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Saleh Declares Yemen "A Partner" in War on Terrorism
WASHINGTON, Nov. 28 (News Agencies) - In his meeting with U.S. President George W. Bush at the White House Tuesday, Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh insisted that Yemen was a "partner" of the United States in the fight against terrorism, news agencies reported.
"We have dealt with different issues, including the terrorist attacks on the USS Cole, and also the attacks on New York and Washington on the 11 September, and also the attacks in Dar-es-Salaam and Riyadh," Saleh told reporters at the end of the 45-minute encounter, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Asked whether Sanaa was cooperating with the United States in efforts to investigate those incidents, Saleh said: "We are partners."
But he said a memorandum of understanding on cooperation and development was not signed at the meeting, as some differences remained between the two sides.
Neither Saleh nor the White House gave further details of those differences.
According to Yemeni press reports, the terms of the memorandum include $130 million in U.S. aid for Yemen.
The Washington Post reported Wednesday that Yemen could receive as much as $400 million from the Bush administration. U.S. officials said the amount would include funds for special forces training, as well as help in obtaining loans from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.
During the meeting, "President Saleh expressed his desire to be a very strong partner with the United States in the war against terrorism," White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said.
Yemeni news agency (SABA) quoted the Yemeni president as saying that the deadly September 11 attacks affected all people of the world - be it on economic, security or social levels.
The discussions focused primarily on the need to block sources of financing for terrorism and how to increase information sharing, Fleischer said.
Another U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said officials told Saleh they wanted more cooperation with information and law enforcement.
During his visit to Washington, Saleh also met with U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, CIA Director George Tenet and U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
Bush is pleased with Yemen's help in the war on terrorism, especially its decision to delay the trial of suspects in the bombing of the USS Cole, the White House said earlier Tuesday.
Yemen "has shown a helpful new energy in cooperating with the United States in combating terrorism," Fleischer said, hours before the U.S. leader welcomed Saleh to the White House.
He specifically pointed to Yemen's agreement to a U.S. request to hold off the trial of suspects in the October 2000 attack on the destroyer as it refueled in the port of Aden so authorities can gather more evidence.
Seventeen American sailors were killed and 39 others were injured in the attack on the vessel. American officials believe the attack was the work of Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda organization.
Yemen, where the paternal side of bin Laden's family traces its origins, is now being courted by Washington, despite strong anti-U.S. public sentiment.
Bush named counter-terrorism expert Edmund Hull as his envoy to Sanaa last May, a choice underscoring the importance he attaches to security cooperation with Yemen.
During his visit, the Yemeni president also met with members of the Yemeni community residing in the United States, SABA said.
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