The United States on Monday welcomed the Yemen National Dialogue, aiming to draft a new constitution and prepare for general elections in February 2014. “We are very pleased that the national dialogue has begun,” State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters. “This is something that we have long supported as a way of healing the wounds of the past, taking the country forward, ensuring that the best democratic traditions are upheld in the new Yemen and that grievances and frustrations are addressed through dialogue,” Nuland added.