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US: Ex-Obama administration officials want Congress to defund war in Yemen 

October 16, 2019 at 3:08 pm

Damaged buildings are seen after the Saudi-led military coalition carried out air strikes in Sanaa, Yemen on 16 May 2019 [Mohammed Hamoud/Anadolu Agency]

A group of former high-ranking national security officials who served in the Obama administration are calling on Congress to defund the war effort in Yemen.

It was the same administration that pushed policies that led to the US supporting the Saudi-led coalition that began in March 2015.

In an open letter to Democratic leaders, the group which includes former national security adviser, Susan Rice, former US Ambassador to the UN, Samantha Power, and former deputy national security adviser, Ben Rhodes, along with other high profile signatories from academia, NGOs and the entertainment industry have requested that Congress “terminate unauthorized U.S. participation in the Saudi-led military campaign against Yemen’s Houthis”.

READ: UNICEF: 92% of babies in Yemen are underweight at birth 

“The ongoing conflict between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthis threatens fresh U.S. military action in the region,” they wrote. “President Trump recently signaled that the United States is ‘locked and loaded’ for possible intervention at the behest of Saudi Arabia, deployed US troops to the Saudi kingdom, and escalated military tensions with Iran. In addition to making a war with Iran more likely, the conflict in Yemen is also imperiling tens of millions of the most vulnerable people on earth through disease, starvation and violence.”

On 13 March, the Senate passed Senate Resolution 7 (SR7) to officially end American support for Saudi military operations in Yemen, however this rare display of bipartisanship was vetoed by President Donald Trump in April contrary to the political will of the American public.

It is therefore argued that the only way to end the US involvement in Yemen is by defunding the effort with an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act.

READ: Bernie Sanders rages against US spending ‘trillions of dollars’ bailing out Saudis

According to Congressman Rohit Khanna, who sponsored the amendment to defund hostilities in Yemen: “No President should ever be allowed to declare war without first seeking congressional authorization.”

“This amendment must be kept in the final defense bill to bring about an end to the war. President Trump was elected on the promise of putting a stop to our endless wars: It’s time he follow through on that pledge.”

Also welcoming the call was independent 2020 Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders who led the passing of the War Powers Resolution to end the war in Yemen, said “Congress must now stand up to this president and block every nickel of taxpayer money from going to this unconstitutional war. By ending this conflict, Congress has a chance to not only alleviate the suffering of millions of Yemenis, but ensure that America is never again embroiled in another unconstitutional war.”