[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 12 (Thursday, January 28, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Pages S347-S348]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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  SENATE RESOLUTION 400--URGING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A COMPREHENSIVE 
                STRATEGY TO ADDRESS INSTABILITY IN YEMEN

  Mr. KERRY (for himself, Mr. Feingold, and Mrs. Feinstein) submitted 
the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
Foreign Relations:

                              S. Res. 400

       Whereas al Qaeda-affiliated terrorist groups operating in 
     the Republic of Yemen are a threat to the national security 
     of the United States;
       Whereas on October 12, 2000, an explosives-laden motorboat 
     detonated alongside the United States Navy destroyer USS Cole 
     while it was docked in the Yemeni port of Aden, killing 17 
     members of the United States armed forces and wounding 39 
     others in the deadliest terrorist attack against the United 
     States military since the 1983 attack on United States Marine 
     barracks in Beirut, Lebanon;
       Whereas on September 17, 2008, after several previous 
     failed attacks, Yemeni militants attacked the entrance of the 
     United States Embassy in Sana'a, Yemen, killing 17 people, 
     including a United States citizen;
       Whereas al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula has claimed 
     responsibility for the alleged attempt by a Nigerian 
     national, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, to detonate explosives 
     on board Northwest Airlines flight 253 bound for Detroit, 
     Michigan on Christmas Day 2009;
       Whereas members of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula have 
     used Yemeni territory as a base from which to launch attacks 
     against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, including an August 2009 
     assassination attempt that injured Deputy Interior Minister 
     for Security Affairs Prince Mohammed bin Nayef bin Abdul Aziz 
     al Saud;
       Whereas the Government of Yemen, since December 17, 2009, 
     has undertaken a number of military operations against al 
     Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula leadership;
       Whereas stability in Yemen is threatened by rapid 
     population growth, endemic poverty, the inadequate provision 
     of basic services, widespread corruption, and natural 
     resource shortages stemming from extreme water scarcity and 
     dwindling oil production;
       Whereas a tribal insurgency in northern Yemen being waged 
     by al-Houthi fighters and a southern secessionist movement 
     threaten the stability of Yemen;
       Whereas hundreds of thousands of Somalis and Ethiopians are 
     seeking asylum in Yemen to escape civil war, political 
     grievances, and poverty;
       Whereas these refugees create significant additional 
     pressures on Yemen's limited resources and government 
     institutions;
       Whereas the February 2009 Department of State report on 
     Human Rights in Yemen found that ``significant human rights 
     problems persisted,'' including ``reports of arbitrary and 
     unlawful killings by government forces, politically motivated 
     disappearances, and torture in many prisons'';
       Whereas on January 21, 2010, Secretary of State Clinton 
     remarked, ``The success of [United States Government 
     assistance to Yemen] depends upon Yemen's ability to make the 
     tough choices necessary to improve the capacity to govern, to 
     reform its economy, to protect human rights, to combat 
     corruption, and create a better environment for business and 
     investment.'';
       Whereas the weakening of government institutions in Yemen 
     could contribute to the ability of al Qaeda-inspired and 
     affiliated militants to recruit, train, and plan terrorist 
     operations against United States targets in the Middle East 
     and in the United States;
       Whereas potential large-scale population displacement and 
     migration from Yemen due to civil conflict, economic 
     collapse, or resource failure could jeopardize the stability 
     and security of the region;
       Whereas al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, al Qaeda in East 
     Africa, and al-Shabab militants could take advantage of 
     instability in Somalia and Yemen to expand their reach and 
     effectiveness;
       Whereas the United States recognizes the importance of 
     cooperating with Yemen to counter the al Qaeda threat, 
     promote economic development, and preserve Yemen's stability 
     as it seeks to expand good governance;
       Whereas in September 2009, USAID and Yemen signed a 3-year 
     economic assistance agreement to fund development projects in 
     the fields of health, education, democracy and governance, 
     agriculture and economic development;
       Whereas President Obama has significantly increased United 
     States military and economic assistance to Yemen, including--
       (1) $66,800,000 in fiscal year 2009 to build the capacity 
     of the Yemeni military to conduct counterterrorist 
     operations; and
       (2) $52,500,000 in fiscal year 2010 for economic assistance 
     administered by the Department of State;
       Whereas Yemen aspires to join the Gulf Cooperation Council, 
     some of whose members pledged more than $4,000,000,000 to 
     support Yemen's economic development at a November 2006 
     international donors conference in London; and
       Whereas the challenges of Yemeni stability are not just a 
     concern for the United States and Yemen, but are also a 
     concern for countries in the region and for the entire 
     international community:
       Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) reaffirms its commitment to helping prevent state 
     collapse in Yemen, denying terrorists a safe-haven, and 
     supporting the people and Government of Yemen in dealing with 
     Yemen's profound and interlocking security, development, and 
     economic challenges;
       (2) reaffirms its commitment to disrupting, dismantling, 
     and defeating al-Qaeda and affiliated movements worldwide;
       (3) urges the Government of Yemen to strengthen and sustain 
     efforts against al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula;
       (4) calls upon the Government of Yemen to strengthen 
     efforts to address corruption, to respect human rights, and 
     to work with its citizens and the international community to 
     address the significant factors driving the instability in 
     Yemen;
       (5) calls upon the international community to closely 
     coordinate and strengthen assistance programs in Yemen;
       (6) recognizes the critical role of Saudi Arabia and other 
     members of the Gulf Cooperation Council in these assistance 
     programs;
       (7) urges intensive dialogue toward ceasing armed 
     hostilities through a negotiated political settlement between 
     the Government of Yemen and the Houthi rebellion;
       (8) requests that the Secretary of State, the Secretary of 
     Defense, and the Director of National Intelligence submit a 
     joint, comprehensive strategy for Yemen, in classified

[[Page S348]]

     and unclassified form, to the Senate, including--
       (A) counterterrorism cooperation;
       (B) development, humanitarian, and security assistance;
       (C) regional and international diplomatic coordination; and
       (D) democracy, human rights, and governance promotion; and
       (9) urges the President to work with the people and 
     Government of Yemen, the international community, and the 
     international organizations to implement the strategy 
     submitted pursuant to paragraph (8).

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