The streets of Sana, Yemen’s capital were confused today. The Republican Guard stood protecting President Saleh’s palace, as the first armored division, led by Maj. Gen. Ali Mohsin al-Ahmar (who yesterday declared that he was “with the people,”) stood protecting the protesters. Meanwhile, Saleh seemed to suggest he might be willing to negotiate an early exit with the demonstrators, but an organized group representing the anti-Saleh demonstrators, calling itself the Joint Meetings Parties rejected this, saying Saleh’s only option is to leave now.

The defense department his worried about what could be sucked into a power vacuum in Yemen. From the Times

The United States again expressed concern on Tuesday that a power vacuum in Yemen could provide an opening for terrorist groups, including Al Qaeda’s local affiliate, called Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, which since 2009 has mounted multiple terrorist plots against the United States.
“We are obviously concerned about the instability in Yemen,” Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, traveling in Russia, said Tuesday. “We consider Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, which is largely located in Yemen, to perhaps be the most dangerous of all of the franchises of Al Qaeda right now.”