Saudi intervention in Yemen undermines U.S. interests and values

November 28, 2018

Vital U.S. interests in the Middle East are narrow

  1. Preventing significant, long-term disruptions to the global oil supply

  2. Eliminating anti-American terrorists with the capability and intent to attack the U.S.

Washington’s support of the Saudi-UAE-led coalition’s military campaign undermines U.S. interests

  • Prolonging Yemen’s civil war strengthens Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)

  • Increases resentment directed at the U.S. without a justifying security benefit

  • Undermines U.S. moral authority and reputation as an exemplar of liberal values

  • Allows relatively minimal Iranian support to Houthis in Yemen to bog down Gulf countries

  • Enhances Iran's influence in Yemen far beyond any plausible post-conflict scenario

The Trump administration is right to press for an overdue settlement to the war in Yemen

  • Ending U.S. military support for the coalition encourages Saudi Arabia to settle

  • End military support for the Saudi-led coalition’s offensive missions in Yemen: refueling (announced end in November 2018), targeting assistance, operational intelligence, arms, and any other activities which enable the coalition

  • Support U.N.-led peace talks by pushing Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and their allies to settle with the Houthis

  • The U.S. cannot produce a political settlement between native Yemeni parties, but ending outside intervention and assistance will encourage one

U.S. strategic interests should guide arms sales

  • Arms sales decisions should be guided by our strategic interests, not merely our economic interests

  • The U.S. should not necessarily end all arms sales to Saudi Arabia

  • As with other nations that are not hostile to the U.S., it is appropriate to allow the sale of weapons that enable Saudi Arabia to defend itself, such as missile defenses

  • Restrict arms sales that enable the Saudi-UAE-led coalition's ongoing prosecution of its war in Yemen because that war undermines U.S. interests

External intervention by regional powers—including Iran and Saudi Arabia—has inflamed Yemen’s civil war

  • Worsens humanitarian disaster initiated by the civil war

  • Exposes civilians to airstrikes and other harms

  • No political-military victory over the Houthis and associated forces is imminent

  • No achievable security or prosperity gains in Yemen justify the costs associated with U.S. involvement—U.S. military support for the Saudi-UAE coalition should end