Jemenkrieg: Westliche Voreingenommenheiten
Yemen War: Western biases
(** B K P)
Ukraine vs. Yemen: On the UK's wilful blindness to its
complicity in 'wars of choice'
UK government hypocrisy is all too visible in its concern
for Ukrainians, compared with its continued complicity in Yemen’s humanitarian
crisis. It seems one set of war victims is more of a priority than another.
The essential difference between Ukrainian
civilians being obliterated by Russian-made bombs and Yemeni civilians being
obliterated by British-made bombs is not being discussed by the UK government.
In its rush to be seen to be doing the right thing in the face of Russian
aggression, Boris Johnson’s administration is focusing on one hellish conflict,
while largely ignoring another.
Action by Britain and its allies against the Ukraine War
is a must. Everything from sanctions to diplomatic isolation will make it
harder for Russian President Vladimir Putin to prosecute his assault on a
former Soviet state using some of the fiercest weapons known to mankind.
Aid, including homes for refugees, is rightly a
priority. However, how on earth does revulsion against the savagery
unfolding in eastern Europe square with what the British are doing in Yemen?
The conflict there is intensifying, as men, women and children are slaughtered
by weapons that bring billions into the British economy. UK military
specialists are also actively training the Saudi military in how and when to
use them.
Mr Johnson has done nothing to halt the carnage, least of
all by questioning the bloody contribution of BAE or Lockheed. Instead, he
set off for talks with his Saudi Arabian allies last week, making it clear
that his focus was on Ukraine alone.
Questioned about the Saudi Kingdom’s appalling human rights
record, and in particular the murder of the journalist Jamal
Khashoggi – allegedly by assassins sanctioned by Saudi Crown
Prince Mohammed bin Salman – Johnson switched the subject, saying:
“I think that we’ve got a global crisis in which it’s obvious that the Russian
aggression in Ukraine has helped to trigger a spike in the price of
hydrocarbons, a spike in the price of oil.”
Neither was there any discussion about the Saudi
regime executing 81
men in the space of a day.
Johnson said that “in
spite” of the killings, “things are changing in Saudi Arabia”, adding: “That’s
why we see value in engaging with Saudi Arabia and why we see value in the
partnership.”
The “value” is, as usual, measured in terms of economic and
weapons trade. Johnson’s immediate aim was to speed up the oil supply from
the Arabian Peninsula, so as to help reduce spiralling
energy prices in Britain. As Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, put it: “Going
cap in hand from dictator to dictator is not an energy strategy”.
It is not just Johnson who is guilty of such horrific
double-standards either. They are engrained in western culture.
The logical and tragic conclusion is that wars involving
predominantly dark-skinned, Muslim casualties – the kind also played out
in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya – are of far less
importance than conflicts harming those from white European states.
Such crassness is typical of those who view the
military-industrial complex as a necessary evil. It is a grotesque position,
and one that the Ukraine emergency has thrown into sharp focus. A change in
mindset is long overdue, with the priority being for those in power to recognise
and protect the victims of war wherever they come from – by Nabila Ramdani
https://english.alaraby.co.uk/opinion/ukraine-vs-yemen-uks-wilful-blindness-its-complicit
(* B K P)
«Nie mehr Krieg» – Weder in der Ukraine noch anderswo
Je näher ein Krieg tobt, desto stärker fühlen sich Menschen
betroffen. Die Distanz allein macht die Betroffenheit allerdings nicht aus. Der
Krieg in Libyen findet ebenso nahe bei der Schweiz statt. Die geografische
Distanz zu den Kriegen in Irak und Syrien war nur doppelt so gross. Die Kriege
in Äthiopien und im Jemen kaum dreimal so weit weg.
«Opfer von Kriegen sind alle gleich, aber einige sind
gleicher als andere», erklärte der algerisch-kanadische Journalist Maher
Mezahi, der auf die Kriege in Äthiopien und Kamerun anspielte am
15. März gegenüber BBC. Zwar werde
auch über Konflikte in Afrika berichtet, «aber es gibt keine 24-Stunden
Berichterstattung, keine Live-TV-Ansprachen von Weltpolitikern und keine
enthusiastischen Hilfsangebote».
Comfort Ero, Präsidentin
der NGO «International Crisis Group» sieht allerdings
einen Grund dafür, weshalb der Krieg in Europa ernster genommen werde: «Auch
wenn die Zahl der Toten und der Menschen in humanitärer Not geringer ist als
anderswo auf der Welt, kann der Krieg in Europa die globale Sicherheit
gefährden.» Zudem sei der Krieg in der Ukraine «wahrscheinlich die schwerste
Verletzung der Souveränität eines anderen Landes seit dem Irak».
https://www.infosperber.ch/medien/medienkritik/nie-mehr-krieg-weder-in-der-ukraine-noch-anderswo/
(* B K
P)
Sieben Jahre
Jemen-Krieg: Tausende tote Zivilisten, und Saudi-Arabien gibt sich als
Friedensbringer
Die
Militärintervention im Jemen begann am 26. März 2015 und hat eine der
schwersten humanitären Katastrophen der Welt herbeigeführt. Saudisch geführte
Luftoffensiven, durch die bereits Tausende Zivilisten getötet worden waren,
wurden zuletzt sogar verstärkt.
Groß ist die
Bestürzung über die militärische Operationen in der
Ukraine – weiter weg und weit weniger klar eingeteilt in eine
Selbstverteidigung von Gut gegen Böse tobt im Jemen nunmehr seit sieben
Jahren ein Krieg ohne sonderliche Aufmerksamkeit der Weltöffentlichkeit.
Am 26. März 2015 begann
der Krieg mit der Beteiligung der von Saudi-Arabien angeführten Koalition.
Trotz des verheerenden menschlichen Leids, das sich dort seither abspielt, gibt
es weit weniger Solidaritätsbekundungen mit den jemenitische
Zivilisten. Dabei werden Tausende bei Luftangriffen der saudischen
Koalition getötet, während zahlreiche weitere an vermeidbaren Krankheiten oder
durch die saudische Hafenblockade Hunger leiden und die Infrastruktur in Schutt
und Asche liegt.
Dass jedoch kaum
Landesflaggen auf Facebook-Profilen zu finden sind, ganz im Gegensatz zur
omnipräsenten blau-gelben Solidaritätsbekundung seit Februar dieses Jahres, hat
wohl mehrere Gründe. Einer davon ist die saudische PR, die teils mit offenen Fakes, teils mit verdrehter Darstellung der Situation arbeitet.
Auch Lobbyisten und PR-Spezialisten in den USA tragen hochprofessionell dazu
bei.
Während Riad seither
von Selbstverteidigung spricht, machen Fakten deutlich, dass das Vorgehen
völlig unverhältnismäßig ist.
(* B P)
What’s
the difference between Yemen and Ukraine?
We’ve been brutal
towards Russia and tepid towards the Saudis. Why?
No two wars are identical, but the conflicts enveloping
Ukraine and Yemen have one blaring similarity: the laws of war are largely
immaterial to those doing the fighting.
The civil-turned-proxy war in Yemen, which will soon enter
its eighth year, is perhaps even more devastating from a humanitarian perspective.
There is, however, one big difference between the wars in
Ukraine and Yemen: the US response.
In contrast, the US response to the war in Yemen has been
quiet and tepid.
Washington is still providing Riyadh with a significant
amount of diplomatic protection, not to mention arms of a
different sort. Whereas Biden blasted Vladimir Putin as a war
criminal, he sought a phone-call with Prince Mohammed (which the arrogant
prince denied).
There is no talk of US-supported war crimes investigations in Yemen as there is
in Ukraine, and you can forget about the US banning the import of Saudi oil or
freezing the kingdom’s foreign assets in US banks.
Now, I’m not naive. It would be the height of folly for
the US to craft a one-size-fits-all foreign policy. Whether the US shares a
good, bad or indifferent relationship with a
particular country depends in large measure on whether national interests
between the US and that specific country align. For Washington, Saudi Arabia is
at best a partner on some very narrow issues — and given how counterproductive
Riyadh’s foreign policy has been since Prince Mohammed was promoted to crown
prince by his ailing father, “partner” may be too charitable a word.
Even so, you can’t overlook the blaringly obvious — the
US is not particularly great at being consistent. For Saudi Arabia, that serves
the kingdom’s interests just fine.
https://spectatorworld.com/topic/difference-yemen-ukraine-saudi-arabia/
(* B P)
UKRAINE AND THE GLOBAL
COLOR LINE
The violence of
language, in conflict and beyond.
EXPANDING EMPATHY
Language has far-reaching impacts. How we talk about
people and about conflicts matters: Who we label as “civilized” versus
“uncivilized,” “hero” versus “rebel,” “refugee” versus “illegal immigrant,”
“good person” versus “criminal,” has insidious consequences for those we deem
unworthy of empathy. We have the power to strip someone of their humanity, and
thus their safety and security, with a single word. Therefore, we have to be extremely cautious and conscious of the words we
are using when talking about conflicts and those being impacted.
The first step in remediating and repairing these
injustices is perhaps the most challenging: We must expand our empathy.
Under the current patriarchal, white supremacist, and
imperialist systems of oppression, anyone viewed as an
“other” is immediately viewed as an object for exploitation, or a threat
— thus removing any ability or desire to empathize. And to be “othered” is to
be dehumanized, to become a target for violent repercussions simply for
existing. We must push back against these dangerous practices,
and empathize with all victims of crises and conflicts. Discuss these
issues with the sensitivity and care that everyone who is suffering deserves.
This should not even be a radical notion, but the norm.
