SANA'A: A spokesperson for the American Defense Ministry announced on Thursday that the state was re-assessing its military operations in Yemen in regard to its fight against al-Qaeda. Ever since the beginning of the uprising last year, the Pentagon decided to suspend its military aid to Yemen, waiting for a return to political stability. However, the fact that al-Qaeda militants are now gaining yet more ground on Yemeni soil is said to be making several American officials rather nervous, with many security analysts calling on more actions against the Islamists militants.Navy Capt. John Kirby told Pentagon reporters the Defense Department had suspended military assistance activities in Yemen because of political instability there. Kirby said with a new administration now governing Yemen, defense leaders “are beginning to reassess, and to start up again, some elements of military assistance.” That assistance in the past has meant “helping Yemen deal with their own terrorism problems inside their borders,” Kirby said. The news comes amid reports in Yemen that the US is currently seeking more leeway from the Yemeni government in regards to its Drones attacks, wanting President Abdu Rabbo Mansour Hadi to allow the US Force to strike without detailed intelligence on the targets. Yemenis are rather apprehensive as local populations are already considering the American intervention on their soil as a violation of their sovereignty; further civilian casualties would only add to the simmering anger.
