By Abayomi Azikiwe
After days of threats, the United States and the United Kingdom have bombed what they say are a dozen sites in Yemen aimed at halting the attacks by the Ansarullah resistance movement against Israeli-owned vessels and those conducting trade with Tel Aviv.
Reports from the White House claim that several other states participated in the bombings of Yemen which include Canada, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Australia, the Kingdom of Bahrain, among others.
However, it was not immediately clear what role was played by countries other than the U.S. and Britain. The airstrikes further confirm the pivotal role of the administration of President Joe Biden in facilitating the burgeoning war in West Asia.
In a statement issued from the White House, the president said:
“Today, at my direction, U.S. military forces — together with the United Kingdom and with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada and the Netherlands — successfully conducted strikes against a number of targets in Yemen used by Houthi rebels to endanger freedom of navigation in one of the world’s most vital waterways. These strikes are in direct response to unprecedented Houthi attacks against international maritime vessels in the Red Sea — including the use of anti-ship ballistic missiles for the first time in history. These attacks have endangered U.S. personnel, civilian mariners and our partners, jeopardized trade and threatened freedom of navigation. More than 50 nations have been affected in 27 attacks on international commercial shipping. Crews from more than 20 countries have been threatened or taken hostage in acts of piracy. More than 2,000 ships have been forced to divert thousands of miles to avoid the Red Sea — which can cause weeks of delays in product shipping times. And on Jan. 9, Houthis launched their largest attack to date — directly targeting American ships.”
The Biden administration has maintained its military, economic and diplomatic support for the State of Israel as more than 23,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since October 7. Tens of thousands more Palestinians have been wounded and injured. The entire population of 2.3 million are effectively displaced due to the blanket bombing of Gaza and the targeting of neighborhoods, refugee camps, schools, hospitals and all aspects of the infrastructure.
A deliberate campaign of destroying food, medical supplies, potable water and healthcare services by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) is designed to make the Gaza Strip unlivable. The White House has refused to call for a ceasefire on the part of the Israeli regime. There are platitudes related to the necessity of restoring humanitarian assistance for Gaza to pre-October 7 levels. Nonetheless, the refusal to rein in the Zionist state contradicts Washington’s stated desire to prevent more people from dying of hunger and disease.
In several votes at the United Nations Security Council and General Assembly, the U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield has failed to act in accordance with international law by opposing the halt to genocidal violence carried out by Tel Aviv. Even though Biden and his Secretary of State Antony Blinken have repeatedly said that the administration does not want a broader conflict, the foreign policy of Washington is clearly stoking tensions and military actions across the West Asia region.
Biden in his above-quoted statement went on to threaten further action by emphasizing:
“The response of the international community to these reckless attacks has been united and resolute. Last month, the United States launched Operation Prosperity Guardian — a coalition of more than 20 nations committed to defending international shipping and deterring Houthi attacks in the Red Sea. We also joined more than 40 nations in condemning Houthi threats. Last week, together with 13 allies and partners, we issued an unequivocal warning that Houthi rebels would bear the consequences if their attacks did not cease. And yesterday, the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution demanding the Houthis end attacks on merchant and commercial vessels.”
Yet successive U.S. administrations have taken a hostile position towards the resistance forces in Yemen. It was former President Barack Obama who provided military and logistical support for the massive bombing of Yemen by the so-called Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) which at the time consisted of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) beginning in 2015. This same policy was continued under Trump and during the early phase of the Biden White House.
As a result of the U.S. proxy war against Yemen which lasted for seven years, hundreds of thousands of people lost their lives. An outbreak of cholera inside the country during this period was the largest and most severe anywhere in the world.
In this most recent provocation against Yemen, the official news agency Saba said of the situation that the Pentagon-led aggression bombed the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, along with the provinces of Hodeidah, Saada, Dhamar, Taiz, and Hajjah. Al-Dailami airbase near Sanaa International Airport, was struck in several locations. In addition, Hodeidah Airport, areas in the Zabid district in the coastal province of Hodeidah, the Kahlan camp east of Saada city in the north, as well as the Abbs local airport in the Hajjah province in the northwest were subjected to airstrikes. This same bombing operation struck Taiz International Airport and the 22nd Brigade camp in the areas of Hawban and Jund, north of Taiz city, in the southwest of the country.
