President Obama told Congress on Friday that he ordered airstrikes against radar installations in Yemen on Wednesday.
“Initial assessments show that the radar facilities were destroyed by the strikes,” Obama wrote in a notification letter required by the War Powers Act.
“I directed these strikes in response to anti-ship cruise missile launches perpetrated by Houthi insurgents that threatened U.S. Navy warships in the international waters of the Red Sea” on Sunday and Wednesday. He said the struck facilities were involved in Sunday’s launches and other recent attacks.
“These limited and proportionate strikes were conducted to protect our personnel and our ships and will preserve our freedom of navigation in this important maritime passageway,” he wrote. “The United States stands ready to take action in self-defense, as necessary and appropriate, to address further threats.”
