Yemen's Saleh promises to visit US

Yemeni outgoing President Ali Abdullah Saleh speaks during a press conference in Sanaa, Yemen, on Dec. 24, 2011. Saleh said Saturday that he would go to the United States, without giving the specific date of his departure. [Xinhua]

Yemen's outgoing President Ali Abdullah Saleh said Saturday that he would travel to the United States for medical check, without giving the specific date of his departure.

"I will go to the U.S. for medical check, as well as to stay away from attention and media, and will return to Yemen to go to the street to take part in the opposition activities," Saleh told reporters at a press conference in Sanaa.

Saleh also called on countries brokering the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) power transfer initiative to "stand by Yemen during the transition period."

He denounced the opposition march that started in the southern area and arrived in the capital on Saturday to demand his prosecution, saying that the escalation of protests was an opposition action to the GCC initiative.

The impoverished Arab country has been in the grip of a months- long political crisis triggered by mass protests demanding Saleh's resignation. About 2,000 people have been killed and thousands of others injured since the protests began in late January.

Saleh and the opposition signed the GCC initiative in Saudi Arabia on Nov. 23. Under the deal, a new opposition-led coalition government was formed earlier this month and early presidential elections are set to be held on Feb. 21, 2012, while Saleh will retain the title of honorary president for 90 days before his resignation and will enjoy immunity from prosecution afterwards.