To: Editors, New York Times
@NYTimes: Correct the Record: the U.S. Is Directly Involved in Saudis' Yemen War
Just Foreign Policy
Correct your reporting to acknowledge that the U.S. is directly involved in Saudi Arabia's famine-inducing war in Yemen.
Why is this important?
On August 23, the New York Times published a major article on the humanitarian catastrophe produced by the U.S.-backed Saudi-UAE war and blockade in Yemen, acknowledging that Yemen is "the world's largest humanitarian crisis" and that "there is little chance for significant improvements unless the war ends." But the August 23 NYT article falsely minimized the U.S. role in the catastrophe: "the United States is not directly involved in the conflict." [1]
Past reporting by the New York Times has been more straightforward in acknowledging the direct U.S. military role in Saudi Arabia's war in Yemen. On August 24, 2016, the New York Times reported - under the headline "Support for Saudi Arabia Gives U.S. Direct Role in Yemen Conflict" - that the Saudi bombing of a Doctors Without Borders hospital was another public reminder for the Obama Administration of "the spiraling violence of a war in which it has played a direct role...the Pentagon has given steady support to the coalition led by Saudi Arabia, with targeting intelligence and fuel for the Saudi planes involved in the air campaign." [2]
The U.S. role in Saudi Arabia's Yemen war certainly hasn't become less "direct" since August 24, 2016. The Intercept reported on July 13, 2017 that the U.S. has doubled the fuel provided to Saudi-UAE warplanes bombing Yemen since October. [3] The New York Times reported on June 14, 2017 that as a condition of the recent arms deal with Saudi Arabia that was narrowly approved by the Senate, U.S. military advisers coordinating U.S. logistical assistance to the Saudi bombing campaign would sit in the Saudi air operations control center in Riyadh. [4] Such "conditions" are apparently not working to prevent civilian casualties, as the New York Times reported on August 23, 2017 that at least 30 civilians were killed or wounded by Saudi airstrikes in Yemen's capital. [5]
Urge the New York Times to correct its August 23, 2017 article to acknowledge that the U.S. is directly involved in the Saudis' war in Yemen through targeting assistance and midair refueling for Saudi-UAE warplanes bombing Yemen by signing our petition.
References:
1. "'It’s a Slow Death': The World’s Worst Humanitarian Crisis,"
Shuaib Almosawa, Ben Hubbard and Troy Griggs, New York Times, August 23, 2017, https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/08/23/world/middleeast/yemen-cholera-humanitarian-crisis.html
2. "Support for Saudi Arabia Gives U.S. Direct Role in Yemen Conflict,"
Mark Mazzetti and Shuaib Almosawa, New York Times, August 24, 2016, https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/25/world/middleeast/yemen-saudi-arabia-hospital-bombing.html
3. "U.S. Doubled Fuel Support For Saudi Bombing Campaign In Yemen After Deadly Strike On Funeral," Samuel Oakford, The Intercept, July 13 2017, https://theintercept.com/2017/07/13/u-s-doubled-fuel-support-for-saudi-bombing-campaign-in-yemen-after-deadly-strike-on-funeral/
4. "Saudi Arabia Tries to Ease Concerns Over Civilian Deaths in Yemen," Eric Schmitt, New York Times, June 14, 2017, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/14/world/middleeast/saudi-arabia-arms-training-yemen.html
5. "Saudi Coalition Airstrikes Near Yemen’s Capital Kill Civilians,"
Shuaib Almosawa and Rod Nordland, New York Times, August 23, 2017, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/23/world/middleeast/saudi-airstrike-sana-yemen.html
Past reporting by the New York Times has been more straightforward in acknowledging the direct U.S. military role in Saudi Arabia's war in Yemen. On August 24, 2016, the New York Times reported - under the headline "Support for Saudi Arabia Gives U.S. Direct Role in Yemen Conflict" - that the Saudi bombing of a Doctors Without Borders hospital was another public reminder for the Obama Administration of "the spiraling violence of a war in which it has played a direct role...the Pentagon has given steady support to the coalition led by Saudi Arabia, with targeting intelligence and fuel for the Saudi planes involved in the air campaign." [2]
The U.S. role in Saudi Arabia's Yemen war certainly hasn't become less "direct" since August 24, 2016. The Intercept reported on July 13, 2017 that the U.S. has doubled the fuel provided to Saudi-UAE warplanes bombing Yemen since October. [3] The New York Times reported on June 14, 2017 that as a condition of the recent arms deal with Saudi Arabia that was narrowly approved by the Senate, U.S. military advisers coordinating U.S. logistical assistance to the Saudi bombing campaign would sit in the Saudi air operations control center in Riyadh. [4] Such "conditions" are apparently not working to prevent civilian casualties, as the New York Times reported on August 23, 2017 that at least 30 civilians were killed or wounded by Saudi airstrikes in Yemen's capital. [5]
Urge the New York Times to correct its August 23, 2017 article to acknowledge that the U.S. is directly involved in the Saudis' war in Yemen through targeting assistance and midair refueling for Saudi-UAE warplanes bombing Yemen by signing our petition.
References:
1. "'It’s a Slow Death': The World’s Worst Humanitarian Crisis,"
Shuaib Almosawa, Ben Hubbard and Troy Griggs, New York Times, August 23, 2017, https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/08/23/world/middleeast/yemen-cholera-humanitarian-crisis.html
2. "Support for Saudi Arabia Gives U.S. Direct Role in Yemen Conflict,"
Mark Mazzetti and Shuaib Almosawa, New York Times, August 24, 2016, https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/25/world/middleeast/yemen-saudi-arabia-hospital-bombing.html
3. "U.S. Doubled Fuel Support For Saudi Bombing Campaign In Yemen After Deadly Strike On Funeral," Samuel Oakford, The Intercept, July 13 2017, https://theintercept.com/2017/07/13/u-s-doubled-fuel-support-for-saudi-bombing-campaign-in-yemen-after-deadly-strike-on-funeral/
4. "Saudi Arabia Tries to Ease Concerns Over Civilian Deaths in Yemen," Eric Schmitt, New York Times, June 14, 2017, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/14/world/middleeast/saudi-arabia-arms-training-yemen.html
5. "Saudi Coalition Airstrikes Near Yemen’s Capital Kill Civilians,"
Shuaib Almosawa and Rod Nordland, New York Times, August 23, 2017, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/23/world/middleeast/saudi-airstrike-sana-yemen.html