Ahmed Abdulrahman, journalist and political commentator, says Washington smuggles arms to al-Qaeda in Yemen using humanitarian aids as a cover, to extend the war by weakening Sana’a.
Faraan: Ahmed Abdulrahman said, “The US has always been the godfather and the biggest supporter to al-Qaeda, ISIS, and other terrorist groups… When tracking the countless occasions where these terrorist groups were defeated and bushed out of territory they control, we always find the US and its allies standing against the powers and parties that posed a threat to these [terrorist] groups’ presence.”
He further said the extension of the US-armed Saudi-led coalition war on the impoverished Arab country is profitable for Washington, and added, “The US is benefiting with billions of dollars’ worth of weapons sales and it would not even try to stop this war – except for the nonsense useless media statements we have been hearing every now and then for the past 6 years.”
Ahmed Abdulrahman is a Yemeni journalist, researcher and translator based in Sana’a.
Below is the full text of the interview:
Q: What do you make of the weapons labeled USAID used by al-Qaeda terrorists in al-Gheyfa area of the al-Baiza province?
A: It is no surprise to anyone nowadays to find a solid proof that links terrorist groups to the United States of America – especially in the Middle East – and here in Yemen, were war has ravished this poor nation it definitely was not the first. What was considered new this time in the footage shown by Yemeni army after raiding terrorist groups’ camps in al-Baiza province was the change of tactics used by the US to smuggle arms to the groups it supports, were boxes of arms showed the logo of USAID, meaning they used humanitarian aid as a cover. That footage brought to my mind several reports published in 2018-2019 by huge Western media outlets such as the BBC and the CNN showing how US made armory and heavy weapons such as armed vehicles ended up in the hands of ISIS and Qaeda fighters who were fighting alongside the US-Saudi forces in Taiz and the West coast. The US has a long history of using proxy war against the national powers that opposes and refuse its foreign policies of exploitation and occupation.
Q: Considering the terrorist groups in Yemen, do you believe without foreign aids (especially the US aids) they were able to resist the operations by the Sana’a government?
A: Surprising as it may sound, the US has always been the godfather and the biggest supporter to al-Qaeda, ISIS, and other terrorist groups it claims fighting against and classified as a threat to its national security. When tracking the countless occasions where these terrorist groups were defeated and bushed out of territory it controls, we always find the US and its allies standing against the powers and parties that posed a threat to these [terrorist] groups’ presence. Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, etc. witnessed tens of battles were the US and its allies provided a direct and an indirect support to terrorist groups that were on the verge of outer complete defeat.
Q: What does it reveal about the intention of Biden who claimed to mediate in order to stop the war on Yemen in the beginning of his presidency?
A: The US support for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen has been/still is the key element that made this war of aggression reaches its 7th year. The US is benefiting with billions of dollars’ worth of weapons sales and it would not even try to stop this war – except for the nonsense useless media statements we have been hearing every now and then for the past 6 years. Sure, in television and speeches we hear about “US peace efforts in Yemen” but what is happening on the ground is the absolute opposite, especially with the war continuing and the siege tightening by day. Peace efforts should be shown by practical steps and measures such as lifting the blockade imposed on Sana’a airport and the restrictions against Hodayda port which is considered the lifeline of 90% of the population.
