Phony Bernie Sanders Concern About Yemen
by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org – Home – Stephen Lendman)
He doesn’t give a damn about Afghans, Iraqis, Syrians, Libyans, Palestinians, other victims of US aggression, or ordinary Americans despite pretending otherwise.
His deceptive NYT op-ed, headlined “We Must Stop Helping Saudi Arabia in Yemen,” saying:
It’s time to “show that the Saudis do not have a blank check to continue violating human rights. One place we can start is by ending United States support for the war in Yemen,” adding:
“Not only has this war created a humanitarian disaster in one of the world’s poorest countries, but also American involvement in this war has not been authorized by Congress and is therefore unconstitutional.”
Some key facts Sanders ignored:
Yemen is Washington’s war -begun by Bush/Cheney drone terror-bombing, escalated by Obama, continued by Trump, waged largely by despotic Saudis and UAE forces, serving US interests and their own.
US special forces operating covertly in the country pretend to be combatting ISIS and other terrorists Washington supports – targeting Houthi fighters, exacerbating crisis conditions.
Since taking office, Trump escalated US drone attacks on Yemen six-fold over 2016 – by drones and warplanes.
Like others in Washington and Western media, Sanders failed to explain only Security Council members can authorize war, not presidents, prime ministers, Congress or courts – permitted only in self-defense in response to an attack or imminent one, never preemptively for any reason.
Sanders is no peacenik. He votes nearly always with other undemocratic Dems, supporting US wars of aggression in multiple theaters.
He backed genocidal sanctions on Iraq from 1990 – 2003, responsible for the deaths of 1.2 million children under age-five.
He supported the Clinton co-presidency’s rape of Yugoslavia and 2001 Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) on the phony pretext of combating global terrorism Washington created and supports.
He backs illegal US occupations of Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and elsewhere, along with supporting Israeli aggression against defenseless Gazans.
He backs the Obama regime’s installed putschist regime in Ukraine. He voted for the 2014 Ukraine Freedom Support Act – authorizing lethal and other aid for the country’s military to wage war on its own people.
He’s silent about America’s rape and destruction of one country after another, supporting US-led war to topple Gaddafi in Libya and Assad in Syria.
He shamefully called Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez a dead communist dictator. He’s progressive and socialist in name only, a hardcore undemocratic Dem during roll call voting on key issues.
Earlier he said “(i)t is imperative that Iran not get a nuclear weapon,” it isn’t developing, doesn’t want, abhors, and wants eliminated everywhere, ignoring nuclear armed and dangerous Israel.
His op-ed against war in Yemen is too little, too late, ignoring what’s most important.
All regional wars of aggression are US-initiated and waged – together with its imperial partners against nations to install pro-Western puppet regimes.
What’s most important to explain, Sanders ignored like he always does. He’s part of the problem, not the solution to key geopolitical and national issues.
He long ago sold out to wealth, power and privileged interests, wanting his own served.
Endorsing war goddess Hillary for president clearly showed where he stands – on the wrong side of what just societies pledge to sustain – supporting peace, equity and justice, principles Sanders rejects, evident by his deplorable voting record.
My newest book as editor and contributor is titled “Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III.”
