[House Document 118-104]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
118th Congress, 2d Session - - - - - - - - - - - - House Document 118-104
REPORT INFORMING CONGRESS OF U.S. FORCES' FURTHER PARTICIPATION IN A
MULTINATIONAL OPERATION IN YEMEN
__________
COMMUNICATION
from
THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
transmitting
A REPORT THAT THE UNITED STATES AS PART OF A MULTINATIONAL OPERATION
ALONGSIDE THE UNITED KINGDOM, WITH SUPPORT FROM AUSTRALIA, BAHRAIN,
CANADA, DENMARK, THE NETHERLANDS, AND NEW ZEALAND, CONDUCTED DISCRETE
STRIKES IN YEMEN AGAINST FACILITIES, LOCATIONS, AND EQUIPMENT
ASSOCIATED WITH THE HOUTHIS' MISSILE AND AIR SURVEILLANCE CAPABILITIES,
UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE CAPABILITIES, AND COMMAND AND CONTROL
CAPABILITIES, PURSUANT TO 50 U.S.C. 1543(c); PUBLIC LAW 93-148, SEC.
4(c); (87 STAT. 556)
February 5, 2024.--Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs and
ordered to be printed
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U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
49-011 WASHINGTON : 2024
The White House,
Washington, February 5, 2024.
Hon. Mike Johnson,
Speaker of the House of Representatives,
Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Speaker: As I reported previously, since at least
November 2023, Yemen-based Houthi militants have engaged in a
series of attacks against United States military forces,
including ships and aircraft, and against maritime commercial
shipping, operating in the Red Sea, the Bab al-Mandeb Strait,
and the Gulf of Aden. These attacks pose a threat to the safety
of United States forces and commercial ships and their crews,
regional political and economic stability, and navigational
rights and freedoms. The Houthi militants continue to pose a
threat of future attacks against United States forces and
military vessels and against other maritime traffic in the
region.
I previously reported that on January 11, 2024 and January
22, 2024, in response to these attacks and the threat of future
attacks, at my direction, United States forces as part of a
multinational operation alongside the United Kingdom, with
support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands,
conducted discrete strikes against facilities in Yemen that
facilitate Houthi militants' attacks in the Red Sea region.
On February 3, 2024, at my direction, United States forces
as part of a multinational operation alongside the United
Kingdom, with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark,
the Netherlands, and New Zealand, conducted discrete strikes in
Yemen against facilities, locations, and equipment associated
with the Houthis' missile and air surveillance capabilities,
unmanned aerial vehicle capabilities, and command and control
capabilities. I directed the strikes against targets used by
Houthi militants to support attacks in the Red Sea region in
order to protect and defend our personnel and assets, and to
disrupt the Houthi capabilities used to conduct or support
further attacks that could further destabilize the region and
threaten United States strategic interests. The strikes were
taken to degrade Houthi capacity to conduct future attacks and
were conducted in a manner designed to limit the risk of
escalation and avoid civilian casualties.
I directed this military action consistent with my
responsibility to protect United States citizens both at home
and abroad and in furtherance of United States national
security and foreign policy interests, pursuant to my
constitutional authority as Commander in Chief and Chief
Executive and to conduct United States foreign relations. The
United States took this necessary and proportionate action
consistent with international law and in the exercise of the
United States' inherent right of self-defense as reflected in
Article 51 of the United Nations Charter. The United States
stands ready to take further action, as necessary and
appropriate, to address further threats or attacks.
I am providing this report as part of my efforts to keep
the Congress fully informed, consistent with the War Powers
Resolution (Public Law 93-148). I appreciate the support of the
Congress in this action.
Sincerely,
Joseph R. Biden, Jr.