FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 4, 2021
CONTACT: Sean Vitka, sean@demandprogress.org
WASHINGTON—Today, national security adviser Jake Sullivan announced that the Biden administration would end US support for the Saudi/UAE-led war in Yemen.
The following statement may be attributed to David Segal, executive director and co-founder of Demand Progress:
"This is a key step toward improving the humanitarian catastrophe in Yemen, a crisis the United States stoked by figuratively and literally fueling the Saudi war machine. Tens of thousands of Yemeni civilians have now died, while millions more are on the brink of famine. Today's announcement puts much-needed pressure on Saudi Arabia to end this deadly campaign.“The Biden administration's decision to stop US support for 'offensive operations' by Saudi Arabia is critically important. However, we must learn more about how 'offensive operations' are defined -and ensure that Biden's plans entail ending targeting support, spare parts transfers, and other logistical support, both known and unknown to the general public.
“Further, the administration should show today's announcement carries serious weight by immediately cancelling the pending arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, both of which have proven they cannot be entrusted with billions of dollars of advanced US weaponry."
Demand Progress's members have fought US participation in this humanitarian crisis by sending over 250,000 emails and making tens of thousands of calls to Congress in recent years. Demand Progress has also worked to support and pass through the House and Senate War Powers Resolutions that would prohibit US participation in the Saudi starvation campaign and affirm Congress's authority over matters of war and peace — efforts that we and our members will continue.
These recent assertions of Congress's authority to declare war have already played a critical role putting pressure behind a negotiated settlement, including by pushing the Trump administration to end in-flight refueling of Saudi planes and setting the stage for a reset by the Biden administration.
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