End the war in Yemen, Mr. Trump

If the president-elect wants to bring some positive change to U.S. foreign policy, the war in Yemen would be the place to start

The war in Yemen will not end unless the U.S. stops aiding Saudi Arabia.
(Image credit: AP Photo/Hani Mohammed)

What will Donald Trump do with American foreign policy? It's impossible to know, especially in regards to the Middle East. He has articulated views that are war-weary and views that are hawkish. Many observers treat the Middle East as a zero-sum conflict between Shia and Sunni powers, in which the U.S. should mostly stick with its Sunni allies. But Trump has criticized America's Sunni ally Saudi Arabia as a costly dependent of the United States. At the same time he has also talked about ripping up President Obama's deal with Shia-dominated Iran.

But if Trump does want to bring some positive change to U.S. foreign policy, he should seek to end the war in Yemen.

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Michael Brendan Dougherty

Michael Brendan Dougherty is senior correspondent at TheWeek.com. He is the founder and editor of The Slurve, a newsletter about baseball. His work has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, ESPN Magazine, Slate and The American Conservative.