US House approves full American withdrawal from Yemen

In an unprecedented move, the US House of Representatives approved on Wednesday a resolution halting the US role in Yemen and directly challenging President Donald Trump’s military leadership.

Eighteen Republicans joined 235 Democrats in the House late on Wednesday in voting a bill under the War Powers Act that effectively puts an end to US military role in Yemen. The bill, endorsed by 248 out of 425 representatives, marks the first time Congress seeks to block a President’s unchecked military powers. The Senate is expected to vote in the coming weeks, where the resolution may pass by a narrow margin. A parallel resolution was passed by the Senate late last year in a 56-to-41 vote.

If the resolution is not vetoed, it would effectively put an end to US military role in Yemen. While there are no official numbers, the US is known to have troops on the ground in the war-torn country, mainly to fight Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). US troops have carried joint operations with the UAE against the extremist group. But the resolution dubbed as "Directing the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities in the Republic of Yemen", was amended to exempt forces fighting AQAP from leaving.

Read the full article and more in The National.