YEMEN- 10 Myths Debunked and a Global CALL TO ACTION

in #news7 years ago (edited)

An almost entirely ignored war and genocide in the Middle East has been receiving some (but still not nearly enough) media attention lately. Media outlets as well as a few celebrities have started tweeting about the blockade, famine, poverty and disease that have become an epidemic in Yemen. As journalist and author Brandon Turbeville asks in his article The Faces of Yemen- Where is American "Outrage?" 

Saudi Arabia has been carrying out vengeful aggressive missile strikes against civilians in Yemen for almost three years now, with weapons purchased from the US and UK. Here is a short Slideshow that I created for The Rabbit Hole my Facebook news page. (with before and after pictures of Yemen) and commentary written by me. In addition to the airstrikes and military action it has also blocked food, and resources from reaching civilians. 

What would happen if Western countries refused to sell weapons to genocidal nations such as House of Saud? Taking into consideration that these weapons are used to commit genocide against one of the poorest nations in the region. If your answer is along the lines of less people would be killed, then you may be right. Either these wars of aggression would cease to exist or at the bare minimum they would be minimized substantially. 

This is a clear indication that not only are these "first world countries" complicit in these crimes against humanity but that they are actually fueling these wars. The United States thrives on wars, it benefits financially from creating creative chaos in other countries. The United States bases its military and political intervention on false allegations and pretenses. Under the guise of offering "help" through "humanitarian intervention" it sets the stage for massacres, death, famine and destruction. 

Morally bankrupt men and women in suits are responsible for death and disease around the world, it goes against everything we are taught or more accurately indoctrinated to believe through our educational systems in the West. These bankers, politicians, war-hungry psychopaths are simply human shells roaming the earth, completely void from within.

For the purpose of this article we will focus on what has been going on in Yemen and what we can do to help.

As was just reported less than an hour ago on ABC by Middle East correspondent Sophie McNeill, wires 

"The reopening of Yemen's main port by Saudi Arabia will not be enough to avert famine in the country unless all restrictions are lifted and commercial goods allowed in, aid agencies say.
Key points:
Aid agencies say it is good news but they are waiting on more details
Over 130 children were already dying a day before the blockade
Rights groups say Yemen is the world's worst humanitarian crisis
On Monday, the Saudi-led military coalition announced it would allow aid to re-enter Yemen's main port and United Nations flights to resume, more than two weeks after they imposed a total blockade on the country.The UN and international aid agencies have repeatedly urged the coalition to lift the Yemen blockade.
"It is good news, but we are still waiting to see the specific details," Jamie McGoldrick, the UN's humanitarian chief for Yemen,said."

The innocent lives that are spared from death by missile strikes are left to barely survive while famine and disease demolish any chance for a normal existence. Currently, "Yemen's cholera epidemic is the worst in recorded history according to Oxfam".

Image Source

As was written in an article by Vanessa Beeley with 21st Century Wire, "The following report from Randi Nord of Geopolitical Alerts debunks 10 of the mainstay myths that are being promulgated by the colonial media in the west to muddy the waters on Yemen and distract from the Saudi coalition ethnic cleansing-project reality:

