Only Yemen’s Firm Struggle Can Deter Attacks on Hudaydah: American Prof.

“Only the resolute struggle of the Yemeni people and the support of freedom-loving people worldwide will deter Saudi Arabia and its allies, including Israel and the US, from continuing their assault on Hudaydah and the rest of Yemen,” Dennis Etler, a professor of anthropology at Cabrillo College in Aptos, California, said in an interview with Tasnim.

“The world must take a stand against Saudi, US, and Israeli aggression and shout Stop it!” he said, adding, “If any nation deserves to be sanctioned and embargoed it is the outlaw regime in Saudi Arabia.”

Following is the full text of the interview:

Tasnim: As you know, the Saudi-led coalition has intensified attacks on Yemen. At least 149 people, including seven civilians, were killed in one of the latest clashes between Yemeni troops and Saudi-backed mercenaries in the western port city of Hudaydah, according to medics and military sources. What is the main reason behind the increased Saudi attacks on Hudaydah? Is it trying to gain some leverage at the negotiating table?

Etler: The Saudi-led coalition is waging a genocidal war against the Yemeni people. It will resort to the most barbaric means imaginable in its quest for regional hegemony. US President (Donald) Trump has announced that no matter what crimes the leaders of Saudi Arabia engage in, including cold-blooded murder, the criminal regime in Riyadh will be backed to the hilt.

Only the resolute struggle of the Yemeni people and the support of freedom-loving people worldwide will deter Saudi Arabia and its allies, including Israel and the US, from continuing their assault on Hudaydah and the rest of Yemen.

Tasnim: According to some political experts, the murder of Saudi columnist Jamal Khashoggi, along with sharply deteriorating humanitarian conditions and growing media attention paid to the war in Yemen, has led to increased pressure on Saudi Arabia to end the war. Recently, Germany urged other European Union member states to follow its example in stopping arms exports to Saudi Arabia. What is your assessment of the international pressures and their influence on the protracted war in Yemen and how do you predict the future of the conflicts?

Etler: Whatever shred of credibility the Saudi regime may have had, has been totally obliterated by the murder of Saudi columnist Jamal Khashoggi and the humanitarian crisis in Yemen. It should be clear to any honest person that the Saudi regime and its enablers in the US and Israel have no concern for human rights or the lives of women, children and the elderly, the primary victims of their wars of national annihilation.

The world must take a stand against Saudi, US, and Israeli aggression and shout Stop It! If any nation deserves to be sanctioned and embargoed it is the outlaw regime in Saudi Arabia.

Tasnim: Some Western countries that claim to be champions of human rights are pursuing double-standard policies on Saudi Arabia's atrocities. What do you think about the roles of Washington and London in the Riyadh regime’s heinous crimes against Yemen?

Etler: There is no question that Washington and London are complicit in the Riyadh regime’s heinous crimes against Yemen. Without their military and diplomatic support, the war against the Yemeni people could not be sustained.

Washington’s and London’s support for the Saudi-led aggression against Yemen is a crime against humanity and reminiscent of Nazi Germany’s support for the fascist Falange during the Spanish Civil War and the Italian Fascist war against Ethiopia prior to World War 2.