US Still To Decide On Yemen’s Saleh Visa

The U.S. administration is yet to decide whether to allow Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh travel to the United States for medical treatment, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said on Monday.

Saleh was wounded earlier this year in an assassination attempt that forced his evacuation to Saudi Arabia. The White House official denied a New York Times report that the Yemeni leader’s request was accepted and he could arrive at New York-Presbyterian Hospital as soon as the end of this week.

“U.S. officials are continuing to consider President Saleh’s request to enter the country for the sole purpose of seeking medical treatment, but initial reports that permission has already been granted are not true,” Earnest said, according to Reuters.

Earlier on Monday, an Obama administration official said Saleh’s office had contacted the U.S. Embassy in Sanaa to convey the latter asked to get specialized care in the United States to treat his injuries.