Saudis Escalate Terror-Bombing in Yemen After Hollow US Call for Ceasefire
by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org – Home – Stephen Lendman)
Yemen is Washington’s war, wanting it continued endlessly, not stopped.
US war secretary Mattis’ call for ceasefire days earlier was willful deception. He’s part of the problem, in charge of all US wars of aggression, no prospect of ending any of them.
World peace and stability defeat Washington’s agenda, why multiple wars rage, other countries likely to be attacked – what imperialism is all about, the human toll of no consequence. Unchallenged dominance alone matters.
According to Oxfam, Saudi-led terror-bombing willfully targets its aid projects. It happened multiple times. De facto kingdom ruler crown prince Mohammad bin Salman wants starving Yemenis deprived of vital humanitarian assistance.
Oxfam’s head of advocacy Toni Pearce called continued UK (and US) sales of weapons and munitions to Riyadh “irresponsible” – fueling endless war, “cut(ing) off vital food supplies, destroy(ing) hospitals and homes…”
Saudis claiming they’re only targeting Houthi fighters is a bald-faced lie. With US/UK support and encouragement, they’re willfully targeting civilian sites, wanting to inflict maximum pain and suffering on beleaguered Yemenis.
A day after Mattis’ hollow call for ceasefire, Saudi warplanes terror-bombed Yemen’s capital city and surrounding areas, massacring countless numbers of civilians.
AMN News reported that civilian neighborhoods were struck, along with areas around Sanaa’s airport.
On Monday, Houthi controlled Masirah television said Saudi warplanes launched their heaviest terror-bombing assault on the port-city of Hodeidah over the weekend – conducting scores of airstrikes over a 24-hour period.
Thousands of Saudi and UAE forces were mobilized for a large-scale offensive on the city. SouthFront issued a similar report, citing UAE-based Sky News Arabia TV.
Houthis claimed they repelled the Saudi-led attack, killing over 200 of their forces, destroying “coalition” military equipment.
According to UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric, “Hodeidah’s port remains operational, and Yemen depends…on imports for 90 percent of its staple food and nearly all food and fuel.”
Most supplies enter through Hodeidah or Salif ports. Saudi and UAE forces want control over them to block humanitarian aid from reaching starving Yemenis.
Commenting on Saudi-UAE warplanes targeting a school bus in Houthi-controlled northern Saada province’s Dahyan city last August, killing dozens, including at least 29 young children under age-10, injuring 79 others, Trump shamefully downplayed the willful massacre, saying:
“That was basically people that didn’t know how to use the weapon, which is horrible,” adding:
“We’re looking at Yemen very carefully right now. We are actually studying Yemen very, very carefully.”
“I’ll be talking about a lot of things with the Saudis…but certainly I wouldn’t be having people that don’t know how to use the weapons shooting at buses with children.”
He failed to say the US and UK are involved in selecting targets for Saudi-led terror-bombing, along with providing intelligence, logistics help, and mid-air refueling of its warplanes.
The US, UK and France are complicit in years of mass slaughter and destruction throughout the region, supplying the most arms – the Saudis, Egypt and UAE the leading buyers.
The West has no intention of halting arms and munitions sales to these countries. Despite mass slaughter and humanitarian crisis conditions in Yemen, along with Saudi responsibility for Jamal Khashoggi’s murder, Trump said arms sales to the kingdom will continue.
Devastating war in Yemen won’t end because Washington wants it continued endlessly. The same goes for all its other war theaters.
My newest book as editor and contributor is titled “Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III.”
