YEMEN RULE OUT U.S INTERVENTION

Yemen's foreign minister ruled out direct US military intervention to tackle al-Qaeda fighters operating in his country.
"Yemen is going to deal with terrorism in its own way, out of its own interests and therefore I don't think it will counter fire," Abu Baker al-Qirbi told Al Jazeera on Monday.

• Al-Qirbi said Yemen was happy to receive "development assistance" but not military intervention, adding: "The negative impact on Yemen is if there is direct intervention of the US and this is not the case."
• Al-Qirbi told Al Jazeera that Yemen needed development aid to improve social conditions in the country.
• "Economic growth is a necessity for Yemen because one of the main challenges facing Yemen is to improve the standards of living, create jobs and fight poverty because these are the elements that contribute to extremism in Yemen.
• "Our first priority is development assistance and then we need also assistance to build and expand our counter-terrorism units," he said.
• "I know the Americans have committed more money for our counter-terrorism units and that is one area we need support in."

Source: Al Jazeera