Clinton in Qatar Seeks Persian Gulf Cooperation
By VOA
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is continuing her tour of the Persian Gulf in Qatar, where she is scheduled to discuss regional issues with foreign ministers from the Gulf Cooperation Council.
Clinton met earlier Wednesday with Oman’s Sultan Qaboos in the country’s capital, Muscat, to honor his 40th anniversary in power.
The secretary of state visited Yemen on Tuesday, where she met with President Ali Abdullah Saleh and reiterated that the U.S. is committed to working together with authorities in Sana’a to fight terrorism.
Clinton was the first U.S. Secretary of State to visit the country in about 20 years.
In a joint appearance with Mr. Saleh, Clinton said the U.S. and Yemen face “a common threat” posed by al-Qaida and other militants. She also said the U.S. is committed to providing economic assistance to Yemen.
Later, during a meeting with civil activists, Clinton noted that some of the terrorists operating from Yemen are not Yemeni nationals. She added she was “sorry to say” that some are Americans – an apparent reference to U.S.-born cleric Anwar al-Awlaki.
The radical cleric has been linked to a failed plot to bomb a U.S.-bound jet. Authorities believe he is hiding in Yemen.
