Strange Things Cooking In The Middle East, Dont Get Caught On The Wrong Side.

As you are reading this, the rug is being pulled by the Americans from under the Saudi Arabians. In local parlance, the Saudis are about to be liwatted.

Well in the Middle East there seems to be no 'right side' or 'correct side'. When I say "dont get caught on the wrong side"  what I mean is dont get your ass toasted.   If there is a missile flying through the air, make sure it is flying away from you and not at you. 

I read the following in the US Foreign Policy Magazine. FP is a major opinion leader on US foreign policy and international relations.  It is among the most influential magazines on foreign policy that is read not only by the power elite in Washington but also in many  European capitals and beyond.  

The magazine says it has 103 million annual pageviews,  2.4 million monthly readers (28 million annual readers) and  1.2 million daily newsletter deliveries.  That is a very widely read and a very influential magazine. 

So I was intrigued by the following long article. Let me give you the gist. 

For the past three years the US has been cruelly helping Saudi Arabia kill the Yemeni people from the air.  Without US Airforce providing mid air refuelling the Saudi jets just cannot bomb Yemen.  The US and the UK have also been supplying the Saudis with cluster bombs, napalm,  dumb bombs, smart bombs and all sorts of munitions to be dropped on the Yemeni people. 

Since the Yemenis have missiles that can hit as far as Jeddah and Yanbu, the Saudis are flying their jetplanes from bases that are further to the north.  The distance requires aerial refueling which the Saudis do not have. This is where the US airforce provides KC 135 airtankers. 

Without this mid air refueling the Saudi Arabian aggression against Yemen will collapse entirely.

Mid air refueling over Afghanistan by 

Boeing KC 135  Stratotanker of  the  US Airforce.

Then suddenly now, almost out of nowhere Congressmen are debating to table a Bill in the United States Congress to get the US to quit from Yemen completely.  

First here is the truncated version of the very long article in Foreign Policy magazine:

 

http://foreignpolicy.com/2017/09/28/lawmakers-demand-u-s-withdrawal-from-saudi-led-war-in-yemen/

Four lawmakers introduced bill to halt U.S. military assistance to Saudi in Yemen 

on grounds that Congress never approved American role in the war.

Two Republicans, two Democrats submitted bill on Wed 

other lawmakers have conveyed support 

bill requires “removal” of U.S. forces from war in Yemen .. .

unless and until Congress votes to authorize American assistance. 

restore Congress as constitutionally mandated branch of govt to declare war 

growing concerns over Saudi handling of war now stalemate on battlefield. 

reflects growing unease at Congress over U.S. role
 

Saudi bombing hit schools, hospitals, killed large numbers civilians. 

more than 7 million people verge of starvation in Yemen

beyond time for US to stop conducting refueling for missions over Yemen

war causing suffering for millions

Wisconsin Democrat said time to end U.S. role in “senseless, unauthorized conflict.“

Saudi launched air war in Yemen in March 2015 

Saudi under intense scrutiny in Congress since January 

over refusal to permit delivery of four cranes to port of Hodeida. 

cranes crucial for unloading emergency food and medical supplies

blockade on cranes violates international law and Geneva Conventions

continuing to provide military assistance, US violating U.S. law

My comments : The Bill is yet to pass. It may not pass.

In the last days of the Obama administration, Congress passed the 9-11 Bill which allows US citizens who are victims, relatives  of the 9-11 attack to sue Saudi Arabia. Obama vetoed the Bill but was overruled by Congress. The Saudi government has since been sued in the US Courts. 

Most recently on September 25 the Iraqi Kurdish people held a vote to declare an independent Kurdish state. Although the US pretended to oppose the move, Middle east observers say that the US is actually behind the creation of an independent Iraqi Kurdistan.

The Israelis also support an independent Sunni, non Arabic, Kurdish state as a  barrier between  Israel and Shia Iran. 

The Kurdish people in Syria who have borne the brunt of the fighting to defeat the Wahabi / Salafi ISIS also would like to have their own Kurdish state.

Since there are about 45 million Sunni, non Arabic, Kurdish people who live in the Middle East  the creation of  independent Kurdish states will drastically change the racial and oil  equation in the Middle East.  

I think the Arabs are being kicked out and being replaced by Kurds and Iranians.

Coming back to this Bill to stop US military assistance to the Yemen, it will certainly draw a lot of Media attention that was previously absent. 

The American people have had little information about the Saudi Arabian aggression against Yemen, assisted bu US and UK arms and militaries.  This  will only create negative publicity for Trump - who already has too much negative publicity.

If the US pulls the plug on supporting Saudi Arabia in the aggression against Yemen, the Saudi goose will get cooked.  Because just as the US is mulling about pulling out from Yemen, the Yemenis are ramping up their counter attacks against Saudi Arabia.

The Yemenis are holding on more tenaciously to the border territories which they have seized from Saudi Arabia.  Plus they are inflicting heavy damage and casualties to the Saudi mercenaries and armed forces.

This will be the end of the Al - Saud.