For a long time, we have had an idea about who is
deemed a good victim and person accepting of empathy. The conflict in Ukraine
has exacerbated this understanding. This has to
change. If we are going to stand for people in crisis and for the betterment,
equity, and justice for all, then we have to talk
about more than just those affected by this moment. We have
to be more than just our words. Our support and our empathy has to become reflective of mass populations across the
globe, and we must attend to more than just the people who look or sound like
us both domestically and abroad. We are all human beings worthy and deserving
of a fulfilling life, free from the torments of conflict and suffering. It is
critical that our words and our actions reflect that, or else we too become the
oppressors.
https://inkstickmedia.com/ukraine-and-the-global-color-line/
(* B P)
Doppelmoral in der
Flüchtlingsfrage zeigt Arroganz und Vorurteile der USA und des Westens
„In Syrien wird die
Welt Zeuge eines Massakers an einem ganzen Volk, an dem viele westliche Länder
beteiligt sind, während in der Ukraine die gesamte westliche Welt ihr Volk
schützt.“ Dies sagte Anas Al-Abdah, Leiter des syrischen Verhandlungskomitees,
vor kurzem in einem Medieninterview. Er sei empört und enttäuscht über die
„Doppelmoral“ des Westens, erklärte er.
Derzeit liegt der Schwerpunkt
der USA und des Westens auf der Ukraine. Der Westen hat den ukrainischen
Flüchtlingen viel Sympathie entgegengebracht. Einige westliche Politiker und
Medien verwenden sogar Hautfarbe und Rasse als Beurteilungskriterien, indem sie
ukrainische Flüchtlinge mit solchen aus dem Nahen Osten und Afrika vergleichen
und damit implizieren, dass erstere „besser“ seien als letztere. (…)
In der Tat haben die USA vom Krieg in Afghanistan über den Krieg in Syrien bis
hin zur Krise in der Ukraine eine höchst unrühmliche Rolle gespielt. Und um wen
man sich kümmern soll und um wen nicht, das ist ausschließlich das Ergebnis der
Manipulation durch US-Politiker in Absprache mit den Medien. Ob Flüchtlinge aus
dem Nahen Osten oder aus der Ukraine – in ihren Augen sind sie alle nur
Werkzeuge, um politische Eigeninteressen zu verwirklichen und die Hegemonie der
USA zu erhalten.
Jedes Leben, egal aus welchem Land es kommt oder welcher Rasse es angehört, ist
gleichwertig und wertvoll. Von der Krise in Syrien vor 11 Jahren bis zur Krise
in der Ukraine heute – was mit den Flüchtlingen passiert, ist herzzerreißend.
Sie dürfen nicht der Hegemonie der USA zum Opfer fallen, sondern müssen
gleichberechtigt und menschlich behandelt werden.
http://german.cri.cn/kommentar/alle/3259/20220316/743116.html
Meine Bemerkung: Chinesisches Staatsmedium.
(** B P)
From Ukraine to Yemen: The world should
provide solidarity to all the victims of war
A life in Yemen should matter just as much
as a life in Ukraine. But as long as global media
prioritises white lives and sides with US foreign policy objectives the
majority of the world’s population will question the sincerity of efforts to
offer solidarity to the people of Ukraine.
Every
war must be opposed, and we should be in solidarity with every victim of every
war. However, today there is almost total silence regarding the attacks on
Yemen carried out by the Saudi Arabian regime, with US backing.
There
are two reasons why one war — the war in Ukraine — is, quite rightly, a major
issue while another war — the war in Yemen — is almost completely ignored.
One
reason is that the US supports the war on Yemen and backs the regime waging war, but opposes the war on Ukraine and backs the Ukrainian
state.
The
other, of course, is that most of the victims of the war in Ukraine are white,
while most of the victims of the war in Yemen are brown and Muslim.
As
the West rushes to impose sanctions on Russia, there is silence about Saudi Arabia,
Israel and other states embroiled in wars and other kinds of violence and
repression.
More
than a million people died as a result of the US-led
war on Iraq, but people like Hillary Clinton and George W Bush are not treated
as global pariahs. The double standard could hardly be clearer.
Understandably,
this leads many to conclude that the attempts to isolate Russia in business,
academia and sport are fundamentally a matter of white solidarity with other
white people, or a project of US foreign policy, or a mixture of both.
To
be clear, Vladimir Putin is a hard-right-wing nationalist who runs a vicious
kleptocracy and has committed a criminal act in invading Ukraine. But this does
not mean that we should not ask why there is such silence on the war in Yemen
or why the US was not isolated and sanctioned for its illegal and criminal
attack on Iraq.
For
as long as the global media focuses on white lives in the way that it does, and
sides with US foreign policy objectives in the way that it does, the majority of the world’s population will question the
sincerity of efforts to offer solidarity to the people of Ukraine.
Of
course, the solution is not to refuse solidarity to the people of Ukraine but
to ensure that solidarity is offered to everyone who is a victim of war.
A
life in Yemen should matter just as much as a life in Ukraine. This is not
“whataboutery”; it is a simple statement of a coherent ethical orientation to
the world.
We
need to restore the genuine internationalism that occurred in the 1960s and
early 2000s and make sure that there is opposition to all wars – no matter the
race and religion of either the victims or the perpetrators – by Imraan Buccus
(A P)
Fußballer Bellerín:
Interesse für Ukrainekrieg "rassistisch" – Wer spricht über Palästina
und Jemen?
Der wortgewandte
Kicker Héctor Bellerín hat sich in einem YouTube-Interview zu dem Ukraine-Krieg
geäußert und die westliche Haltung als "rassistisch" bezeichnet. Der
spanische Fußballspieler bemängelte, dass momentan kaum jemand über andere
Konflikte in der Welt spreche.
Der rechte
Außenverteidiger des FC Real Betis Sevilla verurteilte in einem
Interview für den YouTube-Kanal La Media Inglesa den Krieg in dem
osteuropäischen Land und bekundete sein Mitgefühl für das Leid des ukrainischen
Volkes. Gleichzeitig kritisierte er die Wahrnehmung dieses Konfliktes durch die
westliche Gesellschaft und die mediale Aufmerksamkeit allein für diesen
Krieg.
Feindsender!
(B P)
WAR IN UKRAINE:
"IT'S RACIST TO CLOSE YOUR EYES TO OTHER CONFLICTS", LAMENTS BELLERÍN
Spaniard Héctor Bellerín regrets that
reactions to the war in Ukraine are stronger than those to other conflicts such
as Yemen and Palestine. The right side of Betis Sevilla even finds it
"racist" to turn a blind eye to other conflicts.
"It's complicated to see that we are
more interested in this war [in Ukraine] than others. I don't know if it's
because they are more like us or because the conflict can affect us more
economically or about refugees", asked the 27-year-old Spaniard in an
interview broadcast on "La Media Ingles".
He also called for comparison with other
conflicts that have less media coverage: "The war in Palestine was
completely ignored, no one talked about it. In Yemen, in Iraq too. Russia was
excluded of the World Cup… Other countries have done the same [as Russia] for
many, many years."
"It is racist to have turned a blind
eye to other conflicts and now to have this positioning. It also reflects a
lack of empathy for the number of lives lost in many conflicts without the same
importance. be loaned".
(*
B P)
Where’s
our outrage over Yemen? Injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere
This
was one of my earliest lessons when attending Sunday school at St Paul AME,
from the age of 4. There, one of our favourite songs was Jesus Loves
the Little Children. The lyrics go on to say: “All the children
of the world; red and yellow, black and
white, they are precious in His sight ...”
Such
a simple concept that even four-year-olds could get it. It became one of my
guiding principles as I grew, evolving it in that same spirit — recognising
that each member of the human family is precious.
Our
statement expressed solidarity with those affected by the Russian invasion of
Ukraine, as well as other, less publicised wars — such as that being waged for
the past seven years by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates against the
people of Yemen.
Why
is it that this devastation visited by the Saudis et al on the people of Yemen
is known by so few?
The
answer is that the global status quo does not consider many as precious. We
have witnessed by way of the ample media coverage of the Ukraine conflict that
some neighbours are barring entry for non-White refugees.
Sarah
Leah Whitson is the executive director of the organisation called Dawn, which
was founded by the late journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was brutally
assassinated in Saudi Arabia’s embassy in Turkey. She is campaigning for the
status quo to “balance the playing field” in addressing these wars. While she
notes that the Saudis effectively undermine media access, she contends that
“racism is rearing its ugly head” in this regard so that cruelty against
Ukraine is called out by government leaders of the West, but the same
devastations visited upon Yemen is being overlooked by the
vast majority of them.
This
difference is seen in the United States president Joe Biden’s administration
rightly encouraging an open-door policy for Ukrainian refugees,
but flying hundreds of Haitian refugees back to the scene of their
tragedy. This is so much of an injustice that the US Ambassador to Haiti
resigned in protest.
These
same Western leaders are framing their approach to challenges globally as one
supporting democracy for all. However, the Saudis and UAE are some of the least
democratic:
(* B P)
The
people of Ukraine need our solidarity. But not just because they’re ‘like us’
The
outpouring of sympathy and help for Ukrainian refugees has prompted debate
about European attitudes to identity and ethnicity
The
invasion is brutal and unacceptable, an assault on democracy and sovereignty.
We should oppose it just as we should oppose the Saudi assault on Yemen. We
should support the people of Ukraine just
as we should the people of Syria.
Not so,
says the Telegraph’s Tim Stanley. On BBC Radio 4’s Thought for the Day
slot, he insisted that
Ukraine moves us more than Syria or Yemen because it is “a European country”
and “the young men volunteering or being conscripted could be our sons or
fathers”. Apparently, it’s so much more difficult to imagine what a father or
son must feel facing the prospect of war in Yemen or Iraq.
For the
Tory lord and former MEP Daniel Hannan the Ukraine conflict
is shocking because “they seem so like us”,
living in “a European country” where “people watch Netflix and have Instagram
accounts”. “Civilisation itself is under attack in Ukraine,” he concluded.
Unlike in the destruction of Syria or Afghanistan.
Many
others on both sides of the Atlantic have proffered similar
views. What is expressed here is not simply the
shock of witnessing a brutal conflict in a relatively peaceful and prosperous
continent like Europe (though it’s barely 30 years since the Balkans were
ripped apart by an even more vicious conflict). It is, rather, the belief that
our capacity to empathise with people’s hopes, fears and suffering is defined
by whether they are “like us”. It’s an argument that circumscribes solidarity
along lines of identity. One of the ironies of much rightwing criticism of
identity politics is the obliviousness to their own wallowing in the swamp of
identity.
