WASHINGTON: The United States has confirmed media reports that the Obama administration was providing military assistance to the Saudi-led coalition.

“Because of our close security relationship with Saudi Arabia, the United States is using some of our unique capabilities to support this ongoing mission,” White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest told a briefing in Washington.

Asked how did the Obama administration feel about the Saudi request for Pakistani troops, he said: “There are a number of … countries that have pledged to support the Saudis in this effort (and) … many are doing (that) at the specific request of the Saudis.”

The White House official said that the Saudis had also requested the United States to provide military support to the coalition fighting the Houthis and Washington had agreed to do so.

He said that the Saudi mission in Yemen was “dedicated to addressing legitimate security concerns that they have along their border with Yemen” and that’s why the US agreed to help them.

At the State Department, spokesperson Marie Harf said she was “not going to get into hypotheticals” when asked about media reports that Pakistan and other members of the coalition were ready to launch a military offensive in Yemen.

A senior US official said on Tuesday that Washington would speed up weapons deliveries to the Saudi-led coalition to enhance their capabilities to launch air strikes against Houthi rebels.

Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the US had also increased its intelligence sharing with Saudi Arabia, and had established a joint coordination and planning cell in the Saudi operations centre.

The United States is also providing raw aerial imagery to enable the coalition to improve its strikes at rebel forces. Blinken said the US and the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council must coordinate closely and press all parties to seek a political solution.

Published in Dawn, April 9th, 2015

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