Biden approved Yemen strikes after drone attack, US doesn't want war: White House
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White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters that the US President approved the strikes after a Houthi attack on Jan 9.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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ON BOARD AIR FORCE ONE - The United States does not want war with Yemen but will not hesitate to take further action, the White House said on Jan 12, adding President Joe Biden approved the US strikes on Jan 9 in response to a Houthi drone strike in the Red Sea.
"We're not interested in... a war with Yemen. We're not interested in a conflict of any kind here," White House spokesperson John Kirby told reporters on Air Force One.
"Everything the president has been doing has been trying to prevent any escalation of conflict, including the strikes last night," he said.
US and British forces launched air strikes across Yemen
Mr Kirby said Mr Biden approved the strikes after a Houthi attack on Jan 9.
US and British naval forces repelled that attack, shooting down drones and missiles fired by the Yemen-based Houthis towards the southern Red Sea.
Mr Biden "was kept up to speed as that attack was unfolding. It took some time. When he was briefed that it had been accurately and effectively defended, he called his national security team together - this is Tuesday afternoon - was presented with the response options and approved those options at that time," Mr Kirby said.
Mr Kirby said the Houthi attack on Jan 9 came right after the US issued "what can only be understood as a final warning to the Houthis. They violated that obviously in this attack on Tuesday and so it led to these strikes."
A "battle damage assessment" about how much the Houthi capabilities had been degraded by the strikes was ongoing, he said, and the United States was comfortable with and confident about the legal authorities that Mr Biden exercised to order the attacks. REUTERS
