US fighter jets buzzed across the northern border of Yemen today and pummeled the province of Sa'ada, killing at least 120 people and wounding over 40.
"The US air force perpetrated an appalling massacre against citizens in the north of Yemen as it launched air raids on various populated areas, markets, refugee camps and villages along with Saudi warplanes," the northern Yemen-based Houthi Shia fighters said.
They added, "The savage crime committed by the US air force shows the real face of the United States. It cancels out much touted American claims of human rights protection, promotion of freedoms of citizens as well as democracy."
The US has been playing war games in Yemen for a week now in support of Yemen's fight against the Houthi militants, including the sending in of US Special Forces to help quell the "crisis" and "ensure regional stability." So what if a few villages get bombed in the process?
This is eerily reminiscent of the US's record in Africa. The Bush Administration encouraged Ethiopia to invade neighboring Somalia, and Somalia quickly became destabilized. Three years later, the Obama Administration is now funding numerous Somalian militias with arms while ordering up the occasional air raid.
There is no good that can come from this pointless meddling, at least from the perspective of the American citizen. We are the ones that are killed or injured when the inevitable blowback of constant military intervention comes to fruition.
Like when 15 fanatical Saudis helped kill 3,000 innocent Americans because the US government had been occupying Saudia Arabia since 1991. No Yemeni has attacked us yet, but if the US keeps these air strikes up, that may soon change.
But if you view these air strikes from the perspective of the US government, then it is no doubt a job well done. There will soon be new "terrorists" to scare Americans with, more power centralized in DC, more contracts, more lobbying, and more live targets to test out its high-tech (and incredibly expensive) killing-machines.
Meanwhile, President Obama's Secretary of State, Hillary the Hawk, is ironically defending the Administration's approach to human rights.
She claims, with a straight face, that the US has a "pragmatic and agile" approach to dealing with oppressive governments around the world, from engaging in tough negotiations (!) with China and Russia to denouncing the coup in Honduras or violence in Guinea.
Before you criticize other governments for abuse and human rights violations, Mrs. Clinton, I suggest you listen to the words of a wise philosopher, and look in the mirror.
_
UPDATE: A day after the strike happened, the Pentagon denied that the US was behind the strike.
Well it turns out the US coordinated these strikes with Ali Abdallah Saleh, the President of Yemen. President Obama later called Saleh to "congratulate" him on the strikes, which killed an Al Qaeda deputy.
How is firing millions of dollars of munitions into a country to kill a few bad guys (who will be replaced tomorrow), while killing 120 civilians, benefit the security of the US!?
Comments
Robert Taylor - Sissy ignorant zombie traitor
It's about time bo showed some cajones
Robert Taylor, Shut up douche bag.
Are you kidding me? George W. Bush is responsible for destabilizing Somalia? You really shouldn't write about these things if you're as ignorant as Robert Taylor.
"Like when 15 fanatical Saudis helped kill 3,000 innocent Americans because the US government had been occupying Saudia Arabia since 1991. No Yemeni has attacked us yet, but if the US keeps these air strikes up, that may soon change."
Quit spreading your lies! Al-Qaeda was responsible for 9/11, and they, and al-shabab are responsible for what's going on in Yemen today with the bombings. The US just foiled an impending terrorist attack on this country that was planned and to be carried out by those in Yemen!
"Like when 15 fanatical Saudis helped kill 3,000 innocent Americans because the US government had been occupying Saudia Arabia since 1991. No Yemeni has attacked us yet, but if the US keeps these air strikes up, that may soon change."
Quit spreading your lies! Al-Qaeda was responsible for 9/11, and they, and al-shabab are responsible for what's going on in Yemen today with the bombings. The US just foiled an impending terrorist attack on this country that was planned and to be carried out by those in Yemen!
Yea...right. GW destabilized Somalia? LOL....what a joke. Please tell me when Somalia has EVER been stable? Since islam took over, it's been a hotbed for terrorism, like most of the middle east, except for Israel, who fights the same fight we do. I'm surprised this president had the "nads" to bomb anywhere. He needs to keep looking.
"Quit spreading your lies! Al-Qaeda was responsible for 9/11, and they, and al-shabab are responsible for what's going on in Yemen today with the bombings. The US just foiled an impending terrorist attack on this country that was planned and to be carried out by those in Yemen!"
Talk about spreading lies, there is no doubt the 9/11 terrorists came from Saudi Arabia, yet you have the nerve to defend these terrorists? It has been shown that the financing of the 9/11 operation came from the Saudi Government. How dare you come on here and defend terrorism you hypocrite.
