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| Yemen’s Former Leader, Held by Rebels, Flees Capital | |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| SANA, Yemen — Yemen’s former president, held under house arrest for the past month by Houthi militants controlling the country, on Saturday left the capital amid conflicting reports about whether he had been released voluntarily or escaped from his captors. | |
| Early Saturday, Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi left his home in Sana, the capital, where he had been confined by the Houthis since he resigned on Jan. 22 along with the rest of his cabinet. Mr. Hadi headed to Aden, in southern Yemen, according to an official with the United Nations in Sana, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press. | Early Saturday, Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi left his home in Sana, the capital, where he had been confined by the Houthis since he resigned on Jan. 22 along with the rest of his cabinet. Mr. Hadi headed to Aden, in southern Yemen, according to an official with the United Nations in Sana, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press. |
| Traveling overland in a convoy of dozens of vehicles, Mr. Hadi reached Aden by afternoon, and took up residence in the presidential palace there, according to Agence France-Presse. | Traveling overland in a convoy of dozens of vehicles, Mr. Hadi reached Aden by afternoon, and took up residence in the presidential palace there, according to Agence France-Presse. |
| The United Nations official said it was clear that the Houthi militants who control Sana and much of northern Yemen, and dominate its military and police forces, had allowed Mr. Hadi to pass through their lines, but added that it was not clear whether he had passed in disguise or openly. | |
| A Western diplomat in Sana said there were reports that Mr. Hadi had hidden in a food truck. | |
| Mr. Hadi’s release had been demanded by the United Nations Security Council in a unanimous resolution, which also called for the release of his cabinet members. Most of them, including the country’s prime minister, have also been under house arrest since their resignations. It was not immediately clear whether they were also released from house arrest on Saturday, although earlier this month the interior and defense ministers, as well as some top intelligence officials from Mr. Hadi’s government, had joined with the Houthis to try to form a new government. | |
| A second United Nations official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the delicate nature of the discussions, said that Mr. Hadi’s release had been promised by the Houthis as part of the interim agreement reached Friday between the Houthis and other political factions with the help of United Nations mediators. | A second United Nations official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the delicate nature of the discussions, said that Mr. Hadi’s release had been promised by the Houthis as part of the interim agreement reached Friday between the Houthis and other political factions with the help of United Nations mediators. |
| That agreement provided for the formation of a national council, composed of the existing Parliament plus a new interim council, which would pass legislation intended to pave the way for a new government. The interim council would include Houthis and other Yemeni factions who feel disenfranchised by Yemen’s current government — a major complaint of the Houthi militants who took control of Sana last September, finally forcing Mr. Hadi to step down last month. | |
| That interim council would also draw 50 percent of its members from southern Yemen. Many leaders in the south have warned of the danger of secession if the Houthis maintain control of the central government. North and South Yemen were long separate states and broke apart once before after having reunited. The Houthis are a northern tribal-based faction, dominated by members of the minority Zaydi sect, an offshoot of Shiite Islam. Most Yemenis are Sunni Muslims. | That interim council would also draw 50 percent of its members from southern Yemen. Many leaders in the south have warned of the danger of secession if the Houthis maintain control of the central government. North and South Yemen were long separate states and broke apart once before after having reunited. The Houthis are a northern tribal-based faction, dominated by members of the minority Zaydi sect, an offshoot of Shiite Islam. Most Yemenis are Sunni Muslims. |
| Since forcing Mr. Hadi from power, the Houthis have been increasingly isolated internationally, as the United States and nearly all other Western countries have closed their embassies, and the World Bank last Wednesday shut down its operations in the country. Saudi Arabia, which views the Houthis as an Iranian-sponsored force, also closed its embassy, underscoring its threat to withhold $4 billion in annual aid to Yemen as long as the Houthis were in power. Yemen, the poorest country in the Middle East, is heavily dependent on Saudi, Western and World Bank aid. | Since forcing Mr. Hadi from power, the Houthis have been increasingly isolated internationally, as the United States and nearly all other Western countries have closed their embassies, and the World Bank last Wednesday shut down its operations in the country. Saudi Arabia, which views the Houthis as an Iranian-sponsored force, also closed its embassy, underscoring its threat to withhold $4 billion in annual aid to Yemen as long as the Houthis were in power. Yemen, the poorest country in the Middle East, is heavily dependent on Saudi, Western and World Bank aid. |
| Despite their use of the slogan “death to America,” and their longstanding opposition to American drone strikes against Al Qaeda in Yemen, the Houthis have done nothing to interfere with the American counterinsurgency campaign. | Despite their use of the slogan “death to America,” and their longstanding opposition to American drone strikes against Al Qaeda in Yemen, the Houthis have done nothing to interfere with the American counterinsurgency campaign. |
| American military officials have said that Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, as the group in Yemen is known, is the most serious international terrorism threat, and they have vowed to continue their operations against its fighters. | American military officials have said that Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, as the group in Yemen is known, is the most serious international terrorism threat, and they have vowed to continue their operations against its fighters. |
| On Friday night, Yemeni officials said a drone strike in the remote Shabwa Province in southeastern Yemen killed three Qaeda militants. Last week, Al Qaeda captured the headquarters of the Yemen National Army’s 19th Brigade in Shabwa. | On Friday night, Yemeni officials said a drone strike in the remote Shabwa Province in southeastern Yemen killed three Qaeda militants. Last week, Al Qaeda captured the headquarters of the Yemen National Army’s 19th Brigade in Shabwa. |
| The Qaeda militants have claimed that the Americans have carried out five drone strikes against them in the weeks since the Houthis forced Mr. Hadi’s resignation. The Houthis and Al Qaeda are bitter opponents, with Al Qaeda trying to depict itself as the defender of the Sunni majority against an Iranian proxy force. | The Qaeda militants have claimed that the Americans have carried out five drone strikes against them in the weeks since the Houthis forced Mr. Hadi’s resignation. The Houthis and Al Qaeda are bitter opponents, with Al Qaeda trying to depict itself as the defender of the Sunni majority against an Iranian proxy force. |