Yemen gets a military council to deal with security situation

The Yemeni Vice President Abed Rabu al-Hadi came up on Sunday with a presidential decree forming a
14 member military council whose duties will be to reform the military.The members of the council will be evenly divided between the government and the opposition parties.
The formation of this military council got precedence over the formation of a new government, as Yemen’s opposition said that no progress would go forward unless this council would be formed and control over the military by president Saleh and his family dissolved. “If the ruling family still controls the military months from now, the council is useless,” said Ali Jaradi, a political analyst and prominent writer in Yemen. According to the power transfer deal signed in Riyadh on November 24,  the council was supposed to be created within five days of the signing.

Meanwhile in the city of Taiz at least 28 civilians were killed the last three days by government forces. Five were killed on Saturday, six on Friday, and 17 on Thursday as protests continue in Yemen demanding that President Saleh’s ruling family be trialed for the crimes against humanity. Twelve civilians were injured on Sunday, raising the three day total to 146 in Taiz only. Roads leading to the province were closed and hundreds of troops continue to enter the province, according tot the Yemen Post.