ecretary of State Mike Pompeo backed continued U.S. military support for Saudi Arabias war in Yemen over the objections of staff members after being warned that a cutoff could jeopardize $2 billion in weapons sales to Americas Gulf allies, according to a classified memo and people familiar with the decision.
The move has fueled rising outrage in Congress, where a bipartisan group of lawmakers is trying to cut off American military aid for Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in their three-year-old war against Iran-backed fighters in Yemen. More than 16,700 civilians have been killed or injured in Yemen, according to the United Nations, which says the Gulf nation is home to the worlds worst humanitarian crisis. The U.S. is backing the Gulf allies in Yemen, where the Trump administration is working to contain Irans allies and al Qaeda militants.
Mr. Pompeo overruled concerns from most of the State Department specialists involved in the debate who were worried about the rising civilian death toll in Yemen. Those who objected included specialists in the region and in military affairs. He sided with his legislative affairs team after they argued that suspending support could undercut plans to sell more than 120,000 precision-guided missiles to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, according to a classified State Department memo and people familiar with the debate.
State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said she wouldnt comment on the deliberative process or allegedly leaked documents.
But she made it clear that the U.S. wants its Gulf allies to do more to address continued American concern about the protracted conflict in Yemen that has pushed millions to the brink of famine and morphed into a proxy war where Houthi fighters have used Iran-made missiles to target neighboring Saudi Arabia.
While our Saudi and Emirati partners are making progress, we are continuing discussions with them on additional steps they can take to address the humanitarian situation, advance the political track in cooperation with the U.N. Special Envoys efforts, and ensure that their military campaign complies with the law of armed conflict and international humanitarian law, she said.
The U.S. currently provides the Saudi-led coalition with modest military support, including weapons sales and aerial refueling of jet fighters carrying out airstrikes in Yemen.
The U.S. also provides military training meant to help minimize civilian deaths, and some battlefield intelligence, but the American support has had a negligible impact on reducing civilian casualties. A recent U.N. report found that the Saudi-led coalition airstrikes were responsible for most of the 16,700 civilians killed or injured in Yemen over the past three years.
Concerns in Washington were amplified last month when an errant Saudi airstrike hit a school bus, killing more than 40 Yemeni children on a field trip. Human rights researchers and reporters who visited the scene of the bombing said the missile used in the strike was American made, raising new alarms about U.S. support.
Earlier this month, Mr. Pompeo asked his regional experts for advice on a new requirement imposed by Congress that compels the U.S. to cut off refueling operations unless the State Department officially certifies every six months that Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E. are doing enough to minimize civilian casualties in Yemen. The law includes a provision that allows the U.S. to keep providing the support on national security grounds if the State Department determines that it helps protect America.
Most of the State Departments military and area specialists urged Mr. Pompeo in the memo to reject certification due to a lack of progress on mitigating civilian casualties.