Saleh, Cheney discuss security, military cooperation, terrorism in Yemen, striking Iraq
Yemen-USA, Politics, 3/15/2002

US Vice President Dick Cheney on Thursday received the support of Sanaa for the efforts made in not converting Yemen to another Afghanistan and to prevent al-Qaida organization forces from reuniting their lines in Yemen.

One aide for the Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh said that Yemen told Cheney that it opposes any American military act against Iraq of fears that this will lead to violate regional stability.

The Yemeni news agency Sabaa quoted Saleh as saying that Yemen will continue exerting its efforts with its brothers in Iraq in order to accept the return back of UN inspectors in the context of the international legitimacy resolutions, which Iraq stressed commitment to so as to ensure Iraq's security, stability, territorial integrity and non- interference in its internal affairs.

Saleh's advisor told journalists we do not wan "to pour more oil on the fire.. we want to settle the Palestinian issue." However, the continued violence between the Palestinians and the Israelis overwhelmed Cheney's tour at a time when Israel is launching its largest military attacks since 1967 against the Wset Bank and Gaza.

Cheney met with Saleh for two hours with half an hour in a close- door meeting. Before leaving Sanaa heading for Oman, Cheney said he discussed with Saleh several issues including the Palestinian- Israeli conflict and the current war against terrorism.. and Iraq. Yemeni officials, on the other hand, said that Washington will send 100 military advisor in three shifts to train the Yemeni security forces and this will be in the context of an agreement reached by the two sides earlier this month. Cheney said that his visit to Yemen was an important station in his current tour in the region but he refrained from answering questions on whether he agreed with Salem on the issue of the American military trainers.

Yemen, however, is the third country to be visited by Cheny in the framework of a tour on the Middle East which is to include 11 states.

Yemen witnessed an attack which targeted the American warship "USS Cole" in October 2000 resulted in killing 17 American sailors. Washington held responsible Osama Bin Laden for the attack. Washington has fears that al-Qaida fighters who are fleeing from Afghanistan will head for the high mountain of Yemen.

Saleh described his talks with Cheney as useful and fruitful. In a joint press conference with Cheney he said that several bilateral issues were discussed including cooperation in the area of fighting terrorism and the question of the Arab Israeli conflict and the war of extermination conducted by the Israeli forces against the Palestinians, the situation in Iraq, implementing international legitimacy resolutions.

Previous Stories:
  Saleh gets a message from Bush   (3/6/2002)
  American forces to Yemen   (3/2/2002)
  US's Zinni visits Sanaa on Saturday   (2/28/2002)

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