WASHINGTON —
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is applauding Saudi Arabia for its humanitarian aid to war-torn Yemen.
Speaking at the start of a Pentagon meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Mattis said the U.S. is committed to working with Saudis and the United Nations to accelerate a political solution to the civil war.
Mattis says the appointment last month of a new U.N. envoy to Yemen is an opportunity to speed up the push for a political resolution to the conflict, which has killed more than 10,000 civilians since it started in March 2015.
He called the Saudis "part of the solution," adding that "we are going to end this war" on terms that are positive for the people of Yemen and their neighbors on the Arabian Peninsula.