Yemen war: US to end refuelling of Saudi-led coalition aircraft

ABC NEWS

The United States is halting refuelling of aircraft from the Saudi-led coalition engaged in Yemen, ending one of the most divisive aspects of US assistance to the Saudi war effort.

Key points:

• Saudi Arabia says it can now aerial refuelling itself
• US Defence Secretary says his government was consulted
• The move comes amid outrage over the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi

Saudi Arabia, in a statement released by its embassy in Washington on Friday (local time), said it had decided to request an end to US aerial refuelling for its operations in Yemen because it could now handle it by itself.

US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis backed the decision and said the US Government was consulted.

The move comes at a time of international outrage over the murder of US-based Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and after Democratic and Republican politicians threatened to take action in Congress next week over the refuelling operations.

Critics of the Saudi campaign — including Democrats, who won control of the House of Representatives in the midterm elections this week — have long questioned US involvement in the war, which has killed more than 10,000 people, displaced more than 2 million and led to widespread famine in Yemen since it began in 2015.