From: Biniam Tekle (biniamt@dehai.org)
Date: Tue Dec 08 2009 - 07:42:56 EST
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U.S. Senate sounds alarm over Yemen unrest
Dec 08, 2009 at 05:57
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*WASHINGTON - The United States and its international partners must "use all
appropriate measures" to keep Yemen from becoming a "failed state," the US
Senate said in a recently approved resolution.*
The non-binding measure, which lawmakers approved unanimously on Friday,
warns that "instability and terrorism" in Yemen pose a "serious threat" to
its people, its neighbors, and the United States.
The United States is on guard against an Al-Qaeda buildup in Yemen and
Somalia as it expects the militants to seek refuge there as Washington turns
the screws on Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The Senate urges US President Barack Obama and the international community
"to use all appropriate measures to assist the people of Yemen, to prevent
Yemen from becoming a failed state," the resolution says.
The measure calls on Obama to promote economic development and "good
governance" reforms in Yemen, and urge government forces and rebels locked
in a five-year struggle to immediately halt fighting, and allow humanitarian
aid and medicine to reach displaced civilians.
All sides should also help "create an environment that will enable a return
to normal life for those displaced by the conflict."
Yemeni government forces launched an all-out offensive against Shiite rebels
-- the Huthi -- in the north of the Arabian Peninsula country on August 11
in an attempt to end a five-year rebellion.
The Senate "supports the innocent civilians in Yemen, especially displaced
persons, who have suffered from instability, terrorist operations, and
chronic underdevelopment," according to the measure.
Lawmakers urged Obama "to give sufficient weight to the situation in
Yemenin efforts to prevent terrorist attacks on the
United States, United States allies, and Yemeni civilians."
Democratic Senator Ben Cardin and Republican Senator Richard Lugar -- the
top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee -- were the
measure's key authors.
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