Yemeni protesters camped out in Sanaa's central square said yesterday that President Ali Abdullah Saleh's suggestion that he would step down in the coming days was another promise that they were sure would be broken.

Analysts mostly agree that the vow, made three times already this year by Yemen's long-time ruler, was a stalling tactic in a succession crisis that has spread turmoil through the country.

A government official said Saleh was merely indicating readiness in a speech on Saturday night to reach a deal to end months of popular unrest.

"Saleh is a liar, nothing has changed since his speech," said Mohammed al-Asl, a protest organizer. "We're used to this type of thing now. He just says anything to fool his own people, the world, and everyone. We're not paying any attention to this."

Protesters, camped out in tents in the area in Sanna now dubbed as "Change Square" were going about their usual business of buying food, cooking and chewing wads of qat, a popular mild leaf stimulant common in Yemen.

Saleh's foreign minister met the US ambassador for talks yesterday, part of what many expect to be a diplomatic push to deflect any action by the UN Security Council when it is briefed on the Yemen situation in the coming days.