“The political instability in Yemen has not forced us to suspend counterterrorism operations,” National Security Council spokesman Alistair Baskey told Fox News Saturday. Baskey added that the United States was still committed to “disrupt the continuing, imminent” terror threats in Yemen.
On Friday, Washington Post reported citing senior US officials that the United States was forced to abandon its counterterror operations in Yemen, as Shiite rebels had taken control of Yemeni security agencies, and thus undermined US air campaign against Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) terror group.
The US strategy of counterterrorism fight in Yemen has relied on drones, which carry out surveillance and air strikes on extremists, as well as training efforts by the US instructors for local security forces.
In September 2014, US President Barack Obama praised the US actions in Yemen as a pattern for counter-terror efforts elsewhere, including Iraq and Syria.
