Saturday, April 25, 2015

Saudi Arabia Rents U.S. Military, Courtesy Barack Obama

After killing hundreds of Yemenis, including many civilians, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) announced that it was halting its bombing campaign. Now Operation “Restoring Hope” is to begin. A cynic might wonder if that is the hope of the Saudi king for more subjects to rule and plunder. No doubt the KSA will kill more Yemenis for no cause before the war truly ends.

Apparently incapable of resisting the temptation to meddle in the Middle East, the Obama administration is part of Saudi Arabia’s ten-member “coalition” against Houthi rebels in Yemen. Said Secretary of State John Kerry: “we’re not going to step away from our alliances and our friendships.” The administration is providing intelligence, logistical aid, arms shipments, and even a naval flotilla including an American aircraft carrier to monitor Iranian ships. Apparently Washington wants to block any Iranian military aid for Houthi rebels while underwriting Saudi aggression.

Alas, the entire campaign is built on a lie. Contrary to Riyadh’s claims, the Houthis are not directed by, and seem only barely supported by, Iran. Even British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond admitted that “the Houthis are clearly not Iranian proxies.” Instead, the rebels have been fighting for years. Yemen was only reunited in 1990 and has spent most of the succeeding years rent by crime, unrest, and conflict. The Houthis, classified as a Shia sect (Zaydi) despite some theological similarities to Sunnis, have been in rebellion for years. Filmmaker Safa al-Ahmad, who produced a documentary on the Houthis, commented that they “don’t need Iranians to bring them weapons. They’re awash in weapons.”


http://spectator.org/articles/62503/saudi-arabia-rents-us-military-courtesy-barack-obama

No comments: