Washington: American authorities are pressuring Yemen to counter a rising internal al Qaeda threat more aggressively and improve intelligence-sharing amid growing worries that the country could become the next significant terrorist staging ground.
As insurgent attacks have spiked in the embattled Middle East nation over the past year, the US has bolstered counter terrorism training there, including efforts to shore up Yemen`s borders and combat terror financing and arms trafficking.
Al Qaeda`s increased strength at organising and training new recruits in Yemen`s vast ungoverned spaces has also led the US to consider boosting financial aid and sales of military equipment to Yemen`s government.
Shari Villarosa, senior State Department counter terrorism adviser, said that the security situation in Yemen has "deteriorated significantly" and that the Yemeni
government`s political will to battle al Qaeda and other terrorist organisations has shifted at times.
"The US wants to help Yemen because we do not want to see Yemen become another Afghanistan where al Qaeda can train, plan and execute terrorist actions against us," Villarosa said.
Bureau Report
