也門總統赴美國就醫

Outgoing Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh is heading to the United States for medical treatment after asking his people to forgive him for any "shortcomings" during his 33-year . Saleh departed the Yemeni capital, Sana'a, Sunday on a jet for the Persian Gulf sultanate of Oman, where he is expected to stay for a short time before traveling on to New York.A U.S. State Department release Sunday noted that Mr. Saleh's request to travel to the United States had been approved for the sole purpose of medical treatment, and that his stay will be for a limited time.

In a televised farewell speech just hours before he left, the Yemeni leader asked his people to forgive him for mistakes made during his autocratic rule. He also vowed to return to Yemen and continue leading his ruling ((General People's Congress)) party. Mr. Saleh was severely wounded in a bomb attack on his presidential compound last June and spent several months recuperating in Saudi Arabia. He has spoken previously of a desire to seek further treatment in the United States. Yemeni opposition activists have staged a year of mass protests demanding his immediate ouster, inspired by popular uprisings in other parts of the region.即將下臺的也門總統薩利赫正在前往美國就醫。在此之前，他請求也門人民寬恕他在33年統治中的“缺點”。薩利赫星期天乘坐飛機離開也門首都薩那前往阿曼。預計他將在那裏做短暫停留，然後前往紐約。美國國務院星期天發佈的消息指出，薩利赫的來美請求已獲批准，他此行的唯一目的是就醫，預計他在美國的停留時間有限。

薩利赫在臨行幾小時前發表電視告別演講，他請求也門人民寬恕他在33年獨裁統治中的錯誤。他還表示一定會回到也門，繼續領導他所屬的執政黨。薩利赫去年6 月底在總統府遭炸彈襲擊時受重傷，並在沙特阿拉伯休養了幾個月。他此前曾表示過要到美國進一步治療的願望。也門反對派活動人士舉行了長達一年的大規模抗議，要求他立即下臺。也門的抗議受到了該地區其它國家民衆起義的鼓舞。