There
is an irony, too, in that the place of eastern Europeans and of Russians in the
western imagination has always been ambiguous. Today, Europeans might embrace
Ukrainians as “one of us”. It has not always been so. There is a long history
of bigotry towards Slavs, of viewing them as primitive and “Asiatic”.
The
boundaries of those who are “like us”, of those who are European, of even those
who are considered “white”, are not fixed but shift according to political and
social need. And those ever-changing boundaries are defined as much by those
deemed to be not like us as by those whom we acknowledge are.
This is
most noticeable in discussions about refugees.
In
1857, an editorial in the People’s Paper acknowledged that “we have
avowedly shown ourselves on the Indian side” because support for “democracy
must be consistent”. Anyone who says: “‘I am for Hungary, and against India’”,
it observed, “ lies against himself, against
principle, against truth, against honour.” Ernest Jones and the People’s
Paper understood that solidarity means little if it is constrained by race
and identity. There are many today who still need to learn that lesson – by Nesrine
Malik
and
(* B P)
All
wars horrify us, but it seems not equally so
As
Nesrine Malik notes, there are wars elsewhere than in Ukraine. An elderly
Christian lady I met recently said with some bitterness that she would not be
responding to the various calls for prayers for Ukraine. Why? Despite years of
conflict and thousands of deaths in her country, she has never heard British
church leaders pray for peace there. She is a Nigerian refugee and had clearly
got the message – if it is only black people massacring each other a safe
distance away, let them get on with it.
Rev
Richard Bradshaw
Nesrine
Malik’s article on an accepted view in the “west” that wars only happen to poor
and uncivilised people partly explains why there is such a lack of coverage of
the war in Yemen, which the UK government is supporting in
supplying arms to Saudi Arabia. Where is the outrage at the humanitarian catastrophe
that is happening there?
Recent
sanctions imposed by the US are going to further cripple efforts to deliver
humanitarian aid to areas of Yemen under
the Houthis’ control. The Yemeni people are dying without shelter and food.
Rae
Street
As
Nesrine Malik notes, there are wars elsewhere than in Ukraine. An elderly Christian
lady I met recently said with some bitterness that she would not be responding
to the various calls for prayers for Ukraine. Why? Despite years of conflict
and thousands of deaths in her country, she has never heard British church
leaders pray for peace there. She is a Nigerian refugee and had clearly got the
message – if it is only black people massacring each other a safe distance
away, let them get on with it.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/04/all-wars-horrify-us-but-it-seems-not-equally-so
(A P)
Ethereum-Chefentwickler Buterin weist auf schon seit langem
dauernde Kriege ausserhalb der Ukraine hin
Der
russisch/kanadische Ethereum-Chefentwickler Vitalik Buterin hat die weltweit
anhaltenden Kriege verurteilt und die Menschen zur Selbstreflexion und zum
Mitgefühl mit den Betroffenen aufgerufen. Der in Kanada lebende Krypto-Experte
sagte, er wolle deutlich machen fest, dass die Ukrainer nicht die einzigen
sind, die unter dem Krieg leiden: Buterin twitterte kürzlich„
„Die Ukrainer sind
bei weitem nicht die einzigen, die unter dem Krieg leiden. Auch die Menschen im
Jemen, in Äthiopien… sind genauso Menschen wie die Ukrainer und Sie und ich.
Das ist keine Entschuldigung dafür, sich nicht um die Ukrainer zu kümmern. Aber
es bedeutet, dass wir uns selbst reflektieren und unsere Anteilnahme auch auf
andere ausweiten sollten.“
Viele Follower in den
sozialen Medien stimmten dem zu. Bei Redaktionsschluss hatten über 57.000
Follower auf den Tweet geantwortet.
(A P)
Support for Ukraine Doesn’t Undermine
Other Wars: Vitalik Buterin
Vitalik
Buterin on Wednesday whetted his support for Ukraine against the Russian
invasion. He said similar wars may be raging on in other parts of the world but
that doesn’t mean people should stop caring about the Ukrainians or vice-versa.
In a tweet Wednesday morning, Ethereum’s co-founder said:
“Ukrainians are far from the only ones suffering
from war. Also people in Yemen, Ethiopia… just as
human as Ukrainians and you are. This is NOT a valid excuse to not care about
Ukrainians today. But it does mean we should self-reflect and extend our
compassion to others too.”
https://cryptopotato.com/support-for-ukraine-doesnt-undermine-other-wars-vitalik-buterin/
Ältere
Beiträge / Earlier reports
(* B P)
Tief verankerter
Rassismus
Krieg in der Ukraine:
Afrikanische und arabische Presseorganisationen kritisieren westliche Medien
Medien spielen eine
zentrale Rolle dafür, wie Menschen die Welt wahrnehmen. Mit diesem Grundsatz
beginnt eine Mitteilung der »Foreign Press Association Africa«, einer
Organisation, die sich dem Ziel einer objektiven, ausgewogenen und fairen
Berichterstattung über den afrikanischen Kontinent verschrieben hat. Anlass des
am Dienstag auf Twitter veröffentlichten Briefes ist die Berichterstattung
westlicher Medien über den Krieg in der Ukraine, der sich am Wochenende in
verstörender Weise Bahn brach: »Dies ist eine relativ
zivilisierte und relativ europäische Stadt … wo man so etwas nicht
erwarten würde« (USA/CBS). »Es ist sehr emotional für mich, weil ich sehe, wie
europäische Menschen mit blauen Augen und blondem Haar getötet werden«
(Großbritannien/BBC). »Wir befinden uns im 21. Jahrhundert, wir befinden uns in
einer europäischen Stadt, und wir werden von Marschflugkörpern beschossen, als
ob wir im Irak oder in Afghanistan wären, können Sie sich das vorstellen?«
(Frankreich/BFM TV). »Das Beeindruckende ist, dass sie, so wie sie gekleidet
sind … Das sind wohlhabende – ich verwende nur ungern den Ausdruck –
Leute aus der Mittelschicht« (Al-Dschasira English).
https://www.jungewelt.de/artikel/421916.mediale-verantwortung-tief-verankerter-rassismus.html
(* B P)
So sieht es also aus,
wenn die Konzernmedien gegen einen Krieg sind
Bei der
Berichterstattung über Russlands schreckliche
Aggression in der Ukraine liegt der Schwerpunkt – wie immer – auf den zivilen
Opfern des Krieges. Heute liegt der Schwerpunkt auf diesem wesentlichen Aspekt
der russischen Invasion – von den zivilen Todesopfern bis hin zu den Traumata,
die die Zivilbevölkerung beim Einschlag von Raketen in der Nähe erleidet.
Leider wurde dem Tod und dem Leid der Zivilbevölkerung so gut wie keine
Aufmerksamkeit geschenkt, wenn das US-Militär Invasionen begann. Nachdem die
USA 2003 unter falschem Vorwand in den Irak einmarschiert waren – was durch die
Komplizenschaft der US-Mainstream-Medien, deren Zeuge ich aus erster Hand
wurde, ermöglicht wurde -, wurden die zivilen Todesopfer über Jahre hinweg
weitgehend ignoriert und unterschätzt.
Kurz nachdem die USA im Oktober 2001 in Afghanistan einmarschiert waren,
zeigten geleakte Anweisungen der CNN-Leitung an ihre Korrespondenten und
Moderatoren, dass der Sender darauf bedacht war, die Tötung und Verstümmelung
afghanischer Zivilisten durch das US-Militär herunterzuspielen und zu
rationalisieren. In einem Memo wurden die CNN-Moderatoren angewiesen, ihren
Zuschauern schnellstmöglich mitzuteilen, wenn sie afghanische zivile Opfer
erwähnten: „Diese US-Militäraktionen sind eine Reaktion auf einen
Terroranschlag, bei dem fast 5000 unschuldige Menschen in den USA getötet
wurden.“ Eine solche Formulierung sei obligatorisch, heißt es in dem Memo:
„Auch wenn es vielleicht schon etwas abgedroschen klingt, ist es wichtig, dass
wir diesen Punkt jedes Mal wiederholen.“
(* B P)
Rassismus in der
Berichterstattung: Von Kriegsopfern erster und zweiter Klasse
Seit mehreren Tagen dominiert
die russische Invasion der Ukraine die Berichterstattung in aller Welt, und
eine erstaunliche Zahl von Reportern, Analysten und anderweitigen Beobachtern
des Krieges demonstriert offenkundigen Rassismus. Einer der ersten
Journalisten, der damit auffiel, war Charlie D’Agata vom amerikanischen Sender
CBS News. In einem Bericht aus Kiew meinte er, dass die Ukraine nicht mit dem
Irak oder Afghanistan vergleichbar sei, weil es sich um ein „europäisches“ und
„zivilisiertes“ Land handele.
Mittlerweile hat sich D’Agata für seine Formulierung entschuldigt, doch sie war
kein Einzelfall und nur ein Vorzeichen für das, was noch kommen würde. In einem
Interview mit der britischen BBC sagte der ukrainische Generalstaatsanwalt
David Sakvarelidze, dass er in diesen Tagen besonders emotional sei, weil er
sehe, wie „europäische Menschen mit blauen Augen und blonden Haaren“ täglich
getötet werden. Dieser Satz, der in den Sozialen Medien für Entsetzen sorgte,
wurde vom Interviewer in keiner Weise hinterfragt.
Stattdessen wurde der rassistische Berichterstattungsfeldzug anderswo
erbarmungslos fortgesetzt. Korrespondentin Lucy Watson vom britischen ITV
behauptete sichtlich aufgebracht, dass es sich bei der Ukraine „nicht um ein
Dritte-Welt-Land handeln würde, sondern um Europa“. Deshalb sei der Krieg dort
so viel schlimmer. Auch im britischen „Daily Telegraph“ hieß es, der Krieg in
der Ukraine sei besonders schlimm, weil die Opfer „aussehen wie wir“. Andere
Medien, darunter etwa französische oder sogar die englischsprachige Ausgabe des
katarischen „Al Jazeera“, taten es ihnen gleich.
