Houthis Surround Presidential Palace: All Options on Table, Ceiling Very High
Local Editor
Armed rebels from Yemen's powerful Houthi movement stood guard on Wednesday outside the private residence of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, whose home is normally protected by presidential security officers, witnesses said.
Sentry posts were empty and there was no sign of the presidential guard at the compound, scene of clashes between Houthis and security guards on Tuesday, the witnesses added.
Speaking hours after his fighters' display of force, Houthi Leader Abdel-Malek al-Houthi warned Hadi that he had to implement a partnership agreement that would ensure all Yemeni factions have a fair governmental representation.
"All the options are open and without exception and the ceiling is very, very high. And this is why, I here advise the president to implement this deal. It is for your benefit and for the benefit of your people," he said on live television.
Houthi prizes the accord as it grants Houthis' participation in all military and civil state bodies.
"We ... will not hesitate to impose any necessary measures to implement the peace and partnership agreement," said Houthi.
Insecurity and political turmoil have mounted in Yemen since the protests that ousted former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
The northern-based Houthis established themselves as power brokers in Yemen in September by capturing Sanaa.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, meanwhile, condemned the "violence" and called for order in the country.
Residents said later the Tuesday's fighting had died down. A government official said two people had been killed.
The United States remains "firmly committed" to supporting Hadi and his government and is calling for an "immediate cessation of hostilities," a State Department official said.
Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a member of the Houthi politburo, said his group had no plans to target Hadi.
"Ansarullah has no intention of targeting President Hadi or his house," Bukhaiti, told Reuters, using the group's official name.
He said what happened at Hadi's house was the result of a "provocation" by Hadi's security and that the incident has been contained. Earlier on Tuesday, Houthi fighters had entered Yemen's presidential palace after a brief clash with security guards, witnesses and security sources told Reuters.
Bukhaiti said the Popular Committees acted at the palace on request from officers who had asked them to help stop a local officer from stealing weapons from the compound.
US officials in Washington, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said they were not sure of Hadi's status or whether he was in either of the buildings under the siege of Houthis.
They said their latest information from Sanaa indicated Houthi rebels were surrounding Hadi's private residence and were in control, or close to taking control, of his official residence.
Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team
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