美国国家公共电台 NPR As Yemen's War Worsens, Questions Grow About The U.S. Role

As Yemen's War Worsens, Questions Grow About The U.S. Role 

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There were devastating 2 photos coming out of Yemen this weekend - men, women and children killed in airstrikes on a funeral. More than 140 people died. That's increased pressure on the Obama administration to stop assisting the Saudi-led military campaign.

That campaign is blamed for the attack. It's part of a war against Yemeni rebels in which the U.N. says more than 10,000 people have died. NPR's Jackie Northam has more.

JACKIE NORTHAM, BYLINE 3: Saturday's devastating airstrike was on a funeral in Yemen's capital city of Sana'a, where hundreds of mourners, including children, were gathered. It was the deadliest attack in Yemen since the Saudi-led air campaign began a year and a half ago to drive out Houthi rebels that have taken over the capital.

CHRIS MURPHY: This should be what finally prompts us to get out of this civil war, which is simply - it has nothing to do with U.S. national security interests.

NORTHAM: Democratic Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut tells NPR the U.S. is increasingly embroiled 4 in Yemen's civil war and has become an indispensable partner to Saudi Arabia in its bombing campaign there.

MURPHY: The United States provides the bombs. We provide the refueling planes in mid-air. We provide the intel. I think it's safe to say that this bombing campaign in Yemen could not happen without the United States.

NORTHAM: The White House quickly denounced the attack on the funeral. It warned the U.S. security cooperation with Saudi Arabia is not a blank check and is reconsidering its support. State Department spokesman John Kirby...

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

JOHN KIRBY: In light of the attack over the weekend, with the scrutiny 5 that that attack legitimately 6 calls for, we are going to undertake additional reviews of aid and assistance that goes to Saudi Arabia.

NORTHAM: Kirby says the Obama administration is not at this point certain that the attack over the weekend wasn't deliberate and that it's concerned about the increasing number of civilian 7 casualties in Yemen caused by U.S.-made weapons. Kirby again...

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

KIRBY: We have been nothing but candid 8 and forthright 9 with the Saudis about our concerns over civilian casualties and collateral 10 damage and our concerns about lack of precision in the conduct of some of these strikes.

NORTHAM: Saudi Arabia initially 11 denied its coalition 12 jets were behind the deadly airstrike, then announced it would launch an investigation 13 of its own coalition into what it called a regrettable and painful bombing. Jackie Northam, NPR News, Washington.