Brown calls international meet on combating extremism in Yemen

The meeting is intended to find ways of preventing Yemen from becoming a terrorist breeding ground after it emerged that the Nigerian who attempted to bomb a US plane was linked to the Yemeni branch of al-Qaeda.

Obama has extended his support to Brown to have the summit later this month,alongside a conference on Afghanistan planned for January 28,official sources said on Saturday.

A statement from 10 Downing Street said the meeting would encourage and coordinate donors in order to shore up the Yemeni government,provide aid to areas most at risk of radicalisation,identify counterterrorism needs,train the military and promote “economic,social and political reform,” according to the Telegraph.

Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab,23,told FBI that he was radicalised and trained in Yemen within the past six months.

The terror suspect is believed to have developed radical tendencies while studying in London,which reportedly gained strength after he was refused a visa to return to the UK,having applied to a bogus college.

Abdulmutallab arrived in Yemen in August last year to study at the Sana’s Institute for the Arabic Language,where he was got in touch with al-Qaeda within a few months.

Representatives from the European Union,Saudi Arabia and Gulf countries are expected to attend the meeting along with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

“The international community must not deny Yemen the support it needs to tackle extremism,” Brown said.

Meanwhile,Yemen welcomed Brown’s announcement of the international meeting terming it a step in the right direction that will help mobilise global support for helping the country fight underdevelopment.