Millions of Yemenis hold mass rallies condemning continued war and siege

by Emad Almarshahi

(March 7 ) – Millions of Yemenis in the capital Sana’a and other provinces staged mass rallies to denounce the oil blockade and aggression against Yemen.

The US of A(rms)

The United States dominates the global arms trade in a historic fashion and nowhere is that domination more complete than in the Middle East | WILLIAM D. HARTUNG

Infrastructure of US bases in the Middle East | David Vine

The United States has the dubious distinction of being the world’s leading arms dealer. It dominates the global trade in a historic fashion and nowhere is that domination more complete than in the endlessly war-torn Middle East. There, believe it or not, the U.S. controls nearly half the arms market. From Yemen to Libya to Egypt, sales by this country and its allies are playing a significant role in fuelling some of the world’s most devastating conflicts. But Donald Trump, even before he was felled by Covid-19 and sent to Walter Reed Medical Center, could not have cared less, as long as he thought such trafficking in the tools of death and destruction would help his political prospects.

British army arrests soldier for opposing war in Yemen

Statement by Veterans For Peace UK in Support of Lance Corporal Ahmed Al-Babati

A serving British soldier, Lance Corporal Ahmed Al-Babati, of 14^th Signal Regiment, has been arrested for opposing the ongoing war in Yemen outside of Downing Street.  During his protest he blew a whistle for every child killed by airstrikes in which the UK is fully complicit – until he was hauled away by Royal Military Police.  He has also made statements denouncing the role the UK has had in supplying Saudi Arabia with munitions.

Protests against Britain’s criminal role in Yemen

Taking a stand against British imperialism | Lucy Nichols, Counterfire

Demonstration against the Yemen war and Britain’s involvement, London, July 5, 2020

Protests took place around the country to highlight and condemn the atrocities of the Yemen war, which has now been raging for five years. Hundreds of young people marched on July 5 through central London in solidarity with the millions of Yemenis suffering the evils of war, in addition to cholera, famine and Covid-19.

No harbour for war: Spanish activists organize to kick out Saudi death ship loading weapons for Yemen war

The port of Santander in Cantabria, Spain, where the Saudi ship loading weapons for the Yemeni war is docked | Frobles, Wikimedia Commons

The Bahri Hofuf was kicked out of the port of Bilbao, then sneaked into Santander

(April 1) – In the first days of March, a Saudi cargo ship docked in the Spanish port of Santander to load weapons with Yemen as its final destination. Anti-war activists are trying to expel it from the harbour.

Criminal silence of Global Affairs Canada on Israeli massacre

Picket against occupation of Palestine at Israeli consulate in Montreal on Land Day, March 30, 2018.

Global Affairs Canada, whose minister Chrystia Freeland is busily lecturing Russia on the necessity of a “rules based order” in connection with the alleged poisoning of two individuals in Salisbury, England and – co-ordinated by NATO – expelling its diplomats en masse, is maintaining an eery silence on the premeditated Israeli massacre of the Palestinians, 30,000 of whom were demonstrating for the Right of Return, committed by Israel on March 30.

Saudi Arabia: The second Saud dynasty

During the evening of November 3, Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman (MBS) launched his “Night of the Long Knives” – a virtual coup d’état. It included the house arrest of 11 princes and four ministers and scores of other former government lackeys in political, security, and business spheres, not to overlook the freezing of up to 1,700 bank accounts worth $800 billion. This coup has serious regional and international implications.The next day, a missile headed toward Riyadh from Yemen, which the Saudis quickly called an act of war. The visiting prime minister of Lebanon, Saad Hariri, was placed under house arrest and forced to resign in a letter reportedly dictated by his hosts blaming Iran and the resistance organization Hezbollah for threatening the security of Lebanon; the Saudis called on expatriates to evacuate. In parallel, Israel launched new air strikes against Syria and the Trump regime escalated its offensive against Iran;  the US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley later in the week called for sanctions against Tehran, citing Saudi “evidence”. Iran has dismissed the claims as baseless, pointing to the Saudi air, sea and land blockade on Yemen as preventing any such weapons supply.

