Congress Made a Move, but it's not Enough

Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to learn about the Civil War in Yemen. I appreciate you all supporting the cause to stop the crisis in Yemen. We have come far, but more needs to be done.

On April 4, 2019, Congress passed a bill to stop the United States from providing military support to Saudi Arabia. This is when wording is very important. According to congress.gov, "Prohibited activities include providing in-flight fueling for non-U.S. aircraft conducting missions as part of the conflict in Yemen. This joint resolution shall not affect any military operations directed at Al Qaeda."

Congress has prohibited the U.S. from providing fuel to Saudi Arabia as it pertains to the conflict in Yemen, yet opened the door for U.S. troops to continue to work with Saudi Arabia in Yemen to combat terrorist groups. The key word in this bill is fuel. Fuel doesn't account for the bombs or missiles that the United States supplies Saudi Arabia. Additionally, I don't like to say this but any small militia can be claimed a terrorist group. In Yemen, terrorist groups do in fact exist, however, there are also many citizens who have taken sides in the war who are fighting, like the Houthis. 

So long as Saudi Arabia keeps engaging with the Houthis, this bill allows for the United States to keep negotiating business. The bill is not specific enough nor is it strict enough.

We need to inform more people about this problem. We need to push Congress to be more direct and concrete so that it is clear that the United States will no longer be involved in this man-made crisis. This could mean threatening to stop any trade between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia until Saudi Arabia backs away from the conflict. Please, encourage family and friends to join the cause.

Link to bill passed by Congress: https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-joint-resolution/7