By Geoff LaMear
In light of the Biden administration’s latest decision to sell $650 million in air-to-air missiles to Saudi Arabia, it’s time to disentangle Saudi-US relations, particularly when it comes to the war in Yemen. This latest sale will enable Saudi Arabia to intercept unmanned drones from Yemen, which have been used to target Saudi military sites and oil infrastructure. Disentanglement doesn’t mean cutting off ties, but it does mean Washington should stop handing out matches to an arsonist.
Since the Obama administration, the US has been providing the bombs that strike Yemeni schoolchildren, has been servicing the planes which drop these bombs, and has been providing the missile defenses that protect Saudi military sites. The result is the world’s largest humanitarian crisis — 20 million Yemenis reliant on aid, among which are 2 million starving children. Saudi Arabia’s campaign focuses on the Houthi movement, not al Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, meaning that the US doesn’t even see any security benefits as a result.
Acknowledging the moral and strategic blunders in supporting Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen, President Joe Biden announced in April that the US would end support to offensive operations. Yet, much like the announced “end” of combat operations in Iraq, this hasn’t translated to actual changes on the ground. The US is still servicing Saudi warplanes via contractors. And in September, the State Department approved a $500 million deal to service Saudi helicopters. As a reminder, Saudi air capabilities have been a key factor in worsening Yemen’s crisis.
This piece was originally published in Ink Stick on November 8, 2021. Read more HERE.