Yemen opposed to U.S. intervention vs. al-QaidaBy Lee Keath - The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Jan 6, 2010 13:27:36 EST
SAN’A, Yemen — Yemen’s foreign minister said Wednesday that his country opposes any direct intervention by U.S. or other foreign troops in the fight against al-Qaida.
Foreign Minister Abu Bakr al-Qirbi told The Associated Press in an interview that “there is a lot of sensitivity about foreign troops coming to Yemeni territory.”
The United States has ramped up its counterterrorism aid to Yemen in an intensified campaign to uproot al-Qaida’s offshoot here, which Washington warns has become a “global” threat. U.S. military personnel have already been on the ground training Yemeni security forces in the fight, and intelligence cooperation has increased.
Al-Qirbi said Yemen’s government would welcome more military trainers, “but not in any other capacity.”
“There is a lot of debate among them about how far they should get involved in Yemen,” al-Qirbi said, referring to the United States and its allies. “I’m sure that their experiences in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan will be very useful to learn from — that direct intervention complicates things.”
Rest of article at:
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2010/01/ap_yemen_al_qaida_010610/