Asia-Pacific

US to significantly increase assistance to Yemen

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-01-05 09:49

WASHINGTON: Attaching importance to Yemen's role in the US counterterrorism strategy, the Obama administration has considered a 63-million-dollar assistance to the country, said the State Department on Monday.

"In fiscal year 2010, the president asked for a significant increase in foreign assistance to Yemen," State Department spokesman Ian Kelly told reporters, adding that the administration expects the assistance to be as much as 63 million dollars.

"This amount represents a 56-percent increase over fiscal year 2009 and a 225-percent increase over fiscal year 2008 levels," Kelly added.

According to the spokesman, the development and security assistance does not include 1206 counterterrorism funds, via which the Yemeni government has been authorized 67 million dollars in equipment assistance to support its counterterrorist and border control forces.

Moreover, the United States has been providing anti-terrorism assistance training in Yemen since 1998 through diplomatic security, and has been providing training to develop the government of Yemen's capability to counter terrorist financing.

"We're very concerned about the emergence of al-Qaeda in Yemen, " said Kelly.

"That's why we're increasing our efforts to help the government of Yemen deal with the terrorist threat, to help enhance their border and customs procedures, and why we're increasing our training and also looking into increasing these so-called 1206 funds to help them with their counterterrorist efforts," he added.

Yemen, a vital battlefield in the US-led war against al-Qaeda, is viewed as a weak country without powerful central government control. Under US assistance, the Yemeni government recently has taken more offensive operations against al-Qaeda targets.

Last month, Yemeni officials said raids against al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) hideouts in the southern province of Abyan and Arhab district, to the northeast of Sanaa, left some 60 militants 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 US aircraft.