WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - President Donald Trump vetoed a resolution passed by the Congress calling for an end to U.S. military support to the Saudi-led coalition in the destructive war in Yemen.
'This resolution is an unnecessary, dangerous attempt to weaken my constitutional authorities, endangering the lives of American citizens and brave service members, both today and in the future,' Trump said in a statement announcing his veto.
Trump cited a number of reasons to substantiate his point that the joint resolution is unnecessary.
Apart from counterterrorism operations against al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula and ISIS, the United States is not engaged in hostilities in or affecting Yemen, according to him.
Since 2015, the United States has provided limited support to member countries of the Saudi-led coalition, including intelligence sharing, logistics support, and, until recently, in-flight refueling of non-United States aircraft.
Trump said it is the US Government's duty to protect the safety of more than 80,000 Americans who reside in certain coalition countries that have been subject to Houthi attacks from Yemen.
He said the Senate Joint Resolution 7 is dangerous, and would harm the foreign policy of the United States.
The Congress' attempt to prohibit certain tactical operations would interfere with the President's constitutional authority as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, and could endanger American troops by impairing their ability to efficiently and effectively conduct military engagements and to withdraw in an orderly manner at the appropriate time, said a Presidential Veto Message issued by the White House.
The resolution was passed by the Senate in March and the House of Representatives in April. As it invokes the War Powers Act, the President is required to 'remove United States armed forces from hostilities in or affecting the Republic of Yemen' within 30 days.
It was a major setback to Trump's foreign policy, as the resolution received support from Republican lawmakers in both houses. The War Powers Act, which was passed 45 years ago, say that the constitutional responsibility for war rests with the Congress, not the president.
Four years of Saudi-led war in Yemen have resulted in one of the worst humanitarian crises, killing about 10,000 people and threatening up to 20 million people with starvation.
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX