Daily US Times: Joe Biden’s administration is to end its support for offensive operations by its allies in Yemen, the country that has been devastated by a six-year war in which more than 110,000 people are believed to have died.
In his first major foreign policy speech, President Biden said: “The war in Yemen must end.”
Under the last two former administrations, the US backed a coalition led by Saudi Arabia against Houthi rebels in Yemen.
The conflict in Yemen has left millions of Yemenis on the brink of starvation.
Fighting began in the country 2014 between a weak Yemeni government and the Houthi rebel movement. A year later it escalated when Saudi Arabia and eight other Arab states – backed by the UK, the US and France – began air strikes against the Houthis.
President Joe Biden announced other changes to US foreign policy, such as a reversal of the decision to withdraw American troops from Germany, where they have been stationed since the end of World War Two and a significant increase in the number of refugees accepted by the US.
Biden’s speech marks a sharp break with the policies of former President Donald Trump.
The United States has been backing the Yemeni government and its Saudi-led allies in their war against the Houthis.
As a result of Thursday’s announcement, the US will stop supporting offensive operations in Yemen, including the sale of precision-guided munitions to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
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