yemen Worries grow in US over Saudi campaign

Associated Press

WASHINGTON

The Obama administration is growing increasingly wary about the Saudi-led military intervention in Yemen and how to restore peace to a country wracked by sectarian divisions, endemic poverty and the al-Qaida offshoot posing the greatest threat to the American homeland.

Amid rising concerns about the civilian death toll from the monthlong bombing campaign, which the U.S. initially backed, new fears have arisen that arms supplied to pro-government forces by the Saudis and their coalition partners may fall into the hands of terrorists.

U.S. officials said Friday that Secretary of State John Kerry may visit Saudi Arabia next week to discuss the issues and explore new strategies to end the violence and jump-start mediation efforts between Iran-backed Houthi rebels and the internationally recognized government of exiled President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi.

Kerry had planned to extend his current trip to Sri Lanka and Africa with a stop in Israel, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government was formed in time, but likely will re-route to Riyadh instead, the officials said. The visit to Israel would have come at a time of tension between the two longtime allies over negotiations with Iran on its nuclear program.

The Arab bombing campaign began a month ago after the Iran-backed Houthis took over the capital of Sanaa and then chased the Western- and Saudi-backed Hadi into exile. The Shiite rebels and their allies made major advances this week in Aden, Yemen’s second largest city, casting doubts on the effectiveness of the Saudi-led mission.