US not doing enough to help Yemen, official

By Nasser Arrabyee/03/06/2009

A senior Yemeni official said the American President Barack Obamam should address the question of poverty and be realistic if he wants his Cairo address to be effective.

He said also that United States is not doing enough to help Yemen fight poverty and terrorism and that it has failed to continue bargaining.


"For President Obama’s speech to be effective, it has to be realistic. He has to talk about how the United States has failed to hold up its end of the bargain with my country, and others in the Islamic world," said Abdul Kareeem Al Eryani, the political advisor of the President Saleh.

Al Eryani, former prime minister, in short remarks published in the Op-Ed of the New York Times, said, "We have helped Washington combat extremism but the United States has not done enough to help us fight poverty, the twin brother of terrorism."


The official, who is currently participating in observation of the Lebanese elections, said the jobless young people join Al Qaeda because of poverty and unemployment.

"With our oil revenues declining, Yemen has a poverty rate of 40 percent and an unemployment rate of 35 percent. This creates the danger that our young will see joining Al Qaeda as a good job opportunity." He said.


"Mr. Obama must address the question of poverty. It could one day help him, to paraphrase George W. Bush, avoid firing a $100,000 missile at a $700 tent," He added.