Bipartisan Group of Senators Objects To Yemen Raid

A group of both Republican and Democratic Senators is demanding a briefing on a U.S. raid previously conducted in Yemen that left multiple people dead, including a Navy SEAL.

Republican senators Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Mike Lee (R-Ut.), as well as Democratic senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Al Franken (D-Mn.) cooperated in drafting a request for a briefing, voicing their concerns about “our actions and objectives” in Yemen, according to Politico.

“We write today with serious concerns about U.S. policy in Yemen and to urgently request a classified briefing regarding our actions and objectives there,” read a letter collectively written by the Senators to Defense Secretary James Mattis, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, and acting Director of National Intelligence Michael Dempsey.

“Events of the last two weeks underscore the complexity and the risks of our involvement in Yemen, and we believe a detailed report to Congress from the Department of Defense, Department of State, and the Intelligence Community about the U.S. policy there is necessary,” reads the letter.

The American-led raid allegedly targeted al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) operatives who were growing in number due to a power vacuum brought on by the civil war in Saudi Arabia.

The raid marked the very first military operation ordered by President Donald Trump, a move which has since drawn growing criticism. Trump has expressed that any critic of the move is also effectively dishonoring the Navy SEAL who was killed in the raid.

Paul, Lee, Murphy, and Franken have each previously voiced criticism for U.S. foreign policy in Yemen, according to The Hill.

Part of that resistance came during a futile move to prevent a U.S. arms sale to Saudi Arabia as part of the American role in the Saudi-led campaign in the country’s civil war.

The raid reportedly sparked fury in the minds of many Yemeni who were privy to pictures of Yemeni children killed in the raid.

“Our counterterrorism mission against AQAP must remain a top priority, which is why reports that the Yemeni foreign minister has called for a ‘reassessment ‘ of U.S. counterterrorism operations following the recent raid are troubling,” read the senators’ letter.

Sources: Politico, The Hill/Photo Credit: Jamelle Bouie/Flickr