WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – A top White House aide told Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh yesterday the United States welcomed his steps to resolve the political crisis in Yemen and urged opposition groups to heed calls for talks.
“All sectors of the Yemeni opposition should respond constructively to President Saleh’s call to engage in a serious dialogue to end the current impasse,” White House counterterrorism adviser John Brennan told Saleh in a telephone call, the White House said in a statement.
Fighting broke out on Friday between government supporters and demonstrators as thousands protested in the capital Sanaa for Saleh to quit, rejecting his offer of a new constitution and electoral reforms.
Brennan, in contrast, told Saleh the initiative was welcome and said both sides should avoid violence.
