CAIRO — Yemen has withdrawn from U.S. Central Command.
Yemeni officials confirmed that the military has closed its office and
withdrew representation from U.S. Central Command headquarters in Tampa,
Fla. The officials said the move was meant to save money and did not reflect
a decline in military cooperation with the U.S. military.
"This is not a measure against the United States," a Yemeni source said.
"We have closed military offices in other countries as well."
The Yemeni delegation at Central Command was led by Lt. Col. Abdul
Khader Shweiter and his aide, Staff Sgt. Ahmed Malfi, Middle East Newsline reported. Central Command has
acknowledged that Yemen withdrew its delegation, but did not explain why.
The officials said the Yemeni military ended its presence in U.S.
Central Command headquarters over the weekend. They said Sanaa and Central
Command, responsible for U.S. operations in
the Middle East and Central Asia, would continue cooperation in other
forums.
"In addition to a permanent U.S. military delegation in Sanaa, Central
Command representatives and other U.S. military commanders visit us
regularly for consultations," the source said. "This will continue."
In 2002, Central Command invited foreign militaries to maintain a
presence in Tampa as part of closer cooperation with allies in the Middle
East and Central Asia. So far, 62 countries have
established a presence, including such U.S. allies as Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait,
Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Israel is part of U.S.
European Command.
On Monday, the London-based A-Sharq Al Awsat daily reported that U.S.
sources have expressed concern that the Yemeni pullout from Central Command
would result in declining cooperation between Sanaa and Washington. The
sources pointed out that Sanaa withdrew its delegation prior to a planned
visit to the United States by Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
Yemeni officials acknowledged that the withdrawal of the military
delegation from Central Command was done without prior consultation with the
United States. Citing a bureaucratic mishap, they said a decision taken by
the Yemeni Defense Ministry in August was not relayed to the U.S. Defense
Department.
"The United States will understand the economic pressure on us," the
source said.