The attack on the Aramco oil processing plant in Saudi Arabia that has disrupted about 5% of the global oil supply has heightened tension. The Houthi group in Yemen that has been waging a war against the Saudi –backed government in Yemen has claimed reswponsibility.
Of course the US and Donald Trump have immediately blamed Iran for the attack, although interestingly Saudi Arabia has not as yet laid the blame anywhere. Iran is backing the Houthi rebels but deny that they were responsible.
Donald Trump has said the US is “locked and loaded” and ready to respond to attacks on a petroleum processing facility in Saudi Arabia, as US officials said the evidence pointed to Iranian involvement.
The US president did not mention Iran, but wrote on Twitter that he had “reason to believe that we know the culprit” behind the series of attacks on the Abqaiq facility, which is the world’s largest petroleum processing plant. The attacks disrupted more than half of the kingdom’s oil output and will affect global supplies.
Trump tweeted: “[We] are locked and loaded depending on verification, but are waiting to hear from the Kingdom [of Saudi Arabia] as to who they believe was the cause of this attack and under what terms we would proceed!”
…The US secretary of state Mike Pompeo claimed over the weekend that Iran was responsible for the attack, which was claimed by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi rebel group. Pompeo said there was no evidence the weapons were launched in Yemen and accused Iran of “an unprecedented attack on the world’s energy supply”.
Iran has denied allegations of responsibility. Its foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said of Pompeo’s comments that “such fruitless and blind accusations and remarks are incomprehensible and meaningless.”
As usual, there is the double standard at play. The US is outraged that Iran is helping the Houthis, while Yemen is being heavily attacked by Saudi Arabia that has been armed to the teeth by the US. It is the old rule at play, that only the US and its proxies can attack and otherwise interfere in the internal affairs of other countries. Any people or country that defends itself or enlists allies to help them is deemed to be the aggressor. Watch ‘the Blob’ spring into action to explain why this is perfectly justified.
And while all this is going, the ordinary people of Yemen are being subjected to a horrendous existence with the country said to be facing an existential threat.
In writing my own post on it, I read up on Yemen. Aside from Iran, it has the largest (by percentage) shia population, 45%, and have suffered from decades of oppression by the ruling sunnis. This is as much a war of independence and a holy war as it is a civil war.
Trump tweeted: “[We] are locked and loaded depending on verification, but are waiting to hear from the Kingdom [of Saudi Arabia] as to who they believe was the cause of this attack and under what terms we would proceed!”
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia now gives the orders to the US military and foreign-policy apparatus?
When did Vladimir Putin authorize this transfer of command?
Pierce R. Butler @2: The Orange Toddler-Tyrant doesn’t even realize how stupid he sounds when he says something like that. The two brain cells are rubbing together and cancelling each other out.
Saudi money and Saudi citizens attacked New York City and killed nearly three thousand people, and as a result we attacked …Iraq. Yupyup makes sense to me???
So yeah kinda sad for Vladimir apparently we do do what MBS and his buddies want, and he’s only the second favorite despite any alleged bellyrubs.
Fun fact: Egregiously unserious man and blatant hypocrite Bret Stephens was on MSNBC this morning arguing for a small, focused bombing murder of Iranians.
How is anyone giving this bedbug any airtime still?