Episode 14: Bipartisan War Crimes- A Discussion of American Complicity in Genocide in Yemen with Shireen Al- Adeimi

In the Context of Empire

Jon and Matt are joined by Dr. Shireen Al-Adeimi to discuss the genocidal war in Yemen, and the United States’ deep complicity in the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. Dr. Al-Adeimi is a Yemeni American who currently works as an assistant professor of education at Michigan State University. She also devotes much of her time to activism directed toward ending the conflict in Yemen. Her writing can be found at In These Times, and she has made appearances on Democracy Now.

Specifically discussed:

Origins of the conflict- How the United States became so involved in the affairs Yemen and the specific actions is the US guilty of in this war

Cost of the war: best estimates of death tolls from both US supported bombing and blockade

Why both Barack Obama and Trump should be prosecuted for war crimes

Suggestions for teaching about this disaster to young students

Suggestions for antiwar activism

Connections between domestic racism and US militarism abroad

Shireen’s Work: Please Support Her!

A breakdown of the history of the conflict

Elizabeth Warren’s disappointing response to the conflict

Shireen’s article critiquing Samantha Power

Joint article with Sarah Lazare about the connections between militarism abroad and racist policing at home

Shireen’s Twitter handle. Follow her!

Donate to:

Yemen Relief and Reconstruction Foundation

Other Sources Mentioned in this Episode:

From Wikileaks:The US and Saleh conspired to have Yemeni government claim credit/blame for American bombings in Yemen.

NYT- "Long Bloody and Indecisive”- The Obama admin knew this conflict would be a disaster yet still committed to it

Obama admin knew they could be implicated in war crimes yet continued war for nearly 2 years

UN estimated that death toll with reach 233,000 by 2020, ACLED acknowledges 112000 deaths

UN had estimated that 10,000 Yemenis had been killed by April 2016. Obama continued the war anyway

The companies that profit from genocide

From the BBC: United States has been on the same side as Al Qaeda in this conflict and this has been known since 2016

Our Work:

Read our "In the Context of Empire" blog with corresponding and expanded posts to this content!

Social Media: Twitter- @Mattylongruns.