"There is not yet the critical mass needed,"

 

 "... While anger continues to grow, many Syrians remain unwilling to declare their loyalties, according to analysts in Damascus. "There is not yet the critical mass needed,"  said one activist, who asked not to be named. Counter-demonstrations have been manned by loyalist groups and Syria's tightly controlled state media is not covering the protest activity in detail. Official media have continued to blame unrest and shootings on armed gangs..............  Meanwhile, clashes continued on the other side of the Arabian peninsula, with Yemen's president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, on the brink of negotiating a deal for his departure, according to the country's foreign minister, Abubakr al-Qirbi.....  "I hope [the resignation] will be today," said Abubakr al-Qirbi, who is serving as caretaker foreign minister, adding that the timeframe for a peaceful transfer of power by Saleh was "up for negotiation". The sticking point seems to concern the fate of his family – his sons and nephews occupy powerful positions in the military – as well as the exact timing of his departure. On Tuesday an offer by Saleh to leave by the end of 2011 was snubbed by the opposition who demand his immediate resignation.......... " In Bahrain, where a three-month state of emergency is in force, another demonstrator reportedly died on Friday night after suffocating from the effects of tear gas. He was among a gathering in a Shia village that had been dispersed by government troops. The death takes to 21 the number of people killed in a two-month uprising that has deeply unsettled the Gulf states and led to a serious standoff between two of the region's greatest foes, Saudi Arabia and Iran."