U.S. ambassador to Yemen visits WSU

SADA ADEN

The U.S. ambassador to Yemen on Jan. 24 spoke to Wayne State as part of a unique outreach to the Yemeni-American community.

Gerald Feierstein, who was sworn in on Sept. 17, 2010, said the nation’s large Yemeni-American communities – especially those in metro Detroit – are great resources for societies in both Yemen and the U.S.

He said this is the first time the U.S. ambassador to Yemen has interacted with Yemeni-Americans in order to help build relationships with the Middle East country.

Feierstein also said that as the two countries pursue stronger ties, one thing the U.S. must do is be more effective in outreach efforts to the Yemeni people.

“Most Yemenis are really very unfamiliar with the United States,” Feierstein said in a McGregor Conference Center speech sponsored by WSU’s Center for Peace and Conflict Studies. “We have to be more effective in communicating with the Yemeni people, and there’s no better population to do that than the Yemeni-American population.”

Feierstein also spoke on U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s visit to Yemen that month.

He said she had two objectives for the Yemen trip: to review with Yemeni leadership the cooperation between the U.S. and Yemen on counter-terrorism and violent extremism and to aid the Middle East nation in political, economic and social development and reform.

“What the secretary’s message was is that the United States wants to be and intends to be a good partner for the Yemeni government, but also with the Yemeni people going forward to help them address those challenges,” Feierstein said. “So, we understand the linkage between economic growth and development and the fight against violent extremism, and we’re committed to a long-term partnership between the United States and Yemen.”

Feierstein said, contrary to some perceptions, Yemenis look favorably upon the idea of the U.S. becoming a partner in their country’s development. They do not, however, appreciate the perception abroad that Yemen is only a source of violent extremism, he said.

The ambassador said two of the short-term crises faced by Yemen were violent extremism and the complications of planning legitimate parliamentary elections. He also said the main long-term crisis was the struggling economy.

Feierstein said states in the Arabian Peninsula can’t forever support Yemenis seeking employment, so Yemen’s economy must see improvement. He also said that in the future instead of the country’s chief export being “people,” it could be a variety of products including natural gas, coffee and fish.

The ambassador also said the U.S. has placed a high priority on promoting gender equality in Yemen.

“We know that there’s a direct correlation between female literacy and economic growth,” he said.