A New 'Gaza' in Yemen

One year ago yesterday, Israel conducted an assault on the Gaza Strip. The Israelis bombed Gaza infrastructure, like power and water plants, and deliberately targeted civilian housing.
The Israeli attack brought international condemnation.

Today there is a very similar campaign going on against Yemen, but unlike the people of Gaza, the world is silent to the suffering in Yemen.
 photo yemen3_zps0rzkchdq.jpg

In order to “help” the Yemeni people, Saudi fighter jets, along with those from Egypt, Morocco, Jordan, Sudan, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain – armed with American and British munitions – have killed over 3 000 people and injured almost 15 000 more.
Hospitals, schools, a refugee camp, roads, electricity and water supply lines have been deliberately targeted.
Human Rights Watch has just published evidence that internationally outlawed cluster bombs have been used in Yemen.
As if that weren’t enough, Saudi Arabia, one of the richest countries in the Middle East, is maintaining a blockade on imports of fuel, food and medicine to the Arab world’s poorest nation.
Yemen’s health system is on the brink of collapse – the country is a step away from famine.

The U.N. has declared the situation in Yemen to be a level 3 humanitarian emergency, the highest level.
80% of the population are in need of aid. 1 million people have been displaced. 500,000 children under 5 at risk of developing severe malnutrition.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Yemen says famine is a "real risk".

In midst of a mounting man-made famine ships full of wheat and corn have been delayed or blocked from entering Yemeni waters by an multi-nation coalition on the pretense of an arms embargo.

More than half of the casualties in Yemen have been civilians. One of their favorite targets to bomb have been markets, where people go to buy and sell food.
Human Rights Watch has accused the coalition of war crimes.

All this sounds very familiar to what Israel did to Gaza last year. However, there are four significant differences.

1. The sheer size. Gaza is less than 2 million people. Yemen is more than 24 million.

2. Israel at least had the excuse of fighting a terrorist group. The war against Yemen has actually helped Al Qaeda in Yemen. The chaos of the war has also assisted ISIS to gain a foothold there.

3. Israel's disproportionate attack was condemned by several international groups, including the EU and the Arab League. The Saudi coalition's attack has been met with silence.

4. The biggest difference between Gaza and Yemen is the role of the United States - we are helping to cause this humanitarian crisis. That makes us complicit in the war crimes.

Late Wednesday evening, March 25, the White House posted a statement declaring: “President Obama has authorized the provision of logistical and intelligence support to GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council]-led military operations.”
The United States is providing targeting intelligence, as the Wall Street Journal reported: “American military planners are using live intelligence feeds from surveillance flights over Yemen to help Saudi Arabia decide what and where to bomb, U.S. officials said.”

So when the Saudis bomb civilian targets, they are often using our military intelligence to do it.
Not to mention the fact that we have continued to bomb Yemen with our drones.

But it's even more than that. We are also participating in the naval blockade that is preventing those food ships from getting through.
Is it really any wonder that the Yemeni people are starting to hate us?

On a good note, America's 401k's are profiting from the death and destruction we are creating in Yemen.

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lotlizard's picture

Writer speculates that the Saudis' eager killing spree on behalf of Sunni extremists has set forces in motion that will lead to their downfall sooner rather than later.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article42332.htm

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but the complete lack of interest at DKos for our complicity in war crimes still gets me.

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gulfgal98's picture

about real issues or policy. It is rapidly becoming a real cesspool.

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Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?

“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy

shaharazade's picture

the true ugly face of dkos has been revealed lately. I do not want to see close ups of Trump, I do not want to read about how consolidation/ monopolies of the big healthcare insurance giants will lower costs and make insurance affordable. I don't want to read about how Hillary or Obama are liberal's and any Democrat who doesn't buy this is an idealistic fool who is responsible for Republican victories. Shame on the FP'ers and shame on the cowardly, self righteous hypocrites who spout this idiocy and call it Democratic.

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gulfgal98's picture

and you say what I am thinking in my head, but am too polite to express it so vividly. Thank you! Good

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Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?

“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy

snoopydawg's picture

About what Kos is becoming. Cesspool is the correct word.
The fact that Obama is waging war in the Middle East and no one cares about it is stunning.
How many of them thought the bombing of Libya was ok?
Even when it was brought up that he was bombing 7 countries, the poster was accused of thread jacking. That was the extent of the comments. Nothing about the content of the comments.
I've posted about his drone campaign many times, yet none of them care about it.
And I keep seeing that Obama has ended both the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, regardless that the war won't end until after 2016, and he tried to stay in Iraq up til the SOFA made him leave.
And no one mentions that there are over 10,000 troops back in Iraq.
He's inflamed the whole Middle East without congressional approval on record, but we all know that most of the congress is ok with it.
But when Bush was doing those things, it was wrong. Now that it's Obama doing it, silence.
How many people has the U.S. killed during the bogus war on terror?
How can people not care that millions have no place to live because the U.S. and its allies have bombed the shit out of their countries? And for what? So that the corporations can steal their resources?
Bernie is at least talking about it and we know what will happen if Hillary gets elected. More wars, more income inequality, more money going to the banks, more Obama on steroids.
There was a diary yesterday about Putin pulling his troops out of Ukraine, yet any comment about the fact that it was the U.S. that was the instigator was met with ridicule, and I was called a Putin lover. No Matt how many links I provided about Nulands role in the coup, people wouldn't read any of them.
There's even people defending Obama on the tpp. And Hillary helped with it during her time as SOS, yet her supporters are blind to who she is and who she will represent. I don't get it.
Cesspool!

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Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.

lotlizard's picture

Article: Five ways powerful people trick you into hating underdogs
http://www.cracked.com/blog/5-ways-powerful-people-trick-you-into-hating...

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gulfgal98's picture

Thank you for linking this. Smile

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Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?

“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy

mimi's picture

one's mental health. I wished I could just wipe it away, but I have wasted too many emotions into there, to do this successfully.

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snoopydawg's picture

About why they hate us and read the comments there?
My god, how can so many people be that misinformed about US foreign policy?
People think that we are the world's policemen, instead of the world's terrorists.
So many people think that the U.S. is trying to stop the violence, instead of instigating it.
Unbelievable!

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Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.

Big Al's picture

media they watch or read and based on how they've been raised and conditioned to believe this or that about the
U.S.A.
Propaganda works. The Pentagon and the State Department have full blown propaganda programs designed to
sway public opinion. They spend billions on it.
Of course this goes way back in this country particularly to the early 1900's with the propaganda used to enter WWI,
Edward Bernays and his kind. Humans are very susceptible to conditioning and the ruling class has all the power and
resources (90% of the mass media) to keep us in our corners.
Even when others are confronted with the truth most can't handle that kind of turn in their psyche.
Those on Daily Kos have been subjected to the truth but they refuse it. That's on them.

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NCTim's picture

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The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself. - Friedrich Nietzsche -

Big Al's picture

Well, that's just so passé now. Nuclear war is the "in" thing again. The Pentagon has updated it's plans
and they honestly believe they can do it without fucking up the entire planet.
Humans are going to be the death of us all man.

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lotlizard's picture

Brought to you by the National Clean Up, Paint Up, Fix Up Bureau.
And the National Paint, Varnish and Lacquer Association.
https://archive.org/details/Houseint1954

How you can improve your chances of surviving a nuclear war by painting your house and cleaning up your yard!

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