Stop Dealing Death In Yemen

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Democrats in the House of Representatives on Friday introduced resolutions to oppose the sale of precision-guided bombs to Saudi Arabia. The deal which was being forced through at the end of Trump's administration is worth hundreds of millions of dollars. The missiles which are provided by Boeing showcase the perverse nature of business incentives with a product that will likely be used on innocent civilians in Riyadh's brutal war in Yemen.

Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York is the chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. He introduced these measures due to concerns that the weapons would be used by Saudi Arabia in their war in Yemen's civil war. The Yemen civil war has been described by human rights organizations as the worst humanitarian crisis in the world.

"Yemen has already been described by the UN as the world's largest humanitarian crisis, and that crisis is worsened when weapons', sold by the United States are being used recklessly, costing the lives of civilians," Meeks said in a statement

Donald Trump says he’s a deal maker. His administration more than his predecessors has been eager and willing to assist in the sale of deadly weaponry to the Saudi kingdom. Last year, the administration claimed there was an 'emergency.' That 60,000 munitions needed to be sent to their friends in Riyadh right away. Or else, the Kingdom was in real danger or something. This decision was seen by many, including House Democrats, as a way to bypass Congressional approval.

After that sale, the Trump administration approved 3,000 "small diameter bombs" and other equipment from Boeing. Soon after Raytheon got in on the action. The Trump administration gave them the go-ahead to sell $478 million dollars worth of "smart" bombs to use in that war.

The United States’ relationship with Saudi Arabia has never been contingent on human rights. While the United States historically turns a blind eye to abuses committed by the Kingdom on it’s citizens, it was done by Presidents for an alleged need for an ally in the region. That and a willing oil salesman. However, the abuses committed by Saudi Arabia in its intervention in the Yemen civil war have been too numerous and too violent to ignore.

Saudi Arabia's decision to form a coalition of countries to intervene in the Yemen civil war in 2014 came for a variety of reasons. Namely, the Saudi's in their Cold War with Iran do not want instability on their border. Saudi Arabia also does not want an Iranian-aligned group to take control due to its proximity. The Houthi, who are a group from North Yemen and fighting on one side of the civil war are loosely tied to Iran. Iran has allegedly given them support through weapons. However, this relationship is thin. Iran is not all in on the Houthi controlling the country due to any grand strategy. If anything Iran wants to keep Saudi Arabia occupied.

The biggest and perhaps most sinister reason Saudi Arabia intervened is that this war was a personal endeavor for Prince Mohammad bin Salman or MBS. Serving as defense minister at the time, MBS wanted to take on the Yemen civil war in the hope it would be an easy win to showcase his leadership capabilities in his vie to become the future King of Saudi Arabia. According to White House officials at the time, President Obama decided to support the intervention to “placate the Saudis” who were upset about his ongoing nuclear deal with Iran. One favor, a few years and thousands of deaths later it has turned into a deeper quagmire than they imagined. Now not only is Saudi Arabia stuck in this civil war, but they are also using extreme measures to try and end it. Saudi Arabia's commitment to human rights is terrible at home and even worse abroad. The amount of civilian casualties and innocent life it has taken is partly why some have gone so far as to refer to the situation in Yemen as genocide.

Yemen was the region's poorest country before the Saudi-led intervention. Due to the United States-led blockade, crumbling infrastructure, and now a coronavirus pandemic, the situation has only worsened. The continuation of this civil war has made it easier for terrorist groups such as al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula to flourish. The United States’ role in facilitating this tragedy is hard to stomach. They primarily supply the weapons and intelligence the Saudi military uses in the conflict. The result is hospitals are leveled, grain silos are destroying what little food the population has, and children emaciated from hunger lie in the streets.

Children in Yemen (Abdulhaleem | UNICEF)

The indiscriminate bombing has made living in Yemen mean living in hell for many of its' people. Weddings and funerals have seen bombs dropped overhead. The Guardian reported in 2018 on one particularly heartbreaking incident.  A school bus filled with children took off one morning and passed a crowded market in the town of Dahyan. Here these poor children are doing something we have all experienced.  Something that reflects a semblance of a normal life. On the road to give them an education that may someday help get them out of this hellish nightmare. All of a sudden, a bang rang throughout the village. A missile was dropped nearby, and the bus was destroyed killing 40 children, the majority of whom were under 10 years old. That alone should make every American upset. Investigative journalists rushed to the scene. Upon further investigation, it was discovered this missile was dropped by the Saudis. The bomb was made by Lockheed Martin and sold to Saudi Arabia in one of these arms deals. They are of course one of America’s leading weapon manufacturers.  That should make every American angry.

The Biden administration means that the military-industrial complex is still in business. A few members of Congress have continued to take a stand but it is not enough. Hopefully, more will follow suit. It is up to the citizens to demand their elected officials change and support those who do. The children of Yemen depend on it.