Yemen's Saleh takes off from Sanaa for Oman, US

Yemen's outgoing president Ali Abdullah Saleh left for Oman on Sunday evening on his way to the United States for medical treatment, Yemeni officials said.   

An airport official said the plane took off from Sanaa airport to neighbouring Oman, and an aide to Saleh said he would stay there for several days before heading to the United States.
             
Earlier in the day, aides to the president told The Associated Press that Saleh gathered top political, military and security officials and announced promotion of Yemeni Vice President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi to the rank of marshal. He is set to replace Saleh.                 

"I appeal to you to forgive my past mistakes," one top ruling party official quoted Saleh as saying. "Today, I leave the country in your hands," he said, according to the official, who was among those attended the event early in the morning. In November Saleh signed a power transfer deal but has balked at actually leaving.             

Another aide who attended the meeting quoted Saleh as saying, "I am leaving this good country, today. I want to bid you farewell from this place. I thank each one of you and offer my apology to the people and ask for forgiveness."               

A third official said that Saleh declined to hold a departure ceremony and preferred to offer his farewell behind closed doors.               

The officials requested of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to reporters.               

On Saturday, Yemeni officials said that Saleh intends to leave soon to Oman, en route to medical treatment in the United States, part of an American effort to get the embattled strongman out of the country to allow a peaceful transition from his rule.               

Washington has been trying for weeks to find a country where Saleh can live in exile, since it does not want him to settle permanently in the United States. The mercurial president, who has ruled for more than 33 years, has repeatedly vacillated over whether he would leave.                

After nearly a year of protests demanding his ouster, Saleh signed the agreement to hand his powers over to Hadi and step down. Hadi set up a unity government between his party and the opposition.             

Even so, Saleh  still formally the president  has continued to influence politics from behind the scenes through his family and loyalists in positions of power.

AP/Reuters