Arab League Sets Up Military Force, Backs Saudi Air Strikes in Yemen - East Idaho News
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Arab League Sets Up Military Force, Backs Saudi Air Strikes in Yemen

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getty 033015 SaudiArabiaYemenMap?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1427716434534iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — As their region of the world becomes more unsettled daily, the 22-nation Arab League has announced the formation of a joint military force to deal with security threats faced by any of its members.

At the conclusion of its summit Sunday, the League also issued support for air strikes led by Saudi Arabia against Houthi Shiite rebels in Yemen.

The Arab League said the attacks on Houthi targets should continue until the rebels “withdraw and surrender their weapons.”

The air strikes, now in their sixth day, have driven the Houthis from air bases in Yemen, according to Saudi officials.

Yemen’s President Abed-Rabbo Mansour Hadi, who fled to Saudi Arabia last week, has accused Iran of stirring up the insurrection by the Houthis, a charge Tehran has denied.

Although a ground invasion of Yemen is still possible by a Saudi Arabia-led coalition, the new Arab League force, which would include 40,000 elite troops, may not be ready in time to join such an effort.


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