Obama administration worries increase over Saudi campaign in Yemen

The Obama administration is growing increasingly wary about the Saudi-led military operation in Yemen and how to restore peace to a country wracked by sectarian divisions, endemic poverty and the Al Qaeda offshoot posing the greatest threat to the American homeland, FOX News reported on Saturday.

Amid rising concerns about the civilian death toll from the month-long bombing campaign, which the US initially backed, new fears have arisen that arms supplied to pro-government forces by the Saudis and their coalition partners may fall into the hands of terrorists.

US officials said Friday that Secretary of State John Kerry may visit Saudi Arabia next week to discuss the issues and explore new strategies to end the violence and jumpstart mediation efforts between Iran-backed Houthi rebels and the internationally recognized government of exiled President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi.

Kerry had planned to extend his current trip to Sri Lanka and Africa with a stop in Israel, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government was formed in time, but will likely re-route to Riyadh instead, the officials said. The visit to Israel would have come at a time of tension between the two longtime allies over negotiations with Iran on its nuclear program.