To suggest that the US was foiling a terrorist attack in these strikes is a complete lie. The Saudi's have been fighting the Yemen militia, who are supported by Iran. This is a war by proxy between the US, Saudi Arabia against Iran. This is not an attack against terrorism this is an attack against the allies of Iran.
Make no mistake about it this is textbook imperial aggression with lies as justification just like
What a wacko!
Perhaps you should have mentioned the AQ cowards who were killed in that bombing. I realize that you enjoy thinking that the U.S. just bombs civilians randomly, but that's pretty ignorant.
The U.S. never "occupied" Saudi Arabia they were invited there and invited to stay. Stop trying to rewrite history, because you can't.
If you think an effective foreign policy is burying your head in the sand, or other places, than I feel sorry for you. History has shown time and time again that ignoring a threat costs more in lives than confronting it.
Some people may buy your rhetoric and your complete ignorance to history, but I don't. You obviously have an agenda and it has nothing to do with the "poor people of Yemen". You hypocrite.
13+ year veteran of the Marine Corp; & fought in the 2d fallujah Nov '04. I commend Robert. Empire it is. 9-11 at best is as Pearl Harbor was. An administration's antagonist foreign policy and ignoring intelligence to allow a catastrophic incident to happen , thus justifying entrance into a war.
Eisenhower warned of the Ind. Military Complex, Kennedy warned of a conspiracy amongst us, Goldwater warned of the Trilaterals, and the CFR. Wake up people. Or don't and we shall wake up homeless in the country our fathers founded as Jefferson warned.
13+ year veteran of the Marine Corp; & fought in the 2d fallujah Nov '04. I commend Robert. Empire it is. 9-11 at best is as Pearl Harbor was. An administration's antagonist foreign policy and ignoring intelligence to allow a catastrophic incident to happen , thus justifying entrance into a war.
Eisenhower warned of the Ind. Military Complex, Kennedy warned of a conspiracy amongst us, Goldwater warned of the Trilaterals, and the CFR. Wake up people. Or don't and we shall wake up homeless in the country our fathers founded as Jefferson warned.
You sure can see how many people LOVE empire in these comments, can't you. Oh well, maybe they will wake up when *they* are the ones looking down the barrel of the Empire's guns, rather than some "brown person" on the other side of the globe, but maybe not.
First of all, you make elementary, amateurish, and wrong claims. 9/11 was an inside job. And your completely moronic styled statements such as, "No Yemeni has attacked us yet, but if the US keeps these air strikes up, that may soon change" should get you fired from any serious journalistic position. Who says that? I feel like I'm reading a bad paper by some idiotic college classmate. How are such blatantly personal and hypocritical perspectives on things allowed in preofessional journalism? (i.e. "But if you view these air strikes from the perspective of the US government, then it is no doubt a job well done. There will soon be new "terrorists" to scare Americans with, more power centralized in DC, more contracts, more lobbying, and more live targets to test out its high-tech (and incredibly expensive) killing-machines). You try to appear so condescending of the "empire" yet you look like an ass. Sure, war is big money but you sound like you condone itfrom your tone. wake up.
DJH is an idiot and probably still a virgin.
I like how all the comments in response to this post stopped after the attempted x-mas bombing.
Thanks for a thorough article, including the viewpoints from the people in Yemen of our brutal attack. The comments posted by readers, however, startle me as I wonder why so many Neocons are reading a Libertarian article? Perhaps they are trying to broaden their understanding of issues beyond the Rush Limbaugh diatribes they faithfully seem to listen to; unfortunately it doesn't seem to be working.
US bombs Yemen, kills 120, just another day in the life of an empire ??? Im so ashamed to bean American, Im so tiered of this insane world, how can there be a GOD and allow so much injustice and suffering? Has the hole world gone mad ? We keep nothing we take nothing !! Has everyone gone mad?
After seeing the bits and pieces of children on the ground all i can do is cry as i feel just a little of the pain those folks must feel to see those they love murdered. Im a man who has everything , yet i cant seem to enjoy it. The constant reminder that its my country doing this to the world ills me. I think its time we come together as a people and STOP this madness. How can man do this to other men and children, so much evil , so much death over ideas . Is madness
So.. they bombed Yemen PRIOR to the Christmas day "terror" attack, and they are surprised that someone tried to retaliate?
Glad to see the intelligence community still has their head up their own ass.
The bombings in Yemen have no relevance to United States security. They are carrying out these missions as a favour to their Saudi masters.
you really don't know what happend that info is on a need to know for the public
Cant we just kill all of these fockers and be done with it?
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