Meist wurde dasselbe impliziert: Die Geflüchteten aus der Ukraine seien im
positiven Sinne „anders“.
https://uebermedien.de/69002/von-kriegsopfern-erster-und-zweiter-klasse/
(* B P)
Guter Flüchtling,
schlechter Flüchtling
Noch vor Kurzem erfroren
Menschen in polnischen Wäldern. Haben weiße Europäer:innen
endlich Geflüchtete gefunden, die ihnen genehm sind – weiße Ukrainer:innen?
In der Ukraine tobt Putins
Krieg und Hunderttausende von Menschen sind auf der Flucht. In der Art und
Weise, wie viele westliche Medien und Politiker:innen
darüber sprechen, zeigt sich oft unverhohlener Rassismus. Dies wurde bereits in
den ersten Tagen des Krieges deutlich, als US-amerikanische
und britische Korrespondent:innen aufgebracht
betonten, dass die Ukraine "kein Dritte-Welt-Land" wie "Irak
oder Afghanistan" sei, sondern "europäisch" und
"zivilisiert". Bei BBC meinte ein ukrainischer Ex-Staatsbediensteter
sogar, dass er besonders emotional sei, weil die Opfer "blond und
blauäugig" seien. Und bei Frank Plasbergs Hart
aber fair schwadronierten einige der Gäste inklusive des Moderators von
"unserem Kulturkreis" und die Feigheit jener "wehrfähigen,
starken Männer", die 2015 nach Deutschland kamen und angeblich nicht Manns
genug waren, ihre Heimat zu verteidigen.
Von Politiker:innen hörte man Ähnliches. Jean-Louis Bourlanges,
ein französischer Politiker, bezeichnete ukrainische Geflüchtete als
"hochqualifiziert", der bulgarische Premierminister sagte: "Das ist
nicht die Flüchtlingswelle, die wir kennen, sprich, Menschen, über deren
Identität wir uns nicht sicher sein können, die Terroristen gewesen sein
könnten."
Kurz und knapp:
Weiße Europäer:innen haben den "guten
Flüchtling" gefunden. Jener, der die Hilfe verdient hat. Hier der tapfere
Ukrainer, der sein Land verteidigt. Dort der feige Syrer oder Afghane, der
Frau, Kind und Land zurückgelassen hat, anstatt zur Waffe zu greifen. Dass in
ihren Ländern seit Jahren oder teils sogar Jahrzehnten Krieg herrscht und
Menschen irgendwann einfach nicht mehr kämpfen können, für einen Diktator wie
Assad auch nicht kämpfen wollen – oder wie die Kurd:innen
in Rojava nach wie vor kämpfen – dafür gibt es kaum Verständnis.
https://www.zeit.de/zett/politik/2022-03/rassismus-ukraine-krieg-fluechtlinge-migration
(** B P)
Der neue europäische
Stammeskrieg
Die Solidarität mit der von
Russland angegriffenen Ukraine ist enorm. Doch wieso geht uns die jahrelange
Bombardierung Jemens nicht genauso nah?
Auch vor dem Angriff auf die
Ukraine herrschte Krieg in vielen Ländern der Welt. Aber dies wird als
irgendwie gottgegeben hingenommen, auch in den Medien. Irgendwelche Stämme
bekriegen sich wegen irgendwas - Land, Ehre, Religion, wer weiß das schon.
Selten geschieht die Einordnung mit Termini wie »Selbstbestimmung« und
»Souveränität« wie jetzt in der Ukraine. Und selten spürt man das Mitgefühl der
Journalist*innen so wie jetzt. Vielleicht denken sie, wenn irgendwelche Stämme
in Afrika aufeinander schießen, kann man sich ja nicht jedes Mal aufregen.
Das ist eine Frage des
Blickwinkels. Stellen wir uns mal vor, afrikanische Medien würden
folgendermaßen über die Ukraine berichten: ….
Der russische
Einmarsch weckt die schlimmsten Befürchtungen der Deutschen. Ich glaube aber, unterbewusst denken die meisten,
ein »Weltkrieg« sei es nur dann, wenn europäische Nationen gegeneinander
kämpfen. In der britischen Zeitung »The Telegraph« standen im Bezug auf die
Ukraine einige entlarvende Sätze: »Sie sehen aus
wie wir. Das macht es so schockierend. Krieg ist nicht länger etwas, das nur
arme und weit entfernte Völker trifft.«
Das Argument, der Krieg in der
Ukraine macht uns deshalb betroffen, weil er in der Nähe sei, stimmt nicht
ganz; man muss sich nur eine Landkarte anschauen. Libyen beispielsweise ist von
Deutschland aus nur eine knappe Flugstunde weiter als Italien, also quasi um die Ecke.
Der Krieg selber
wird als ein Problem unter den dortigen »Stämmen« abgetan, die sich halt
bekämpfen und deren Motive man auch nicht verstehen muss. Und was selten
thematisiert wird: das Leid der Menschen. Die Kinder, die nicht mehr in die
Schule gehen können. Die jungen Veteranen, die Gliedmaßen verloren haben. Die
hilfesuchenden Flüchtenden.
Unser Verbündeter Saudi-Arabien
bombardiert seit 2015 im Jemen die Zivilbevölkerung. Dort herrscht die größte
humanitäre Katastrophe der Welt. Wieso ist die Invasion der Ukraine
gravierender als die Invasion Jemens? Wenn wir zugunsten von Menschenrechten
auf russisches Gas verzichten können, warum eigentlich nicht auf saudisches Öl?
Ukraine. Jemen. Syrien.
Afghanistan. Somalia. Südsudan: Jeder Krieg ist ein Weltkrieg für die Menschen,
deren Welt zerstört wird – von Sheila Mysorekar
(** B P)
Let's call out the West's bias over Ukraine for what
it is - blatant racism
Two standards have been applied by the West: Rush to help Ukraine
against the foreign invader, but no mercy missions to Yemen, Gaza, Syria or Myanmar for that matter,
Irony does not come darker than last weekend’s statement from Richard Oppenheim, British ambassador to Yemen.
"The United Kingdom," announced Oppenheim, "stands with
the people of Ukraine in the face of Russia’s unprovoked attack on freedom and
democracy."
The hypocrisy is grotesque even for those accustomed to the
notorious duplicity of the British diplomatic service. Oppenheim may carry the
title of British ambassador to Yemen, but he actually is
not in Yemen at all.
He’s based in the Saudi capital of Riyadh, where his main task – judging by
his active social media account – is to echo Saudi talking points in its
vicious and brutal war on the Yemeni people.
Of course, the British ambassador is right to condemn Russia’s
illegal and barbaric invasion of neighbouring Ukraine. But it cannot be
forgotten that Britain is a core part of Saudi Arabia’s illegal and barbaric
killing machine in neighbouring Yemen.
Britain has not simply stood aside. More than any other country,
the United Kingdom has facilitated Saudi Arabia’s war.
Double standards
Britain has, in short, become Saudi Arabia’s proxy on the
international stage as it pummels Yemen in a war in which approximately 230,000 have died as a direct result
of the Saudi bombardment and thanks to the wider humanitarian consequences of
its economic siege of the country.
But Ukraine will make matters worse by driving up food prices, as
the UN World Food programme warned on Thursday. WFP executive director David
Beasley said in the statement: "We have no choice but to
take food from the hungry to feed the starving and, unless we receive immediate
funding, in a few weeks we risk not even being able to feed the starving."
Britain’s reaction? None. In fact
we’ve cut aid.
Two standards have been applied. Rush to help Ukraine against the
foreign invader. Leave Yemenis to rot.
Of course the situation in
Ukraine is grotesque. But the horror and the suffering cannot be compared to
Yemen, defined by the United Nations as thegreatest humanitarian calamity of the 21st century.
It’s not just diplomats who have applied these double standards.
Ever since Vladimir Putin made his move almost a week ago media commentators have been making
it explicitly clear that white Europeans in Ukraine matter while others don’t.
Hence the reporter from the legendary United States CBS news service who explained that: "This is not
Iraq or Syria, this is a civilized and European country."
The West's hypocrisy
On Monday, Samantha Power, the administrator of the
US Agency for International Development ( USAID), descended on the Polish border on a
mission to help Ukrainian refugees.
Writer Sarah Lazare has noted that "when Power in her
role as a UN ambassador actually had the power to help stop the war on Yemen,
by publicly breaking with her boss and encouraging meaningful action at the
United Nations, she did nothing. Instead she embraced
a policy of silence - and shielded the US-Saudi coalition from meaningful
international scrutiny as it dropped bombs on homes, schools, hospitals and
funerals."
We can see the same double standard in business. International oil
companies are pulling out of Russia in the wake of the illegal Russian invasion
of Ukraine. The same oil companies which went into Iraq in the wake of the
illegal invasion in 2003.
None of this means that the West is wrong to be deeply concerned
about Russian savagery in Ukraine. But when, inshallah, the dust settles in
Ukraine, we should turn our attention to our own double standards.
Blatant racism
The same applies to social media. As MEE reported on Monday, old footage
of Ahed Tamimi, a Palestinian girl who was arrested in 2017 - she
was 16 years old at the time - by Israel after she confronted an Israeli
soldier, has been redeployed. A TikTok clip of Tamimi from 2012 when she was
11, falsely claiming that she is a Ukrainian girl standing up to a Russian
soldier, has been shared 12 million times.
Back home on the occupied West Bank, Tamimi was sent to jail for
eight months amidst boredom and indifference from the West. Reinvented as a
member of the Ukrainian resistance to Russian oppression, it’s another story
altogether.
As Chris Doyle, director of the Council for Anglo Arab
Understanding, told me, "Palestinians notice in the case of Russia the
world has rushed to impose sanctions, kick them out of cultural events and to
divest in the face of occupation. But when Palestinians call for boycott and
divestment in the face of the Israeli occupation they
are labelled antisemitic to the extent that the British government is trying to
criminalise it."
