“Global Threat”
US secretary of state Hillary Clinton has warned that Yemen poses a global threat and has pledged American support in the Yemeni government’s fight against al-Qaeda. “Hillary Clinton’s comments came ahead of news on Tuesday that the US had reopened its embassy in Sanaa, Yemen’s capital, closed days earlier in response to what it said were al-Qaeda threats. ‘Obviously, we see global implications from the war in Yemen and the ongoing efforts by al-Qaeda in Yemen to use it as a base for terrorist attacks far beyond the region,’ she said. Clinton made her comments on Monday, following a meeting in Washington with Hamad bin Jassem al-Thani, Qatar’s prime minister. Yemen is currently battling Shia Houthi fighters in the north, as well as tackling al-Qaeda fighters based in the country and dealing with a secessionist movement in the south. Clinton praised the Yemeni government for its efforts to combat al-Qaeda in Yemen, but said it was ‘time for the international community to make it clear to Yemen that there are expectations and conditions on our continuing support for the government’.”