Press TV has interviewed Tighe Barry, with CODEPINK from Washington, to get his take on the US complicity in the Saudi aggression against Yemen.
The following is a rough transcription of the interview.
Press TV: How do you feel about where this war on Yemen stands at this point, and certainly it seems that the US ... it seems like they’ve forgotten the war almost?
Barry: Well, I think the United States media is purposely not reporting on Yemen or the issue of Saudi Arabia right now. This seems to be an appeasement to the Saudi government like the appeasement of releasing the traitor to Israel is an appeasement to Israel. We see that Saudi Arabia is treating its neighbor Yemen like Israel treats the Gaza Strip. This is an invasion. This is not a war. And it’s a very solemn occasion for us in the United States and for many of Americans like myself, because this is the 70th anniversary of the day that the United States, the only country in the world that used the atomic weapon on Hiroshima and in a few days again on Nagasaki. And we see that the United States has no reason to worry about the peaceful nuclear program in Iran. Yet it continues to demonize Iran, and so demonizing the Houthis and the coalition that’s been built up over the years in Yemen to desire freedom. And so, we’re asking our government every day, we’re protesting our government to stop this slaughter by US logistics, US military aid, US military equipment, US military ammunitions of the Yemeni people by the Saudi proxy government obviously the United States. To allow this to happen, I cannot forgive the European Union for its complicity and silence in this as well. But we see that the reason that there’s so much silence around Yemen, I believe there’s an appeasement to the Saudi government for its standing back and allowing this peace negotiation to go through.
Press TV: A lot of people argue that the US doesn’t have as much sway over the Saudis as it once did. Yet we’ve just recently seen this arms deal being signed between the US and Saudi Arabia. How do you feel about that argument?
Barry: Well, absolutely false. Without the United States’ aid and military equipment, Saudi Arabia would be toppled by its own people very quickly. Without the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, Bahrain would fall in a minute. The people in Arab Peninsula want to have freedom. They don’t want to be ruled by these monarchs. And without the aid of the United States’ military equipment, they would fall immediately.