Readout of the President’s Call with President with Yemeni President Saleh

This morning, the President spoke with President Ali Abdallah Saleh of Yemen to discuss our ongoing cooperation against al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula.  Both leaders condemned al-Qa’ida’s attempt to smuggle improvised explosive devices (IED) into printer cartridges that were sent to two addresses in Chicago. The President highlighted that the United States relationship with Yemen is focused on counterterrorism issues, as well as building a stable and prosperous Yemen through economic and humanitarian assistance.  The President  emphasized the need for Yemen to help reinforce confidence in the cargo air shipment sector through strengthening of security measures while at the same time discussing the importance of the global community coming together to assist Yemen in building these capabilities.  President Saleh made a full commitment to cooperate with the United States as well as with ongoing investigations in the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates.