For 21 months, a coalition of nations led by Saudi Arabia has been relentlessly bombing Yemen, using U.S.- and U.K.-produced weapons and intelligence in a war that has devastated Yemen and killed well over 10,000 civilians.
There is abundant evidence that the high civilian death toll in Yemen is the result of deliberate — not accidental — strikes by Saudi Arabia. During its air campaign, Saudi Arabia has bombed endless civilian targets — including homes, farms, markets, factories, water infrastructure, hospitals, and children’s schools — and has even gone so far as to use internationally banned cluster weapons, which are designed to inflict damage over a wide area and often remain lethal years after being dropped.
But when secretary of state nominee and former Exxon CEO Rex Tillerson was asked about Saudi Arabia’s use of cluster weapons during his confirmation hearing Wednesday, he declined to answer, and suggested that the way to discourage Saudi Arabia from hitting civilians in Yemen is to provide them with additional targeting intelligence.
Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., asked Tillerson during his confirmation hearing: “Saudi Arabia has been utilizing cluster munitions in Yemen. Much of the world has said these are terrible weapons to use, because they have a range of fuses and they can often go off months or years after they’ve been laid down. These are the cluster bombs, you’re familiar with them. They’ve also been targeting civilians. How should the U.S. respond to those actions?”
Tillerson replied: “Well I would hope that we could work with Saudi Arabia perhaps by providing them better targeting intelligence, better targeting capability to avoid mistakenly identifying targets where civilians are hit, impacted, so that’s an area where I would hope that cooperation with them could minimize this type of collateral damage.”
“How about with regard to the use of cluster munitions?” the senator asked.
“Well I’d have to examine what our past policy has been. I don’t want to get out ahead, if we’ve made commitments in this area, I don’t want to get out ahead of anyone on that,” Tillerson concluded.
Merkely clearly saw Tillerson’s response as an example of how the U.S. gives Saudi Arabia a pass due to its oil reserves. “We’ve often been reluctant to put as much pressure on states that we are dependent upon for oil, than in situations with states where we’re not dependent on oil,” he noted.
But Tillerson’s response went beyond deferring to the Saudis — it showed either a callous disregard for civilian lives lost or striking ignorance about what is going on in the region. And the latter is less likely, considering that before becoming CEO, Tillerson oversaw Exxon’s operations in Yemen and negotiated extensively with the Yemeni government for natural gas concessions.
The United States already provides targeting intelligence — and that has not stopped Saudi Arabia from bombing civilian targets. In fact, there are indications that the Saudi Arabia may be using U.S. intelligence to intentionally target civilians. Obama administration officials told the New York Times in August that the U.S. provides Saudi Arabia with a “no-strike” list of critical infrastructure, and that Saudi Arabia has violated it. On August 14 for example, coalition warplanes destroyed a bridge to Sanaa, Yemen’s capital city, that U.S. officials had designated for them as “critical to responding to the humanitarian crisis in Yemen.”
The Obama administration has actually reduced intelligence sharing in response to Saudi Arabia’s apparent disregard for civilian life. In December, after publicly rebuking Saudi Arabia for bombing a funeral home, the Obama administration cut back its targeting support the Saudi coalition and stopped a shipment of guidance systems that convert bombs into precision-guided munitions.
The move was a tacit acknowledgment that Saudi Arabia is not killing civilians by mistake, but intentionally targeting them with U.S. technology and intelligence. Obama administration officials even anonymously told Reuters that their decision was motivated by “systemic, endemic” problems with Saudi Arabia’s targeting decisions.
The Obama administration also put a hold on a transfer of CBU-105 cluster bombs to Saudi Arabia in May, but has been reluctant to condemn their use publicly. In June, Pentagon opposed a Congressional measure that would have stopped the transfer of cluster bombs to Saudi Arabia.
“Instead of ‘providing them with better intelligence,’ Rex Tillerson should call for a cut-off of all U.S. arms and military support to Saudi Arabia,” said Sunjeev Bery, the Middle East Advocacy Director for Amnesty International USA, in an email to The Intercept. “The Saudi Arabia-led military coalition has been merciless in its bombardment of civilian communities across Yemen. In its war against the Houthis, Saudi Arabia and its allies have shown utter disregard for civilian life, killing and injuring thousands — and displacing millions.”
