Britain agrees to work closely with U.S. on Yemen, Somalia terrorist threats

     LONDON, Jan. 3, 2010, (Xinhua) --

Britain has agreed to continue working hand-in-glove with the United States to tackle the evolving threats of terrorism from Yemen and Somalia, the prime minister's office said on Sunday.

    Both Britain and the United States have already provided support and funding to the Yemeni authorities to help in their efforts to combat the terrorist threat. Measures include support for a special counter-terrorist police unit and for the Yemeni coastguard operation.

    British Prime Minister Gordon Brown told the BBC on Sunday that Britain has been working closely with the Americans to strengthen counter-terrorism cooperation in Yemen.

    He said that British support to Yemen is expected to exceed 100million pounds (160 million U.S. dollars) by 2011.

    Brown said: "Yemen has been recognized, like Somalia, to be one of the areas we have got to not only keep an eye on, but we've got to do more. So it's strengthening counter-terrorism cooperation, it's working harder on intelligence efforts."

    Britain has also been pushing at the UN Security Council for an effective African peacekeeping force in Somalia.

    On Friday, Brown announced plans to invite key international partners to a high-level meeting in London which will coincide with a major conference on Afghanistan.

    "There is absolutely no doubt that the conference we will have in London in January, with a Yemen element to it, will be an important means by which we will help the Yemeni authorities who are fighting terrorism to develop the means and the will to do this even more," he said.

    He has also demanded that the evolving threats from Yemen and Somalia be placed on the agenda for the EU General Affairs Council in January, and he will discuss with counterparts at the next EU Council meeting. In addition, Brown intends to push for stronger action on Yemen from the Financial Action Task Force.

    The prime minister has also called a special meeting of the National Security, International Relations and Development (NSID) Cabinet committee to discuss further response to the attempted terror attack last week.

    The Committee oversees British security issues and includes security and military chiefs. This week, Brown will hold urgent discussions with foreign secretary, home secretary, defense secretary and senior advisers on intelligence and security, ahead of the NSID meeting. 

Editor: Mu Xuequan

U.S. embassy in Yemen closed over threats by al-Qaeda

    WASHINGTON, Jan. 3, 2010, (Xinhua) --

Citing threats by al-Qaeda in Yemen, the United States closed its embassy in the country on Sunday.

    "The U.S. Embassy in Sanaa is closed today, Jan. 3, 2010, in response to ongoing threats by al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) to attack American interests in Yemen," said the embassy in a statement.

    John Brennan, President Barack Obama's aide on homeland security and counterterrorism, told CNN that there are indications that al-Qaeda has been planning to carry out an attack against a target inside Sanaa.

    "What we do is to take every measure possible to ensure the safety of our diplomats and citizens abroad, so the decision was made to close the embassy," said Brennan, adding that the administration is working closely with the Yemen government on strengthening security protection.

    Last month, Yemeni officials said raids against AQAP hideouts in the southern province of Abyan and Arhab district, to the northeast of Sanaa, left 34 Yemenis killed and dozens others arrested.

    The AQAP, which said the deadly strikes were conducted by the United States, has claimed responsibility for a foiled Christmas Day attempt to bomb a U.S. aircraft.     

Editor: Mu Xuequan

Yemen boosts security at coast, holds talks with US

Mohamed Sudam | Reuters  

Arab News, January 3, 2010

SANAA -

Yemen's president met a top US general on Saturday to discuss boosting military cooperation, after President Barack Obama tied Al-Qaeda's regional arm to the Christmas Day attempt to blow up a US passenger jet.

Yemen also said it was tightening security along its coastline to prevent Islamist militants infiltrating from Somalia. However, a local Shiite rebel group said it was ready to talk peace with President Ali Abdullah Saleh once fighting in its conflict with the Sanaa government had stopped.

US General David Petraeus met Saleh for talks focusing on strengthening security, military and economic cooperation, an official said. Petraeus, who heads the US Central Command, also handed over a letter from Obama. Details of the letter were not released but on Friday Obama said Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, which is based in Yemen, had trained, equipped and directed the Nigerian who tried to bomb the flight heading for the US city of Detroit. Petraeus has said Washington would more than double its $70 million security assistance to Yemen.

The United States and neighboring Saudi Arabia fear al Qaeda could exploit instability across Yemen, which also faces separatist sentiment in the mainly Sunni Muslim south, to turn the country into a launchpad for more international attacks.

US officials have said they were looking at ways to expand military and intelligence cooperation with Yemen, the poorest Arab state, to root out Al-Qaeda leadership in the country.

Washington has increased training, intelligence and military equipment provided to Yemeni forces, helping them to stage raids against suspected Al-Qaeda hideouts last month.

Yemen has tightened security measures on its coastline, boosting monitoring and inspections, to prevent militants from Somalia from entering the country, the state news agency said.

"Yemen will not tolerate any terrorist elements on its territories and will be ready to retaliate against anyone looking to tamper with its security and stability," Foreign Minister Abubakr Al-Qirbi told Saba News.

Somalia's hard-line Islamist rebel group al Shabaab said on Friday it was ready to send reinforcements to Al-Qaeda in Yemen should the US carry out retaliatory strikes, and urged other Muslims to follow suit.

However, Yemen's Shiite rebels responded positively on Saturday to a plea from Saleh, saying they were ready for talks with the government once fighting stops.

"We welcome the call by the president of the republic to return to dialogue, and consider it a positive call and a right step to peace and a return to security and stability," Abdul-Malik Al-Houthi, leader of the northern Yemen-based rebels, said in a statement carried on a rebel website.

"We confront aggression and defend ourselves, and when the war stops, we are ready for dialogue," he added. He also denied that his group was targeting neighboring Saudi Arabia, which has been drawn into the conflict.

There was no immediate response from the Yemeni government.

Saleh, in a New Year plea, had offered to extend a hand of peace if the Shiite rebels fulfilled conditions such as abandoning violence, freeing prisoners and agreeing to stop attacks on Saudi territory.

The Yemeni president, writing in the state's Al-Thawra newspaper, called on the northern rebels and southern separatists on Friday to abandon violence and urged anyone tempted by Al-Qaeda to reconsider. "The time has come to lay down your weapons, to steer clear of the violence and the terror and evil acts so as to save your souls and be good citizens in your society," Saleh said.

Northern Shi'i rebels from the Zaidi sect have been fighting government troops in Yemen's mountainous north since 2004, complaining of marginalization. The conflict has killed hundreds and displaced tens of thousands.

In the south, Yemen has also clashed with separatist protesters seeking independence for southern Yemen, which unified with its northern neighbor in 1990 and failed to secede in a 1994 war.