US, British embassies in Yemen shut over al-Qaeda threat - Summary

Sun, 03 Jan 2010

Sana'a,Yemen - The US and British embassies in the Yemeni capital Sana'a were closed Sunday amid terrorism threats threats from the regional branch of al-Qaeda, a Yemeni security source said. The source, who asked not to be named, said the two embassies had received intelligence about potential attacks.

"They informed Yemeni authorities that they had received intelligence tip-offs about possible attacks," the source told the German Press Agency dpa.

The US embassy said in a so-called warden message posted on its website that is has closed "in response to ongoing threats by Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) to attack American interests in Yemen."

It did not say when it would reopen and officials could not be reached for comment. A local employee of the embassy said local and American embassy staff members were asked to stay away for the day.

Hours after the US embassy closed, the British embassy also closed "for security reasons", the BBC reported, citing Britain's Foreign Office in London.

Armoured police vehicles were seen patrolling streets surrounding the two embassies in the Sheraton neighborhood.

Speaking to US broadcaster Fox News, an adviser to US President Barack Obama said the US has no plans to open a new military front in Yemen, preferring to rely on Yemeni forces to counter the terrorism threat there.

"We are not talking about that at this point at all," White House aide John Brennan said when asked whether US troops would be sent to Yemen.

"The Yemeni government has demonstrated their willingness to take the fight to al-Qaeda," he said. "They are willing to accept our support. We are providing them everything that they have asked for."

US aid to Yemen is on the rise, as Washington wants Sanaa to step up its anti-terrorism operations against al-Qaeda bases in the country's south. Military assistance is now estimated at 70 million dollars and could go up further.

A proposed new Yemeni counterterrorism unit would be paid for jointly by the United States and Britain, London announced. Britain will also host a conference on terrorism in Yemen later this month.

AQAP has taken responsibility for the attempt to blow up a plane over Detroit on Christmas Day and US President Barack Obama has also placed the blame on the group.

The closures came a day after General David Petraeus, the US commander in the Middle East, met with Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/301917,us-british-embassies-in-yemen-shut-over-al-qaeda-threat--summary.html.