Californian Killed in Yemen's Strife as US Urged to Help Citizens Flee
Source: Al Jazeera
A 40-year-old Yemeni-American man was killed in Aden this week, his family told Al Jazeera, making him the first reported U.S. citizen fatality of violence that has spiraled in the strife-torn country in recent weeks.
Jamal al-Labani, a father of three, from Oakland, California, was returning home from mosque on Tuesday evening with his 14-year-old Yemeni nephew when both were hit by mortar shelling, according to his cousin Mohammed Alazzani, who spoke to Al Jazeera from the San Francisco Bay Area. Both died as a result of injuries sustained.
The incident highlights the plight Yemeni-Americans face in trying to escape the bloodshed, said community advocates, who have called on the U.S. State Department to better help U.S. citizens get out of the country.
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A gas-station owner, Labani traveled to Yemen about two months ago out of concern for family members living there. His wife and 2-year-old daughter were living in Aden, and Labani had made two unsuccessful attempts to flee the country over the last few weeks. “He was trying to find a way out because he felt his family was in danger,” his cousin said.
Read more: http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2015/4/3/first-american-casualty-in-yemen-conflict-rights-groups-mull-lawsuit.html
The Chinese and other countries are evacuating their citizens. The US doesn't seem to care, though. In fact--as always--it's deeply implicated in the conflict and directly helping one side--the Arab monarchies and their puppet Hadi.
