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“SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS” mentioning the U.S. Dept of State was published in the Senate section on pages S347-S348 on Jan. 28, 2010.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
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 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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