Feierstein visited Wayne State University and Dearborn. He says elections are expected to occur later this year in Yemen and negotiated resolutions on issues of its constitution need to be addressed. He said the U.S. will not intervene in the election process and believes it should be transparent and administered strictly by Yemen and include participation from all political parties in the country.

DEARBORN — United States Ambassador to Yemen Gerald Feierstein was in Dearborn Monday where he outlined new initiatives that are expected to establish economic growth in Yemen and strengthen its relationship with the U.S.

More than 400 Yemeni Americans representing various community organizations from southeast Michigan gathered at Greenfield Manor to hear Feierstein speak and voice concerns about U.S. policy towards Yemen. According to Yemeni activist Dr. Khalid Shajrah, the audience represents thousands of Yemeni Americans who live in the region.

“The U.S. is determined to create a longstanding relationship with Yemen,” Feierstein said.  He reflected on U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton’s recent trip to Yemen, pointing out that she  met with political leaders including Yemen’s president Ali Abdullah Saleh and members of its business and civil sectors. Feierstein said Saleh and Clinton discussed approaches to take in helping fight against terrorism. Cooperation from Yemen on the measure is already positive but needs to be stronger in the future as Clinton stated. Saleh is expected to meet with U.S. President Barack Obama later this year. Obama’s administration has been working to establish close relations between both countries. 

Feierstein said the U.S. needs to increase its engagement in Yemen. “I hope it’s the first of many opportunities we get to talk with one another,” he told the crowd. The notion that anti-American sentiment exists in Yemen is nothing he’s experienced. “What we have is not anti-American(ism), but a lack of knowledge.” He called on both nations to “redefine the nature of interaction” between each other.

Local Yemeni community members collect petitions and complaints from participants to give to Ambassador Feierstein at Greenfield Manor in Dearborn.

Feierstein says elections are expected to occur later this year in Yemen and negotiated resolutions on issues of its constitution need to be addressed. He said the U.S. will not intervene in the election process and believes it should be administered strictly by Yemen and include participation from all political parties in the country. “The U.S. is not going to reference the stating opinion of whether they were good or bad,” he said.  Feierstein hopes the elections are not rushed and ensure all citizens that are eligible to vote have the opportunity to do so freely. “The political process is a way to address the real problems they face,” he said. 

Poverty and the lack of social services are major issues in Yemen. Shajrah said the unemployment rate in the country is 50 percent. Feierstein said the U.S. assistance program is designed to look more broadly at strategies to develop economic growth. “The U.S. would like to see it become a country that is secure, stable and prosperous,” he said.  The U.S. supports the Yemeni government’s 10-point plan that addresses a number of issues in the county.  Feierstein says the plan sends the message that Yemen is committed to developing economic growth. Several have expressed concern that an economic crisis would hit Yemen once oil runs out. Feierstein told the crowd it wasn’t true and that opportunities for economic growth exist in the fishery and agriculture industries.

Community members step up one-by-one to ask the ambassador questions.

A multi-million dollar trust fund will be used to address power infrastructure and bring electricity to a vast majority of civilians. In terms of the tensions between citizens in the north and south of the country, Feierstein says the issue can be solved through the process of negotiations.

He called on all members of the audience to join him as ambassadors.  “The U.S. can’t stand on its own and take all the responsibility,” he said. 

Feirstein also met with Dearborn Mayor John B. O’Reilly earlier at city hall to discuss the history and contributions of the Yemeni American community to Dearborn, and ways in which the U.S. could strengthen its ties between people in Yemen and America.

The ambassador was introduced by Public Affairs Officer of the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs David Staples. 

Attendees submitted petition applications at the event to file complaints to the ambassador that address issues they’ve had. “For the first time our ambassador to Yemen is visiting us at home and we appreciate that,” Shajrah said.

Feierstein took questions from the audience at the gathering following his address. Attendees inquired primarily about immigration.  “We are trying to bring our families and it should not take 10 to 20 years,” Ali Baleed said. 

At the end of the ambassador’s speech, several community members lined up to address the ambassador. Many criticized Saleh’s regime, citing corruption and dictatorship tendencies, which they said are driving Yemenis into poverty, desperation, and finally immigration.

Others criticized the Obama administration for their blatant support of Israel against Palestinians. The ambassador responded that Mr. Obama is committed to promoting peace in the region.

Tension between south and north was very obvious among local Yemenis as they addressed the ambassador.

Dr. Shajrah, who was a speaker at the event, condemned terrorism and rejected it, saying that his community consists of engineers, doctors, lawyers, and other hard-working people who love America and would like to see their homeland united and free of corruption.