A bipartisan group of senators is demanding a briefing on the controversial raid in Yemen that left one Navy SEAL dead.
“We write today with serious concerns about U.S. policy in Yemen and to urgently request a classified briefing regarding our actions and objectives there,” the senators wrote in a letter to Defense Secretary James Mattis, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and acting Director of National Intelligence Michael Dempsey.
The letter was signed by Sens. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Al Franken (D-Minn.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah).
The four have been highly critical of U.S. policy in Yemen in the past, particularly U.S. support of the Saudi Arabia-led campaign in the civil war there between the internationally recognized government and Houthi rebels.
Last year, they led a failed effort to block an arms sale to the Saudis over their conduct in the war, expressing concern about the mounting civilian death toll.
The raid in Yemen was against al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), which military leaders and experts have said has been allowed to flourish in a vacuum created by the civil war.
In addition to the SEAL’s death in the raid, civilians were killed in what’s been depicted in news reports as a chaotic scene where almost everything went wrong.
The raid was the first military operation ordered by President Trump and has become increasingly controversial, especially after he and his press secretary have said over the last two days that anyone who criticizes it dishonors the SEAL killed.
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Bipartisan Senate group demands briefing on Yemen raid: https://t.co/8za7c7TGVH
— Mike Lee (@SenMikeLee) February 10, 2017
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