In October 2016, the United States launched a volley of missiles at Houthi rebels in Yemen
after an attack on an American warship in international waters.
The U.S. claims that this incident is isolated, and that it does not have any direct military
involvement in the Yemen’s Civil War.
However, many say that not only is the US involved, but it has picked a side in what
is being called a proxy war.
So, what exactly is the U.S. doing in Yemen?
Well, in a nutshell, Yemen is split between two groups.
On one side are the Houthis[Hoo-Thees], an anti-government rebel group aligned with the
Shiabranch of Islam.
They oppose the active government which was established without opposition after the 2011
Arab Spring.
This ultra-conservative group is backed by Iran, which also aligns with the Shia faith,
and would see greater power in the Middle East if it was able to directly or indirectly
control Yemen.
On the other side is the Hadi government, which has struggled to maintain power since
the Houthis enacted a coup d’etat in 2015.
The Hadi government aligns with the Sunni faith, and for many of the same reasons, Saudi
Arabia, as well as several allied Gulf States, support them.
In short, Iran and Saudi Arabia are fighting a proxy war on the basis of power in the region
and religious affiliation.
The United States is far from neutral in the conflict.
With Saudi Arabia as a major, although questionable, ally, the US has provided significant support
to the Hadi government and Saudi military, since early in the conflict, in the form of
weapons supplies, financial aid, and logistics.
The US has performed its own airstrikes against al-Qaeda operatives in the country, as well
as flown unmanned drones for surveillance and to stake out airstrike targets on behalf
of Saudi Arabia.
Saudi airstrikes have hit hospitals, markets, and residential neighborhoods, with more than
10,000 casualties from the war just within the past two years.
Doctors Without Borders has even been forced to withdraw from some Yemeni hospitals.
Despite the fact that the US government claims to only be providing enabling support to Saudi
Arabia, many do not see a distinction between being a direct combatant, or providing military
support to direct combatants.
One of the most pressing issues is that this is far from the first time the U.S. has unilaterally
entered conflicts without actually declaring war.
In Libya, Syria, and in recent years, Iraq, a similar bolstering of friendly forces has
led to extended military operations by the US.
And these actions are taken without any input from either American citizens, or Congress,
which is solely vested with the responsibility to declare war, according to the constitution.
This sort of loophole participation, where war is not declared, but military action is
taken, has largely changed the way the US has become involved in conflict around the
world.
In Yemen, and other countries, America is increasing its engagement, but without many
of the responsibilities or any accountability necessary to wage war humanely.
Yemen’s Civil War has divided the Middle East with Saudi Arabia and Iran both holding
a stake in the outcome.
To find out more about how the conflict turned into a proxy war, check out our video here.
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