US says post-Saleh Yemen would pose 'real problem'

[oberliner]

WASHINGTON — Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh's eventual fall or his replacement by a weaker leader would pose "a real problem" for US counter-terrorism work, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Sunday.

In an interview with ABC television, Gates said Saleh's government and the Yemeni security services have helped the United States in fighting Al-Qaeda's Yemeni branch.

"I think it is a real concern because the most active and at this point perhaps the most aggressive branch of Al-Qaeda, Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, operates out of Yemen," Gates said.

"And we've had counter-terrorism cooperation with President Saleh and the Yemeni security services," the defense secretary added.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hd914WuCC6NEoaf2LqDK5l_CzVww?docId=CNG.a5e74fe046bfa4408044afc7ffa91944.a31

[msongs]

1. give guns to all our generals and send them over there, we have generals to spare nt

[Ozymanithrax]

2. I'm sure the people of Yemen are up to handling the problem...

We elected Bush for two terms. They should have the opportnity to fuck as bad.

[xchrom]

3. ...

:eyes: can arms sales to yemen's neighbors be far behind?