Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was wrong to certify that Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are making efforts to protect civilians during military operations in Yemen and the United States must cease backing the Saudi-led coalition's "genocidal war" in that country, US Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard said in a statement on Friday.
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 14th September, 2018) Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was wrong to certify that Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are making efforts to protect civilians during military operations in Yemen and the United States must cease backing the Saudi-led coalition's "genocidal war" in that country, US Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard said in a statement on Friday.
"Despite Saudi Arabia's genocidal war in Yemen, killing thousands of civilians - bombing wedding parties and children in a school bus - Secretary Pompeo still certified that the Saudi-led coalition is taking steps to reduce the risk of harm to civilians," Gabbard said.
On Wednesday, Pompeo said the United States has certified that Saudi Arabia and UAE have made serious steps to ensure that civilians in Yemen are not harmed by their military operations in the country.
Gabbard noted that the United States has been saying this for years to justify their blind support for Saudi Arabia's atrocities in Yemen and urged Washington to immediately end its support.
Pompeo's decision to issue the certification ensures the United States can continue providing support to the Saudi-led coalition. Without the certification, newly passed legislation would have prevented US forces from refueling or otherwise assisting Saudi and UAE aircraft involved in military operations in Yemen.
Yemen has been engulfed in an armed conflict between the government headed by Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi and the Houthi movement, also known as Ansar Allah. The Saudi-led coalition of mostly Persian Gulf nations has been carrying out strikes against the Houthis at Hadi's request since March 2015.
