Toner Discusses Situation in Yemen, Libya and Arrest of Saudi Activist

During a press briefing on Monday, State Department spokesman Mark Toner expressed the United States’ disappointment at President Ali Abdullah Saleh‘s continued refusal to sign the transition agreement brokered by the Gulf Cooperation Council.   He stated that the U.S.  is looking at a number of different options in regards to the situation in Yemen, but hopes that Saleh will take action to resolve the situation. Toner also addressed questions surrounding Near East Secretary Jeffrey Feltman‘s trip to Benghazi, stating that he met with members of the Transitional National Council (TNC) and will hold a roundtable with civil society members.  He stated that while the U.S. is strengthening contacts with the TNC and believe that the group is a credible voice for the Libyan people, the U.S. is not ready to formally recognize it.

Addressing questions on the arrest of a Saudi activist Manal al-Sharif who was arrested for defying a ban on female drivers,  Toner stated that the U.S. trusts the Government of Saudi Arabia to “give careful considerations to these voices of its citizens as they speak about issues of concern.”  He also noted that Saudi Arabia was not mentioned in President Barack Obama‘s Mideast speech because “we can’t address all the issues on such a broad region”  and the president chose to focus on the Arab Spring and the changes sweeping North Africa, Syria, Bahrain and the wider region.