U.S.: Both Sides in Yemen Oppose Al-Qaida

The Associated Press reports:

A senior U.S. diplomat pushing for a peaceful transfer of power in Yemen said Thursday that whichever side emerges from the four-month political crisis to lead the nation will cooperate with Washington in battling Yemen's al-Qaida branch.

The Obama administration fears Yemen's turmoil will give al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula more room to operate freely and plot attacks on the West from the country's remote and mountainous reaches. The U.S. says the Yemen-based militants are now the terrorist network's No. 1 threat and has carried out expanded strikes against them with armed drones and warplanes.

In talks with government officials and opposition figures seeking the president's ouster, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Jeffery Feltman said all expressed an understanding of Washington's concerns about Yemen's al-Qaida branch, which has an estimated 300 fighters and has carried out several nearly successful strikes on U.S. targets.