President Saleh: Time of coups is over

SANA’A, March 22 (Saba)- President Ali Abdullah Saleh warned Tuesday, in a meeting with the armed forces’ leaders, that any attempt to take power through a coup will lead to a civil war. At the meeting, President Saleh pointed that the nation has been in a crisis for more than two years, which led to tension in the Yemeni street because of a foreign agenda that he said also affected the military institutions.President Saleh said that some hostile media outlets exaggerated about the situation in Yemen and played a major role in influencing people and military and security officers to hurt Yemen’s security and stability.”Unfortunately a bad message was delivered by some media and that affected the military and security institutions,” President Saleh said, urging military commanders who joined the opposition to return to their positions and stop inciting other commanders. Saleh confirmed that the military institution is a safety valve for the country and is not owned by anyone but the nation. “There are a constitution, laws, regulations and people’s will, and a minority can not control the fate of the nation,” President Saleh said.Saleh said the loyalty of the military and security soldiers and commanders should be to the nation and they should receive orders only from the Higher Commander, Defense Minister and Chief of the General Staff. He held the armed forces’ leaders responsible for maintaining the safety of the military institution, noting that any schism in this institution would negatively influence the country.President Saleh said that young people who talk about a youth revolution are victims of obsolete political forces. Saleh urged the armed forces’ leaders to continue doing their duties in their units and maintaining the security and stability.In the meeting, President Saleh discussed with the armed forces’ leaders a number of issues and topics related to the functions of the armed forces in maintaining the security, stability, unity, democracy and constitutional legitimacy.BA