1: Not A Civil War
A civil war would indicate that Yemenis are fighting other Yemenis for control. This in itself is wrong. Yemen’s resistance (which includes Ansarullah, the Republican Guard, and others) is currently fighting Saudi-backed mercenaries on the ground. This includes many Sudanese and U.A.E. soldiers as well as privately-hired Blackwater mercenaries. It can’t be a civil war because Saudi Arabia and their allies are an invading force occupying Yemen shipping in foreign fighters.
2: Not a Proxy War
Well, on the one hand, it is a proxy war, but the only proxies are the ones backed by Saudi Arabia and their allies. Yemen’s resistance does not receive outside support and is not fighting for any foreign power– they simply want to self-determine and control Yemen free of foreign interference. For the conflict in Yemen to be a proxy war, another foreign power would have to be manipulating Yemen’s resistance and this simply isn’t the case. (More on that later.)
3: Not a Sunni vs Shia Conflict
If any news outlet boils the war in Yemen (or any war, really) down to a mere Sunni-Shia conflict, you should immediately stop reading that outlet. This argument, first of all, ignores all other factors and power structures boiling a conflict down to mere religious differences. It’s just plain ignorant. Yes, Yemen’s Ansarullah movement was founded by Zaydi Shia Muslims. But it includes fighters and politicians from several sects and religions who simply don’t want foreign powers controlling their country. Plus, calling Saudi Arabia Sunni while ignoring their intolerant and violent Wahhabi ideology is a disgrace to all peaceful Sunni Muslims.
4: Saudi Arabia has Always Wanted Political and Economic Control of Yemen
A look back at the last century of Arabian history tells you all you need to know about the Saudi’s intentions in Yemen. During Yemen’s 1962 revolution, Saudi Arabia supported the Royalists fighting to keep Yemen an Imamate. They knew that an independent Yemen would turn into a strong country– just south of their border– which would become a competitor. Even back then, a Shia-led Imamate was preferable to a Yemeni republic from the Saudi’s perspective. Yemen is still the only republic on the Arabian peninsula. Such is still the case today: Saudi Arabia cannot stand to see a pluralist, economically-viable, independent republic on the Arabian Peninsula.
5: The Houthis (Ansarullah) are NOT an Iranian Militia
The Saudi’s behavior in Yemen is genuinely gruesome and repulsive. How can the United States and their friends in Europe possibly justify militarily supporting this war of terror? Ah yes, Iran, of course. Unfortunately for the imperialists, there isn’t evidence to back this accusation. In fact, all of their “Iranian influence” claims end up leading to dead-ends such as ambiguous boats in the gulf or unidentified smuggling routes via Kuwait. Not only do Ansarullah, Yemen’s resistance, and Iran all deny a relationship, but there isn’t evidence to suggest they have one. Yemen’s Supreme Revolutionary Committee based in the capital Sana’a has the equipment to manufacture and develop their own weapons. The former President Saleh was a previous U.S. ally who received significant military aid during the early “War on Terror” years. So there’s no shortage of weapons in Yemen. And has the media forgotten the Saudi-imposed land, sea, and air blockade?
6: Al Qaeda is a De Facto US Ally in Yemen
Why is Saudi Arabia bombing civilians in the resistance-held territory while al-Qaeda continues to flourish in other areas? Al-Qaeda is a de-facto ally and pawn of Saudi Arabia and the United States. That is until they get a little too strong and the U.S. steps-in to carry out some messy, high-profile, special operations. In portions of southern Yemen, al-Qaeda members fight alongside Saudi-backed troops. Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E. employ local mercenaries to fight on their behalf. Who’s to say there aren’t al-Qaeda members on this payroll? No one, because this is never discussed.Regardless, al-Qaeda and the Saudi coalition both fight a common enemy: Ansarullah. The Saudi’s main objective in this war is to destroy Yemen’s resistance movement– not fight al-Qaeda. Any attack on al-Qaeda from the United States is done so in a way to exert pressure on Ansarullah forces– not to obliterate the group entirely– just like they use Daesh (ISIS) in Syria and Iraq.
7: Ansarullah and Allies Fight ISIS and AQAP 
The only force capable of fighting al-Qaeda and Daesh in Yemen is Ansarullah along with their allies. They are the only genuine enemy of these terror groups in the country. As a revolutionary movement, they have a significant stake in keeping communities safe from violence and reactionary, intolerant forces like al-Qaeda. Ansarullah and their allies are the only entities in Yemen taking substantial steps to eradicate terrorist groups from their territory. Security forces set up multiple checkpoints and frequently bust would-be terror attacks. This fact, of course, is conveniently ignored by mainstream media. On the other hand, suicide attacks from groups like Daesh or al-Qaeda are relatively frequent in Saudi or U.A.E.-held territory.
8: The Blockade Kills People Faster than Bombs Do
Official estimates track the Yemen war death toll at about 12,000. Local sources report the number as much, much higher.  And still, this number only reflects deaths from air strikes and military operations. Yes, the Saudi’s air strike campaign kills civilians on a near-daily basis. But just since April, over 2,000 people have died from a globally-unprecedented cholera outbreak. And once again, this is only the official number. The Saudi-imposed land, air, and sea blockade is directly responsible for triggering this outbreak. This is clearly intentional and strategic. Not only do the Saudis frequently deny aid entry to Yemen, but they do not allow civilians to leave for medical treatment and they’ve destroyed infrastructure at key Yemeni ports. Not to mention, due to the blockade, millions of Yemenis are on the brink of famine at any given point.
9: The UN and International Community Have Literally Done Nothing to Help.
Since the world powers ally with Saudi Arabia and their friends in the Gulf Cooperation Council, Yemenis’ cries for help fall on deaf ears. Other than a few scoldings, the United Nations has done absolutely nothing to slow down the war. They have not pressured Saudi Arabia to open the Sana’a airport. They rarely encourage peace talks. And they have not urged the United States or the United Kingdom to stop arming Saudi Arabia. In fact, under pressure from Saudi Arabia, the UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon actually removed them from a list of countries violating children’s human rights.
10: Western Media Whitewashes Saudi War Crimes While “Condemning Violence on All Sides”
Until the war in Yemen ends, western media will continue to play both sides of the fence. In the iconic words of Donald Trump, they will continue to condemn “violence on all sides.” (Not related, but seems to apply well.) And of course, they will completely ignore that one side has an air force and the backing of the world’s most powerful military while the other side is defending themselves from invaders and terrorists. Western media will continue to condemn the wrong groups while whitewashing the terrorist behavior of Saudi Arabia’s and their allies.

