Biden wants the Yemen war to end. One expert says his actions may be making it worse

U.S. President Joe Biden wants to end the war in Yemen, but it’s not likely that the conflict can be dialed back anytime soon, according to Jonathan Schanzer, senior vice president for research at the hawkish Foundation for Defense of Democracies. “In fact, if anything, I think this is likely to make the conflict grow worse,” he told CNBC’s “Squawk Box Asia” on Tuesday.

Biden announced last month that the U.S. will withdraw its support for the offensive against the Houthi forces in Yemen. Previous administrations under Donald Trump and Barack Obama backed the Saudi-led alliance in its intervention in the civil war in Yemen. Yemen’s civil war began in 2014 when Houthi rebels took control of the capital Sanaa from the internationally recognized Yemeni government.

A year later, Saudi Arabia led a coalition of Sunni Arab states in support of the Yemeni government to oust the Houthis, a militia backed by Shiite-majority Iran. According to the United Nations, the war has already caused an estimated 233,000 deaths — including more than 100,000 fatalities from indirect causes such as lack of food, health services and infrastructure.

Schanzer said Biden’s move will not help end the war in Yemen because the U.S. does not have concessions to offer to the Houthis, who now have less incentive than before to make compromises. “What the Biden administration has done is, it has taken the military option off the table for the United States, even by way of proxy through the Saudis,” he said.

Biden wants the Yemen war to end. One expert says his actions may be making it worse, CNBC, Mar 9