End America’s unauthorized war in Yemen
By Paul
Kawika Martin, The Hill, 03/04/2018
Kawika Martin, The Hill, 03/04/2018
Of all
the facets of our cherished democracy that have begun to erode, few erosions
are more horrifying than Congress’ abdication of its duty to debate and vote on
whether or not we go to war.
the facets of our cherished democracy that have begun to erode, few erosions
are more horrifying than Congress’ abdication of its duty to debate and vote on
whether or not we go to war.
© Getty
Images
Images
Of all
the people that have suffered the consequences of this erosion, few have
suffered them more acutely than the people of Yemen, residents of a country
where unauthorized U.S. military action has helped give rise to the worst
humanitarian disaster in the world. Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.)
introduced legislation last
week aimed at confronting this erosion and its consequences in
Yemen—legislation to end the U.S. military’s role in Yemen’s civil war unless
and until Congress authorizes it.For
nearly three years, the U.S. has been a stalwart partner for a Saudi-led
coalition of Gulf nations in its brutal military intervention in Yemen’s civil
war, a struggle for power between pro-government forces and Yemen’s Houthi
rebels. American ships have bolstered
coalition naval blockades, which have choked Yemen’s access to food,
fuel and life-saving medical supplies. American planes are conducting
mid-air refuelings of coalition war planes that regularly target
civilian infrastructure. American bombs—part of the tens of billions of dollars
worth of arms sales to coalition states approved since the intervention
began—are still killing civilians in their homes, marketplaces, schools and
hospitals. In December of last year, at least 68
civilians including eight children were reported killed in a single
day in coalition airstrikes that struck a farm and a crowded marketplace. As
the war drags on into 2018, so do reports of
coalition airstrikes killing and maiming civilians.
the people that have suffered the consequences of this erosion, few have
suffered them more acutely than the people of Yemen, residents of a country
where unauthorized U.S. military action has helped give rise to the worst
humanitarian disaster in the world. Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.)
introduced legislation last
week aimed at confronting this erosion and its consequences in
Yemen—legislation to end the U.S. military’s role in Yemen’s civil war unless
and until Congress authorizes it.For
nearly three years, the U.S. has been a stalwart partner for a Saudi-led
coalition of Gulf nations in its brutal military intervention in Yemen’s civil
war, a struggle for power between pro-government forces and Yemen’s Houthi
rebels. American ships have bolstered
coalition naval blockades, which have choked Yemen’s access to food,
fuel and life-saving medical supplies. American planes are conducting
mid-air refuelings of coalition war planes that regularly target
civilian infrastructure. American bombs—part of the tens of billions of dollars
worth of arms sales to coalition states approved since the intervention
began—are still killing civilians in their homes, marketplaces, schools and
hospitals. In December of last year, at least 68
civilians including eight children were reported killed in a single
day in coalition airstrikes that struck a farm and a crowded marketplace. As
the war drags on into 2018, so do reports of
coalition airstrikes killing and maiming civilians.
As a
direct result of the war, and the
coalition’s blockades and bombing runs in particular, life for
millions of Yemenis has become a daily struggle for survival. According to
the U.N., as of December 2017, roughly three quarters of Yemen’s
population or about 22 million people—more than the population of
Florida—depend on humanitarian aid. About 8.4 million people—a population the
size of New York City—are on the verge of starvation. More than 1 million
people—a population the size of Montana—have contracted cholera, a
normally preventable disease, from lack of access to clean water and
sanitation.
direct result of the war, and the
coalition’s blockades and bombing runs in particular, life for
millions of Yemenis has become a daily struggle for survival. According to
the U.N., as of December 2017, roughly three quarters of Yemen’s
population or about 22 million people—more than the population of
Florida—depend on humanitarian aid. About 8.4 million people—a population the
size of New York City—are on the verge of starvation. More than 1 million
people—a population the size of Montana—have contracted cholera, a
normally preventable disease, from lack of access to clean water and
sanitation.