Or let’s call it out for what it is: the blatant racism of the
West.
It is a delight that the United States, Britain
and Europe have rediscovered the importance of international law. The test now
is to ensure that it is applied consistently across the globe - and not only in
response to Russian aggression inside Europe – by Peter Oborne
https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/russia-ukraine-war-media-bias-west-blatant-racism = https://www.commondreams.org/views/2022/03/05/lets-call-wests-bias-over-ukraine-what-it-blatant-racism
and also https://www.msnbc.com/the-reidout/reidout-blog/russia-ukraine-media-coverage-rcna18017
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/02/28/ukraine-coverage-media-racist-biases/
and films:
(A P)
Reporters expressed shock over war happening in a "relatively
civil" country like Ukraine…
https://twitter.com/TheDailyShow/status/1498742870445998082
https://twitter.com/MintPressNews/status/1498732259616067586
Comments: Well said Sir, hypocrisy alive and well and my worry
is that the unquestioning media will simply parrot the line rather than do,
what you as a journalist are doing by asking questions and pointing out these
double standards.
https://twitter.com/kev_sweeney/status/1498782788438441989
Finally, someone has put this all is together in a well-argued
piece with a very important message. Thank you We need to act on all of this.
https://twitter.com/GazingUnsure/status/1498796383331139587
(** B P)
In Ukraine reporting, Western press reveals grim bias
toward ‘people like us’
In the heat of war, as the international press corps scrambled in
real time to wrap their arms around a fast-moving military campaign, a number of correspondents, consciously or not, framed
suffering and displacement as acceptable for Arabs, Afghans and others over
there — but not here, in Europe, where the people “have blue eyes and blond
hair” and where they “look like us.” (And yes, those are actual quotations from
news clips.)
The sentiment has been laid bare again and again in numerous
American and European press outlets since the beginning of the invasion last
week.
Political commentator Mehdi Hasan made sure the omission didn’t go
unnoticed. “Europe has been home to some of the worst wars and worst war crimes
in human history — I mean, the Holocaust,” he said on his MSNBC show Sunday.
“So why this surprise that bad things are happening in Europe? And second, when
they say, ‘Oh, civilized cities’ and, in another clip, ‘Well-dressed people’
and ‘This is not the Third World,’ they really mean white people, don’t they?”
Writers who’d previously addressed conflicts in the Gulf region,
often with a focus on geopolitical strategy and employing moral abstractions,
appeared to be empathizing for the first time with the plight of civilians.
The unguarded bias that emerged from reporters covering Ukraine
isn’t new. The selling of America’s operation in Afghanistan and invasion of
Iraq centered on a narrative of saving the brutes from themselves. Reporters
were embedded with American troops as they rolled into Baghdad in 2003 and
stuck with them during early coverage of the war. They didn’t witness what
Iraqis experienced during the initial stages of “shock and awe” and missed what
a modern city the Iraqi capital was before its “liberation.”
I’d like to think this experience would have changed their ideas
about the “uncivilized” place or made its people seem more like, well, people.
But by the time the fallout from years of war made its way to Europe, in the
form of Arab and North African refugees who poured in by the millions, the
press had grown tired of covering the war on terror, much less its
reverberations. Without a personal connection, that human tragedy was just old
news, and the refugees were a “crisis.”
Other stated reasons why the war in Ukraine is the most important
in our lifetime may not be as blatantly race-based, but they are certainly as
blinkered.
More than one professional observer has characterized this as the
beginning of a new era, where the meaning of cyber warfare extends to what’s
happening on the ground. “This is the first war that will be covered on TikTok
by super-empowered individuals armed only with smartphones, so acts of
brutality will be documented and broadcast worldwide without any editors or
filters,” wrote New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman. “You have never seen
this play before.”
But, of course, we have. Victims of the 11-day war bombardment in
Gaza caught it all on their phones and posted it on social media.
Policy on the ground in Europe reflected the double standard of
some press outlets. As Ukrainians fled the country, crossing the border into
neighboring Poland, Bulgaria’s Prime Minister Kiril Petkov said, “These are not
the refugees we are used to. They are Europeans, intelligent, educated people,
some are IT programmers ... this is not the usual refugee wave of people with
an unknown past. No European country is afraid of them.”
As if to illustrate his point, reports began to emerge that African
students fleeing Ukraine for the safety of neighboring countries were being
denied entry and even had issues accessing transportation to get to the
borders.
Unfortunately, in Europe’s newest conflict, at least one age-old
problem persists: The limits of empathy in wartime are still too often measured
by race – by Lorraine Ali
(** B P)
Blatant orientalism in Western media coverage of
Ukraine war
Much of the Western mainstream media coverage of the ongoing crisis
in Ukraine has displayed once again the blatant white supremacism that is still
present in the Euro-American outlook onto the rest of the world.
Selective empathy for ‘civilized’ people
As many Ukrainians are forced to flee their homes as a result of the Russian intervention in Ukraine, the
political and media discourse around refugees has at times been inherently
racist. Numerous white Western journalists and media personalities could not
hold back their outburst of orientalism and white supremacy when reporting on
the situation in Ukraine.
The idea that a war could happen in “civilized” Europe surprised
many pundits. Of course, Europe, which has caused both World Wars, has waged
its many colonial and imperialist wars mostly in the Third World. Besides the
fact that war in Ukraine has been ongoing since 2014 and that an actual
genocide took place in the 1990s in the cruel wars in Yugoslavia, the
underlying assumption now was that because of Europe’s alleged supremacy, the
idea of war was only imaginable elsewhere - in the “uncivilized” parts of the
world.
In fact, some of the current media coverage reproduces the
orientalist contrast between the “civilized” white, Christian West and the
“uncivilized” rest.
examples of the double standard and racist creation of difference.
The rhetoric is based on the assumption that war is a natural circumstance
outside of the allegedly superior Euro-American sphere and that non-white
people, i.e. the vast majority of the world’s
population, engage in wars because they are not “civilized” - not because of
colonial and imperialist wars. This perspective also reveals how comfortably
unaffected these media personalities must have been by all the wars launched
against people in the Third World.
White supremacy is the fundament of Euro-American “civilization”.
The orientalist division of human beings into desirable and undesirable people
has been structurally inscribed in dominant media discourse.
The discourse around “civilization” not only reinforces Europe’s
violent racial hierarchies, but also explicitly normalizes warfare against
people who do not look like the white, blue-eyed, blond-haired European.
Heroes versus Terrorists
The double standard has also been apparent in the compassionate
support that some mainstream media outlets have extended to Ukrainians who took
arms to fight against Russian troops.
Sky News showed live on air how Ukrainians were manufacturing Molotov cocktails. The New York Post
celebrated a Ukrainian soldier who blew himself up to prevent a Russian advance
as “heroic.” Some Ukrainians have posted
pictures online of themselves carrying weapons, like member of parliament Kira
Rudik. Their actions were widely praised.
White victims are given moral and ideological support. Their
militancy is glorified. Muslims and people of color who have organized in armed
resistance are unlikely to be met with such praise.
The visible hypocrisy shows the staunch perseverance of white
supremacism in mainstream media discourse.
Beyond the media
While the media creates powerful images and narratives, it also
reflects societal dynamics. The double standard in reacting to war has been
manifest in the continuous discrepancy between the rhetoric on freedom and
democracy and the selective outrage – by Denijal Jegic
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2022/02/28/677694/Blatant-orientalism-in-Western-media-coverage-of-Ukraine-war = https://www.islamtimes.org/en/article/981438/blatant-orientalism-in-western-media-coverage-of-ukraine-war
and
(** B P)
It’s Different, They’re White: Media Ignore Conflicts
Around the World to Focus on Ukraine
A MintPress News analysis found that in a single week Fox News, The
New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, and MSNBC ran almost 1,300 separate
stories on the Ukraine invasion, two stories on the Syria attack, one on
Somalia, and none at all on the Saudi-led war on
Yemen.
We are living in dangerous times. All around the world, intense
military actions are taking place. Last week alone, Russia launched a huge
military invasion of Ukraine; Saudi Arabia carried out dozens of strikes on Yemen; Israel
launched a wave of deadly missile attacks against Syria; and the United States
restarted its bombing campaign in Somalia.
These four deadly incidents happened concurrently. Yet judging by media coverage, it is highly unlikely that
many will even be aware of the final three. A MintPress News study of five
leading Western media outlets found that overwhelming attention was paid to
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, while the others were barely mentioned, if at all.
In total, in the week between Monday, February 21 and Sunday,
February 27, Fox News, The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN and MSNBC
ran almost 1,300 separate stories on the Ukraine invasion, two stories on the
Syria attack, one on Somalia, and none at all on the
Saudi-led war on Yemen.
The data for the study was collected using the Factiva news
database, which was then cross referenced with searches on the websites of the
respective news outlets’ websites, and also checked
against precise Google searches to generate a final total. A chart visualizing
the disparity in coverage over those seven days can be seen below.
Collectively, the five outlets published 1298 stories about
Ukraine, meaning each one printed at around one per hour on average over the
week studied. FoxNews.com ran the most — 308 — roughly one every 30 minutes.
However, there was little significant numerical difference between the outlets,
whose front pages and editorial sections were all dominated by headlines about
Ukraine. In contrast, only The New York Times mentioned the Somali strike at
all, while The Washington Post was the only outlet to cover the attacks on
Syria. Fox News, CNN and MSNBC did not cover any of the other nation-on-nation
attacks at all.
“First major war between civilized nations”
Although the disparity in quantity of coverage is stark, it is also
important to note the huge differences in tone and outlook. Media is festooned
with pictures of the targets of Russian aggression. For the first time, we are
being invited to view the war from the side of the victim. Furthermore, the
coverage is not dry and matter-of-fact, but emotive
and full of outrage. This is virtually unheard of when reporting on Western
wars, and is a conscious decision taken by those at the top.
