Earlier this week, Defense Secretary James Mattis called for an immediate ceasefire in Yemen. In the course of this, he demanded an end to fighting, and an immediate halt to all airstrikes against populated areas.
Friday in Yemen was much like any other, with Saudi warplanes pounding areas in and around the northern cities of Hodeidah and Sanaa. Heavy airstrikes were reported particularly around Sanaa Airport, which is definitely a civilian-populated area.
Sanaa was mostly hit with airstrikes, while locals reported heavy clashes around Hodeidah, a vital port city that Saudi forces have been massing around all week. In no case is there any indication that a ceasefire is starting.
Saudi and UAE officials have yet to comment on the US call for a ceasefire and peace talks at all. The only response at all from their camp was from Yemeni officials backed by the Saudis, who embraced the idea of peace talks, but similarly showed no signs of stopping fighting in the meantime.
We must conclude that USAF refueling operations report to crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, not James Mattis.
And who do you think MbS reports to? He is nothing but a puppet.
The Arabian Peninsula will be purged from any vestige of Iranian influence and the Houthis are lucky to survive as a people.
Installation of a vassal state called “Yemen” in name only is next.
Or that Mad Dog Mattis is a liar as well as a psychopath. The two do often go together.
I wonder if on the campaign Trump and other Republicans are picking up negative vibes concerning Yemen and the recent murder of the Saudi journalist. Every night Trump or his aides throw out another promise they have no intention of keeping.
Did the US stop refueling the bombers on their way in?
Did the US stop designating targets with their surveillance satellites and drones?
It isn’t much of a demand to stop when you just go on helping to do it.
I thought Mattis gave them 30 days?
He did and because we already knew that they had sent in new forces to this area we also know they would use every bit of those 30 days to consolidate their positions. Is it ever any different in any ceasefire anywhere? This was 100% expected, the big test will be four weeks from now when we see if they actually listen to our demands or not.
I’ll be honest, I have no idea if this was a real ceasefire request or if it was just a stalling measure to keep congress from moving. Only time will tell on this one. It’s certainly too soon to say they are not complying, they were given 30 days and the condition was that the Houthis would also stop firing.
If something isn’t done this war could go on for another decade, everyone seems to know that there will be no military solution. They are setting the stage for some type of political solution, if they were smart they would break the country back up into various parts giving each group autonomy over their own territories. A central government that tries to control the various factions in Yemen by brute force is doomed to failure, it simply won’t work. The US screwed up big time when they tried to force a centralized government on them in the first place. Thank Clinton for that.
That’s what I thought too but the article says “immediate”. I thought I might have missed something and Mattis had decided 30 days would allow the Saudis to consolidate their positions as you said. Wishful thinking on my part.
So even the lovely allies refuse to obey the Boss. i hope the rest of us in Europe have the same response instead of giving in to every whim of King Trump when he tells us all to destroy Iran economically.