Officials: US closing embassy in Yemen due to unrest

[PoliticAverse]

Source: Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States is closing its embassy in Yemen amid political deadlock and deteriorating security conditions after the takeover of the country by Shiite rebels, two U.S. officials said.

The officials said diplomats were being evacuated from the country on Tuesday and the embassy will suspend operations until conditions improve. Yemen has been in crisis for months with Iran-linked Shiite Houthi rebels besieging the capital and then taking control. The U.S. officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the closure publicly on the record.

Marines providing the security at the embassy would also likely leave, officials said, but American forces conducting counterterrorism missions in other parts of the country would not be affected.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/officials-us-closing-embassy-yemen-due-unrest-164816793--politics.html

[bemildred]

1. Another drone war "success". nt

[PoliticAverse]

2. Followup: Rebels In Yemen Seize U.S. Embassy Vehicles After Evacuation

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/11/yemen-rebels-us-embassy_n_6661134.html

[seveneyes]

3. The US vehicles should have been disabled upon exiting

Or at least a hidden gps tracker for the drones to follow.

[FLPanhandle]

4. Do we even need embassies anymore?

I understood the need during the days of sailing and even steam ships and limited communications.

Now, with air travel, a US official could be on site at any country within 24 hours.

With the internet, news and communication is instant.

Maintaining embassy facilities and staff and security in all these countries is massively expensive.

Furthermore, they are now more and more targets for terrorists and rebels.

Carter might have beaten Reagan without the Iran embassy fiasco.

Why not leave and shut them all down permanently?