Weeks after the U.S. invaded Afghanistan, for example, the chairman
of CNN sent a memo to all staff advising them in no uncertain terms to downplay
the suffering of Afghans, stating that it “seems perverse to
focus too much on the casualties or hardship in Afghanistan.” Chelsea Manning
and Julian Assange went to prison for releasing images of victims of U.S. wars.
Yet Russia’s victims are front and center, with media even going so far as
to approvingly report on Ukrainian civilians making
and using Molotov cocktails on Russian forces.
This, for Palestinian journalist Mohammed El-Kurd, was a
revelation. “It is insanely surreal to realize that mainstream news outlets —
and settler politicians alike — possess the linguistic capacity to call
occupation by its name. A capacity that is made staggeringly absent in the
context of occupied Palestine, often under the guise of objectivity,” he said, adding:
‘Hypocrisy’ doesn’t describe this adequately. The appropriate word
is psychosis. They live in a parallel universe where Europeans, who take up
arms to defend their lands and families, are called resistance fighters but
Palestinians doing the same damn thing are
‘terrorists.’ There is a separate set of rules for different people.”
For many, this disparity is simply about racism. “Ukraine is not
the worst act of war since World War II. It’s not even the worst war going on
right now,” wrote Sri Lanka-based journalist Indi
Samarajiva, referring to Syria and Yemen; “It’s just the worst to happen to
white people.”
Certainly, there has been a shocking amount of casually racist
commentary on corporate media
Summing up the orgy of casual prejudice was Daily Wire journalist
Michael Knowles, who tweeted, “It just occurred to me that this
is the first major war between civilized nations in my lifetime.”
The sheer number of media personalities expressing their shock at seeing
“civilized” people in this predicament led a number of
press associations from the Global South to release statements of protest.
“This type of commentary reflects the pervasive mentality in
Western journalism of normalizing tragedy in parts of the world such as the
Middle East, Africa, South Asia, and Latin America. It dehumanizes and renders
their experience with war as somehow normal and expected,” wrote The Arab and Middle Eastern
Journalists Association.
“The idea that war is a thing that happens in lands outside of the
West is beyond myopic. It is a gross misrepresentation of the entirety of human
history. People who are not white are not more innately prone and habituated to
violence and suffering,” added the Foreign Press Association, Africa.
All comes down to whose ox is getting gored
While racism is clearly a factor in the coverage, it should be
remembered that the bombing of Yugoslavia — a white nation comparable to
Ukraine — was celebrated, not rejected. This was in large part because it was
NATO itself that was the aggressor.
Media theory scholars have long argued that victims of Western
aggression are largely ignored but those of the West’s enemies will be given
center stage. In 1988, academics Edward Herman and Noam Chomsky developed their
theory of worthy vs. unworthy victims in their book “Manufacturing Consent.”
Together, they compared the coverage of two concurrent genocides, one in
Cambodia (an enemy state) and one carried out by the Indonesian military
(funded and armed by the U.S. government) in East Timor.
This and other examples led them to conclude that both the quantity
and quality of the coverage of atrocities is dependent almost entirely on two
factors:
Who is the perpetrator
Who is the victim
If the perpetrator is our enemy, and there is political capital to
be made from highlighting their crime, then the media will deem the victim
“worthy” — especially if the victim is a pro-U.S. figure. If, however, you die
at the hands of the U.S. or its allies, you can expect little sympathy or
coverage from the media, especially if you are a Communist, Muslim, or any
other designation that renders you unworthy of media attention.
In the Ukraine case, the perpetrator is an enemy state (Russia) and the victim is a pro-Western government seeking to join
both the European Union and NATO. However, in the other three cases detailed
here (Israeli strikes on Syria, Saudi attacks on Yemen, and U.S. attacks on
Somalia), the aggressor is either the U.S. itself or its close allies, while
the victim is an enemy actor. Hence the complete lack of coverage. Therefore,
there will be few — if any — think pieces denouncing the U.S. for its
barbarity, nor any calls to create a military alliance to counter Israel, or to
take in hundreds of thousands of Yemeni refugees.
Turning the outrage tap on and off is a key way
in which media manufacturers consent for U.S. foreign policy, hiding certain
atrocities from our gaze and placing others on our screens. To be clear,
Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine should, of course, be making headlines
around the world, and victims should be mourned and
perpetrators condemned. However, the vast qualitative and quantitative
disparity between coverage of the attacks on Yemen, Somalia and Syria and the
attack on Ukraine, which received almost 400 times the attention of the other
three combined, is another stark example of how the media is outraged at war only
when it wants to be.
Americans are united in rejecting Russia’s attack on Ukraine. A
recent poll found that only 6% of the public
consider its invasion justified, as opposed to 74% against. This suggests that
if the media covered U.S. imperialism in the same way it covers its Russian
equivalent, then those wars would end immediately. But they do not. And the
Ukraine coverage underlines that this is a choice they are making every day –
ba Alan Macleod
https://www.mintpressnews.com/ukraine-russia-war-media-bias-study/279847/
(** B P)
Tränen für die Ukraine,
Sanktionen für Russland, Gähnen für den Jemen, Waffen für die Saudis: Die
groteske Doppelmoral des Westens
„Wir werden jeden Tag brutal
bombardiert. Warum also kümmert sich die westliche Welt nicht so wie um die
Ukraine?!!… Liegt es daran, dass wir keine blonden Haare und blauen Augen haben
wie die Ukrainer?“ Ahmed Tamri, ein jemenitischer Vater von vier Kindern,
erkundigte sich mit gerunzelter Stirn nach der internationalen Unterstützung
und Berichterstattung der Medien über Russlands Invasion in der Ukraine und das
Fehlen einer solchen Reaktion auf den Krieg im Jemen.
Trotz der schrecklichen
Bombardierungskampagne gegen jemenitische Zivilisten haben die
Menschenrechtsverletzungen und Kriegsverbrechen Saudi-Arabiens bei weitem nicht
das Maß an Berichterstattung und Sympathie erreicht, das
die westlichen Mainstream-Medien der Ukraine zu Recht entgegengebracht haben.
„Sie vergießen Tränen für die Ukrainer und ignorieren unsere Tragödien … Was
für Heuchelei und Rassismus!“ Tamri sagte gegenüber MintPress News .
Die Jemeniten, erleiden
unerbittliche Bombenangriffe und tödliche Luft-, Land- und Seeblockade seit
2.520 aufeinanderfolgende Tage.
Seit Donnerstag, als die
russischen Streitkräfte ihren weitreichenden Angriff auf die Ukraine begannen,
hat die von Saudi-Arabien geführte Koalition mit Unterstützung der Vereinigten
Staaten mehr Luftangriffe im Jemen durchgeführt als Russland in der Ukraine.
https://www.facebook.com/NetzwerkMeinungsfreiheit/posts/733245154720772
Vollständig, mit Links, auf
Englisch:
Completely, with links, in English:
(** B P)
Tears for Ukraine, Sanctions for Russia, Yawns for
Yemen, Arms for Saudis: The West’s Grotesque Double Standard
The speed of Western retaliation over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
has raised eyebrows among Yemenis who have endured a relentless bombing
campaign and deadly air, land, and sea blockade for 2,520 consecutive days.
Despite the horrific bombing campaign against Yemeni civilians,
Saudi Arabia’s human rights violations and war crimes have garnered nowhere
near the level of coverage and sympathy that the mainstream Western media has
rightfully given to Ukraine. “They shed tears for the Ukrainians, and ignore
our tragedies… What hypocrisy and racism!” Tamri told MintPress News.
Yemenis ask the obvious
As the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues into the sixth day, an
outpouring of support for Ukrainians continues to be seen across the Western
world. Severe sanctions against Russia have been imposed by the United States,
Europe, Australia, and the West in general, amid a flurry of emergency talks at
the UN Security Council. The speed of Western retaliation – which includes
banning Russia from the SWIFT (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial
Telecommunication) international banking network and calls to treat Russians as
international pariahs in sports, culture, and even science – has raised
eyebrows among Yemenis who have endured a relentless bombing campaign and
deadly air, land, and sea blockade for 2,520 consecutive days.
As news cameras and solidarity protests gave much-needed sympathy
to Ukrainian civilians, in Sana’a, Yemen – which has effectively been turned
into a large prison for the city’s more than four million residents and
refugees, thanks to a crippling Saudi blockade – warplanes bombed a number of densely populated areas, including the airport.
An additional 160 airstrikes were launched on the provinces of Marib, al-Jawf,
al-Baydha, Taiz, Najran, and Hodeida, the main entry point for commercial goods
and aid into a country facing the worst man-made famine in the 21st century.
In fact, it seems as though the Saudi regime is taking advantage of
a distracted media in order to escalate attacks on a
number of sensitive targets along the Yemen-Saudi border and strengthen its
hold over the Al-Mahra Governorate. The UAE, the other major Western-backed oil
monarchy occupying Yemen, is likewise making hay, accelerating its project to
change the demographics on the prized Socotra Island by displacing locals in
favor of settlers more aligned with UAE policies. A
As countries that have spent the past decades building literal and
figurative walls to keep out desperate brown and black refugees fleeing
violence and foreign invasion in their own lands open their arms, homes, and
hearts to fleeing Ukrainian refugees, Saudi Arabia unleashed a force of Yemeni
mercenaries upon their homeland with a promise of a Saudi green card and safety
for their families if they turn on their fellow countrymen.
If we are to compare
In terms of the sheer cost of human life, the tragedy in Yemen has
been much more deadly than that in Ukraine, where 325 Ukrainians, including 14 children have
tragically lost their lives according to Ukrainian officials. Granted the war
in Yemen has raged on unabated for more than six years, but comparatively the
numbers are astonishing. Since 2015 the death toll has reached an estimated 400,000 people, including
3,900 children.
As the outpourings of condemnation of Russia’s invasion continue,
Western governments have sent massive aid packages to Ukraine and social media
campaigns fill in the gaps – while in Yemen the United Nations announced that by
March it would likely cut aid to 8 million people in a country that it calls
home to the worst humanitarian crisis on earth.
