Air force boosts from military aide

The US $150 million funding, adopted by Defense Secretary Robert Gates last week in security assistance for Yemen in fiscal 2010, will be used to repair and service 10 Mi-17 helicopters, provide four Huey IIs and train Yemeni crews to operate and maintain them, according to a Pentagon document prepared for Congress. The financing will enable the Yemeni Air Force to transport small units to participate in day or night operations in high altitudes, according to the document, a copy of which was obtained by Reuters. The $150 million donation underlines U.S. concerns about the growing threat of al-Qaeda’s offshoot in Yemen, which threatens the US and western interests. President Barak Obama, in his budget proposal, is looking to boost the amount of military aid the U.S. gives to other countries to help them counter the terror threats within their borders. Under that plan, the Pentagon fund for training and equipment would jump from $350 million this year to $500 million in 2011, said the Associated Press.

Despite the scarce resources, the Yemeni government has launched major attacks against al-Qaeda militants over the past month in Abyan, Shabwah, Marib, and al-Hodeidah governorates, where groups of al-Qaeda- including leaders- were killed.

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