US pulls more personnel from Yemen embassy

[WestVirginiaRebel]

Fox News:

The State Department said late Thursday that it had reduced the number of American personnel working in Yemen due to the ongoing political instability in that country, which came to a head with the resignation of the country's U.S.-backed president and cabinet.

 

A Senior State Department official said that the U.S. Embassy in the capital, Sana'a, would remain open and operate as normal, though with reduced staff. The official did not specify how many staffers had been removed or how many remained. The official added that the U.S. is continuously reassessing the situation on the ground.

 

On Wednesday, Pentagon spokesman Col. Steve Warren told reporters that two American ships -- the USS Iwo Jima and the USS Ft. McHenry -- were on station in the Red Sea and prepared to receive any evacuees from Yemen's capital, Sana'a.

 

Shiite rebels known as Houthis, who are widely believed to be backed by Iran, now control the capital. Yemen's prime minister and his cabinet also stepped down Thursday.

 

President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi had earlier pledged political concessions in return for the rebels withdrawing from his house and the nearby presidential palace, but Houthi fighters remained deployed around both buildings throughout the day.

 

Military officials close to the president, who like the other officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief reporters, said Hadi resigned after the Houthis pressured him to give a televised speech to calm the streets.

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Another crisis for Obama to ignore...