The United States of America does not intend sending ground troops into Yemen to face increasing threat posed by Al-Qaeda but a doubled aid to the country is confirmed with the aid being raised to $ 170 million, a top U.S. military official has said.
General David H. Petraeus, head of the United States Central Command, told CNN that he was informed by Yemen during his last visit to the country weeks ago that no U.S. military intervention was favored.
The U.S. always likes to rely on countries to tackle their problems….of course we offer help but a kind of help sought by these countries and Yemen is already against foreign forces on its soil to tackle Al-Qaeda, he said.
Earlier, Foreign Minister Abu Bakr Al-Qirbi said Yemen never accepts foreign troops on its soil to deal with terrorism, assuring that national forces are always ready and able to assume their responsibilities, first and foremost, rooting out Al-Qaeda operatives.
Petraeus's statement followed other U.S. military official's remarks that confirmed the U.S. was against sending troops to Yemen to help national forces to fight terrorists.
Military intervention in Yemen is not optional and the U.S. should not discuss it, U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mike Mullen said.
However, the U.S. is ready to help Yemen economically to enable it to face its problems including increasing Al-Qaeda threat and the Houthi insurgency in the far north, U.S. officials said.