The
September 17th attack on the U.S. Embassy did not
come as a surprise. It was the fifth attack on this
target in the last six years. While the majority of
Yemenis do not condone such violence, Yemeni public
opinion on American foreign policy in the Middle
East is largely unfavorable, in particular regarding
the War in Iraq and the Arab-Israeli conflict.
While
relations between Yemen and America have generally
been good, terrorism in Yemen continues to
simultaneously test the relationship and increase
its importance. In the wake of the Embassy Attack,
Yemen Today examines the history of relations
between these two countries, the current cooperation
between the two governments, and America’s role in
Yemen’s development.
A Short History of
Yemeni-American Relations:
Long before diplomatic
relations were established, America developed trade
relations with Yemen and imported coffee in the late
18th century. Diplomatic relations between America
and the Imamate began in 1946. In 1958, American aid
financed construction of the Mokha-Taiz-Sana’a road
and the first American resident mission was
established in Taiz the following year. It was moved
to Sana’a in 1966. America became one of the first
western countries to recognize and support the Yemen
Arab Republic in 1962 under President Kennedy.
Yemeni-American relations were especially strained
in 1967 because of American support for Israel in
the Six Day War, and the YAR cut diplomatic ties. In
1969 the PDRY also broke off relations with the U.S.
In 1972, Secretary of State William Rogers made an
official visit to Sana’a to restore relations with
YAR, and a USAID agreement was reached in 1973.
America provided assistance in education, health,
and agriculture to the YAR, and developed the Peace
Corps program in the country. In contrast, the
United States published its first list of official
state sponsors of terrorism which included South
Yemen in 1979.
Vice
President George H.W. Bush visited the country in
1987 as Yemen announced the discovery of oil in
Mareb by Hunt-Texas Oil Company. Relations between
the two countries would be at their best during the
initial stages of Bush’s presidency. Yemeni
President Ali Abdullah Saleh made his first official
visit to America in January of 1990, and the USG
supported Yemen’s unification.
However, these relations would soon turn icy when
Yemen, then a member of the UN Security Council
voted against the resolution authorizing the use of
force against Iraq after its invasion of Kuwait.
This was severely damaging to Yemen’s economy as
Yemenis workers were expelled from the Gulf, and the
United States cut USAID levels from $42 million in
1990 to $2.9 million in 1991. The USG also cancelled
all military cooperation as well as the Peace Corps
program which has not been reinstated to this day.
The
late nineties saw again an improvement of relations
between Yemen and America. This was represented the
USG reiterating its support for a unified Yemen in
1994, and for recommending that Yemen be selected to
host the first international conference of emerging
democracies in 1999. In April 2000, President Saleh
made his second official visit to the United States
to meet with President Clinton and Secretary of
State Madeleine Albright. The White House expressed
its support for Yemen’s attempts to democratize as
well as guaranteeing full economic and political
participation for Yemeni women in its constitution.
However, suspected Al Qaeda militants launched an
attack on the USS Cole, killing 17 US sailors in
October 2000. The United States Government
criticized the Yemeni government’s lack of
cooperation with the FBI investigation. Less than a
year later, America was hit with the September 11
Attacks, and in November, President Saleh visited
President George W. Bush in Washington to condemn
the attacks and pledged his support for the U.S. led
War on Terror.
In
2002, the Yemeni government approved a CIA military
operation to assassinate Qaid Salim Sinan Al Harithi,
suspected of assisting in the planning of the attack
against the USS Cole and five other suspected
members of Al Qaeda in Mareb. President Bush praised
Yemen as “an important partner in the global war on
terrorism, providing assistance in the military,
diplomatic, and financial arenas.”
Relations Today:
Today, Yemeni-American
relations, despite some controversies regarding
Sheikh Al Zindani, the Islamic Dialogue Committee,
and the Yemeni prisoners in Guantanamo Bay, remain
predominantly positive. Fighting terrorism is still
at the forefront of American foreign policy
specifically to “expand the USG and ROYG partnership
against terrorism, to neutralize Al Qaeda’s ability
to threaten US interests both inside and from Yemen,
and to enhance regional security by building a close
partnership between the US and Yemeni military.”
