US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis sent a memo to US National Security Adviser Herbert McMaster calling for provisions of "limited support" to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for their engagement in the Yemeni conflict, The Washington Post reported Sunday, citing officials in the administration.
According to the news outlet, the Obama administration initially supported the Saudi-led coalition by selling weapons and providing fuel to its aircraft, however Washington had distanced itself from direct assistance by introducing several restrictions on arms deliveries and support of operations against the Houthi-controlled port of Al Hudaydah, following reports of the coalition's pilots' airstrikes against civilian infrastructure.
The warfare in Yemen between the internationally recognized government of President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi and the Houthis, who are backed by army troops loyal to the country's former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, has been ongoing since 2014. In 2015, the Saudi-led coalition started carrying out airstrikes against the Houthis at Hadi's request.
