The United States and Britain announced Sunday they have closed their embassies in Yemen because of security concerns.
A U.S. news release cited ongoing threats by al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula to attack American interests in Yemen.
The U.S. announcement, which was made on the embassy’s Web site, did not say when the embassy would reopen.
The British Foreign Office said it would make a decision later Sunday whether to reopen its embassy on Monday.
U.S. State Department spokesman Fred Lash confirmed the embassy, located in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa, has closed for security reasons, but would not elaborate on any specific security threats.
The embassy on December 31 alerted Americans in Yemen to remain on alert for the possibility of terrorist violence.
On Saturday, Gen. David Petraeus, head of the U.S. Central Command, met with Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh in Yemen. During his meeting with Petraeus, Saleh expressed his appreciation for U.S. help in combating extremists, offered more support for U.S. counterterrorism strikes, and said he would continue providing assistance for the U.S. investigation into the attempted bombing, the official said.
The official said that Petraeus was carrying several messages and “various items” of information from Obama to Saleh. No further details were available.
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One Response
That is not a bad idea.
I like Henry Kissinger. I really do. He was the best Secretary of State that benefitted Israel. He really was. But, he always talked about our allies in the Middle East. I wonder if that notion is not outdated.