Facing Mounting Pressure, Trump Administration to End Mid-Air Refuelings in Yemen War
(Photo: Felton Davis)
Washington, D.C. — November 9, 2018 — In response to reports that the Trump administration is ending U.S. refueling of Saudi coalition aircraft participating in the war in Yemen, Kevin Martin, President of Peace Action, released the following statement:
“If confirmed, this change represents the single greatest step to date to curtail U.S. military support to Saudi Arabia since the U.S. began supporting the catastrophic Saudi-led intervention in Yemen. While this is big step in the right direction, the fact that it came as Congress looks increasingly likely to pass legislation that would force the administration to end U.S. support for the war is telling.
“This policy shift by the administration was clearly a response to mounting pressure from Congress, the media, and the American people to end our role in the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. It wouldn’t have happened without thousands of grassroots activists speaking out, without congressional champions of the cause like Representatives Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Ted Lieu (D-CA), and Senators Chris Murphy (D-CT), Mike Lee (R-UT) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT) pressuring the administration, and without the media holding the administration accountable for its role in Yemen’s suffering.
“This is an important step, but it is not the end of the struggle to end U.S. support for the war and to end the war itself. Congress must pass the Yemen war powers resolutions to bind the administration to this policy shift, to end other forms of U.S. support for the war, and to reclaim its constitutional authority on the question of war. This war was illegal from the start, and it’s time for Congress to stand up and say so. The administration also needs to pressure Saudi Arabia to stop its assault on Hodeidah, which could push millions more to the brink of famine, and to negotiate in good faith to reach a political solution.”
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Founded in 1957, Peace Action (formerly SANE/Freeze), the United States’ largest peace and disarmament organization, with over 100,000 paid members and nearly 100 chapters in 36 states, works to abolish nuclear weapons, promote government spending priorities that support human needs, encourage real security through international cooperation and human rights and support nonmilitary solutions to international conflicts. The public may learn more and take action at www.PeaceAction.org.
