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UN-brokered talks needed to solve Yemen crisis, says Mattis

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RIYADH: A political solution through UN-brokered negotiations is needed to resolve the conflict in Yemen, US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis said on Tuesday as he made his first trip in the role to Saudi Arabia.


At the same time, officials have said the United States is considering deepening its role in the Yemen conflict by more directly aiding its Gulf allies, who are fighting the rebels.


At least 10,000 people have been killed and more than 3 million displaced in the war, now in its third year. Millions of people are also struggling to feed themselves.


The Ansarullah controls the capital Sanaa and large swathes of territory.


The United States backs the Saudi-led coalition which is trying to restore the Aden-based government of Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi to power, including through a devastating aerial bombing campaign.


“It has gone on for a long time, we see foreign supplied missiles being fired by the Ansarullah into Saudi Arabia and this is something, with the number of innocent people dying inside Yemen, it has simply got to be brought to an end,” Mattis told reporters on his way to Riyadh.


Seven ceasefires brokered between government and rebel forces by the United Nations have failed while UN-backed peace talks have repeatedly broken down.


“We will work with our allies, with our partners to try to get it to the UN-brokered negotiating table,” Mattis said. He gave no details on what additional support, if any, the United States would provide to the Saudi-led coalition. But he said he was looking to deepen and broaden the relationship between the two countries on the trip.


Mattis is expected to meet senior Saudi officials including King Salman and Deputy Crown Prince and Defence Minister Mohammed bin Salman. “The near-term Saudi concern is how they send a message to the Iranians in Yemen, and they would like full-throated American support,” Jon Alterman, head of the Middle East programme at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, said.


The review of possible US assistance, which already includes intelligence support, would come amid evidence that a foreign power is sending advanced weapons and military advisers to the Ansarullah.


Congressional sources say the Trump administration is on the verge of notifying Congress of the proposed sale of precision-guided munitions to Saudi Arabia.


Increased military support for the Saudi-led coalition could fuel controversy over the air campaign, which has killed a number of civilians and destroyed infrastructure, including hospitals.


The United States’ involvement in Yemen has also focused on battling Al Qaeda, whose affiliate there has


taken advantage of the chaos caused by the war. — Reuters


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