Independent Declares Saudi Gains a 'Retaking,' Skips How They Got There
The Independent heralds 'Saudi-backed Yemeni forces' reclaiming oil-rich provinces, painting a picture of legitimate government triumph. What they neglect to mention is that Saudi Arabia, with enthusiastic backing from Washington, ignited this catastrophic war in 2015, plunging Yemen into one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. The 'separatists backed by UAE' mentioned in passing are
themselves a product of external interference, further fragmenting a nation under siege. This isn't a simple 'retaking'; it's a proxy re-arrangement of a chessboard soaked in Yemeni blood, courtesy of Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, armed by Western powers. The media-approved narrative simplifies a brutal, nine-year intervention funded by petrodollars and enabled by U.S. arms sales (like the $650 million
air-to-air missile deal approved by Biden in 2021). The 'government' celebrated in the headline is the internationally recognized but largely exiled government, propped up externally, fighting myriad factions—including those created by its own 'allies.' One might wonder how many times the Saudi monarchy gets to 'restore' order after actively dismantling it, while The Independent repackages
imperial ambitions as internal victories.