US Counterterror Adviser Pledges Support For Yemen

Published February 18, 2012 7:36PM (EST)

SANAA, Yemen (AP) — Yemen's state news agency says the U.S. administration's top counterterrorism adviser has pledged Washington's support for the country's new president after upcoming elections.

SABA says John Brennan met Saturday with Vice President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi in Sanaa to discuss next week's presidential vote.

Hadi is the only candidate on Tuesday's ballot, according to a deal between the opposition and longtime President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

The U.S. supported the Gulf-brokered agreement that pressured Saleh to transfer power to Hadi, ending Saleh's nearly 34-year rule amid mass anti-government protests.

Yemen's state news agency also reported Saturday that Brennan pledged continued U.S. assistance to Yemen in its fight against an active al-Qaida branch based in the country.


By Salon Staff

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