Hillary says Saleh should step down

In a statement issued from Washington, United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh should have respected the people’s aspirations. She said the US would continue to support Yemeni people’s stance.In a television speech on Saturday, Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh condemned the US -backed proposal by Gulf Arab nations that he had already rejected twice calling it a coup over legitimacy. Saleh warned that Al-Qaeda could take over several parts of the country if he stepped down.Saleh lashed out at so-called world superpowers as well as Yemen s Arab Gulf neighbors, accusing them of funneling cash to youth protesters to hold sit-ins and challenge his rule.However, he signalled that he would sign the deal, saying We accept the initiative to stop bloodshed”.The deal gives Saleh immunity from prosecution if he steps down within 30 days.