World Politics News   Articles for World Politics Course

The US is sending a three-star general to investigate the horrific bombing of a school bus in Yemen which led to the deaths of 40 children and 11 adults.  The UN is also launching an investigation.  The investigations come because the Saudi Arabian defenses for the attack seem hardly compelling in light of what was clearly a war crime.  The Saudis claim that they were targeting leaders of the Houthi rebels and that the attack was “legitimate.”  The US has taken a “Pontius Pilate” position on the tragedy, insisting that it was not responsible, despite providing the armaments, intelligence, and refueling of the jets that conducted the attacks.  ABC News quotes US Defense Secretary Mattis on the strike:

“On Sunday, Mattis told reporters that the U.S. is ‘not engaged in the civil war,’ emphasizing that the U.S. military does not do any dynamic targeting for the coalition.

“‘We will help to prevent the killing of innocent people, we’re very concerned about the humanitarian situation,’ Mattis said, adding, ‘Wars are always tragic, but we’ve got to find a way to protect innocent in the midst of this one.’

“Col. Turki al-Malki, a spokesman for the coalition in Yemen, said last week that the coalition had launched an operation in Saada in response to Houthi fighters firing a missile on the Saudi city of Jizan on Wednesday evening.

The US position of denying its responsibility in this horror is indefensible and morally reprehensible.

The Taliban have launched a major attack on the Afghan city of Ghazni, leading to significant losses of life in the Afghan military and constabulary as well as within the insurgent ranks.  The war in Afghanistan does not figure prominently in the American  consciousness despite its distinction of being the longest war in US history.  US troops have been sent in to reinforce the Afghan troops and the city appears to still be under government control.  The fighting occurred despite the truce that was declared at the end of June.  The battle suggests that the Taliban are far from defeated.