In August, Textron Industries — the last producer of cluster weapons in the U.S. — announced that it would phase out the production of CBU-105 bombs. Textron explained the move in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, saying that sales of the weapon relied on “both executive branch and congressional approval,” and that “the current political environment has made it difficult to obtain these approvals.”
“Last year, U.S. cluster bomb manufacturer Textron announced that it was getting out of the business,” said Bery. “It is time for the U.S. government to do the same. The U.S. should sign the international treaty banning cluster bombs and join the 100 nations that have already ratified the treaty.”
Saudi Arabia began bombing Yemen in March 2015, months after Houthi rebels overran the capital city Sana’a and deposed the Saudi-backed leader, Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi. The U.S. has been a background partner in the war since the beginning, by supplying the bombing coalition targeting intelligence and tens of billions of dollars worth of weapons, and flying refueling missions for Saudi aircraft.
Throughout his administration, Obama has sold $115 billion in weapons to the Saudis, more than any other president.
Top photo: A Yemeni woman inspects the damage at a factory allegedly targeted by Saudi-led airstrikes in the Yemeni capital Sanaa on Sept. 15, 2016.
Massive respect for authors of this article and this site. Please do not use terms such as ” endless” as this is inaccurate. There will be an end we just do not know when. I’m sure you had to rush this out and I mean no personal criticism. You do so much more than I am capable of. I have the same reaction when I hear the word ” countless. ”
Thank you.
Tillerson supporting the Saudi dogs is unsurprising but still enraging, however the needless insulting of Cluster Bombs is too much.
Unless a cluster bomb is severely defective it goes off right away. Heck they even have versions where each of the little bombs is semi-guided now. The US uses them quite often, unlike mines they are NOT built to act as delayed blast weapons.
This is why our establishment has no credibility with Americans in general and the world for they accuse their adversaries (like Russia) of the very things they actively engage in. I laugh when I hear idiots (albeit dangerous idiots) like John McCain talk about human rights etc when he and the deep state are the biggest human rights abusers on the planet.
All the “civilized” or caring countries in the UN have joined to condemn and NOT use or sell cluster bombs to anyone because of their damage to civilians (often children and women in farmland) and their longlasting effects left after the conflicts end.
Sadly, the USA, plus Russia,China and of course Israel, do not follow this humane policy.
Rex Tillerson follows a simple rule – Your verbosity must not exceed your knowledge.
At risk to my own humility I can say with confidence that other than this Sufi chap and myself I haven’t seen anyone here who follows this rule. Glenn Greenwald come the closest but not quite.
I wonder how killing Yemenis would do anything good to Saudi Arabia? The number of Yemenis who live in Saudi Arabia is very large. They are teachers, workers, and friends. SA knows how killing civilians in Yemen will reflect in its society! it might result in starting an inside war by those Yemenis. Therefor, Saudi Arabia will ever risk its national security by bombing randomly on Yemen’s soil unless it’s targeting its enemy.
That is exactly what the military would say….remember the one about’ in order to save the village, we had to completely destroy it’. This promises for an exciting 2017.
Why are we making and selling cluster bombs? Why are we dealing with insane maniacs? Why don’t we drill our own oil?
We made them because they’re quite effective at covering larger target areas than single big bombs. They’re even working on guided submunition variants probably to replace this 105.
It has now become obvious to me how where and when Donald Trump came Donald Trump is not compromise by the Russians he has been compromised By former generals and former military members he has been recruited and conditions to do their bidding Donald Trump is a puppet to the military industrial complex all of his nominees are saying the exact opposite of what he is saying the former military members are what’s keeping Donald Trump safe from the CIA so he has to dance to their tune or he’s a dead man they used his national love for this country to hit him with the old okey-doke good cop bad cop former military against the CIA but they are all dinosaur old warmongers sorry folks we will see World War 3 even under Trump it’s a sad day in America
Rex Tillerson is typical of those elites who have run the US for endless decades. Everyone has suffered under their rule. People in foreign nations, especially those not “allied” with the US have suffered the most. But US citizens have suffered and continue to suffer under their rule as well under both their economic policies and their laws. Their interests have always been placed above the common good of the average citizen. The policies established by these men and women who have high places in the Democratic and Republican parties, have created new enemies who threaten the welfare of every American in terms of safety and security. These have also endlessly profited by starting and maintaining wars labeled as “vital to US interests.” These wars have created new animosities that threaten the lives of every American citizen. Now, as they continue to pillage third world countries on behalf of dubious allies it is time to openly decry their actions!
