Yemen, Yemen make us proud, turn another ship around!

[noblegiraffe]

"Yemen, Yemen make us proud, turn another ship around!" was being chanted on the streets of London yesterday and last week.

I'm just interested in whether people think this is a reasonable thing to be chanting or not, because there were quite a few people chanting it. So a quick poll:

You've obviously done much study on this issue, perhaps you could cite some of your publications so we could gen up and be as well informed as you.

Nah. Then I'd be having to deal with more comments like this. I'm good.

Yes I expected that response.

Sure you did.

How about El-Sisi? Iraq's current gov't? Afghanistan (technically Asia)? Iran until the people decided they didn't want to be puppets?

UAE has huge amounts of Western investment and key agreements with Western nations for military bases. Saudi Arabia and the US are intertwined and have been working to bomb Yemen, the poorest ME nation, for literally over a decade, including doing a good war crime or two to the point that the Obama administration had to hush up the US involvement with double-tap revenge strikes in civilian areas controlled by Houthi rebels.

I mean, I guess it's far fetched to think the US would try and muscle in on oil rich places for power plays. They certainly never interfered in Hawaii, Cuba, Guatemala, Congo, South Vietnam, Chile, Nicaragua...

And I thought the reason that they didn't want to accept refugees was because it doesn't believe they'd be allowed back and they'd be stuck with them, and also they would potentially destabilise their own population.

Arguments which make more sense than 'puppets of the West'.

Given that the West's supposed aim is ethnic cleansing of Gaza, you'd have thought that they'd be leaning on the neighbouring 'puppet' countries to take as many as they could leaving Gaza free for Israel. So that's not really a coherent argument.

If we're talking refugees, then yes, absolutely that. Why should any other nation have to take in Palestinians at all? For one thing, places like Egypt literally couldn't house them without literal civil war, and second of all, that is the dictionary definition of ethnic cleansing. I believe we usually prosecute nations that do that.

And two things can be true at the same time. Strange, I know. Five of the most interventionist powers in the ME are US backed. Out of the major players, only Iran is naturally (nowadays) not party to US actions. Qatar, Turkey, UAE, Israel and Saudi Arabia are all vassals of US power in the region and have been part of, or supported military actions in the region. Iran is active too, with their own interests of course, though in the case of the Houthis and Hamas, they are not exact proxies. The Yemeni, if you know anything of their history, are absolutely no one's war dog and do their own thing, have done since the Ottomans found how easy it is to lose soldiers over there. Hamas are so in the pocket of Iran, that we got reports about how the IRGC were pissed the 7th October attacks happened without any word on what they were planning.

Qatar, Turkey, UAE, Israel and Saudi Arabia are all vassals of US power

Where do the leaders of Hamas live again?

As 'vassals of US power', they don't seem to be particularly obedient....

There’s a loss of power on the periphery, something you may hear about more in regards to Iraq where the US has categorically said no to any request by them to leave. Hence you’re now seeing more attacks on US bases there.

The US is also looking to pull out of Syria because they’re getting overwhelmed, and the likes of the KSA do not condone the US kicking the hornet’s nest in Yemen. Not after they can easily take out major fields and refineries. The UK and US throwing some Tomahawks at the Houthis changes absolutely nothing. Biden even admitted as much, since his senility has managed to compromise his ability to avoid saying the quiet part out loud.

Israel is flat out ignoring what Biden says either way. Bibi hasn’t talked directly to Biden since December, last I checked. Which means the Israelis can do what the fuck they want. Even Nixon and Reagan told them to get back in line in previous hostilities.

@SamFisherman I take it that you have spent a great deal of time in the ME? Travelled widely?

I don't think most of the Gulf-facing states consider themselves US vassals.

The US may well be losing the will to be the world's police, but behind Iran stand Russia and China who are rubbing their hands in glee at the disinformation and disorder the IRGC is fomenting. I can't pretend it doesn't worry me.

Anyway..back to the thread subject..

I didn't think that post was sufficiently contentious to be censored! Wrong-headed definitely, and biased, but still..........

You mean the one with the ableist slur in it?

Probably @Blakwaterpark but I must have missed that bit! It irked me that the poster claimed to know all about ME politics having only really travelled in Turkey and Cyprus.

What was it?

@Papyrophile What constitutes a comprehensive knowledge since you appear to be some kind of scholar of the subject? Should they visit 90% of the region? 50%? Perhaps counter their point, not what you consider a nitpick on their validity.

Lotta people never been to Russia or Israel, yet seemingly everyone is an expert on them now. Opinions are like...

Perhaps knowledgeable people could answer something about these attacks on shipping. I don't think the UK should be bombing Yemen and don't see what it will achieve, but that's another story anyway. I think the ships should just go the long way around, so what if it costs more. As I understand it, Chinese ships are not being attacked, its just western owned ships (?) Could one reason the UK/US are 'defending' shipping because they don't want Chinese shipping companies, who can travel this sea safely and therefore much more cheaply, sucking up all the business and putting western shipping companies at risk of bankruptcy?

You'll notice how quickly Operation Prosperity Guardian came about when goods were being attacked and how very little sleep was lost over bombing 2.5 million people incessantly for three months.

People not getting their Temu and Amazon niknaks is a threat to the First World. It's simply not on that we delay those shipments, so a little air campaign against the poorest nation in the area is the solution.

I’d guess that Iran - whose hand operates the Houthi puppet and provides intelligence to the Houthis on ships coming through the zone - is in bed with China.

But I’m sure that a wicked capitalist plot, no doubt controlled by Jews, can be conjured up as needed.

I did think, initially, why isn't China doing anything, after all it's all their crap on those ships (I know it's oil, gas and food as well before somebody points it out). Maybe China sees an economic opportunity if western ships are taken out though so is quite happy with the situation?

Iran does not control the Houthis. Hope that helps.

@Kendodd China has no issues getting their shipping through for the most part. Check any of the ship tracker sites or apps and you'll see that anyone not serving Israel or with ties to the US and now the UK, can get stuff through. You're right, though. China has no issues with charging more to ship if they have to take the long way round. And as I hear, Biden has asked China to step in because America can't unfuck the situation they helped exacerbate. That's kinda embarrassing.

Yes it does.

Well, that's me told.

But no, you're wrong. I'll let the podcast from people who lived there and reported on the war before you suddenly became an expert, tell you why you're wrong instead.

I was thinking more that if western ships have to go round (at the extra cost of +£1 million) and Chinese ships can go through, companies will stop using the western shipping companies and choose Chinese owned ships (capacity allowing). Western shipping companies go bankrupt, leaving international trade dependant on Chinese shipping companies. UK/US interests wouldn't like this so bomb Yemen to try to protect western shipping businesses?

You could get them to talk to the Chinese too.

https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/china-presses-iran-rein-houthi-attacks-red-sea-sources-say-2024-01-26/#:~:text=The%20Houthis%2C%20who%20first%20emerged,Israel%20%22Axis%20of%20Resistance%22.

What is that podcast, by the way? I needed an app so didn’t bother. Who produces it and who’s on it?