US, UK and European envoys trapped in Yemen embassy

CNN Wire Staff
CNN.com
5/22/2011

The American, British and European Union ambassadors to Yemen are trapped in an embassy surrounded by gunmen angry about efforts by Arab mediators to ease President Ali Abdullah Saleh out of power, the American envoy told CNN.

U.S. Ambassador Gerald Feierstein said the ambassadors of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman and the United Arab Emirates are also being prevented from leaving the UAE embassy.

Feierstein has contacted his superiors to say he is fine, a State Department official told CNN. The United Kingdom, European Union and Arab nations did not immediately confirm that their envoys were trapped.

The U.S. official believes the Yemeni government is behind the demonstration in Sanaa, the source said, declining to be named speaking about a sensitive ongoing situation.

Security forces were seen near the embassy but did not try to disperse the protesters, several dozen of who had machine guns,eyewitnesses said. Many more had pistols or batons, they said…

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