Recently, I sent a letter to Ashland.news criticizing the dramatic difference in American concern for the suffering of Ukrainians and the suffering of those in Yemen.
The latter have faced a seven-year U.S.-supported Saudi war that has killed thousands in bombing attacks on civilian targets, such as hospitals, water treatment plants, factories, marketplaces, weddings, and funerals. This lack of public concern stems primarily from the absence of coverage by the corporate media and silence from government officials.
Pentagon analyst William Hartung states that this war has caused an estimated 400,000 deaths, mostly from the Saudi-run air-and-sea blockade that has stopped food, medical supplies, and fuel from entering the country. The use of U.S.-supplied aircraft, bombs, missiles, and other weaponry has caused people in Yemen to see this as “an American war on their country, spurring resentment and potentially damaging future relations throughout the region” (TomDispatch, Nov. 17).
We must inform ourselves in order to challenge the continued corporate media and government silence on this slaughter, and other U.S. wars abroad. Being aware is the first step in resisting Washington’s militarism.
John Marciano
Talent
