Biden’s Defense Enhances Saudi’s Offense

NFL fans understand defense can score points directly or may even provide the offense with a great scoring opportunity. Recovering a fumble could give the offense a territorial advantage. They may even intercept a pass to stop forward progress. Hell, they may even get a pick-6 and score directly.

Last month President/Coach Joe Biden announced that he would end US support for offensive operations to the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen. It is a start but comparable to assigning a 5’ slow defensive back to defend a 6’ 6” incredibly fast wide receiver.

Coach Biden, maybe you should reconsider a politically strategic offense. An offense to attack the Saudis for the blockade denying food and fuel to Yemen’s starving population, to attack the Saudis for bombing civilian targets.

Besides, defending Saudi Arabia as they continue to heave bombs at food warehouses and civilian infrastructure is a losing game plan. To defend Saudi Arabia as they prevent humanitarian supplies and fuel from being received or unloaded in Yemen seaports and airports are grounds for firing.

Statistics

Nearly 80 percent of Yemen’s 30 million people depend on foreign aid as large parts of the country have been devastated by the six years of violence that have resulted in what the UN calls the world’s worst humanitarian disaster.

Newly released data, published by the Yemen Data Project in March 202, has found that the Saudi-led coalition has conducted at least 22,766 air raids in Yemen and up to 65,982 airstrikes since it began its bombing campaign in 2015. Roughly a third of the airstrikes hit non-military sites, including schools, residential areas, and hospitals.

The aerial campaign led to the death of 8,759 civilians and injured another 9,815. While the project found that 29 percent of all air raids hit civilian targets, 47 percent identified hit civilian sites.

Save the Children, reported over a quarter of the casualties have been children. The UN is warning that 400,000 Yemeni children will starve to death this year if conditions don’t change.

The Play-action; Fake the Run – Pass the Ball

News reports that the US-backed Saudi-led coalition has cleared four fuel ships to dock in Yemen’s port of Hodeidah. They report all the supplies on board. They create an illusion that 45,000 tons of gas oil, 5,000 tons of liquefied petroleum gas, and 22,700 tons of fuel oil will be soon be delivered to restart the electric grid, sewerage treatment plants, and other vital infrastructure.

The News fails to emphasize that the ships get cleared, but they do not get to the port for unloading. CNN investigations have revealed the Saudis prevent ships from docking in Hodeidah, depriving Yemen’s starving civilian population of the fuel necessary to deliver food.

As of March 23rd, the Saudis were holding 14 tankers from docking in Hodeidah even though the ships had clearance from the UN. a CNN investigation showed food trucks stranded in Hodeidah, unable to make deliveries due to a lack of fuel.

Quarterback Draw; Fake to Pass – Run Instead

Saudi Arabia recently presented a new ceasefire proposal. This plan/play calls for an UN-supervised nation-wide ceasefire without lifting the brutal blockade. The new proposal allows for only certain flights to land at the Sanaa airport.

“We expected that Saudi Arabia would announce an end to the blockade of ports and airports and an initiative to allow in 14 ships that are held by the coalition,” Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam said. He added, “opening the airports and seaports is a humanitarian right and should not be used as a pressure tool.”

The Hail Mary

Despite President Biden’s vows to end all US support for Saudi Arabia’s “offensive” operations in Yemen, the world’s worst humanitarian disaster has not stopped. Non-support of offensive operations is not good enough. Last week, a Saudi airstrike in Salif targeted a grain port, warehouse, and the living quarters of a food production company.

Coach, we are in Sudden Death. Time is running out. Throw up the Hail Mary, demand that Riyadh lifts the blockade, and stop their airstrikes on civilian targets.