House of Representatives: No Authorization Issued Regarding U.S. Involvement in Yemen Battles

A large majority of members of the U.S. House of Representatives, during a non-binding vote on Yemen, condemned the targeting of civilians during the battles and emphasized the "necessity of achieving a political solution," stating that no specific authorization has been issued regarding U.S. involvement in the conflicts. 366 members of the House of Representatives (against 30 opposing votes) called on all parties in the Yemen battles to "increase efforts to take necessary actions to prevent civilian casualties." Four Democratic and Republican representatives led bipartisan efforts in the House to conduct a vote on the Yemen crisis, which, according to U.S. media reports, aimed primarily to end U.S. involvement in the coalition attacks led by Saudi Arabia against Houthi rebels in Yemen. The Hill website states that the resolution ultimately voted on stemmed from agreements between the two main parties after consultations with leaders of both parties, the Foreign Affairs Committee, and the Rules Committee. Besides calls to end violence and encourage governments to send humanitarian aid, the resolution emphasized that the U.S. Congress has not issued any specific authorization regarding U.S. military actions in Yemen, except for those related to war authorizations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Ro Khanna, a House member, stated that this resolution clearly indicates that we cannot assist in any of the battles that the Saudi government is conducting against the Houthi government, and we must limit all our interventions to battles against al-Qaeda and terrorists that are considered threats to the United States. Ed Royce, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, stated that the U.S. military is not practically involved in the battles. Royce said that while we provide logistical support to our Saudi allies in the region, U.S. military forces are not involved in the conflict against Houthi forces in Yemen. The House of Representatives also passed an amendment to U.S. defense policies last July that could prevent the payment of costs for U.S. armed forces members participating in the Yemen battles. Politico states that although this vote is largely symbolic, it is considered a "key victory" for those members of both the Republican and Democratic parties who believe Congress should authorize U.S. military operations outside its territory. Politico notes that the bipartisan vote on the non-binding resolution on Monday night also reflects increasing dissatisfaction among both major parties regarding the unexamined increase in U.S. military interventions in recent years. The Houthi rebels, supported by Iranian officials, seized the presidential palace in Sana'a in January 2015. As a result of their uprising and that of their allies among the supporters of Ali Abdullah Saleh, the former president of Yemen, Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, the current president of Yemen, was forced to leave Sana'a, go to Aden, and then to Saudi Arabia. In the spring of 2015, Saudi Arabia formed a coalition and entered the Yemen battles to restore power to Hadi. At that time, the U.S. government led by Barack Obama announced it would support the coalition forces led by Riyadh. However, following an airstrike in October 2016 on a mourning ceremony that left dozens dead, the U.S. announced that this support would be reviewed. With Donald Trump's victory in the U.S. presidential election, the alliance among countries opposing Iran's policies in the region, led by Saudi Arabia and Israel, and Washington entered a new phase. The U.S. and several of its allies in West Asia consider the Iranian government the main cause of instability in the Middle East. For instance, after an unsuccessful missile launch from Yemen to Riyadh airport, both Saudi Arabia and the United States pointed the finger at Iran. Iran has denied involvement in the missile launch. The Houthi rebels have also denied receiving missiles from Iran. According to human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, civilian deaths in the Yemen battles during airstrikes by the Saudi-led coalition and counterattacks by the Houthis and their opponents provide evidence of "war crimes". International organizations have accused the Houthis of recruiting children for combat and guarding operations. The United Nations has also accused the Saudi-led coalition of blocking the transfer of aid shipments to Yemen on various occasions. This international body states that since the Saudi-led coalition entered the Yemen battles, at least ten thousand people have lost their lives. Yemen is currently on the brink of experiencing one of the largest outbreaks of cholera in contemporary history. The United Nations states that the continuation of the blockade of the country will confront Yemen with the largest famine in the world.