Readout of John Brennan’s call with President Saleh of Yemen

Assistant to the President for Counter-Terrorism and Homeland Security John Brennan called Yemeni President Ali Abdallah Saleh on December 23 to emphasize the importance of taking forceful action against al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) in order to thwart its plans to carry out terrorist attacks in Yemen as well as in other countries, including in the U.S. Homeland.  Mr. Brennan emphasized the need to strengthen the already close cooperation between Yemeni and U.S. counterterrorism and security services, as well as with other partner nations, including the timely acquisition of all relevant information from individuals arrested by Yemeni security forces.  Mr. Brennan conveyed President Obama’s appreciation for the sacrifices of the Yemeni people in confronting al-Qa’ida and expressed regret for the recent actions by wikileaks.  Mr. Brennan thanked President Saleh for his explicit commitment to ensure the full cooperation of the Yemeni Government and his pledge never to retreat in the face of al-Qa’ida’s murderous agenda.