The country of Yemen has suspended all ground military operations conducted by the United States Special Operations within Yemeni territory, following a botched raid by US personnel to capture al-Qaeda in the Arab Peninsula (AQAP) targets which left several civilians, including an eight-year-old girl, and a US Navy SEAL, dead.
Botched Yemen raid was Trump's first military order
Although Yemeni government officials did not formally announce the banning of military operations, there was a massive outcry following the release of several pictures taken of the innocent casualties of the raid.
Many Yemeni personnel stated they believed the trump administration did not properly consult the Yemeni government before the raid. Many US officials, including Press Secretary Sean Spicer, have deemed the action a success despite the casualties.
The raid took place in Yemen's Bayda province, authorized by US President Donald Trump in his first real use of American military power abroad. Intelligence for the raid was collected under the administration of former President Barack Obama, who deferred the actions until Trump entered the White House. Under the previous administration, thirty-eight drone strikes were conducted against AQAP targets in 2016. This decision by President Trump to utilize ground forces marks the first deployment of US ground personnel in the country since 2014.
The US remains active in Yemeni civil war
The US has remained an active player in the Yemeni Civil War, a conflict between forces loyal to President Hadi and Houthi militants who are active in the country's northern region. The civil war has become a proxy conflict between regional powers, and the United States has supported efforts by Saudi Arabia to support government forces through a bombing campaign and blockading areas of the country.
The conflict has sparked a massive humanitarian crisis and has given AQAP an ability to establish a foothold in the country due to the political and social instability. The raid in question was intended to take out AQAP targets and gather intelligence, while it, unfortunately, led to the death a member of US Navy SEAL Team Six, and up to twenty-three civilians. Qassim al-Rimi, the leader of AQAP, has mocked President Trump in a widely circulated video following the events surrounding the raid.
