Yemen's Saleh blames opponents for unrest

Forces loyal to Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh fired .50-caliber rifles at civilians while he was giving an address opposing his critics, local media said. Saleh has fended off appeals for him to stand down after more than 30 years in office. He's faced public pressure to stand down since the beginning of the so-called Arab Spring. Saleh, in a national address, blamed opposition leaders Sadeeq al-Ahmar and defected Gen. Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar for misleading foreign diplomats, the Yemen Post reports. The report adds that Saleh accused his opponents of staging the "bloodshed" in the country to convince the international community that he needed to step down. "As Saleh was delivering this rant against the opposition, his men were using rocket-propelled grenades and .50-caliber guns against Yemeni citizens, regardless of their age or gender," the report read. The U.N. Security Council in September urged restraint after violence greeted Saleh's return from Saudi Arabia, where he had been recovering from wounds suffered during a June attack on his presidential compound. The New York Times reported the Security Council is expected to vote on a resolution calling on Saleh to step down immediately. The Gulf Cooperation Council has a measure in place that calls on Saleh to step down in exchange for immunity from prosecution.