Until three U.S. soldiers were killed by a drone strike on a remote base in Jordan last month, most people living in the U.S. had no idea there are 45,000 U.S. troops in the Middle East, spread around Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Qatar, Bahrain, UAE, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. The U.S. naval armada in the region was further increased after the Hamas attack on Israel in October.
As the Houthi government in Yemen began to use drones to disrupt global shipping in the Red Sea with the aim of stopping the Israeli/U.S. war on Gaza, the U.S. began bombing Yemen directly, after years of arming Saudi Arabia to make war on Yemen.
I have to share this from Atlas Winfrey on the Revolution – Nothing Less show: Why is Biden bombing one of the poorest countries in the world? The U.S. has been carrying out missile strikes in Yemen against the Islamic fundamentalist group, the Houthis, which has been attacking commercial shipping in the Red Sea disrupting global trade, to demand the the U.S. and Israel end their genocidal war on Palestine. Biden says that “Freedom of navigation” is being disrupted… Hear what Atlas with the #RNLShow team says in response.
On January 29, the U.S. began attacks on Syria, Jordan, and Iraq, sending its long range B-1 bombers 6,000 miles from Texas to make the statement, “We’re in charge here,” hitting 85 targets in Syria, Iraq just on Friday February. Iraq says U.S. bombings killed civilians. Yemen was bombed all weekend.
On February 4, Biden’s National Security adviser Jake Sullivan claimed the recent strikes across Syria, Yemen and Iraq are examples of the president’s attempt to “prevent war,” with no mention of the war on Gaza. He said, “What you saw on Friday night was ‘just the first round,'” warning additional attacks. The U.S. aim is Iran, as it has been for many years. A nuclear-armed Israel – a country willfully depriving Palestinians in Gaza with the means to live – also has Iran in its sights.
Humanity needs a robust outcry to stop the genocide, the imperialist aggression and the danger of much wider war. People across the globe, joined by many – but not nearly enough – living here are rising up. Cheers to:
🌍 Hundreds and Hundreds of Chicago Public High School Students Who Walked Out in Solidarity with Palestine. A City Council vote for a ceasefire in Gaza followed.
🌎 Annie Lennox Calls Out #Artists4Ceasefire! in Sinéad O’Connor Grammys Tribute
🌍 Genocide in My Living Roomby our friend L. Michael Hager, cofounder and former Director General, International Development Law Organization, Rome.
Fun fact: The Voice of America helpfully notes in its coverage of U.S. bases: “While Washington’s allies sometimes send their troops to train or work with U.S. troops, there are no foreign military bases inside the U.S.” (Emphasis mine.) No kidding! That’s why we call it “imperialism.”