Trump vetoes congressional resolution on Saudi-led war in Yemen

TEHRAN (defapress) –US President Donald Trump in a letter to the Senate said he is rejecting a measure passed by Congress to end US involvement in the Saudi-led war in Yemen.

News ID: 76865

Date: 17 April 2019 - 12:43

On April 5, the US House of Representatives passed the Yemen war resolution by a 247-175 vote after it was approved by the Senate by a 54-46 vote in March. The joint resolution calls for ending US support for the Saudi-led coalition in the Yemeni conflict.

"I am returning herewith without my approval S.J. Res. 7, a joint resolution that purports to direct the President to remove United States Armed Forces from hostilities in or affecting the Republic of Yemen," Trump said on Tuesday. "This resolution is an unnecessary, dangerous attempt to weaken my constitutional authorities, endangering the lives of American citizens and brave service members, both today and in the future."

Trump in the letter said there are many reasons the United States must continue supporting the Saudi-led coalition’s war in Yemen, including that it represented a "cheap" way for Iran to cause trouble for the United States and its ally Saudi Arabia.

The measure, the president added, would curtail certain forms of military support that would harm US bilateral relationships and negatively impact the ongoing battle against terrorist organizations in the region including al-Qaeda and the ISIL.

Trump urged Congress to focus efforts on helping the administration in ending US involvement in Syria and Afghanistan.

Since 2015, the United States has provided members of the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen with military assistance such as intelligence sharing, logistics support and, until recently, aerial refueling.

Saudi -lead war against Yemeni people since 2015  has claimed over 7,000 lives, while over 20 million people including women and children are currently in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the United Nations.

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