US reiterates support for Yemen forces after Qaeda raid

However the White House declined to comment on reports that US-Yemeni imam Anwar al-Aulaqi, who had ties to the alleged Fort Hood shooter who killed 13 people at a Texas military base last month, was among the dead.
"I'm not going to comment on those specific reports," said deputy spokesman Bill Burton.
"As we've said previously, the president supports the government of Yemen in their efforts to take out terrorist elements in their country. We continue to support those efforts."
Aulaqi told Al-Jazeera this week that Major Nidal Hasan, whose shooting rampage at Fort Hood killed 12 soldiers and one civilian, wounding 42 others, had asked him about whether it was legitimate under Islamic law to kill US soldiers.
Thursday's strike brings the Yemeni government's tally of Al-Qaeda suspects killed in the past eight days to 68.
The New York Times has reported that US President Barack Obama approved firepower, intelligence and other support for Yemen's efforts against Al-Qaeda.
Yemen is Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden's ancestral homeland and has seen a spate of attacks against Western targets over the past decade.
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