John Brennan spoke to President Ali Abdallah Saleh of Yemen this morning and emphasized that the United States stands ready to assist the Yemeni Government and the Yemeni people in their fight against al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula.  Mr. Brennan underscored the importance of close counterterrorism cooperation, including the need to work together on the ongoing investigation into the events over the past few days.  Mr. Brennan expressed appreciation for the courageous efforts of Yemeni security forces, who are battling al-Qa’ida terrorists on a regular basis.  Mr. Brennan also noted that Yemen’s international partners, including U.K. and Saudi Arabia, stand ready to assist the Yemeni people in developing a more stable and prosperous Yemen that will undermine al-Qa’ida’s efforts in Yemen.