Only a day after his surprise return to the capital, president Saleh announced through the state news agency that he had ordered his troops to retreat from the streets of the capital, as well as the dismantlement of the many military manned checkpoints. For months now, Sana'a, the capital, and other towns and villages all across Yemen have been subjected to car searches and other security checks by either the Republican Guards or Central Security forces. As a result, traffic has become a nightmare at some busy intersections of the capital, slowing motorist to almost a standstill and entire areas have been over-run by great many soldiers barricading themselves behind sandbags and bricks. On some occasions, residents have found themselves locked out of their zone for the night, prevented to drive through for "security reasons". Sana'a resembles now a city under siege, with armed men at every corner, some pro, and some anti-government, indelible proofs of a nation political division.But if the checkpoints are allegedly there to prevent armed men from entering either the city itself or specific areas, little did they serve their purpose. Residents in Sana'a for example have witnessed several times entire convoy of cars filled with armed tribesmen carrying loads of weapons into the city being let through by the military for fear of reprisals. Despite the government claims that it had sent out the withdrawal orders, nothing has changed. If anything, there are more Central Security forces out of on the streets, machine guns at the ready."This is typical Saleh, he says one thing and does the opposite" said a resident in Beit Buss, a popular district of the capital. "In Yemen, nothing is as it seems" he added.