Mattis asks WH to lift Obama-restrictions on supporting Saudi-Arabia in Yemen

[ApatheticAustrian]

Trump administration weighs deeper involvement in Yemen war
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-administration-weighs-deeper-involvement-in-yemen-war/2017/03/26/b81eecd8-0e49-11e7-9d5a-a83e627dc120_story.html

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[Tartarus Sauce]

This sounds like the perfect plan to blunder their way into an unequivocal foreign policy failure. The humanitarian crisis in Yemen is not one to take lightly, yet Trump would no doubt gladly exacerbate it in his pursuit of a more aggressive stance against Iran.

[TDAS04]

Disgusting.  I don't understand why the US needed to back the Saudi agenda in Yemen in the first place.

[ApatheticAustrian]

Disgusting.  I don't understand why the US needed to back the Saudi agenda in Yemen in the first place.

to stop iranian imperialism, a resonable goal if you think of yourself as a guardian for israel/ally to SA.

but to be totally fair, half of the sunni-arabian world is included in that conflict anyway.

[TDAS04]

Disgusting.  I don't understand why the US needed to back the Saudi agenda in Yemen in the first place.

to stop iranian imperialism, a resonable goal if you think of yourself as a guardian for israel/ally to SA.

but to be totally fair, half of the sunni-arabian world is included in that conflict anyway.

I don't believe that the US needs to unconditionallly support Saudi Arabia in its proxy conflict with Iran.

[Green Line]

Mattis is trash. Trump's foreign policy has been an utter disaster so far because of people like him. I don't think I can support him in 2020 anymore.

It's all been an utter disaster.  Where have you been???

[Dr. Arch]

Mattis is trash. Trump's foreign policy has been an utter disaster so far because of people like him. I don't think I can support him in 2020 anymore.

Draft Hassan 2020?

[Angrie]

Draft Hassan 2020?

Not a bad idea.

[Zioneer]

Mattis, dude. Helping Saudi Arabia is not the greatest idea. The Houthis aren't likely to strike at the US or any of our interests. They don't exactly have millionaire members of the House of Saud who support extremists.

[Indy Texas]

Disgusting.  I don't understand why the US needed to back the Saudi agenda in Yemen in the first place.

to stop iranian imperialism, a resonable goal if you think of yourself as a guardian for israel/ally to SA.

but to be totally fair, half of the sunni-arabian world is included in that conflict anyway.

The Houthis wanting independence/autonomy from the southern part of Yemen isn't "Iranian imperialism." It's a continuation of a local conflict goes back several decades.

Yemen as it exists today is a completely incoherent state. The area controlled by the Houthis was the Yemen Arab Republic prior to 1990, and before that it was the Kingdom of Yemen, a quasi-theocracy where the ruling family were descendants of a distinguished family of Shia Muslim imams.

The other part of the country is what, before 1990, was the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen, a Soviet-allied communist state. Prior to that, it was an Aden-based British protectorate whose tribal Sunni Muslim inhabitants accepted British sovereignty as a way to prevent the Sauds from trying to incorporate them into their own kingdom.

There's no logical reason for these two entities to exist as a single country as they do now.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Disgusting.  I don't understand why the US needed to back the Saudi agenda in Yemen in the first place.

to stop iranian imperialism, a resonable goal if you think of yourself as a guardian for israel/ally to SA.

but to be totally fair, half of the sunni-arabian world is included in that conflict anyway.

Iran isn't the ones being imperialist there.

[Sir Mohamed]

Horrible. It is a disgrace that Saudi Arabia is still considered an “ally” of the west. They are a sponsor of terror and a radical version of islam. That regime, which is well known for its brutal violations of human rights, is even worse than Iran. They should be isolated and we should get our act together to move towards more green energy instead of depending on their oil. Mr. President, to put in your own language, so that you understand it: Saudi Arabia is ripping us big league.

[I Won - Get Over It]

Saudi-Arabia = legitimate ISIS

Trump becomes another Bush..

