US lifts weapons export embargo off Yemen

The USA has lifted an embargo it had imposed 14 years ago on selling weapons to Yemen, according to an American official currently visiting Sanaa.

The Yemeni official news agency said that this decision was announced by the US under secretary of state for political and military affairs Lincoln Bloomfield yesterday during his meeting with the Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Bloomfield said that Washington which decided to ban the exportation of American weapons and instruments to Yemen in 1990 following the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait has lifted this embargo.

Bloomfield discussed with the Yemeni president aspects of cooperation to fighting what is called terrorism as well as military cooperation issues.