Pentagon chief presses for end to Yemen war in meeting with Saudi prince
US Defense Secretary James Mattis called on Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to “accelerate” a peaceful end to the war in Yemen even as Mattis lobbies Congress not to terminate US support for Riyadh’s air campaign against the Houthis.
US Defense Secretary James Mattis today called on Saudi Arabia to “accelerate” the peace process in Yemen even as the Pentagon pushes to continue US refueling support for Riyadh’s bombing campaign against the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels.
During a 45-minute meeting with visiting Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the Pentagon, Mattis urged the Saudi leader to hasten peace talks that have taken on new life with last month's appointment of former British diplomat Martin Griffiths as the new UN envoy. Mattis called Riyadh “part of the solution” to the conflict Saudi Arabia entered in 2015, even as the mounting civilian death toll has stoked a backlash in Congress.