Last
month, Assistant Secretary of Defense Michael
Vickers visited Yemen. He met with senior Yemeni
security officials to discuss continued cooperation
between the U.S. and Yemen and applauded ROYG
efforts which “neutralized dangerous terrorist
threats in Yemen.” He stressed American’s commitment
to continue to provide training, technical
assistance, and equipment to Yemen’s Anti-Terrorism
Unit. In fiscal year 2006, Yemen received $10
million in military aid, and in July 2008 the first
ever bilateral agreement was signed between Yemeni
and American armed forces.
While
issues related to terrorism continue to dominate the
headlines and the agendas of official visits, the
USG is involved in many programs designed to
facilitate Yemen’s development. Last week, Secretary
of State Condoleeza Rice described the necessity for
America “to support people around the world who are
striving to lift themselves out of poverty, to forge
lives of dignity for themselves and their families,
and to build a world that is not only more stable,
but more just.” To this end, USAID continues its
mission “to develop a healthy and educated
population with access to diverse economic
opportunities” and has designated five governorates
of particular importance (Sa’ada, Marib, Shabwa, Al
Jawf, and Amran). It provides funding, training, and
assistance in development programs promoting
democracy, health, education, and agriculture.
USAID,
through the use of mobile health teams and renovated
facilities, brought health care services to over
53,709 people in its target governorates in 2007. In
addition, over 643 health workers were trained in
counseling community health education. And USAID has
conducted national polio campaigns to bring
vaccinations to the children in Yemen’s rural
villages. In the Medghal District Hospital in Marib,
USAID provided funding for much needed laboratory
and ultrasound equipment, and developed modern
delivery room complete with an autoclave to
sterilize medical instruments. It has also built
housing for medical staff. The hospital has
developed a good reputation and now 66 percent of
babies born in its district are delivered in Medghal.
This is overwhelmingly higher than the national
average in which only 16 percent of babies are born
in hospitals.
In
2007, Yemen’s Ministry of Agriculture signed an
agreement with USAID to work together to improve the
marketing and trade capacity of farming associations
and cooperatives. Their goal is to increase exports
of agricultural goods in order to raise the income
of rural communities. They have also funded U.S.
agriculture experts to help Yemenis fight livestock
disease. In 2000, Saudi Arabia instituted a ban on
many animal imports from Yemen because of concerns
of Rift Fever and other diseases. This dissolved a
lucrative market for Yemeni farmers and USAID
officials are currently working to install a
quarantine system and health standards in Yemen in
hopes of persuading Saudi Arabia to lift its ban.
USAID
has launched many projects to improve education in
the country. In the Mareb Governorate, $10 million
has been allotted over the past three years to
renovate or rebuild 77 schools that serve 17,000
students. USAID has provided the materials and local
volunteers have conducted the building and
renovation. Training courses in teaching and
administration have been developed and 1,307
teachers were trained to teach Arabic, science, and
mathematics in 2007 alone.
Literacy rates are appalling in Yemen, in particular
the 33 percent literacy rate of Yemeni women. To
combat this reality, USAID has launched extensive
literacy campaigns. Over 5,500 Yemeni women have
participated in the literacy classes and in nearly
80 communities, parents and children are learning to
read simultaneously.
In
addition to USAID, the USG also supports a variety
of other programs and organizations to aid in
Yemen’s development. The American Institute of
Yemeni Studies (AIYS) is a research institution
based in Pennsylvania and Sana’a that supports
research by American and Yemeni scholars in a
variety of fields. It was created through an
agreement with the Yemen Center for Studies and
Research and is funded by the USG, and through
private donations and universities. AIYS has an
extensive research library with materials focusing
on Yemen and the Middle East.
The
institute also holds an annual competition for
Yemeni scholars to conduct research projects to
study diverse disciplines of Yemen. These grants are
intended to encourage and assist Yemeni scholars and
researchers to undertake academic research about
some aspect of Yemeni society, history or
contemporary situation. Grants of up to $2000 are
awarded to winners
Another academic grant available to Yemenis is
through the Fulbright Organization. These grants,
funded by the U.S. Congress, allow Yemeni students
to study in American Universities and American
students to spend a year in Yemen for language study
or to complete a research project. The program aims
to bridge cross-cultural understanding by exposing
both Americans and Yemenis to people from different
backgrounds.
While
an excellent program, the USG evacuated the American
students from Yemen and has suspended the Fulbright
Program in Yemen due to security concerns.
