YEMEN WARNS U.S. INTERVENTION COULD STRENGTHEN AL-QAEDA

In its strongest language yet, Yemen's government declared Thursday that there are limits to its military cooperation with the United States, warning that any direct U.S. action in this impoverished Middle East nation could bolster the popularity of Islamic militants. "If there is direct intervention by the United States, it will strengthen al-Qaeda," warned Rashad al-Alimi, Yemen's deputy prime minister for security and defense. "We cannot accept any foreign troops on Yemeni territory."

The statement underscored the rising concern among Yemen's leadership of a domestic backlash that could politically weaken the government and foment more instability. In recent days, top Yemeni officials have publicly downplayed their growing ties to Washington, fearing they will be perceived by their opponents as weak and beholden to the United States.

Of course, this only applies to Yemen—not Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia...

[Thanks to Travis Holte]