Saudis Face Defeat in Yemen and Instability at Home

"The interventions of US imperialism, with the direct collaboration of the Saudi monarchy, have plunged the entire Middle East into chaos and bloodshed--from the destruction of Iraq, to the transformation of Libya into a militia-ravaged "failed state," to the ongoing carnage inflicted upon Syria " This predatory imperialist offensive threatens to ignite a region-wide conflagration, even as Washington deliberately ratchets up military tensions with both Russia and China. The threat of these separate conflicts coalescing into a third world war grows by the day." -- Bill Van Auken, Obama's criminal war against Yemen, World Socialist web Site

"Will the reactionary rulers of Saudi Arabia manage to break the legitimate hopes and enthusiastic dreams burning in the hearts of thousands of young people of the Arabian Peninsula? Never!" -- Gamal Abd al-Nasser, President of Egypt 1956 to 1970

In its ongoing effort to prevent the rise of "any popularly supported government in the region," the US has joined Saudi Arabia's savage war of annihilation against Yemen's northern tribal rebels, the Houthis. The Pentagon has expedited the delivery of bombs, ammunition and guidance systems to assist the Saudi-led campaign and is providing logistical support to maximize the impact of its bombing raids. The US has also set up a "joint fusion center", provided "aerial re-fueling platforms" and "advanced US-made weaponry" with the explicit intention of suppressing a militant group that overthrew the US-backed puppet government in the capital of Sanaa in the fall of 2014.

The level of coordination between the makeshift Arab coalition (The Gulf Cooperation Council or GCC) and the US suggests that Washington is not only fully aware that food depots, water facilities, refugee camps and critical civilian infrastructure are being deliberately targeted and destroyed, but that the White House has given the green light to actions that will inevitably lead to widespread famine and social collapse. Here's a little background from an article in The National:

"Yemen Economic Corporation, one of Yemen's largest food storage centres, was destroyed by three coalition missile strikes in Hodeidah last Tuesday, according to the Houthi-controlled defence ministry. The corporation had enough food for the entire country. The government's military food storage centre in Hodeidah was also targeted and destroyed on Tuesday, according to the defence ministry.

"Also in Hodeidah, country's second largest dairy plant was hit by five Saudi missiles on Wednesday, killing at least 29 people, mostly employees, and injuring dozens of others." (Yemeni civilians struggle to get by amid conflict, The National)

This is from Channel News Asia:

"DUBAI: Warships from the Saudi-led coalition have blocked a vessel carrying more than 47,000 tonnes of wheat from entering a Yemeni port, demanding United Nations guarantees that the cargo would not go to military personnel, shipping sources said on Thursday." (Saudi-led coalition bars wheat ship from entering Yemen port -- sources, Channel News Asia)

This is from WSWS:

"Airstrikes as well as fighting on the ground has knocked out electrical infrastructure, cutting off power in many urban areas and stopping the operation of crucial pumps that supply Yemen's cities with drinking water. 'We're worried that this system will break down shortly; Aden is a dry, hot place, and without water people will really suffer,' UNICEF representative Harneis told reporters...

"The no-fly zone and blockade enforced by Saudi Arabia and its coalition partners has effectively blocked the delivery of medical aid and supplies for the last two weeks, exacerbating the developing crisis." World Socialist Web Site

Live reports on the ground confirm that food depots have been bombed across the country; ... in Asr (west) hit as well as Urdhi complex (center) and Noqum (east).

This is how America fights its wars, by precipitating massive humanitarian crises that help it to achieve its political objectives. If that isn't terrorism, then what is?

Here's more from the Washington Post:

"As tons of desperately needed medical supplies await clearance to be flown into Yemen, aid workers warned Tuesday of an unfolding humanitarian crisis, saying at least 560 people, including dozens of children, have been killed, mostly in a Saudi-led air campaign and battles between Shiite rebels and forces loyal to the embattled president. More than 1,700 people have been wounded and another 100,000 have fled their homes as fighting intensified over the past three weeks, the World Health Organization said." (560 dead amid fears of humanitarian collapse in Yemen, Washington Post)

The Saudis launched this latest aggression invoking the thinnest of pretexts, that it wanted to "restore the legitimate government" and protect the "Yemeni constitution and elections." As CNN's Ali Alahmed sardonically quipped: