III 

111TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 400 

Urging the implementation of a comprehensive strategy to address the 

instability in Yemen. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JANUARY 28, 2010 

Mr. KERRY (for himself, Mr. FEINGOLD, and Mrs. FEINSTEIN) submitted the 

following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Urging the implementation of a comprehensive strategy to 

address the instability in Yemen. 

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; 


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•SRES 400 IS 

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; 


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•SRES 400 IS 

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, 


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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 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) reaffirms its commitment to helping prevent 

3 state collapse in Yemen, denying terrorists a safe4 haven, and supporting the people and Government of 

5 Yemen in dealing with Yemen’s profound and interVerDate Nov 24 2008 00:06 Jan 29, 2010 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR400.IS SR400

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•SRES 400 IS 

1 locking security, development, and economic chal2 lenges; 

3 (2) reaffirms its commitment to disrupting, dis4 mantling, and defeating al Qaeda and affiliated 

5 movements worldwide; 

6 (3) urges the Government of Yemen to 

7 strengthen and sustain efforts against al Qaeda in 

8 the Arabian Peninsula; 

9 (4) calls upon the Government of Yemen to 

10 strengthen efforts to address corruption, to respect 

11 human rights, and to work with its citizens and the 

12 international community to address the significant 

13 factors driving the instability in Yemen; 

14 (5) calls upon the international community to 

15 closely coordinate and strengthen assistance pro16 grams in Yemen; 

17 (6) recognizes the critical role of Saudi Arabia 

18 and other members of the Gulf Cooperation Council 

19 in these assistance programs; 

20 (7) urges intensive dialogue toward ceasing 

21 armed hostilities through a negotiated political set22 tlement between the Government of Yemen and the 

23 Houthi rebellion; 

24 (8) requests that the Secretary of State, the 

25 Secretary of Defense, and the Director of National 


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1 Intelligence submit a joint, comprehensive strategy 

2 for Yemen, in classified and unclassified form, to the 

3 Senate, including— 

4 (A) counterterrorism cooperation; 

5 (B) development, humanitarian, and secu6 rity assistance; 

7 (C) regional and international diplomatic 

8 coordination; and 

9 (D) democracy, human rights, and govern10 ance promotion; and 

11 (9) urges the President to work with the people 

12 and Government of Yemen, the international com13 munity, and the international organizations to imple14 ment the strategy submitted pursuant to paragraph 

15 (8). 

Æ 


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