US embassy in Yemen closes, citing Al Qaeda ‘threats’
By DPA, IANSSunday, January 3, 2010
SANA’A - The US embassy in Sana’a was closed Sunday because of “threats” from Al Qaeda, according to a note on its website.
“The US embassy in Sana’a is closed today, January 3, 2010, in response to ongoing threats by Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) to attack American interests in Yemen,” the embassy said.
It did not say when it would reopen and officials could not be reached for comment.
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 announcement from the embassy came a day after General David Petraeus, the US commander in the Middle East, met with Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
US aid to Yemen is on the rise, as Washington wants Sana’a to step up its anti-terror operations against Al Qaeda bases in the country’s south. Military assistance is now estimated at $70 million and could go up further.
A proposed new Yemeni counterterrorism unit would be paid for jointly by the US and Britain, London announced. The British capital will also host a conference on terrorism in Yemen later this month.