“In its war against the Houthis, Saudi Arabia and its allies have shown utter disregard for civilian life, killing and injuring thousands — and displacing millions.”
Just as the USA did to Iraq. The Saudis are the honored partners of the US government, which also enjoys “decapitating” leaders.
Tillerson is on target with softening Yemen to move US and bases in, bc Yemen is so strategic that who is there controls the entire southern hemeisphere.
Please get the reality and quit californiadreamin!
September 07, 2016 September 11, 2001: The 15th Anniversary of the Crime and Cover-up of the Century “What Really Happened”?
WTC Building exploding into fine dust (it is not burning down) by pre-planted explosives in an obvious controlled demolition. The arrow points to a “squib” of exploding gas which is commonly seen with controlled demolitions. Some of the “splinters” seen (the only solid objects that did not pulverize into dust) are actually chunks of steel beams that were being exploded upward and laterally. The nicely-sectioned steel beams and girders were soon ordered by New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani to be trucked away and shipped to China – an order that constitutes disturbing a crime scene – which is a federal crime.
http://www.globalresearch.ca/september-11-2001-the-15th-anniversary-of-the-crime-and-cover-up-of-the-century/5544414
December 21, 2016 New Report Suggests Yemen On verge Of ‘Absolute Collapse’
Save the Children warned that an estimated 1,000 children currently die every week from treatable diseases.
https://www.mintpressnews.com/new-report-suggests-yemen-on-verge-of-absolute-collapse/223362/
This is really great news. Where would the US be without a war economy? In the gutter. Trump has the best idea however, nukes for everyone. I am getting a little weary of all these broken armageddon promises and disappointments. The last big war was 75 years ago and these little skirmishes in between arent cutting it. A huge war would be a real plus for the planet by bringing down real estate prices everywhere and littering the world with investor fixer uppers. Or be one hellofa slumlord. What could be better than that?
Conflict of interest solved.
True, Umerica’s Military Industrial Complex is the fourth largest economy on the planet, without perpetual war the empire dies. It consumes so much energy it would be ranked eighth as a consumer if it was an individual country.
You forgot to mention Tillerson is a Russian agent…….continuing the Obama policy of arming Saudi-Arabia. That is proof Obama is also a Russian agent because in Moscow they keep on drinking Champagne these days.
It’s true that Saudi Arabia has obtained cluster bombs from the UK and US, but Saudi Arabia wasn’t part of the treaty, so using cluster bombs is not a violation. Saudi authorities denied using cluster bombs on civilians and clarified that it has to use it in order to protect Saudi’s borders from militias. I believe SA has the full right to defend its national security at any cost.
“At any cost” sounds about right, especially if that cost is paid by Yemeni children who, not being of the right tribe, should probably die anyway.
Eight years of war under Obama! Is this a continuation of his policies?
It doesn’t matter who you vote for or who gets in – the policy does not change!
First, Tillerson needs to know why Obama and Kerry and DoD have been providing cluster bombs to the Saudi’s. They may have a good reason.
Why have Obama and Kerry been supplying bad intelligence causing the Saudi’s to target civilians?
Before Tillerson could answer any of these questions, he should certainly talk with Obama and Kerry. Obama has been travelling a lot lately so probably he’s not available to consult with right now.
A president will take a look at the plate presented in front of him and excuse himself not only from the chair n table but the entire house never to return.
This is what draining the Washington swamp look like:
Replacing deceitful corrupt criminal warmongers
by
Self-assured proud criminal warmongers.
