US Categorically Denies Bombing Yemen or Any Direct Military Involvement
The last time the Houthi rebels made allegations of direct US bombing was in 2005. The current charges of US bombing are the first in this outbreak of the war and came immediately after General Patraeus said in an interview, “”We offer variety of security assistances to Yemenis as we do almost with many countries in the region, in addition to training and education programs we provide to the Yemeni military.” But thats the normal policy for years already. The US also announced the US special forces were training Yemen’s military. Maybe the rebels thought that was a new policy but its not. In November, six Yemeni military officials trained with the Marines in NC. And whenever the bombs get bigger or more precise in Sa’ada, rumors fly of US involvement. The Houthis statements are based on reports of people who say they saw the US flag on the airplane but its difficult to believe. it probably was Saudi F16’s. (The Yemenis have Migs). The videos of the air strikes were taken at night and show nothing. Moreover, the US has been saying all along that there is no military solution, no good evidence of Iranian involvement and there should be a ceasefire, humanitarian corridors and negotiations. It really would make no sense whatsoever for the US to engage militarily, and they wouldn’t be haphazardly bombing civilians.
SANAA – Shiite rebels on Wednesday accused the US air force of bombing villages in northern Yemen amid their conflict with government forces and neighbouring Saudi Arabia.
The Sanaa government swiftly dismissed the charge as a sign of the rebels’ desperation, while Washington has already ruled out any direct involvement in the conflict.
“The American air force committed massacres … and used all types of military weapons to destroy villages and houses and schools and public facilities and to kill civilians,” the rebels said in a statement.
“Direct American intervention began early last week, and bombing of various areas of north Yemen continues until now,” it said…Assistant Secretary of State Philip Crowley, at a press briefing in Washington, categorically denied his country was militarily involved in the conflict in northern Yemen.
“Those kinds of reports keep cropping up. We do not have a military role in this conflict,” he said on Tuesday.
The Yemeni government, meanwhile, said it was the country’s own armed forces which carried out air strikes against the rebels and that their allegations were mere lies.
“We are used to lies and allegations from (the rebels) which they use to justify their crimes against the rights of citizens,” a government source said in a statement.
“The heavy blows inflicted by our armed forces have pushed the rebels to the point of despair. One minute, they accuse the Saudi air force, the next it’s the US air force,” the source said.
