Page 234 - What Kind of Yemen ?

The airstrike operation initiated in Yemen by Saudi-led coalition
forces under the name "Decisive Storm" on March 26th came to an end
on April 21st, and operation "Restoring Hope" for the people of Yemen
was announced instead; a ceasefire was then declared. Although the
fighting has eased, occasional coalition bombardments are still taking

place. Efforts to reconcile the sides are also being made.
The US, which encouraged Saudi Arabia and its partners in the
coalition to undertake the operation against the Houthis, is now talk-
ing to the Houthis in order to establish peace. Rajeh Badi, a spokesman
for the al-Hadi government in Yemen, suggested that the US had met
with the Houthis in Oman. In a statement to Reuters, Badi said that the
US had met with Shiite Houthis in Oman: "We have been informed that
there are meetings, at American request, and that a private American plane
carried the Houthis to Muscat." He added that the Yemeni government

was not party to the talks. (1)
In the wake of that claim, Marie Harf, senior advisor for strategic

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