Ali Abdullah Saleh

Ali Abdullah Saleh (21 March 1942 – 4 December 2017) was a Yemeni politician who served as the first President of Yemen, from Yemeni unification on 22 May 1990 to his resignation on 25 February 2012, following the Yemeni Revolution. Previously, he had served as President of the Yemen Arab Republic, or North Yemen, from July 1978 to 22 May 1990, after the assassination of President Ahmad al-Ghashmi.

Quotes

 * You should continue carrying your arms, ready to sacrifice your lives in defence against these belligerent attacks
 * Referring to the Houthis (members of a rebel group) in Yemen, as quoted in "Will the Houthis abandon Ali Abdullah Saleh?" at english.alarabiya.net (4 June 2015)


 * Yemen is an essential partner of the United States of America and the international community in combating terror.
 * President Bush Welcomes President Ali Abdullah Saleh of Yemen to the White House (May 2007)


 * Ruling Yemen is hard. I always say it’s like dancing on the heads of snakes
 * The Man Who Danced on the Heads of Snakes Dec 2017)

Quotes about Saleh

 * The Yemeni people are well aware that Saleh and the Houthis did not turn against the government in a military coup, but turned against Yemen. Houthis arrest all the activists and throw them in jails illegally, and whereabouts of some of those detainees are unknown [he said noting the rebels arrest any activist who expresses his opinion in any means of social network will be held by them, and they arrest thousands of people]. They should work on building trust, release the detainees, stop media incitement and economic pressure, as they (the rebels) are attempting to tamper with the central bank and the future of the Yemeni people, without knowing the consequences of what they are doing.
 * Foreign Minister Abdul Malik Al Mikhlafi, while addressing media in Abu Dhabi, as quoted in "Saleh has no role in Yemen's future, says minister" in Khaleej Times (January 25, 2016)