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Favors the demonstrators. barbara beaudoin is the former ambassador to yemen in washington. barbara, let's talk about the five points i spoke about at the top of the show. you've taken a look at these. what's the most significant, lo. what's most significant, the date at the end of the year? >> the most significant is the date at the end of the year. they've been negotiating a number of points. the sticking point is when would the term end. constitutionally, it would be 2013. he then offered 2012. we're now down to 2011, the end of this year. so that is a very significant change. >> that's a s...

Saleh steps down. how would his absence undermine u.s. counter terrorism efforts? >> i think it's important to point out that the security vacuum already exists. with the demonstrations that have been going on, with the diversion of forces, with the pre occupation by the government officials, we already have the vacuum that al qaeda can exploit. and so, to the extent that a negotiated agreement on some kind of transfer, elections, new constitution and all of the rest. to the extent that that process can begin, we will work with whoever the yemeni people will select. we're not backing any parti...

position. i talk about two legs to walk. now maybe it's three legs. >> but the reason that i would just add that we're so encouraged is because the king has been making reforms over the last several years, and so we're already seeing the result of those reforms and these additional announcements that he he has made will add to that. so we're -- we're seeing exactly what the king has said he will do being enacted. [ inaudible ] the human rights council that has been announced i think is an excellent idea. we obviously want to see it come into effect. we want to see it in action. but i...