While so many of its neighbors have refused to help Palestine as it is bombed by Israel, Yemen has emerged as perhaps its most notable and committed ally. Since November, Yemen has been blocking vessels owned in whole or in part by Israel or by the U.S. and U.K. from entering the Red Sea, all in an attempt to compel the Apartheid state into ending its illegal attack.
While Israel has still not withdrawn, it is clear that the blockade is having an effect and has caused billions of dollars worth of damage to Israel’s economy. Other countries in the region have the ability to inflict similar economic damage by shutting off land borders or closing down oil pipelines. But they have chosen not to.
The Biden administration, who would not lift a finger to stop a genocide in Gaza, has quickly sprung into action to protect profits, deploying forces to the region in an attempt to break the blockade. This risks the very real possibility of a new American war in the Middle East, as we have seen in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and Syria.
Today, MintPress director Mnar Adley is joined by Brigadier General Mujib Shamsan, a spokesperson for the Yemeni Army, to discuss his country’s decision to block the Red Sea to certain vessels, Israel’s ongoing attack on Gaza, and the Western response to the blockade.
“Americans have no right to speak about international law or on international customs and conventions, especially since they come from across the oceans thousands of miles away to the Red Sea,” Shamsan said, adding that:
The arrival of US forces, warships, aircraft carriers, and destroyers in the Red Sea threatens not only Yemen’s national security but also the national security of all countries bordering the Red Sea. Therefore, the government of Sanaa had the right to respond to all these attacks, considering that what it is doing is fully in line with international law and the principle of ‘San Remo.’”
This dedication to helping Palestine, whatever the cost, is all the more remarkable, considering the dire situation Yemen itself is in. The UN estimates that 80% of the population needs some form of humanitarian aid, and more than 14 million people are in acute need after years of Saudi-led bombings of the country.
In November, Yemen’s Ansar Allah captured the Galaxy Leader, a cargo ship owned by Abraham Ungar, an Israeli billionaire with links to Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud Party. Images of the daring raid went viral, and the ship continues to be in Yemeni hands, with Ansar Allah even opening the ship up as an unlikely tourist attraction. The Galaxy Leader’s staff are still held in Yemen.
Western attempts to get the Galaxy Leader back by force and through diplomacy have failed, as Ansar Allah has stuck to their guns, demanding an end to the attack.
Talking with Adley, it appears that Shamsan considers the United States to be something of a paper tiger. “Today, it seems that America has lost its ability to deter and at the same time sees that the option of force is the most appropriate and what can be used to restore that image,” he said.
When asked about the heightened risk of war, Shamsan was adamant that it was not Yemen making the region unsafe, but Western powers. As he told Adley:
The biggest threat to regional and national security for all Arab countries bordering the Red Sea and in the region is the military presence of the United States and Britain. Before the recent events, it was the Americans who practiced extortion and were behind ship hijackings, meaning that when America creates justifications and pretexts, it creates an opportunity for itself to be present in the region.”
Don’t miss this unique chance to hear a Yemeni perspective on the ongoing crisis in the Middle East, and remember to subscribe to MintPress News on whatever platform you use.
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Mnar Adley is an award-winning journalist and editor and is the founder and director of MintPress News. She is also president and director of the non-profit media organization Behind the Headlines. Adley also co-hosts the MintCast podcast and is a producer and host of the video series Behind The Headlines. Contact Mnar at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter at @mnarmuh.
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Author: Mnar Adley
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