US Lawmakers Urge Obama to Protect Civilians in Yemen
Althawra Net ..
October 15th, more than a dozen Democrats have expressed “dismay” over Saudi-led airstrikes that have killed hundreds of civilians
a group of U.S. lawmakers said in a letter sent to President Barack Obama on Wednesday that the U.S. government should use its influence over the Saudi Arabia-led coalition that is bombing Yemen to protect civilians and promote a peaceful resolution to the conflict
“We write to express our dismay over recent reports that airstrikes conducted by the Saudi Arabia-led coalition struck yet another wedding reception,” wrote the lawmakers, who all hail from the president’s own Democratic Party
The U.S. government has been providing both weapons and intelligence information to the coalition, which includes Bahrain, Jordan and other U.S. allies, “with this level of active involvement in the campaign, we are concerned that some overseas may hold the United States responsible for any civilian casualties resulting from the bombing,” the lawmakers wrote. “In order to protect innocent lives and reduce the potential for backlash against U.S. interests, we urge your administration to work with our Saudi partners to limit civilian casualties to the fullest extent possible”
The letter was signed by 13 of the most liberal members of the U.S. Congress, including Barbara Lee, Maxine Waters, James McGovern, John Conyers and Keith Ellison
