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Summary Yemeni tribes are deeply loyal to their people.
Thousands of tribesmen threatened to descend on Yemens capital to join the battle against forces loyal to President Ali Abdullah Saleh.For months, youth-led protesters have tried to drive out Saleh peacefully. But their campaign has been overtaken and transformed into an armed showdown between Yemens two most powerful families, the presidents and the al-Ahmar clan.The al-Ahmar family heads the countrys strongest tribal confederation, which has vowed to topple Saleh after 33 years in power.Their nearly two week-old battle in Sanaa raises a dangerous new potential in Yemen: that tribal fighting could metastasize and spread across the impoverished nation. Tribes hold deep loyalty among Yemens people.
