Back from a visit to the Gulf area, State Department special envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking returned to the US to push the narrative that the Shi’ite Houthi movement is mostly to blame for the ongoing problems in Yemen.
Yemen’s problems include large civilian casualties from the Saudi-led war and the borderline famine conditions as Saudi-enforced naval blockade has kept food imports far below pre-war levels. That lack of food and medicine, also because of the blockade, is an ongoing crisis.
It’s hard not to notice that the common denominator in all of these major humanitarian problems for Yemen is Saudi Arabia. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin reiterated earlier this week that the US remains committed to Saudi Arabia when it comes to regional security, and that clearly is the intent as Lenderking pointed the finger at the Houthis.
This spin isn’t shocking, as the US has been participating in the war, on the Saudis’ side, off and on for years. It is quite a shift for the Biden Administration though, who had been trying to distance themselves from the war and was encouraging a peace deal.
Lenderking sought further to accuse the Houthis of refusing a ceasefire, which is simply untrue. The Houthis have consistently participated in peace talks with the Saudis and the Saudi-backed government, and the main reason the past peace talks failed was that the Saudis’ allies refused any deal involving power-sharing or a fresh election, wanting unconditional continued rule.
That’s the context in which Lenderking is trying to blame the Houthis, and to make matters worse, the US has consistently backed the Saudis’ play throughout.
The usual script blames the Houthis and Iran. Is there anything to this alteration?
“This spin isn’t shocking, as the US has been participating in the war, on the Saudis’ side, off and on for years. It is quite a shift for the Biden Administration though, who had been trying to distance themselves from the war and was encouraging a peace deal.”
A shift my ass. He has done nothing of substance.
He is a politician. Words come out of both sides of his mouth.
It is like blaming a woman for being raped.
We can be here all day… Like blaming Putin for starving Syria, Palestinians for existing, Palestinian civilians for Israeli bombing, Saddam for Al Qaeda, Countries led by whoever we label as “dictators,” etc.
There is a boatload of misdirection and misconception going on here.
Is it really true that we know for CERTAIN who is really supporting whom and, more importantly WHY?
Why does Saudi Arabia want to control Yemen? Why insist on unified Yemen which neither Houthis nor Southern separatists want? What is UAE doing there, and on whose behalf?
Answer lies in the straits — Bab Al-Mandeb.
US wants to control it, and is in better position today by inserting UAE to influence South.
Saudi Arabia desperately does NOT want US to control their ENTIRE Asian trade. Neither does Sudan or Egypt. US promises NOBODY believes. Once US gets control of both sixes of the Straits — they can all be blackmailed.
Thus torture of Yemen. Houthis do not care for high politics, just to vet their independence back.
Saudis played that wrong from the start — and what is really going on -/ who knows.
All we can gather is that a/. Saudis are losing, thus Biden you, just say we give up, sign off your life, and we will be nice to you, OR Saudis are gaining ground, so Biden loves you and will defend you, just let us have Bab Al-Mandeb.
This story is not over. Chinese are laying cable from Asia, by Arabian Sea, to Africa, through Red Sea to Egypt and Europe , freeing ME from dependence on US cables. Russia is fixing up base at Port Sudan to service its nuclear subs,
That part of Indian Ocean between Asia, Arabia and Africa is just beating up.