Injured Yemeni prez flies to Saudi Arabia

SAN'A, Yemen -- Embattled President Ali Abdullah Saleh flew to Saudi Arabia for medical care after he was wounded in a rocket attack on his palace, a senior government official said today.

Saleh's abrupt departure threatened to deepen the crisis in his impoverished nation shaken by months of protests against his 33-year rule.

His departure followed intense pressure from his powerful Gulf neighbors and longtime ally Washington to step down. He had agreed to transfer power several times, only to step back at the last moment.

Saleh might never return, given the opposition by large segments of the population and a powerful tribal alliance that took up arms after peaceful protests failed to persuade him to step down.

The government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to release the information, said Saleh had flown out of the country with most of his family. The official said he and others had only learned about Saleh's plans after the president had left. The exact time of departure was not immediately known.

It was not immediately clear who was in charge, but Yemen's constitution calls for the vice president to take over in the absence of the president, according to the official. Saleh also has been widely believed to be grooming his son, Ahmed, as a successor. Ahmed was believed to have stayed behind in an apparent bid to hold on to power.

The extent of Saleh's injuries has been a matter of intense speculation ever since the rocket struck the mosque in his presidential compound during Friday prayers, splintering the pulpit as he was surrounded by top government officials and bodyguards. Eleven guards died. -- AP