Four down, more to go

Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh is preparing to cede power over a country he once united and is now spiraling to the brink of civil war and economic collapse. Saleh, who yesterday signed an accord to hand over control to his deputy, has kept power for more than three decades by doling out handouts to the military and tribes. That helped shore him up until the wave of Arab protests hit Yemen in January, loosening the ties he had nurtured since he became president of northern Yemen in 1978. In other words, Saleh is the fourth Arab leader after Ben Ali, Mubarak, and Gaddafi to be toppled by the people, and if the Syrian people continue their crusade, he won't be the last. It could even be Kim Jong-il next.