We, the Libertarian Party of Oregon Public Policy Board, hereby support H.J. Res. 87 and S.J. Res. 56 to end all US support for Saudi Arabia’s horrific war in Yemen. Link to resolutions below.
https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-joint-resolution/56/text
https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-joint-resolution/56
Writing for Just Security, Priyanka Motaparthy, director of the Counterterrorism, Armed Conflict, and Human Rights Project at Columbia Law School’s Human Rights Institute, and SFM’s Tony Wilson noted Saturday (06/04/2022) “during seven years of war, coalition airstrikes have killed nearly 9,000 civilians in Yemen.”
“Human rights groups and the United Nations-mandated Group of Eminent Experts have documented more than 300 airstrikes that are likely war crimes or violations of the laws of war,” they continued. “These strikes have hit hospitals and other medical facilities, markets, a school bus filled with children, and a funeral hall filled with mourners.”
According to The Washington Post – which along with the Security Force Monitor (SFM) at Columbia Law School’s Human Rights Institute analyzed thousands of news reports and images to identify warplanes from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates that have attacked Yemen – “a substantial portion of the air raids were carried out by jets developed, maintained, and sold by US companies, and by pilots who were trained by the US military.”
This, despite a February 2021 pledge by President Joe Biden to end US support for “offensive operations” in the Saudi-led war – a promise that has been repeatedly sidestepped via arms sales and a $500 million maintenance contract.
None of this is to comment on the still unknown but much higher number of people who have died from Cholera, malnutrition, or outright starvation due to the Saudi-led blockade of the country that has existed for most of the war. Unicef reports that, “Yemen remains one of the largest humanitarian crises in the world, with around 23.7 million people in need of assistance, including almost 13 million children. Since the conflict escalated in March 2015, the country has become a living hell for the country’s children. Less than half of health facilities are functioning, and many that remain operational lack basic equipment. Many health workers have not received a regular salary in several years.”
