The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency doubts Yemen would be a tough ally of the U.S. in the fight on Al Qaeda at a time when the government is facing major challenges represented by the Houthi rebels in the far north and the secessionist movement in the south.

The announcement by CIA director Leon Panetta comes after the U.S. said it had raised its military and financial development to Yemen to fight Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and boost its ailing economy, which experts say is a main reason for extremism in the country.

The increase of the aid by the U.S. Defense and Foreign Offices followed the Christmas Day botched attack on a U.S.-bound passenger jetliner by a Nigerian man that was later claimed by Yemen-based Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.

On the would-be suicider Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab, Anwar Al Awlaki, an Al Qaeda member, has said he was one of his students.

In an interview with Al Jazeerah Satellite Channel, Al Awlaki said he had contact with Abdul Mutallab but denied that he gave him a fatwa to carry out the attempted Detroit attack.

On the other hand, Tomas Friedman, the well-know U.S. journalist, met on Wednesday with a number of Yemeni journalists telling them that Yemen can't overcome its challenges with foreign support unless Yemenis help themselves.

At least the Yemeni people should have their own view of their problems, he told 10 pressmen. Under the current situation in Yemen, no country can help Yemen but Yemen itself, he said.