situation that might trigger more phones calls from Washington and more backtracking.