SAN’A, Yemen — Yemeni security forces clashed with al-Qaida fighters Monday, killing two, the latest sign the embattled, longtime president is making good on vows that his country will cooperate with the United States in fighting the terror network.
Washington is embracing Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh in the battle against al-Qaida’s offshoot in Yemen, but it may be making a risky bet. The mercurial Saleh has held onto power for 31 years in this fragmented nation by relying on a system of manipulation — centralizing power within his family while buying off rivals and unruly tribesmen, Yemeni and American observers say.
At times, that has meant forging alliances with Islamic extremists, and Saleh has frustrated U.S. officials in recent years by freeing jailed al-Qaida figures on promises they would not engage in terrorism. Several top militants have since broken those promises.
Observers warn that Saleh’s rule is buckling under the weight of multiple crises, deep poverty and widespread corruption. The government has full control only around the capital, leaving much of the mountainous nation to heavily armed tribes, some of which have given refuge to al-Qaida fighters.
For the U.S., the situation raises parallels with Iraq and Afghanistan, where Washington has had to go beyond military action to infuse economic help while pushing political reform on sometimes reluctant political leaders in hopes of undermining support for militants.
With an injection of U.S. counterterror aid and help for its security forces, Yemen’s government has vowed in recent weeks to work with the U.S. in stamping out the estimated hundreds of al-Qaida fighters who have built up strongholds in the country’s remote regions.
The renewed determination brought praise Monday from U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. “The United States commends Yemen for the recent actions it has taken to disrupt (al-Qaida) networks and we are reiterating our commitment to assist in those efforts,” she said.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Embassy in Yemen says it has reopened after a two-day closure prompted by a terrorist threat.
The embassy said today that successful Yemeni counterterrorism operations allowed the embassy to resume operations. The embassy said credible information had pointed to the likelihood of imminent terrorist attacks in the Yemeni capital, prompting the closure.
The British and French embassies followed suit and several other embassies limited operations as well.
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