PRESS RELEASE
House Votes Up Non-Binding Resolution on Yemen
Nov. 14, 2017 (EIRNS)—Yesterday, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 366-33 to approve a non binding resolution that denounces the targeting of civilian populations in Yemen, and calls on all parties involved to "increase efforts to adopt all necessary and appropriate measures to prevent civilian casualties and increase humanitarian access," reported The Hill.
This is a non binding version of the privileged resolution that a group of House members—Representatives Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Walter Jones (R-N.C.)—tried to push to actually end U.S. military support of Saudi Arabia in its war on Yemen. That resolution was blocked by the House leadership, ostensibly on the argument that U.S. military backing of the Saudis did not rise to the level of the War Powers Act and therefore the resolution could not be privileged.
The approved resolution also notes that there is no legal authorization for U.S. military force to be used against anyone in Yemen beyond those groups already subject to Congressional authorization, that is, Al Qaeda and similar groups.
"This resolution makes abundantly clear that we cannot be assisting the Saudi regime in any of its fight with the Houthi regime. And we have to limit our involvement in Yemen to take on al-Qaeda and to take on the terrorists that threaten the United States,"
Khanna said during House floor debate. Khanna pointed out that "In many cases, the Saudis have aligned with Al Qaeda to fight the Houthis, undermining our very counterterrorism operations."
