President Saleh leaves: Will Yemen descend into chaos?
Yemen's president flies to Saudi Arabia after being wounded in a daring attack. Now, uncertainty lingers over his Middle Eastern nation's future

Yemeni protesters celebrated in the streets Sunday over the news that President Ali Abdullah Saleh is in Saudi Arabia for medical treatment, after sustaining serious injuries in a Friday attack on his compound. Saleh has transferred power to Vice President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, at least temporarily. But given the Saudis' weeks-long efforts to get the embattled president to step down in exchange for amnesty, many observers "doubt Mr. Saleh will ever go back to Yemen," says Jon Leyne at BBC News. Is this good news for Yemen, or will the power vacuum create chaos?
Don't count Saleh out yet: Yemen's long-suffering protesters are celebrating like Saleh is the latest deposed despot in the Arab Spring, says Jeb Boone in TIME. "But should they be so happy?" Loyalist troops under the command of Saleh's nephew (and "known for their itchy trigger fingers") still patrol the streets, Saleh's heir apparent son is still in the country, and the government insists Saleh himself is coming back soon.
"The shadow of Saleh: Spoiling the party in Yemen"
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
There's new hope for Yemen: Let's be realistic, says Brian Whitaker in The Guardian. For "all intents and purposes, the Saleh era is finished." That's great news. Yemen was stuck in neutral, or even reverse, while Saleh clung to power. But "there is now a fair chance that the armed conflict will subside." And hopefully, after a short transition period, fair elections will "bring in some new blood that reflects the aspirations" of Yemen's brave protesters.
"Saleh is gone. What next for Yemen?"
Yemen's unrest might actually get worse now: Yemen's "new dawn might in other times have brought a sigh of relief," says Saudi Arabia's Arab News in an editorial. But not now. Yemen's protests started out in the Egyptian pro-freedom mold, but then devolved into "a free-for-all of competing militia tribes and powerful families." And ominously, "al Qaeda is making use of the unrest more than any other party." Yemen has been left "rudderless," and it's possible that the next captain could be even worse than Saleh.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
The best shows to see at Edinburgh Fringe 2025
The Week Recommends The world's biggest arts festival is back with an incredible line-up
-
Wonsan-Kalma: North Korea's new 'mammoth' beach resort
Under the Radar Pyongyang wants to boost tourism but there won't be many foreign visitors to Kim Jong Un's 'pet project'
-
The 5 best TV reboots of all time
The Week Recommends Finding an entirely new cast to play beloved characters is harder than it looks
-
The last words and final moments of 40 presidents
The Explainer Some are eloquent quotes worthy of the holders of the highest office in the nation, and others... aren't
-
The JFK files: the truth at last?
In The Spotlight More than 64,000 previously classified documents relating the 1963 assassination of John F. Kennedy have been released by the Trump administration
-
'Seriously, not literally': how should the world take Donald Trump?
Today's big question White House rhetoric and reality look likely to become increasingly blurred
-
Will Trump's 'madman' strategy pay off?
Today's Big Question Incoming US president likes to seem unpredictable but, this time round, world leaders could be wise to his playbook
-
Democrats vs. Republicans: which party are the billionaires backing?
The Explainer Younger tech titans join 'boys' club throwing money and support' behind President Trump, while older plutocrats quietly rebuke new administration
-
US election: where things stand with one week to go
The Explainer Harris' lead in the polls has been narrowing in Trump's favour, but her campaign remains 'cautiously optimistic'
-
Is Trump okay?
Today's Big Question Former president's mental fitness and alleged cognitive decline firmly back in the spotlight after 'bizarre' town hall event
-
The life and times of Kamala Harris
The Explainer The vice-president is narrowly leading the race to become the next US president. How did she get to where she is now?