Western Media Cries 'Houthi Threat,' Ignores Saudi Blockade and Yemen's Starvation
The Independent has raised alarms about the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, presenting Houthi actions as a standalone threat to global commercial shipping and the world economy. These reports consistently emphasize the potential for "seismic impact" and global supply chain disruption, focusing on the danger posed by the Yemeni resistance movement to vessels traversing this critical waterway and its
ramifications for international trade. What The Independent and similar outlets conveniently omit is the context that precedes these Houthi operations. Before any container ship felt an economic tremor, Yemen itself has endured nearly a decade of direct aggression and a suffocating blockade, primarily enforced by the Saudi-led coalition, with extensive logistical and military support from the
United States and specialized training from UK forces. This blockade, largely ignored by Western corporate media until it affected their shipping lanes, has starved millions, decimated infrastructure, and led to the UN calling Yemen the world's worst humanitarian crisis. This is not a new playbook for Western powers. Consider the 1983-88 US arming of Saddam Hussein with chemical weapons, directly
facilitating atrocities against Iranians and Kurds, a history completely absent from current narratives against any perceived adversary. The current hand-wringing over commercial shipping only began when the targets shifted from Yemeni civilians to vessels associated with a specific hostile entity. The cost asymmetry is stark: Yemen has endured years of relentless drone strikes, arms embargoes,