Washington eyes state issues in Yemen

WASHINGTON, Jan. 22 (UPI) -- Washington aims to strengthen the ability of the Yemeni government to tackle internal threats while focusing on economic reforms, officials said.

Jeffrey Feltman, the U.S. assistant secretary of state for near east affairs, told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that Washington would look at state issues in Yemen to help prevent the country from collapsing into a failed state.

"Our new strategy seeks to address the root causes of instability, encourage political reconciliation, improve governance, and build the capacity of Yemen's government to exercise its authority, protect and deliver services to its people, and secure its territory," he said.

Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, the Yemeni branch of the terrorist cabal, claimed responsibility for a failed Christmas Day plot to down a U.S. passenger plane. Washington in response pledged to increase its financial aid to Yemen in order to help secure the state.

Feltman said Washington's strategy for Yemen was focused on promoting security while at the same time improving the government's capacity to provide services to the population and avoid economic collapse.

The Yemeni government maintains it has the ability to tackle the myriad of security issues within its border. Apart from the al-Qaida threat, the government faces a Shiite rebellion in the north and a secessionist movement in the south.

Yemeni clerics supporting al-Qaida issued a fatwa recently warning of jihad should American forces enter the fight. AQAP, for its part, warned of open war, placing Yemen at the center of the fight to control international terrorism.