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“SUPPORTING PEACE, SECURITY, AND INNOCENT CIVILIANS AFFECTED BY CONFLICT IN YEMEN” mentioning the U.S. Dept of State was published in the Senate section on pages S12459-S12460 on Dec. 4, 2009.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
SUPPORTING PEACE, SECURITY, AND INNOCENT CIVILIANS AFFECTED BY CONFLICT
IN YEMEN
Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 212, S. Res. 341.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
The legislative clerk read as follows:
A resolution (S. Res. 341) supporting peace, security, and innocent civilians affected by conflict in Yemen.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the resolution.
Mr. BAUCUS. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, and any statements relating to the resolution be printed in the Record.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The resolution (S. Res. 341) was agreed to.
The preamble was agreed to.
The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:
S. Res. 341
Whereas the people and Government of Yemen currently face tremendous security challenges, including the presence of a substantial number of al Qaeda militants, a rebellion in the northern part of the country, unrest in southern regions, and piracy in the Gulf of Aden;
Whereas these security challenges are compounded by a lack of governance throughout portions of the country;
Whereas this lack of governance creates a de facto safe haven for al Qaeda and militant forces in regions of Yemen;
Whereas Yemen also faces significant development challenges, reflected in its ranking of 140 out of 182 countries in the United Nations Development Program's 2009 Human Development Index;
Whereas Yemen is also confronted with limited and rapidly depleting natural resources, including oil, which accounts for over 75 percent of government revenue, and water, \1/3\ of which goes to the cultivation of qat, a narcotic to which a vast number of Yemenis are addicted;
Whereas government subsidies are contributing to the depletion of Yemen's scarce resources;
Whereas the people of Yemen suffer from a lack of certain government services, including a robust education and skills training system;
Whereas the Department of State's 2009 International Religious Freedom Report notes that nearly all of the once-sizeable Jewish population in Yemen has emigrated, and, based on fears for the Jewish community's safety in the country, the United States Government has initiated a special process to refer Yemeni Jews for refugee resettlement in the United States;
Whereas women in Yemen have faced entrenched discrimination, obstacles in accessing basic education, and gender-based violence in their homes, communities, and workplaces while little is done to enforce or bolster the equality of women;
Whereas these challenges pose a threat not only to the Republic of Yemen, but to the region and to the national security of the United States;
Whereas, to the extent that Yemen serves as a base for terrorist operations and recruitment, these threats must be given sufficient consideration in the global strategy of the United States to combat terrorism;
Whereas this threat has materialized in the past, including the March 18 and September 17, 2008, attacks on the United States Embassy in Sana'a and the October 12, 2000, attack on the U.S.S. Cole while it was anchored in the Port of Aden, as well as numerous other terrorist attacks;
Whereas the population of Yemen has suffered greatly from conflict and underdevelopment in Yemen;
Whereas up to 150,000 civilians have fled their homes in northern Yemen since 2004 in response to conflict between Government of Yemen forces and al-Houthi rebel forces; and
Whereas the people and Government of the United States support peace in Yemen and improved security, economic development, and basic human rights for the people of Yemen: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) supports the innocent civilians in Yemen, especially displaced persons, who have suffered from instability, terrorist operations, and chronic underdevelopment in Yemen;
(2) recognizes the serious threat instability and terrorism in Yemen pose to the security of the United States, the region, and the population in Yemen;
(3) calls on the President to give sufficient weight to the situation in Yemen in efforts to prevent terrorist attacks on the United States, United States allies, and Yemeni civilians;
(4) calls on the President to promote economic and political reforms necessary to advance economic development and good governance in Yemen;
(5) applauds steps that have been taken by the President and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to assist displaced persons in Yemen;
(6) urges the Government of Yemen and rebel forces to immediately halt hostilities, allow medical and humanitarian aid to reach civilians displaced by conflict, and create an environment that will enable a return to normal life for those displaced by the conflict; and
(7) calls on the President and international community to use all appropriate measures to assist the people of Yemen to prevent Yemen from becoming a failed state.
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