US & Britian Close Embassies in Yemen Due to Security Concerns

Via CNN -

The United States and Britain announced Sunday they have closed their embassies in Yemen because of security concerns.

U.S. officials cited ongoing threats by al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula to attack American interests in Yemen.

"There are indications that al Qaeda is planning to carry out an attack against a target inside of Sanaa, possibly our embassy," John Brennan, the assistant to the president for homeland security and counterterrorism, said Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union."

"And what we do is to take every measure possible to ensure the safety of our diplomats and citizens abroad, so the decision was made to close the embassy," he said, adding that the United States is working closely with the Yemeni government on taking the proper security precautions.

U.S. State Department spokesman Fred Lash confirmed the embassy, located in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa, has closed for security reasons, but would not elaborate on any specific security threats. He said he did not know how long the embassy would remain closed.

A British Foreign Office spokeswoman told CNN a decision will be made later Sunday on whether the British Embassy would reopen on Monday.