Ali Abdullah Saleh Travel Request: U.S. Weighs Whether To Let Yemeni President Into Country For Medical Treatment

* US weighing whether to accept embattled Yemeni leader

* White House denies report he will be allowed in (Adds White House comments)

By Laura MacInnis

HONOLULU, Dec 26 (Reuters) - The U.S. government istrying to decide whether to let Yemeni President Ali AbdullahSaleh travel to the United States for medical treatment, WhiteHouse spokesman Josh Earnest said on Monday.

Saleh was injured in a June assassination attempt thatforced him into a hospital in Saudi Arabia, and transferredpower to his vice president last month after months of proteststhat brought the Gulf country to the brink of civil war.

Earnest declined to say when a decision on whether to allowSaleh into the United States would be made, and denied a NewYork Times report that the embattled Yemeni president's petitionwas accepted and he could arrive at New York-PresbyterianHospital as soon as the end of this week.

"U.S. officials are continuing to consider President Saleh'srequest to enter the country for the sole purpose of seekingmedical treatment, but initial reports that permission hasalready been granted are not true," Earnest said in Hawaii,where President Barack Obama is vacationing.

Earlier on Monday, an Obama administration official saidSaleh's office had contacted the U.S. Embassy in Sanaa to saythe Yemeni leader wanted to get specialized care in the UnitedStates to treat injuries sustained in the assassination attempt.

HUNDREDS KILLED

Hundreds of people were killed during months of protestsseeking Saleh's ouster. The political deadlock reignitedsimmering conflicts with separatists and militants, raisingfears that Yemen's al Qaeda wing could take a foothold on theborders of Saudi Arabia, the world's top oil exporter.

Allowing Saleh, who ruled Yemen for more than three decades,to get treatment in the United States could undercut Obama'smessage of supporting pro-democracy movements across the Arabworld and condemning crackdowns on protests like those seenrecently in Syria.

Embattled world leaders often travel to politically neutralSwitzerland for medical care.

On Saturday, just hours after his forces killed nine peoplewho had demanded he be tried for the killings of demonstratorsover the past year, Saleh said he would leave Yemen and give wayto a successor. He did not say when he would go.

Saleh suggested he would undergo medical tests in the UnitedStates but characterized the trip as one of temporary exile.

"I will go to the United States. Not for treatment, becauseI'm fine, but to get away from attention, cameras, and allow theunity government to prepare properly for elections," Saleh said."I'll be there for several days, but I'll return because I won'tleave my people and comrades who have been steadfast for 11months."

Obama's top counterterrorism official, John Brennan, calledYemen's acting leader on Sunday to stress the need for Yemeniforces "to show maximum restraint" with protests, Earnest said.

In his phone conversation with Yemeni Vice PresidentAbd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, Brennan also appealed for all sides ofYemen's political transition to avoid "provocative acts thatcould spur further violence."

Hadi told Brennan he would do his utmost to prevent furtherbloodshed, Earnest said, adding both officials agreed it wasimportant to stick to the transition path leading to Yemen'sFeb. 21, 2012, presidential election.

"Mr. Brennan told Vice President Hadi that the United Statesremains a strong and fervent supporter of the Yemeni people intheir quest to realize their richly deserved aspirations forsecurity, political stability, representative government, andeconomic prosperity," Earnest said.

Hadi has urged Saleh's foes and loyalists to commit to atruce.

(Editing by Doina Chiacu)