The mayhem in Yemen and the crisis of meaning in the Arab World
Are Yemenis Arabs? And why are other Arabs bombing them?
The counter-revolutionary effort transformed Yemen into a theatre for proxy wars. Outside interference by the Saudis and Iranians radically distorted the popular mobilisation into a sectarian conflict in which the
Houthis turned from one of the voices of the uprising to puppets of Tehran. The counter-revolutionary commotion succeeded, the revolutionary momentum receded
Foreign interference was detrimental to the Yemeni revolution and to the interests of both Saudis and Iranians. They are also victims of this counter-revolutionary mobilisation against a transnational uprising that endangered the Saudi and Iranian regimes alike. Needless to say, the US and British support and massive military sales to
Saudi Arabia are a key factor in exacerbating this catastrophe.
From proxy war to regional conflict
Now, where are we three years into the "Yemen conflict", as journalists in the US and Europe call the carnage?
The Houthis are entrenched more than ever, resisting the onslaught of an international coalition armed with the latest military technology and are still launching missiles at Saudi Arabia. The Saudi-Iranian rivalry is growing and spreading to include the rise of a regional Arab alliance (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, and Bahrain) against
Qatar.
At the same time, Saudi Arabia has joined forces with
Israel to push the US towards an all-out war against
Iran. The Trump administration has happily obliged and increased economic pressure on the Islamic Republic, putting more strain on the US-European alliance. In
Syria, Israel has sought support from
Russia to open yet another front against Iran.
Russia to open yet another front against Iran.
In short, the war in Yemen has become integral to an all-out regional conflict from which only arms manufactures in the US and the UK and the aggressive and militaristic government in Israel can benefit - all to the delight of reactionary Arab regimes.
The human casualties of the carnage
What has been the political result of so much brutality and bloodshed we have witnessed in Yemen? Nothing. There is no diplomatic, political or even military solution to this carnage in sight.
But there is a far more evident, far more palpable consequence of the war in Yemen, to which all the factions have contributed. "At least 10,000 people have been killed in the war in Yemen," this according to a conservative UN estimate reported in January 2017.
Other sources give much higher numbers. "In November 2017,"
according to a report, "Save the Children confirmed that 130 Yemeni children were dying every day, with 50,000 children already believed to have died in 2017."
What are all these weapons for?
All of these obscene numbers pale in comparison to the military budget of these rich Arab states. The Saudi Arabian leadership, a tiny little ruling tribe - to be more exact - with no claim to any democratic representation whatsoever, is now the most voracious buyer of military junk in the world after the US and
China.
"Global military spending rose last year," according to a report
by Al Jazeera in May 2018, "to its highest level since the Cold War, with the United States, China and
Saudi Arabia topping the list, according to a Swedish-based research institute." The same report indicates that "
Saudi Arabia replaced Russia in third place, spending
$69.4bn in 2017.
The entire population of this tiny little oil-dom is less than 10 million people, of which less than 1.5 million are actual Emiratis and the rest are foreign labourers. You divide $20bn by 1.5 million and figure out how much per capita the Emirates spends on buying US and Israeli military junk. Does that make any sense?
The fact is that the US and Israel have incorporated these little military garrisons in the Gulf into the map of their military conquest of the region - and they get the ruling families of these states to pay for the privilege of plundering their people's wealth. These small states have all been effectively turned into mercenary armies and military stations tasked with protecting the strategic interests of the US and Israeli militarism.
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https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/mayhem-yemen-crisis-meaning-arab-world-180724121333300.html