White House: U.S. has 'succeeded' in Yemen, as President Hadi flees country

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http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/white-house-u.s.-has-succeeded-in-yemen-as-president-hadi-flees-country/article/2562026

A White House spokesman said American efforts in Yemen are a "template that has succeeded," even as President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi was forced to flee the country by boat.

White House press secretary Josh Earnest on Wednesday said that the U.S. still had Yemeni extremists in its crosshairs.

According to media reports, Hadi fled the presidential palace in Yemen as rebels attempted an armed takeover of the city of Aden.

Earnest told reporters that U.S. officials were not aware of Hadi's destination but insisted that American officials still had a level of control over the chaotic situation.

"We have the ability to continue to apply pressure on the extremists," Earnest told reporters. "They are still in the crosshairs of U.S. security forces."

The turmoil in Yemen is particularly problematic for the White House, as President Obama has repeatedly cited the country as a model for his counterterrorism strategy.