Stop Saudi-Pentagon war on Yemen, Bernie Sanders says

This 12 August 2018 video says about itself:

Scores of Yemeni children took to the streets of Sanaa on Sunday, to protest against Saudi-led coalition air strikes in the country. The demonstration took place after an airstrike in northern Yemen’s Dahyan on Thursday, which claimed the lives of at least 51 people, including 40 children, according to local Houthi authorities.

Children with signs and banners chanted slogans against the Saudi-led coalition, which has been targeting Houthi militant-held areas of Yemen. “We, the children of Yemen, demonstrate in pain and compassion, in solidarity with our brothers and sisters, mothers, fathers in the hurt region of Saada, who suffered the worst harm at the hands of the attacker”, said one young protester while addressing the demonstration.

According to local officials, the latest Saudi-led coalition airstrike hit a school bus full of children returning from a summer camp in northern Yemen. Houthi Health Minister Taha al-Mutawakil announced the latest casualty figures, saying 79 people were also injured in the attack.

From Senator Bernie Sanders in the USA today:

This week I will go to the floor of the United States Senate to try and stop a war that has led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of civilians, mass starvation and one of the greatest humanitarian crises the world now faces.

I am talking, of course, about the Saudi led war in Yemen and the United States’ role in supporting that war.

In the spring, along with Senator Mike Lee and Senator Chris Murphy, I introduced a bi-partisan resolution calling on the United States to withdraw our armed forces from this horrific conflict. It was defeated 44-55. But things have changed. The humanitarian crisis grows worse and more Americans, and members of Congress, are now aware of the brutality of the despotic Saudi regime. The Saudi government is a dictatorship which allows no criticism, treats women as third class citizens and was recently responsible for the cold-blooded murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The United States should not be partnering in Saudi Arabia’s disastrous military adventurism.

Despite Trump’s venal support for the Saudi regime, I am confident that we now stand an excellent chance to win this vote which I plan on bringing back to the Senate floor this week. But I need your help.

Please sign my petition and add your voice to the fight: Tell your senators that it’s now time to end U.S. participation in Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen.

As you may know, this war began in March 2015 when a coalition led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates attacked Yemen’s Houthi rebels. And the war has dragged on and on and on – with unimaginable human suffering.

According to the United Nations, the war in Yemen has created the most severe famine in more than 100 years. In one of the poorest countries on earth, as a result of this war, some 85,000 children have starved to death over the last several years and millions more face death if the war continues. Further, the country is currently experiencing the worst cholera outbreak in the world with as many as 10,000 new cases each week. This has occurred because Saudi bombs have destroyed Yemen’s water infrastructure and people are no longer able to access clean water.

Above and beyond the humanitarian crisis, this war has been a disaster for our national security and the security of our allies. The chaos caused by this conflict has significantly benefited extremist groups like Al Qaeda and the Islamic State [ISIS].

Further, and an issue that has long been of concern to many of us, this war has not been authorized by Congress and is therefore unconstitutional. Article I of the Constitution clearly states that it is Congress, not the president, that has the power to declare war. Over many years, Congress has not exercised that authority. That must change.

The fact is the United States, with almost no media attention, has been Saudi Arabia’s partner in this horrific war. We have been providing bombs the Saudi-led coalition is using, refueling their planes before they drop those bombs, and assisting with intelligence. And in too many cases our weapons are being used to kill civilians. In August, it was an American-made bomb that obliterated a school bus full of young boys, killing dozens and wounding many more.

The Senate can stand up this week and take an important step forward towards ending this brutal and unauthorized war. Tell the Senate: It’s time to end the U.S. role in Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen.

The killing of Jamal Khashoggi underscores how urgent it has become for the United States to redefine our relationship with Saudi Arabia, and to show that the Saudis do not have a blank check to continue violating human rights.

With your help, we can win this vote.

In solidarity,

Bernie Sanders

Bernie Sanders Is Forcing A Vote On Support For Saudi Arabia. Here’s His Path To Victory. A bill from Sanders, Chris Murphy and Mike Lee takes aim at the U.S. assistance for a Saudi campaign in Yemen, but it’s still at least five votes short of passage: here.

BIPARTISAN MAJORITY REBUKES TRUMP OVER YEMEN A majority of senators voted to move forward a bill ending U.S. support for a Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen — the biggest condemnation to date of a three-year policy linked to tens of thousands of deaths. [HuffPost]

Human Rights Watch has asked Argentina to use a war crimes clause in its constitution to investigate the role of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.