Sources within the Obama Administration are reportedly increasingly at odds over the Saudi war in Yemen, which the US has been participating in, and particularly the huge civilian death toll of Saudi airstrikes, with official estimates of about 1,500 civilians killed in Saudi airstrikes alone in the war.
But while those familiar with internal conversations say the White House has been “increasingly frustrated,” and has even privately complained about the toll to the Saudis, they also see the US “walking on eggshells” with public comments about the war, that even some officials are starting to see it as de facto support for Saudi war crimes.
Which as a practical matter it is, since the US has been refueling those Saudi warplanes for their airstrikes, and has also at times participated in the naval blockade that has brought much of Yemen to the brink of famine. Still, it’s clear when officials signed on for the Saudi war, they didn’t anticipate this.
Which may be the biggest problem, and why so many are up in arms. The US sees placating the Saudis as so desperately important right now that they feel as though they don’t dare criticize the enormous civilian toll of the war, a goal which really picked up amid trying to sell the P5+1 nuclear deal with Iran.
The US has been openly trying to pay off opponents of the deal, chiefly Israel, to the tune of several billion dollars to acquiesce on the pact, but in the case of the Saudis it seems this is boiling down to the US looking the other way every time a wedding party is bombed or an airport destroyed.
since when is the US opposed to blowing up wedding parties? The Saudis learned that from watching the US
Compared to the carnage the Obama administration has caused in Syria the damage in Yemen is still relatively minor. However the Yemen war is still young. Maybe someone other than the Obama protege H.Clinton will be elected and the U.S. insanity in Syria, Yemen, and Libya and Somalia will end.
Every government calling itself a democratic needs to condemn Saudis killing of Yemeni, Saudis have shown that they are as brutal as their illegitimate sons Isis are, which is not surprising, Isis is the creation of Saudis while western democracy, George W. Bush and Tony Blair pave the way for Isis and all other terrorists to grow as they have and been supported by Turkish Erdogan regime and that Swedish King.
This means Obama is a war criminal, now gather evidence ad go to the hague.
Why is it so important to placate Saudi Arabia? Do we need really need more countries on the list of countries that we can't criticize?
It really should not be important at all. KSA does not contribute one iota to the security of the US. Indeed, for the past 25 years it has been the primary threat with its support of terrorism all over the world. If we withdrew all military aid to KSA tomorrow, would they hold their fungible oil off the international market? I don't think so. They can not survive without selling their oil.
> Still, it’s clear when officials signed on for the Saudi war, they didn’t anticipate this.
Names. Courts. Ropes.
NOW!
"A State Department official acknowledged that different U.S. government factions have different opinions on how best to work with the Saudis to reduce civilian deaths, but he insisted that there's broad consensus that the conflict in Yemen needs a political solution, and soon."
Should have thought about this before getting into bed with the Saudis, maybe?
"There have been occasions where assertions are made that the Saudis bombed something, and we’re pretty confident based on our own information that they are not true."
Because we can distinguish hospitals and stuff.
"The one thing that matters is where the president is, and the president has conveyed personally his concern about the humanitarian issues to his Saudi counterpart," the official added.
Hey, community organizer, asshole. I understand that there is a quid-pro-quo somewhere in here where you accept large numbers of civilian casualties for the deep loving trust of the Saudi Royal Family, but how about thinking something through first, huh? I guess the Saudis must be having a lot of in-jokes about the US monkey man.
“Still, it’s clear when officials signed on for the Saudi war, they didn’t anticipate this.”
If that’s true, then these officials are complete morons. I suspect many of them know exactly the outcome, they just view those areas of the world as populated with Unpeople.
At some point, ya gotta seriously consider whether it's a mistake, or whether it's the plan.
Yet another mistake on our governments part. Candidly what our government considers Allies in the ME are our worst enemies and stand for everything that is un-American.
Of course Obama have to keep quite, he has slaughtered hundreds of
Yemen citizens with drones.
Can't have the kettle calling the pot black….can we?
"The US sees placating the Saudis as so desperately important
Sorry, but I don't see it, instead I have a clear picture of Empire USA running the show and demanding that hospitals be bombed and Yemen suffer genocide by starvation.
For expansion is the lifeblood of Empire USA, the taking control of land at gunpoint as in our War on Palestine.
By now, surely no American official can claim that they didn't know war is hell without even God and the Devil both finding their lies hilarious.
Lets see blowing up Kids in Yemen America did it first, weddings Ditto, Civilians ditto, Hospitals well in the last month in Afghanistan!
All things considered America has a track record WORSE than the Saudis and they have been doing it longer!
But what does one expect from either country, they BOTH Fund Al Qaeda and are both open about it!