{"id":66023,"date":"2018-03-20T21:47:41","date_gmt":"2018-03-20T21:47:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2018\/03\/20\/senate-kills-resolution-to-end-us-role-in-yemeni-civil-war\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T12:26:37","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T12:26:37","slug":"senate-kills-resolution-to-end-us-role-in-yemeni-civil-war","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/flashpoints\/2018\/03\/20\/senate-kills-resolution-to-end-us-role-in-yemeni-civil-war\/","title":{"rendered":"Senate kills resolution to end US role in Yemeni civil war"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The U.S. Senate voted Tuesday to kill a bipartisan resolution to remove U.S. forces from the conflict in Yemen<\/a> between a Saudi-led coalition<\/a> and Houthi<\/a> rebels, heeding Defense Secretary Jim Mattis<\/a>\u2019 warnings to drop the issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Chris Murphy, D-Conn., introduced the joint resolution<\/a> to overrule the president\u2019s deployment of forces using the War Powers Act<\/a>. But the resolution was defeated on Tuesday afternoon by a vote of 55 to 44.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., introduced the motion to table the resolution, which would have brought a \u201cWild West debate\u201d onto the Senate floor, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Corker instead argued that a new bill should be brought up through committee hearings where it can be \u201camended and dealt with in a more methodical and appropriate way.\u201c<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Corker seemed to be siding with Mattis, who earlier this month sent a letter stating flatly that the Defense Department \u201copposes this proposed resolution.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, \u201cI welcome discussion of the situation in Yemen,\u201d Mattis wrote. \u201c[The] DoD shares your concern about the harm to Yemeni civilians<\/a> and infrastructure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the invitation for dialogue, Mattis cautioned abandoning the conflict altogether, writing that such action \u201ccould increase civilian casualties, jeopardize cooperation with our partners on counter-terrorism, and reduce our influence with the Saudis \u2014 all of which would further exacerbate the situation and humanitarian crisis.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis meets with Saudi Arabia\u2019s King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, April 19, 2017. (DOD photo by U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Brigitte N. Brantley)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The United States\u2019 role in Yemen<\/b><\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On one side of the Yemeni civil war are the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels<\/a>, originally aligned with the ousted \u2014 and now deceased \u2014 former President Ali Abdullah Saleh<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other side is a Saudi-led coalition backing President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thrown into the mix are factions like al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and the Islamic State, each vying for a slice of the fractured country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since 2015, U.S. military support to the Saudi-led coalition has stuck to a non-combat role, according to Air Force Capt. AnnMarie Annicelli, a spokeswoman for Air Forces Central Command<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn 2017, AFCENT deployed liaisons to Saudi Arabia to share best practices with the [Royal Saudi Air Force] and advise on how to mitigate civilian casualties by improving their planning, targeting and execution of air operations,\u201d Annicelli said.<\/p>\n\n\n\t