Picking and choosing which invasion to condemn
Yemeni journalists, activists and politicians have been left to
ponder why Western governments – in particular, the Biden administration –
condemn Russia for invading Ukraine under the pretext of national security
while defending the Saudi regime’s “legitimate right” to invade Yemen under the
very same pretext.
Despite the horrific human rights violations carried out by Saudi
Arabia in Yemen, Western nations, and the United States in particular, have not
only provided lethal weapons, training, maintenance, intelligence, and
political and diplomatic cover to the monarchy but have imposed media
restrictions on coverage of the Saudi regime’s human rights abuses in Yemen,
pressuring tech and social media companies to
deplatform and outright ban Yemeni activists and media critical of the war.
As mainstream Western media gives glowing coverage to Ukrainians
resisting their foreign invaders and occupiers – with Western leaders
applauding the steadfastness and resistance of Ukrainians and sending aid, weapons and moral support to them – they label Yemenis
taking up arms as terrorists and target them with American-made smart bombs and
drone attacks. Yemenis who take up arms against invading Saudi and Emirati
forces are sanctioned and dismissed as proxies of Iran by liberal media
institutions that claim to stand against war – by Ahmed Abdulkareem
https://www.mintpressnews.com/tears-ukraine-russia-yawns-yemen-saudia-arabia-double-standard/ = https://www.globalresearch.ca/tears-ukraine-sanctions-russia-yawns-yemen-arms-saudis-west-grotesque-double-standard/5772877
As comments: Human rights are universal and all lives matter,
right!? Not trying a whataboutism here, just saying tens of thousands of
civilians died/continue to die in the still ongoing war in #Yemen but I guess we're not that politically
relevant. We're a deliberately forgotten conflict.
https://twitter.com/omeisy/status/1499488059179651077
As Yemen war survivor, Sympathy with all humans under such an ugly
unwanted situation, including Ukraine. Yet, highlighting the forgotten
conflicts should not be taken as discrimination or hatred against Ukraine.
I guess, in a layman knowledge and language:Ukraine war is direct
hit on the first world,specifically Europe and North America,while #Yemen war and others are sort of buffer wars that keep
the direct threats ( either existing or future threats) away from the first
world lands.
Events in a "human" and a"just" world should
have the same weight on the international community; both people and
governemnts. Yet, Russian invasion on Ukraine sparked an international sympathy
and solidarity at all levels from almost all countries that we have not seen
recently
First world governments are taking actions swiftly and this crisis
has showed the double standard our world is adopting starting with the first
world countries. Its Annoying and Sad.
https://twitter.com/Reemcita/status/1499622732245393408
The world is crying over Ukrain and some
observers and pundits are asking 'when will this war end' even though it is
only six days old. Yes we hope every war ends, but Yemen's war is unprecedented
in length and brutality./FBpost by Waleed Ahmed.
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-54977
(* A P)
Film: Powerful footage of diplomats walking out of a UN Human
Rights Council session today as Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov speaks.
Symbolic gestures like this matter when you're fighting an information war.
https://twitter.com/malonebarry/status/1498638232308830212
Film: Correction: The above clip is of diplomats walking out
of Lavrov's address to the Conference on Disarmament. About an hour later,
diplomats ALSO walked out of his speech to the Human Rights Council. Here is
that footage.
https://twitter.com/malonebarry/status/1498649646238941186
A stark contrast to last October when Saudi Arabia lobbied the UN
Human Rights Council to abolish investigations of violations in the war in Yemen
and member states complied.
https://twitter.com/ionacraig/status/1498648832770551810
you know that the leaders of civilized nations with,
green, blue eyes are supporting the civilized #dictators with black, brown eyes
(#Saudi/#Emarite) to kill innocent people in #Yemen with #black, #blue, #green,
#hazel, #brown ?? ?? ?? eyes?!!!
https://twitter.com/KawkabAlwaday/status/1499006162116747267
#Europe, #Russia #NorthAmerica aren't for war.They are
civilized. For this reason, their leaders have supported warlords, dictators,
drugs dealers, terrorists and create a proxy wars and refugees in the third
world
https://twitter.com/KawkabAlwaday/status/1498802596940820487
(* A P)
The Arab and Middle Eastern Journalists Association just issued a
statement regarding the racist coverage of Ukraine that saw dehumanizing,
superior, and insulting comparisons to the Middle East.
“On Feb. 26, during a CBS News segment, correspondent Charlie
D’Agata commented: “But this isn't a place, with all due respect, like Iraq or
Afghanistan, that has seen conflict raging for decades. This is a relatively
civilized, relatively European — I have to choose
those words carefully, too — city, one where you wouldn’t expect that, or hope
that it’s going to happen.”
Daniel Hannan, of The Telegraph wrote: “They seem so like us. That
is what makes it so shocking. War is no longer something visited upon
impoverished and remote populations. It can happen to anyone.”
Al Jazeera English anchor Peter Dobbie said: “What's compelling is,
just looking at them, the way they are dressed, these are prosperous…I’m loath
to use the expression… middle class people. These are not obviously refugees
looking to get away from areas in the Middle East that are still in a big state
of war. These are not people trying to get away from areas in North Africa.
They look like any European family that you would live next door to.”
“We’re not talking here about Syrians fleeing the bombing of the
Syrian regime backed by Putin, we’re talking about Europeans leaving in cars
that look like ours to save their lives.” Philippe Corbé, BFM TV, reported.
AMEJA condemns and categorically rejects orientalist and racist
implications that any population or country is “uncivilized” or bears economic
factors that make it worthy of conflict. This type of commentary reflects the
pervasive mentality in Western journalism of normalizing tragedy in parts of
the world such as the Middle East, Africa, South Asia, and Latin America. It
dehumanizes and renders their experience with war as somehow normal and
expected.
Newsrooms must not make comparisons that weigh the significance or
imply justification of one conflict over another — civilian casualties and
displacement in other countries are equally as abhorrent as they are in
Ukraine. AMEJA stands in full solidarity with all civilians under military
assault in any part of the world, and we deplore the difference in news
coverage of people in one country versus another.”
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56f442fc5f43a6ecc531a9f5/t/621bd07b3dbc3174ca6a24ee/1645990011746/AMEJA+Statement+in+response+to+Ukraine+Coverage-2.pdf = https://twitter.com/Lau_Bast/status/1498035912013406217
and Western media statements in original: https://twitter.com/AlanRMacLeod/status/1497979340381990912 (thread)
Comment: The #Ukraine crisis will be solved, but the ugly face
of #racism that has shown in the
international #Media will remain.
https://twitter.com/KawkabAlwaday/status/1498258768295268361
Film: Ukraine Has Exposed Western Hypocrisy and Racism
https://twitter.com/richimedhurst/status/1499124877521043462
and another example of Western bias: Child soldiers are a bad thing
all over the “Third world”, fighting Russia, that’s ok:
(A K P)
PHOTOS: Children learn how to use an AK-47 assault rifle during a civilians self-defence course in the outskirts of Lviv,
western Ukraine, on March 4, 2022. #MonitorUpdates
https://twitter.com/DailyMonitor/status/1499753678730895360
#childhood in #conflict zones. #Yemen
https://twitter.com/KawkabAlwaday/status/1499910563668844547
(* B P)
The people of Ukraine need our solidarity. But not just
because they’re ‘like us’
The outpouring of sympathy and help for Ukrainian refugees
has prompted debate about European attitudes to identity and ethnicity
The invasion is brutal and unacceptable, an assault on
democracy and sovereignty. We should oppose it just as we should oppose the
Saudi assault on Yemen. We should support the people of Ukraine just as we
should the people of Syria.
Not so, says the Telegraph’s Tim Stanley. On BBC Radio
4’s Thought for the Day slot, he insisted that
Ukraine moves us more than Syria or Yemen because it is “a European country”
and “the young men volunteering or being conscripted could be our sons or
fathers”. Apparently, it’s so much more difficult to imagine what a father or
son must feel facing the prospect of war in Yemen or Iraq.
For the Tory lord and former MEP Daniel Hannan the
Ukraine conflict is
shocking because “they seem so like us”, living in “a European
country” where “people watch Netflix and have Instagram accounts”.
“Civilisation itself is under attack in Ukraine,” he concluded. Unlike in the
destruction of Syria or Afghanistan.
Many others on both sides of the Atlantic have
proffered similar views.
What is expressed here is not simply the shock of witnessing a brutal conflict
in a relatively peaceful and prosperous continent like Europe (though it’s
barely 30 years since the Balkans were ripped apart by an even more vicious
conflict). It is, rather, the belief that our capacity to empathise with
people’s hopes, fears and suffering is defined by whether they are “like us”.
It’s an argument that circumscribes solidarity along lines of identity. One of
the ironies of much rightwing criticism of identity politics is the
obliviousness to their own wallowing in the swamp of identity.
There is an irony, too, in that the place of eastern
Europeans and of Russians in the western imagination has always been ambiguous.
Today, Europeans might embrace Ukrainians as “one of us”. It has not always
been so. There is a long history of bigotry towards Slavs, of viewing them as
primitive and “Asiatic”.
The boundaries of those who are “like us”, of those who are
European, of even those who are considered “white”, are not fixed but shift
according to political and social need. And those ever-changing boundaries are
defined as much by those deemed to be not like us as by those whom we
acknowledge are.
This is most noticeable in discussions about refugees.
In 1857, an editorial in the People’s
Paper acknowledged that “we have avowedly shown ourselves on the Indian
side” because support for “democracy must be consistent”. Anyone who says: “‘I
am for Hungary, and against India’”, it observed, “ lies
against himself, against principle, against truth, against honour.” Ernest
Jones and the People’s Paper understood that solidarity means little
if it is constrained by race and identity. There are many today who still need
to learn that lesson – by Nesrine Malik
and
(* B P)
All wars horrify us, but it seems not equally so
As Nesrine Malik notes, there are wars elsewhere than in
Ukraine. An elderly Christian lady I met recently said with some bitterness
that she would not be responding to the various calls for prayers for Ukraine.
