What Would Deeper Involvement in Yemen Mean for U.S. Troops?
What Would Deeper Involvement in Yemen Mean for U.S. Troops? By Todd South – Military Times
As missiles fly and bombardments are launched by the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, experts say that requests for direct U.S. military involvement to take the vital port city of Hodeida could open a host of problems for U.S. concerns in the civil war-ravaged nation.
The Saudi-led coalition, which is backing Yemen’s exiled government, launched a fierce assault Wednesday on Hodeida, the Associated Press reported.
It was the biggest offensive of the years-long war in the Arab world’s poorest nation for the main entry point for food in a country already teetering on the brink of famine, according to AP.
The attack on the Red Sea port aimed to drive out Iranian-aligned Shiite rebels known as Houthis, who have held Hodeida since 2015, and break the civil war’s long stalemate. But it could set off a prolonged street-by-street battle that inflicts heavy casualties.
At least a week before Wednesday’s assault, leaders asked for increased U.S. assistance. The existing support has been used, according to defense officials, to better distinguish targets to avoid collateral damage…
