FROM EIR DAILY ALERT

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Mattis and Pompeo Statements Call on Saudis To End Yemen War Now

Oct. 31, 2018 (EIRNS)—Yesterday, U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo both issued statements calling for the war in Yemen to be brought to a speedy end. In a statement posted by the State Department, Pompeo urged all parties in the conflict “to support UN Special Envoy Martin Griffiths in finding a peaceful solution to the conflict in Yemen based on the agreed references.” He said missile and drone strikes by the Houthi rebels against Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates should stop, and the Saudi-led coalition must cease air strikes in all populated areas of Yemen. “A cessation of hostilities and vigorous resumption of a political track will help ease the humanitarian crisis as well,” he said. “It is time to end this conflict, replace conflict with compromise, and allow the Yemeni people to heal through peace and reconstruction.”

Mattis, during remarks at the U.S. Institute of Peace in Washington, D.C., specifically laid down a 30-day deadline for ending the war. He said the U.S. had been watching the conflict “for long enough” and said he believes Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, are ready for talks. “We have got to move toward a peace effort here, and we can’t say we are going to do it sometime in the future,” Mattis went on. “We need to be doing this in the next 30 days.” He said the U.S. is calling for all warring parties to meet with Griffiths in Sweden in November and “come to a solution.”