Spread the Word!

Hear how little displaced Yemeni children described the war, and what they miss most about Yemen in the video below.

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Yemen: More than 50,000 children expected to die of starvation and disease by end of year

Sarah Abed‏ @sarahabed84

Statement of outrage by the humanitarian community on the continued YemenBlockade by the (US-backed) Saudi-led coalition of criminals. They are blocking humanitarian and commercial supplies desperately needed for the survival of the Yemeni population! YemenFamine YemenCrisis


If you've been on twitter lately you might have noticed the influx of tweets with the hashtags: Yemenblockade, Yemengenocide, Yemenstarvation, YemenCrisis, and a new one that came out recently and was started by Marwa Osman hashtag AgainstAlSaud. 

Marwa Osman‏ @Osman_Marwa1 Nov 15

Get ready and be part of the Cyber protest against #AlSaud to expose their crimes and interventionism.  Tweet a photo with #AgainstAlSaud

Rana Harbi‏ @RanaHarbi

Due to siege imposed by US/UK-ally Saudi Arabia, 130 Yemeni children or more die every day from preventable causes. 50,000 children have died so far this year.  2.3 million children suffer from acute malnutrition. Tweet about it. AgainstAlSaud ضد_آل_سعود


Shireen Al-Adeimi‏ @shireen818

Friends, please please please email your Senators about Yemen now. I'm attaching the emails I've sent to @SenWarren and @SenMarkey below. Before you send yours, take a screen shot and respond here. Let's do this for Yemen!

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very sad

following u

I AM FOLLOW you @eazyh

This ongoing invasion of Yemen needs more attention.

The silence is deafening.

Thanks for another great post @sarahabed

Resteemed

Thank you! Really appreciate it.

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this deserves attention, Ill spread the word on my own social media as much as I can. It needs action as well!

Excellent article @sarahbed! The way the US and other countries fuel these wars is horrendous. We are always involved in every war going on in the world, whether it's supplying the weapons, giving "aid" to the countries ravaged by war (which we know the government doesn't really care about these people- It's all for profit and supporting their agenda), or starting war through false flags to gain a country's oil and resources. It's sickening! I'm glad you are helping to spread this information!

Absolutely agree with every word you said. Thank you! We need to all speak up about this. I just followed you and looking forward to reading your posts as well.

very informative article on a crime which is at the moment not being spoken about enough! Thanks for posting.

Thank you! Please spread the word so that others can become aware as well!

"So much trouble in the world..." -Bob Marley

Thank you for keeping the community informed...

You're welcome! Thank you for reading and commenting!

Sickening the Yemen situation, truly sickening. USA export war that's their main export and the UK are not much better.

It's insane really when you think about it, governments use their taxpayer's money to buy weapons so they can go and bomb the citizens of other nations who have done nothing, totally innocent people blown to pieces.

Exactly, I agree with you. The sad part is many people believe that their governments are carrying out these "humanitarian interventions" but they just use excuses to invade and start wars.

It will be interesting to see how long it takes these chickens to come home to roost here in the US.

The petro-dollar is the only thing funding this media justified campaign and I think once an acceptable substitute is found, the US will find itself more and more alone.

The powers that be aren't interested in the long term future of the US or the American people that it uses as a disposable workforce though, so no amount of rational discussion will sway them from their course.

"When the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail."

Then again, most Americans are so blinded by generations of institutionalized materialism, they don't want to see how things truly are.

Keep up the good work though, you have the moral high ground.

Thank you! It's frustrating that most people are completely unconcerned with what is happening outside of their front door. And you're right sooner rather than later the trouble overseas will be knocking on their front door and where will they hide at that point?