[ApatheticAustrian]

Disgusting.  I don't understand why the US needed to back the Saudi agenda in Yemen in the first place.

to stop iranian imperialism, a resonable goal if you think of yourself as a guardian for israel/ally to SA.

but to be totally fair, half of the sunni-arabian world is included in that conflict anyway.

Iran isn't the ones being imperialist there.

iran and SA are doing it both, imho.

i prefer iran anyway, even if they are enemies of the US right now...and still think israel must be shielded from its negative influence.

anyway.....i have nothing but hollow eyes for those, who called hillary a hawk and believed in peacenik trump.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

That WaPo article seems to vastly understate the US involvement in backing the Saudi War in Yemen so far.

Daniel Larison has been good on this issue from the beginning.

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http://www.theamericanconservative.com/larison/mattis-dangerous-request-to-increase-support-for-the-war-on-yemen/

[Cashew]

The Houthis wanting independence/autonomy from the southern part of Yemen isn't "Iranian imperialism." It's a continuation of a local conflict goes back several decades.

Partially agree. While it is indeed a local conflict, South Yemen is vastly underpopulated when compared to the north, where the real power structure is especially since Saleh conquered them. The separatists are a minor force. I will note however the Houthis have moved the goalposts since they captured the capital and tried to fully unite Yemen under their rule, and would have succeeded without Saudi intervention.

Ironically the Saudi invasion is what caused them to align themselves more strongly to Iran in the first place out of necessity, and even then they are largely on their own due to the blockade. What else are they supposed to do, just stand alone and receive no support at all? Had they no popular support they would have collapsed under the ghastly circumstances they find themselves in.

Contrast this to Hadi who was the only candidate on the ballot, can't trust his own army, and without Saudi troops and their mercenaries would be quickly exiled.

I won't pretend to overlook their comically anti western slogan, or the Shiite prophecies about Yemen that may motivate Iranian support, or that they do probably do want to create a mini Iran, but they are far more legitimate a government than the Saudi puppet if one takes popular sovereignty seriously.

[publicunofficial]

Mattis is trash. Trump's foreign policy has been an utter disaster so far because of people like him. I don't think I can support him in 2020 anymore.

The small glimmer of hope that Trump would de-escalate America's involvement in the Middle East to focus on problems at home looks pretty dead. All he's doing is letting some of the generals Obama had on a tight leash go free; giving us more (and reportedly much less discriminate in regards to civilian casualties) bombing runs.

[Mr. Reactionary]

In order of hatred: AQAP/ISIS > offensive Saudi army > awful shiite houthis > "moderate" sunnis > defensive saudi army > deposed yemani dictator > donald trump

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Disgusting.  I don't understand why the US needed to back the Saudi agenda in Yemen in the first place.

to stop iranian imperialism, a resonable goal if you think of yourself as a guardian for israel/ally to SA.

but to be totally fair, half of the sunni-arabian world is included in that conflict anyway.

Iran isn't the ones being imperialist there.

iran and SA are doing it both, imho.

i prefer iran anyway, even if they are enemies of the US right now...and still think israel must be shielded from its negative influence.

anyway.....i have nothing but hollow eyes for those, who called hillary a hawk and believed in peacenik trump.

Did anyone call Trump a peacenik? No, but Hillary was definitely too hawkish to vote for. We've done a lot of bad things in the middle east in the last 8 years, and Hillary is definitely more hawkish than Obama.

[Deblano]

Mattis is trash. Trump's foreign policy has been an utter disaster so far because of people like him. I don't think I can support him in 2020 anymore.

It's all been an utter disaster.  Where have you been???

Chewing well done Trump steals at Trump tower

[Axel Foley]

Saudi Arabia: Yemen= Russia: Syria

[publicunofficial]

The biggest red flag for me regarding Middle East views is anyone who balks at the idea of peace between the US and Iran, but then considers Saudi Arabia a strong ally who does no wrong.

[DavidB.]

Great idea!

[Tartarus Sauce]

The biggest red flag for me regarding Middle East views is anyone who balks at the idea of peace between the US and Iran, but then considers Saudi Arabia a strong ally who does no wrong.