White House calls for cease-fire in Yemen

WASHINGTON — Facing mounting congressional pressure to address the humanitarian disaster in Yemen, the Trump administration for the first time called for a ceasefire in the country's bitter civil war, but stopped short of halting U.S. support for Saudi airstrikes blamed for thousands of civilian casualties.

Defense Secretary James N. Mattis and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called for a halt to the fighting within 30 days and for the warring parties to participate in U.N.-sponsored talks in Sweden next month. Neither appears likely.

“The time is now for the cessation of hostilities,” Pompeo said Tuesday in a statement echoed by Mattis. He called on “all parties” to support efforts by the U.N. special envoy, Martin Griffiths, to find a peaceful solution to the bloody conflict.

But congressional backers of a resolution to cut off U.S. refueling and targeting assistance to the Saudi-led bombing campaign say the ceasefire demand is unlikely to succeed in pressuring the Saudi government to seek a settlement.

“After more than three years of war, thousands dead, millions on the brink of starvation and growing pressure from Congress, the Trump administration is finally calling for an end to the Saudi-led war in Yemen,” said Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Santa Clara. “However, just a call for cessation of hostilities does not go far enough.”

Khanna said the congressional resolution has 68 sponsors, and he is optimistic it could pass the House and Senate when Congress reconvenes after the Nov. 6 election for a lame-duck legislative session.