World leaders at an international conference on Yemen in London on Wednesday said that terrorism in the country would have to be fought at its roots.

In a joint news conference after the meeting, the foreign ministers of Yemen, Britain and the US all said that a security crackdown alone would have little impact on the country.

"In tackling terrorism it is vital to tackle its root causes," said British Foreign Secretary David Milliband. "In Yemen's case these are manifold - economic, social, and political."

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that the situation was difficult for the government in Yemen but urged it to do more to improve the fortunes of its impoverished people and help steer people away from radicalization.

"We look to Yemen to enact reforms and continue to combat corruption and improve the country's investment and business climate," Clinton said.

In addition to the presence of al Qaeda, Yemen's president, Ali Abdullah Salleh, has also been fighting an internal Shiite insurgency, which appears to have died down after a truce offer from the insurgents this week.

Help, but not interference

Western and Persian Gulf donors plan to meet again in Riyadh on February 22 and 23 to discuss boosting foreign aid for the country as well as proposed improvements with Yemeni authorities.

A draft statement released shortly before the meeting affirmed Yemen's sovereignty and committed to non-interference in the country's internal affairs. The United States said it would continue to share anti-terror intelligence with the Arab state, a practice that both sides said was beneficial.

The conference was organized in the aftermath of a failed terrorist bombing of a transatlantic passenger jet on December 25. A Nigerian national, who had been trained by the Yemeni arm of al Qaeda, attempted to blow up a flight from Amsterdam to Detroit using explosives concealed in his underwear.

According to data from the World Bank, roughly 42 percent of Yemen's 23 million people live on less than two dollars per day. The country is also growing rapidly, with the population set to double in the next 20 years.

Wednesday's talks brought together the Group of Eight major world powers, Yemen's neighbors in the Gulf Cooperation Council, and Egypt, Jordan and Turkey.

msh/Reuters/AFP/dpa
Editor: Nancy Isenson