Kerry meets Saudi king to discuss Syria before Vienna talks

[mia]

Source: Reuters

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry met Saudi Arabia's King Salman in Jeddah on Sunday to discuss the fragile truce in Syria, before broader talks with Russia, Iran and other countries in Vienna on Tuesday.

Kerry has said he hopes to strengthen a "cessation of hostilities" agreement between Syrian government forces and rebels, which has been undermined by fighting in some areas, and to increase humanitarian aid deliveries to besieged areas.

On Friday, he said the meetings with the king and the Saudi interior and defense ministers - the two most senior princes - would try "to make sure that we can get this cessation better footed and, frankly, better observed and implemented throughout the country."

The United States, Saudi Arabia and some other Western and Gulf states plus Turkey back rebels fighting to remove President Bashar al-Assad, who has military support from Russia and Iran....

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-kerry-idUSKCN0Y60BC

[ViseGrip]

1. Could you please take the time to explain the new 200 combat troops in Yemen on Thursday?

[YvonneCa]

3. Here's a more in depth...

...article. Don't know if it helps.

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/kerry-saudi-talks-syria-libya-yemen-39123293

[mia]

4. Yemen’s southern coast is now under the control of US troops,

http://www.iran-daily.com/News/150961.html

The United States military has deployed more than 200 US Marines in the port city of Mukalla in the central province of Hadramout, Yemeni media say.

The forces were deployed in the important seaport and oil terminal on Saturday, Yemen's Arabic-language al-Masirah news website reported.

The amphibious assault ship USS Boxer with more than 1,200 sailors and Marines as well as a group of vessels aboard were also stationed offshore in the Gulf of Aden.

Yemen’s southern coast is now under the control of US troops, who are deployed to the region under the pretext of battling al-Qaeda militants....

[yurbud]

2. every mention of Saudi government should be followed by "sponsors of 9/11 attacks"

just to be clear.