The president’s call for the armed forces to defeat the opposition will likely escalate the conflict toward outright civil war. 

Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh called on the armed forces to confront the outlaws in Yemen. The president spoke in an audio statement after the attack on the presidential palace. Saleh has yet to appear in public.

Fighting in Sana’a continues in al Hasaba and Hadda neighborhoods. Government forces shelled areas in both neighborhoods where the al Ahmar family owns property. Residents are fleeing the violence.

Yemeni security forces withdrew from Taiz. Police and military units have vacated the city and there are now reports of looting. Two people were killed in Taiz when troops fired on protestors. Yemen’s defense ministry reported that four soldiers were killed in clashes in Taiz.

The conditions for civil war in Yemen have been set as both sides reinforce military positions in the capital and move farther away from any prospect of a negotiated settlement.

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