State Department: Yemen deal ‘a good step’

The State Department’s chief spokeswoman said the department is monitoring the political situation in Yemen after the government there reached a tentative deal with rebels.

“The step about the interim political agreement is a good step, but implementation is key,” spokeswoman Jen Psaki said.

{mosads}On Wednesday, the government in Yemen tentatively agreed to rewrite parts of the country’s constitution if rebels released the president’s chief of staff and withdrew from important government facilities.

The conflict in Yemen has drawn attention in part because the country is an important American partner in military operations against terrorist groups. In particular, it has allowed the U.S. to use its territory as a home base for missions against al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.

The Houthi rebels are part of a Shiite minority who feel marginalized by the Sunni majority. The changes to the constitution will reportedly be aimed at allowing more diverse groups to be included in the government.

But the events in Yemen have also caused many to worry about the safety of U.S> personnel on the ground there. Some have raised the example of the attacks on the U.S. mission in Benghazi, Libya, in 2012 that led to the deaths of four Americans.

“We’re always prepared,” Psaki said, adding, “However, we look at a range of factors, a range of information. There’s nothing more important to us, to the secretary of State, to the president than the safety and security of our men and women serving overseas. We also need to take into account the fact that having a strong presence in Yemen, having counterterrorism operations we continue to work on are in our national security interests.” 

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