Middle-east Arab News Opinion | Asharq Al-awsat

U.S. State Department: Firm Stance on Political Solution in Yemen | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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Media ID: 55365009
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A boy carries a bag of sugar to his family during food distribution by Yemeni volunteers in Taiz, Yemen. (AP Photo/Abdulnasser Alseddik)


Riyadh – The U.S. State Department said that it has maintained a firm stance towards the need to reach a political solution to the war in Yemen, based on the outcome of the national dialogue, the Gulf Initiative and U.N. Security Council Resolution 2216.

An official at the U.S. State Department told Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper that his country’s position on Yemen has not changed and stressed the need to implement the relevant international resolutions in this regard.

Asked about recent statements made by ousted Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, in which he said that the three bases for a political solution in Yemen were “dead and were no longer subject for discussion”, the U.S. official, who preferred not to disclose his name, said: “Our stance is firm on the need to abide by the outcome of the Yemeni national dialogue, the Gulf Initiative and the international resolutions.”

Meanwhile, Yemeni government sources said that the Houthi rebels were retaining more than $81.7 million at Yemen’s Central Bank’s branch in Saada.

The sources added that Houthi rebels have disregarded calls by former Central Bank Governor Mohammed bin Hammam to release the amounts in order to pay the salaries of employees who haven’t been remunerated for several months.

On a different note, Yemeni Prime Minister Ahmed bin Daghr said that his government was currently working on restoring the databases of the country’s military and security institutions in order to strengthen the national army to assume its role in protecting the country.

In remarks on Wednesday, Bin Daghr said that the war, which was instigated by Houthi militias, has destroyed government institutions and in particular the country’s military body.

He added that the government was deploying all efforts to rebuild and rehabilitate Yemen’s state institutions.