Yemen's Saleh takes oath, vows to fight terrorism

SANAA, Sep 27 (Reuters) President Ali Abdullah Saleh vowed today to pursue Yemen's battle against al Qaeda and other militants, after being sworn in for a second presidential term.

''Yemen will continue its fight against terrorism,'' Saleh told parliament after taking the oath for another seven-year term.

Yemen, the ancestral home of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, has cracked down on militants. It cooperated with Washington after the September. 11 attacks and al Qaeda attacks at home, including the bombing of a US warship in 2000.

Saleh, who won 77.2 percent of the vote last week, said he would also crack down on corruption, which is rife in the impoverished Arab state.

Opposition politicians acknowledged yesterday Saleh's re-election, dropping their accusations of vote-rigging and threats of protests.

Saleh, a military officer who enjoys near absolute power and has ruled Yemen since its unification in 1990, ran against four other candidates in last week's polls, including a candidate for an opposition coalition.

REUTERS AB RK2000