SANAA, 29 Dec – Following years of delay, the Parliament Tuesday passed a counter-terror financing law but with reservations.  Some members expressed concern the law would hamper efforts to fund legitimate resistance movements and charitable organizations, undermine Yemen’s sovereignty and force authorities in Yemen to hand over Yemeni citizens to foreign states if they were convicted as supporters or financiers of terrorism.  Finance Minister who attended the session urged the assembly to vote for the treaty saying “Yemen must pass the bill so that it won’t be classified among countries that don’t support money laundering,” adding “we are subject to the United Nations laws and this treaty is legally bound in the UN.”  Some members objected to clause No. (1) of the bill which considers resisting occupation as an act of terrorism.

SANAA, 29 Dec – In a press release on Tuesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Nigerian man accused of trying to destroy a U.S. jetliner on Sunday had lived in Yemen from early August to early December, adding “he was issued a visa to study Arabic in Sanaa.”  Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula claimed responsibility on Monday for the failed attack, saying it was in retaliation for U.S. support of last week air strikes against the group in Yemen.   Meanwhile, the government official spokesperson and Minister of Information Hassan al-Lawzi Tuesday said in a press conference “the Nigerian man came to Yemen twice.