Yemen downplays security threats

The Yemeni governent said military and national security personnel were effectively coping with the heightened state of alert. Dozens of US embassies in the Middle East and North Africa were shut down early this month as a precaution following indications of an al-Qaeda threat. The US Embassy in Sanaa said it would remain closed because of the security threat. Yemeni Defense Minister Mohammed Nasser Ahmed met in Sanaa with British representatives to highlight the role of Yemeni national security forces. Yemen last week put its military forces on high alert. The official Saba news agency reported Tuesday the defense minister said the threat to Yemen was limited. The British Embassy in Sanaa said it was closed temporarily because of the security situation. The embassy said the security situation was under constant review. US State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said during a Tuesday press briefing the embassy was closed, though US Ambassador to Yemen Gerald Feierstein was back in the country talking with Yemeni authorities. Harf said the ambassador met in Sanaa with Yemeni President Abdo Rabu Mansour Hadi this week. "We're taking appropriate steps to plan for reopening [the embassy in] Sanaa as soon as possible, but [have] no exact date at this time," she said. Source: UPI