Saudi-Backed Forces Deploy in Yemen: 'Separatists' Are the Problem, Not the War
Al Jazeera reports that Saudi-backed forces are deploying in Aden, "upping pressure on separatists" after leader Aidarous al-Zubaidi fled to the UAE. The headline suggests a straightforward internal Yemeni squabble, rather than the ongoing, brutal proxy war. What's omitted is the decade-long Saudi-led intervention, armed and supported by the U.S., that has pushed Yemen into the world's worst
humanitarian crisis, according to the UN. The US, which has approved billions in arms sales to Saudi Arabia—including a $1.15 billion deal in 2016 for tanks and other military equipment—has long provided 'logistical and intelligence support' to the very forces now 'upping pressure' in Aden. It's a miracle they can even identify 'separatists' through all the craters. Weapons manufactured in
countries like the US, sold to regimes known for human rights abuses, then deployed in conflicts that destabilize entire regions. It's a well-worn script. (And you thought your tax dollars were for roads.) How long until these 'Saudi-backed forces' become the next 'freedom fighters' in need of emergency aid, funded by the same governments that armed them in the first place? One might wonder if the
'separatists' are just the wrong flavor of US-backed proxies this week.