[10/August/2012]

WASHINGTON, Aug. 10 (Saba) - The U.S. President's adviser on homeland security and counterterrorism has asserted his country's keenness on presenting all support to carry out the political settlement in Yemen.

John Brennan called on at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington all the political figures in Yemen to put the country's interests first and to prove their commitment to the Gulf initiative.

President Barack Obama realized how big and overlapping are the challenges Yemen faces. Our comprehensive approach for Yemen includes humanitarian, development and military assistance, he said.

"This year alone, U.S. assistance to Yemen is more than $337 million. Over half this money, $178 million, is for political transition, humanitarian assistance and development," he said.

The U.S. was and is still a strong and effective partner for political transition in Yemen, Mr. Brennan said.

While we help Yemen to meet its urgent humanitarian needs, we also help in the economic and development reforms required achieving a long-term progress, he said.

Mr. Brennan commended the efforts Yemen makes and the successes in the counterterrorism area, saying that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) supports the Yemeni government's efforts to restore the infrastructure devastated during the armed confrontations in Abyan and Shabwa provinces as well as in local communities' rehabilitation.

He also praised the President Abdo Rabbo Mansour Hadi's efforts since taking over in February, including his last decisions on the army reconstruction.

AF
Saba