Yemen Resistance Leaders Remain Undeterred
Over the course of the last decade the Ansarullah has been organized into a formidable political and military force in West Asia. Events in Yemen undoubtedly played a significant part in the truce which began in April 2022 between the Ansarullah government and the rival administration which is backed by Saudi Arabia and Washington.
Although the truce effectively expired in subsequent months, the terms of the deal have largely held. Hopes accelerated in late 2023 over the potential for a permanent ceasefire in Yemen. However, the signing of such an accord has not yet materialized.
The normalization of relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Saudi Arabia in early 2023 has been an important factor in the developing geopolitical reconfiguration in West Asia. Interestingly enough, the only state in West Asia listed by the White House as participants in the bombing is the Kingdom of Bahrain, which has maintained diplomatic relations with the State of Israel since September 2020, a political scheme initiated by former President Donald Trump.
In regard to the January 11 attacks, Saudi Arabia expressed concern over the U.S. actions, mentioning in its statement that the bombing could undermine peace talks aimed at a lasting settlement in Yemen. Consequently, the notion being advanced by the Biden administration that they have built a coalition of 40 states around Operation Prosperity Guardian can only be viewed as imperialist propaganda aimed at minimizing further disdain for the U.S.
Al Mayadeen television quoted several Ansarullah leaders in their responses to the bombing of Yemen noting:
“Shortly after the strikes, Hussein al-Azzi, the Deputy Foreign Minister in the Sanaa government, warned that the United States and Britain must be ‘prepared to pay a high price and bear the severe consequences for their blatant aggression.’ Nasr al-Din Amer, Deputy Head of the Yemen Ansar Allah Media Authority, clarified that the Yemeni Armed Forces would officially announce any Yemeni response to the aggression. On his part, Mohammad al-Bukhaiti, a member of the Ansar Allah political bureau, said that the United States and Britain ‘made a mistake in waging war on Yemen and did not benefit from their previous experiences.’ Al-Bukhaiti said that ‘the US and Britain undoubtedly regret today their previous foolishness’ (referring to the two countries’ involvement in the aggression against Yemen in 2004 and 2015), emphasizing that they ‘will soon realize that the direct aggression on Yemen was the biggest folly in their history.’… Earlier, the leader of the Yemen Ansar Allah movement, Sayyed Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, warned that any American aggression on Yemen will not go unanswered, affirming that Sanaa is ready for any direct confrontation with Washington.”
The United Nations Mission for the Russian Federation called for a special session before the Security Council on January 12. Just one day earlier, Moscow was one of the four members of the Security Council which abstained from the U.S.-sponsored resolution demanding that Yemen halt its blockade in the Red Sea in solidarity with Palestine.
Within the U.S., some members of Congress have questioned the wisdom of carrying out the attacks. Democratic Congresswoman Val Hoyle posted on her X account saying, “These airstrikes have not been authorized by Congress. The Constitution is clear: Congress has the sole authority to authorize military involvement in overseas conflicts. Every president must first come to Congress and ask for military authorization, regardless of party.” This sentiment was echoed by another Democrat Ro Khanna as well as Republican Mike Lee as both of them stressed the danger of unilateral military action without the knowledge of Congress.
The Biden White House sees no other alternative than widening the war in West Asia since the aerial bombardments, ground offensive and total blockade of Gaza has not been successful in defeating Hamas and other resistance forces. In neighboring Lebanon, Hezbollah is continuing its operations against Israeli settlers in northern Israel.
Antiwar and peace activists in the U.S., the UK and Western Europe will certainly oppose the bombings and targeted assassinations throughout the region. Biden’s foreign policy in West Asia has also seriously jeopardized the re-election of his administration later in the year.
Be the first to comment