Yemen

Although it seems many protesters are opposed to the solution brokered between the ruling party and the Parliamentary opposition in Yemen the deal looks as if it will be signed in Saudi Arabia today. The protesters want the President to resign and be arrested immediately whereas the deal allows him to remain in office for 30 days and for new presidential elections to be held within 2 months. The deal has been worked out by the Gulf Cooperation Council and is supported by the USA and EU countries including it is supposed the UK. Is this a pattern that will be followed elsewhere in the region, for example in Bahrain? Is something similar being worked on by the Arab League who now, without specifically as far as I can see mentioning it by name, seem to be condemning Syria for its brutal suppression of its citizens. One can only hope so for the sake of a cessation to all the violence although it is difficult to see people like Butcher Assad and Mad Dog Gaddafi agreeing to any negotiations until they face the abyss, in other words until they have effectively been beaten militarily. It is amazing that with all this turmoil in the Arab world we have heard virtually nothing from Israel which makes one think that they are playing a shrewd game in order not to upset their hopes of having, if all goes well, some truly democratic neighbours to deal with in future.