Former envoy criticizes 'U.S. Focus on terrorism in Yemen'

SANA'A, Jan 10 (Saba) - Former U.S. ambassador to Yemen Barbara Bodine has criticized in a lecture she delivered in Sana'a her country's relationship with Yemen focused only on the fight against
terrorism.

With the Yemeni-U.S. relationship focused only on terrorism, the U.S. can't
contribute to promoting democracy and development in Yemen, she said in her lecture
at the Sheba
Center for Strategic Studies (SCSS) on Sunday.
The U.S. should look at Yemen through a long-term prospect and through issues of
democracy, not only security, she added.
There has been a U.S. short-sightedness toward Yemen, said Bodine, who served as a
U.S. envoy to the country during 1997-2001.
"The Yemeni-U.S. ties were not strong before 1997 because the two countries did not
do what they should do to develop them, however, they have started to expand the
bilateral
cooperation in recent years focusing on the fight against al Qaeda." Yemen is not a
failed state and Yemenis will not abandon their country, she said, pointing out that
the
U.S. learned from the lessons of Iraq and Afghanistan that regimes can't be created
by foreigners. "Regimes, however, can be helped tackle various issues facing the
welfare
of people, development and democracy." "At present, there are three key challenges
facing Yemen, which are the population growth, water scarcity and power shortages.
The
issues of al Qaeda, Houthis and the south as well as the performance of the
government and building human capacity should follow," she said.
To see a developed Yemen there should be a focus on training human cadres and
developing education, said Bodine.
FR