The looming war between the Bani Saud

Saudi Arabia – a mother of terrorism

The ambitious bid of Bin Salman of the ruling family of Saudi Arabia, prime customer of Canadian-produced armaments, to consolidate power in his own hands | ZAFAR BANGASH*

There are clear signs of deep divisions among the members of Bani Saud that point to serious trouble in the days ahead. Largely the result of Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman’s grab for unlimited (unaccountable) power and the disastrous policies he has pursued unilaterally, there is great unease among other members of the ruling family that may explode into open warfare.

While the demented King Salman appears largely oblivious to what is going on around him, his son, the arrogant and erratic Bin Salman (BS) continues to make policy blunders that other family members fear would spell doom for the clan. Former Crown Prince and Interior Minister Muhammad bin Nayif was unceremoniously dismissed from both posts last June and is now reported to be under house arrest. The move was engineered by Bin Salman to pave the way for his own accession to the throne.

US Press Secretary falsely accuses Iran of attacking US Navy vessel, an act of war

As well as articles on U.S. sanctions announced today (Feb. 3), as the Trump regime raises Cain about one missile test. Remember Iran has not attacked a single country for hundreds of years. Nor have there ever been any Iranian terrorists. And before you say Hezbollah, in South Lebanon. I say: freedom fighters protecting themselves against Israel’s constant illegal invasions into Lebanon.

By Zaid Jilani and Alex Emmons, The Intercept

(Feb. 2) – White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer asserted at Thursday’s press briefing that Iran had attacked a U.S. naval vessel, as part of his argument defending the administration’s bellicose announcement that Iran is “on notice.”

Saudi arms deal: The foreign minister must resign!

No to the arms sales to Saudi Arabia! No to the “new doctrine” called “responsible conviction!”

(April 13) – The Marxist-Leninist Party of Canada condemns Canada’s sale of arms to Saudi Arabia for which this government signed export permits on April 8. No matter what the pretext, these arms sales are unacceptable. By no stretch of the imagination can Saudi Arabia be considered a peaceful or a democratic country as the ministry and Trudeau government claim. Nor can Canada’s mission in the Middle East be considered a peaceful one. This is simply not true.

The example of the arms deal to Saudi Arabia was given by the Foreign Minister in a speech at the University of Ottawa on March 29, to vindicate the new government doctrine called “responsible conviction.” On that occasion, the Minister created the impression that the arms sale was a done deal by the previous Harper government. He said it would not be right for Canada to go back on its signature due to harmful consequences. He repeated that Canada’s aim is to bring stability to the region and advanced various other pragmatic excuses to justify aggression and war.

Now it turns out that Dion signed the papers himself on April 8. He has to be held to account for trying to mislead Canadians on this matter since the beginning of January and again on March 29.

Harper government supports U.S.-Saudi war against Yemen

Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada released a statement March 27 from Rob Nicholson, Minister of Foreign Affairs. It stated that “Canada supports the military action by Saudi Arabia and its Gulf Cooperation Council [GCC] partners and others to defend Saudi Arabia’s border and to protect Yemen’s recognized government at the request of the Yemeni president.”

Clashes between Israel and Hezbollah and the ‘Iran-led Resistance Bloc’

In a startling attack, Hezbollah, the Lebanese national resistance organization, punished Israeli occupying forces in the Shebba Farms on Jan. 28 for its assassination of six of its members and an Iranian general inside Syria on Jan. 18. The number of Israeli casualties was 15 according to a report by Al Mayadeen TV.

By MAHDI DARIUS NAZEMROAYA*

The strategic equation in the Middle East is about to see major changes. It strongly appears that the Iranian-led Resistance Bloc or Axis of Resistance — comprised of Iran, Syria, Hezbollah, and a cross-section of Palestinian and Iraqi groups — is about to become more powerful than ever before.

Sighting. Why did you kill my family?

U.S. president Barrack Obama, the U.S. State Dept., Hollywood and the media are engulfed in a frenzied campaign to celebrate a movie made in Canada promoting the assassination of the leader of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea based on U.S.-style “freedom of expression.”

Obama’s outlaw state: Exposé of U.S. covert drone strikes in 2012

FOR THE information of our readers, we are providing an indepth, secret history of U.S. drone warfare during the past year by CHRIS WOODS, JACK SERLE and ALICE K. ROSS, the Bureau of Investigative Journalism. Drone warfare is a political program of warfare and extra-judicial assassination that operates directly from the White House against citizens of sovereign states, without any charges or judicial process, constituting an inhuman war crime and a reckless disregard for international law.