Transcript: ABC This Week (1-3-2010)

Complete transcript. Excerpt below:

MORAN: Well, this morning, there is news out of Yemen that the United States embassy has been closed for security reasons and the British embassy closed, as well. What can you tell us about the intelligence? What is it showing about the new threats to U.S. interests there?

BRENNAN: Well, I think it underscores the threat that Al Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula poses to U.S. interests. I spoke with our ambassador in Sana’a, Steve Seche, there earlier this morning and last night, looked at the intelligence that’s available as far as the plans for Al Qaida to carry out attacks in Sana’a, possibly against our embassy, possibly against U.S. personnel, decide that it was the prudent thing to do to shut the embassy, but we’re working very closely with the Yemeni authorities to address the threat that is out there. But, again, it just demonstrates that Al Qaida is determined to carry out these attacks and more determined to thwart those attacks.

MORAN: There’s a live threat, there’s an active threat?

BRENNAN: There is. Al Qaida has several hundred members, in fact, in Yemen, and they’ve grown in strength. That’s why, from the very first day of this administration, we’ve been focused on Yemen. I’ve traveled out to Yemen twice, talked with President Salih, in fact, just this past week. We’re continuing this dialogue. We’ve provided equipment, training. We’re cooperating very closely.

So this is something that we’ve known about for a while. We’re determined to destroy Al Qaida, whether it’s in Pakistan, Afghanistan or in Yemen, and we will get there.

MORAN: And there’s a report that the British and -- and the United States are now setting up a counterterrorism police force in Yemen. The efforts that you’ve described, counterterrorism police force, is this evidence that this is a new front? And does it require more American boots on the ground in Yemen?

BRENNAN: Well, we’ve been investing in Yemen for many, many months now, and we’re working very closely not just with the Yemenis, but with our international partners, with the British, with the Saudis, and others to make sure that we provide the Yemeni government the wherewithal to carry out this fight against Al Qaida.

So it’s not a new front. It’s one that we’ve known about. It’s one that we’ve been able to make tremendous, I think, progress and gains. Just this past month, we and the Yemenis were able to identify the location of some of these Al Qaida operatives and commanders and leaders, successful strikes that were carried out, and there are several of the Al Qaida members, operatives, and the senior leaders who are no longer with us today as a result of those actions.