While the
war has been an unmitigated disaster for the people of Yemen, it hasn’t done
any favors for U.S. interests either. Taking advantage of the instability and
desperation created by the war, terrorist groups have significantly expanded
their territories and reach inside Yemen. According to a State
Department report covering counterterrorism in 2016, “Throughout
2016, al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and ISIS in Yemen (ISIS-Y) have
continued to exploit the political and security vacuum created by the ongoing
conflict…”
war has been an unmitigated disaster for the people of Yemen, it hasn’t done
any favors for U.S. interests either. Taking advantage of the instability and
desperation created by the war, terrorist groups have significantly expanded
their territories and reach inside Yemen. According to a State
Department report covering counterterrorism in 2016, “Throughout
2016, al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and ISIS in Yemen (ISIS-Y) have
continued to exploit the political and security vacuum created by the ongoing
conflict…”
Beyond
exploiting the power vacuum, AQAP has formed a de facto
alliance with the Saudi-led coalition as they both battle their
shared enemy, Yemen’s Houthi rebels. In some cases, AQAP has even acquired
heavy weaponry from Yemeni forces that originally came from the
Saudi-led coalition, which the U.S. has been arming. Predictably, terrorist
groups in Yemen have also made powerful recruitment tools out of fragments of
U.S.-made bombs found in wreckage across the country.
exploiting the power vacuum, AQAP has formed a de facto
alliance with the Saudi-led coalition as they both battle their
shared enemy, Yemen’s Houthi rebels. In some cases, AQAP has even acquired
heavy weaponry from Yemeni forces that originally came from the
Saudi-led coalition, which the U.S. has been arming. Predictably, terrorist
groups in Yemen have also made powerful recruitment tools out of fragments of
U.S.-made bombs found in wreckage across the country.
Following
President
Obama’s unilateral decision to support the Saudi-led intervention in
Yemen, Congress could have raised the alarm and demanded a hold on U.S. support
until it had time to debate and vote on the question. But while a small group
of senators and representatives have raised concerns for years now, Congress as
a whole has been deafeningly silent, until recently.
President
Obama’s unilateral decision to support the Saudi-led intervention in
Yemen, Congress could have raised the alarm and demanded a hold on U.S. support
until it had time to debate and vote on the question. But while a small group
of senators and representatives have raised concerns for years now, Congress as
a whole has been deafeningly silent, until recently.
Last
fall, in a vote of
366-30, the House overwhelmingly passed legislation
acknowledging what many observers have realized from the start; that Congress
never authorized the U.S. military’s role in Yemen’s civil war. Following that
vote, a J. Wallin
Opinion Research poll of American voters found that 57 percent
believe military aid to foreign countries is counterproductive; 63.9 percent
believe military aid including money and weapons should not be provided to
countries like Saudi Arabia; 70.8 percent believe Congress should pass
legislation to restrain overseas military action; and, most notably for members
of Congress, 51.3 percent say they would be less likely to vote for their
congressional representatives if they do not act to withdraw U.S. forces from
the Saudi-led war in Yemen.
fall, in a vote of
366-30, the House overwhelmingly passed legislation
acknowledging what many observers have realized from the start; that Congress
never authorized the U.S. military’s role in Yemen’s civil war. Following that
vote, a J. Wallin
Opinion Research poll of American voters found that 57 percent
believe military aid to foreign countries is counterproductive; 63.9 percent
believe military aid including money and weapons should not be provided to
countries like Saudi Arabia; 70.8 percent believe Congress should pass
legislation to restrain overseas military action; and, most notably for members
of Congress, 51.3 percent say they would be less likely to vote for their
congressional representatives if they do not act to withdraw U.S. forces from
the Saudi-led war in Yemen.
Now that
senators have stepped forward to force a vote on the U.S. role in Yemen,
members of Congress are faced with an obvious question: how can they uphold
their oaths to the Constitution and to the American people without supporting
an end to unauthorized military operations in Yemen? The answer is they can’t.
senators have stepped forward to force a vote on the U.S. role in Yemen,
members of Congress are faced with an obvious question: how can they uphold
their oaths to the Constitution and to the American people without supporting
an end to unauthorized military operations in Yemen? The answer is they can’t.
