A north Yemeni politician and soldier. Saleh took part in the 1974 coup when Col. Ibrahim seized power. Ibrahim was assassinated in 1977, Saleh became the president, re-elected in 1983 and 1988. Under his leadership the war with South Yemen ended and the two countries re-united. Ali Abdullah Saleh ruled Yemen since 1978. When combination of poverty, tribalism, corruption and repression unleashed a wave of popular unrest, he clung tenaciously to power for the first five months of 2011. However, an attack on the mosque in his presidential compound killed seven and left him so burnt and wounded that on 4 June 2011 he had to go to Saudi Arabia for medical treatment. He is thought to be negotiating immunity from prosecution deal in return for going into exile.