Why? Despite years of conflict and thousands of deaths in her country, she has
never heard British church leaders pray for peace there. She is a Nigerian
refugee and had clearly got the message – if it is only black people massacring
each other a safe distance away, let them get on with it.
Rev
Richard Bradshaw
Nesrine Malik’s article on an accepted view in the “west”
that wars only happen to poor and uncivilised people partly explains why there
is such a lack of coverage of the war in Yemen, which the UK government
is supporting in
supplying arms to Saudi Arabia. Where is the outrage at the humanitarian
catastrophe that is happening there?
Recent sanctions imposed by the US are going to further
cripple efforts to deliver humanitarian aid to areas of Yemen under the
Houthis’ control. The Yemeni people are dying without shelter and food.
Rae
Street
As Nesrine Malik notes, there are wars elsewhere than in
Ukraine. An elderly Christian lady I met recently said with some bitterness
that she would not be responding to the various calls for prayers for Ukraine.
Why? Despite years of conflict and thousands of deaths in her country, she has
never heard British church leaders pray for peace there. She is a Nigerian
refugee and had clearly got the message – if it is only black people massacring
each other a safe distance away, let them get on with it.
Rev
Richard Bradshaw
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/04/all-wars-horrify-us-but-it-seems-not-equally-so
(* B P)
THE WORLD TURNED ITS BACK ON YEMEN… AGAIN
The most important goal for the UN should be to peacefully
resolve the wars in Ukraine and Yemen.
The world justly condemned Russia for its
immoral and indeed illegal war in Ukraine but wrongly sent another
endorsement to Saudi Arabia and the UAE for their equally
immoral and illegal war in Yemen. The results of the Feb. 28, 2022 UN Security Council vote to extend the arms embargo
against the Houthis and redesignate them a terrorist group will only serve to
further complicated the peace process in Yemen.
These votes highlight the international community’s double
standard. It has condemned the despicable actions of an authoritarian madman in
Europe while endorsing the violent behavior of an oppressive monarchy in the
Middle East. And Washington is a chief offender.
Why has the world decided that Ukrainian lives are worth
standing up for but feel differently about Yemeni lives? Would Yemen matter
more if it were more prosperous? Would the UN condemn all parties involved if
their country were in Europe? Various op-eds have pointed out the racial component of
these different
responses. The international community’s — and the US’ — focus on
Ukraine is admirable, but its neglect of Yemen is deplorable.
Finally, the US should condemn the UAE and its partners for
waging war against its much poorer neighbor and the resulting humanitarian
crisis, and in the same way that the US has condemned Russia’s invasion of
Ukraine. Ukraine may not be as poor as Yemen, but it is still a smaller country
being invaded by its much-larger neighbor, a scenario familiar to those who
have been following the war in Yemen since it began in 2014, almost eight years
ago.
ALL WARS NEED TO BE RESOLVED
Yemen can’t wait. But ending the violence and establishing a
peace agreement will require a US-led effort to stop underwriting the coalition’s
war efforts and promising to hold both sides accountable for the atrocities
they have committed.
The most important goal for the UN should be to peacefully
resolve the wars in Ukraine and Yemen. The international community
has made positive steps in that direction with regards to Ukraine. Yet it
continues to stymie bringing peace to Yemen after seven years.
There is a double standard when it comes to war and human
rights. The world should condemn those who perpetrate illegal wars everywhere.
Instead, it has turned its back on Yemen, again.
https://inkstickmedia.com/the-world-turned-its-back-on-yemen-again/
(* B P)
Deafening silence for Yemen, loud outcry for Ukraine
As the Yemen war is raging unabatedly, the international
community maintains its deafening silence on the atrocities led by the Saudis
in Yemen.
As the global community turns to pay attention to the “blue
eyes and blonde hairs” that are under the Russian attack in Ukraine, the
European powers are leaving both Yemen and Ukraine stranded. However, there is
a big difference. The Yemenis have been stranded for more than seven years,
while the Ukrainians have been stranded for 14 days.
The U.S. has not yet ceased arms transfers, funds, and
logistical and intelligence support for the Saudi-led coalition against Yemen.
So far Biden has been unable to define clearly what he considers as “offensive
operations,” which he vowed to end.
War is horrible, frightening, and difficult, but what makes
it more horrible is that the international community is looking at these two
wars through double standards.
“Unfortunately, Europeans and Americans are viewing the
Ukrainian situation more favorably for aid and assistance than Yemen or
Afghanistan. Some claim that this is due to the inherent racist or Islamophobic
tendencies in Europe and the United States. There is no question that Ukraine
is seen as White and Christian (President Zelensky is, however, the only
international Jewish head of state outside of Israel). And that seems to be a
factor in driving aid to Ukraine as opposed to other countries where help is
needed,” William O. Beeman, an American academic told the Tehran Times.
Many of the Western mainstream media outlets have stationed
reporters in Kyiv, yet, how many CNN reporters are
there in Ma’arib?
The deafening silence of the UN secretary-general about the
Yemen crisis is outrageous.
"The United Kingdom stands with the people of Ukraine
in the face of Russia's outrageous onslaught on freedom and democracy,"
said Richard Oppenheim, the British ambassador to Yemen.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine is rightly condemned by the British
ambassador in Yemen. However, it should not be forgotten that Britain is a key
component of Saudi Arabia's horrific killing machine in Yemen.
Even for those used to the legendary deceit of the British
diplomatic service, the hypocrisy is obscene. Oppenheim may hold the title of
the British ambassador to Yemen, but he is not actually in Yemen.
He is headquartered in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and his primary
responsibility is to regurgitate Saudi talking points.
https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/470892/Deafening-silence-for-Yemen-loud-outcry-for-Ukraine
and
(* B P)
In Hypocritical Eyes, Differences Between Aggression and
Self-defense in Yemen vs. Ukraine
The Russian military operation in Ukraine formed an event
that the world has stopped to watch carefully. It was covered by the media and
public concerns in the world, including Yemen, although under war and blockade.
We can not analyze this switch from its extensive
dimensions, but we will try to describe it from a Yemeni perspective, study
differences and similarities between the Yemeni and Ukrainian cases, and view different views from the burning crisis in
Ukraine.
It is noted that Sana'a is monitoring the Ukrainian crisis
with severe caution, although some of the officials first welcomed Moscow's
announcement declaring the independence of Donetsk and Lugansk.
Perhaps the “enemy of your friend is an enemy” was used,
meaning that Russia is a historic enemy of the US. As the US and the west have
damaged Yemen and Yemenis. Western countries were in the forefront of
supporting and pro-aggressive states in Yemen.
Some Yemeni analysts believe that Zelensky is like Abd Rabbo
Mansour Hadi, being a doll in the hands of foreigners, and he made a mistake
when he called for Ukraine to NATO (early 2021) and threatened Russia. However,
others see that the Russian military operation is not different from the
military operation that the US-Saudi launched on Yemen, and it is an aggression
against a sovereign state, with a view to dividing and restructuring the
political system.
Despite Sana’a’s is neutral but also will not be in aligned
to Zelensky government in the trench itself stands Washington and Tel Aviv.
Zelensky himself is Jew, and holds Israeli nationality, and has supported the
Israeli aggression on Gaza, Yemen and Iraq.
Here, we must note the core differences between the Yemeni
situation and the Ukrainian situation as follows:
Crisis in Yemen
In Yemen, there are artificial concerns and flimsy
justifications to launch aggression on Yemen, under the pretext of
"confrontation of Iranian influence" and "restoring the
Arabs" and "preservation of Arab national security" and other
slogans during the past years which are false. These countries of aggression
serve the interests of the US, Britain and the "Israeli enemy".
Zionist officials admitted the intersection of Israeli - Saudi - Emirati
intests in aggression on Yemen.
The goal that is not declared in the Yemen situation is the
control of the US-Saudi aggression on the political resolution, fuel, marine trade and strategic ports and to divide the Yemeni land.
The Russian position in Yemen was never in supporting the
Sana'a government. It has passed the UN resolution 2216, and has allowed the
printing of illegal currency, without cover. It called for the political
situation and ending the siege to address the humanitarian issue, but this is
insufficient.
Crisis in Ukraine
In the Ukrainian situation, there is a historical conflict
and Western attempts to join Ukraine to NATO, a serious Western and tangible
threat, while Moscow is concerned with the face of this danger.
Vladimir Zelensky, the President of Ukraine, is following
the restructuring of the ruling political system in Ukraine, in the sense that
he serves Western American interests, and does not represent the interests of
Ukraine and the Ukrainian people, as he could stay on neutrality, rather
calling the NATO to West Moscow.
The Russian-propelled goal is to prevent NATO stretching
(A K P)
Al-Ejri Mocks Western Double Standards in Dealing with
Ukraine and Yemen Crises
Member of the [Sanaa gov.] National Delegation Abdul-Malik
Al-Ejri mocked Western duplicity in dealing with the crises of Ukraine and
Yemen, as Western demands to open safe ports for the passage of civilians in
Ukraine at a time when the Yemeni tragedy is being ignored and the US-Saudi
aggression has closed all safe ports for Yemenis.
"In Ukraine, they demand the opening
of more ports. More ports are usually opened in conditions of war, except in
Yemen," Al-Ejri wrote in his Twitter account on Sunday.
"The countries of aggression closed
the port of Hodeidah, the only outlet left for more than 25 million people, to
create a suffocating crisis in oil, food and medicine," he added.
As soon as the Secretary-General of the
United Nations, Antonio Guterres, launched an official appeal to fund the
United Nations humanitarian operations in Ukraine, aid poured in from all sides
towards Ukraine, even though the war had only passed for few days, and the
number of refugees did not reach a few thousand.
and also https://en.ypagency.net/255570/ = https://hodhodyemennews.net/en_US/2022/03/07/yemeni-diplomat-condemns-hypocritical-difference-between-western-approaches-to-yemen-and-ukraine/