(oh .. and by the way, this is in a country that is supposedly the most ardent defender of Democracy!)
Sadly, this article and the comments below tell us too little that is unexpected. New? Yes. Expected? Sadly, yes. Oil people are big on letting the oil flow. Politicians are all too willing to make partisan points. (I don’t think Victoria Nuland would be questioned over this.)
I was hoping Tillerson would at least end the new Cold War, but it looks like he’ll keep it, at least based on his comments.
I wonder why we don’t try and get closer to Iran? They are FAR more Democratic than the Saudis, and far more nicer. (Saudis kill gays, Iranians force them to get sex changes. Iran oppresses Bahai’is, while the Saudis oppress most anyone not Wahabi. Iran preserves historic sites, Saudis often destroy them. Most notably, Iran’s Supreme Leader denounced nuclear weapons. Saudi Arabia has a “cash-and-carry” policy to get Pakistani nukes.) Apparently it would take a LOT to pry the dead hands of FDR of the wheel of the ship of state.
Actually I’d disregard anything Trump appointees say to Congress as nothing but canned statements intended to ease the approval process, which have nothing at all to do with actual policies once in office.
See this report on Iran from Bloomberg as a better indicator of what the Iran policy will be:
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-01-14/exxon-must-wait-for-iran-oil-as-european-rivals-poised-to-pounce
My take is that the Trump opposition to the Iran nuclear deal is because it didn’t give priority access to American oil companies in exchange for lifting of some sanctions. What Tillerson means by “a full review of the Iran deal” is probably just that.
So here again we see the Clinton-McCain neocon axis on one side, wanting to up tensions with Iran, while what you might call the oil industry pragmatists in the Trump camp want the opposite situation, stable relations that give them business opportunities. How will it all turn out? Who knows.
Thoughtful response….One hopes that these are just boilerplate answers to get past the warmongering, Russia hating Congress and media, if not we are screwed again.
“I wonder why we don’t try and get closer to Iran? They are FAR more Democratic than the Saudis …”
Because the U.S. doesn’t give a damn about Democracy or suppression; it cares about oil, other resources, and geopolitics. If anything, the U.S. opposes Democracy and supports oppression, as evidenced by the democratically elected leaders the U.S. has overthrown and the oppression it fully supports. This would be totally obvious to a ten-year-old if Americans weren’t so thoroughly brainwashed.
100% correct
It’s good for Mr. Tillerson to say that. For those who talk about people who have been killed or buildings damaged, Russia and Iran
did the worst in Syria. Why Saudi?
I think because the US doesn’t sell nearly as much weaponry to Russia or Iran as Saudi Arabia?
Well, not for lack of trying, of course.
That’s good policy, Saudi Arabia is eliminating terrorists and Iran’s militants from Yemen. USA should stand by Saudi Arabia and join the coalition
Ah, the biggest terrorist group in Yemen is Al Qaeda and Saudi Arabia makes a point of not bombing them, just as Saudi Arabia supports ISIS and Al Qaeda in Iraq and Syria.
It’s clear now how Saudi Arabia is targeted by ISIS. We can see that in the last incident of the two ISIS who tried to bomb a mosque, but luckily a Saudi citizen saw them and immediately report them to the authorities. Isn’t that a solid proof how Saudi Arabia is just another victim of terrorists?
Well, perhaps the Saudis are starting to regret their once-ardent support for ISIS, just as the U.S. Congress slashed the CIA training program in Jordan that was shipping arms and fighters to ISIS. But the fact that they were both main players in the rise of ISIS, that cannot be denied – and even after ISIS went all rogue on them, they kept supporting the Al Nusra (new name for Al Qaeda) groups in Syria. As far as Saudi role in Yemen with Al Qaeda?
http://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/yemen-aqap/
“How Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen has made al Qaeda stronger – and richer”
Not a simple situation, now, is it? But anyone who claims the CIA and Saudis weren’t supporting ISIS and Al Qaeda back in 2012-2014 is lying.
What do you mean Saudi Arabia is not bombing AlQaeda? Don’t you realize the threat Saudi Arabia is facing now? One thing I am sure of which is how much Saudi Arabia is so determined to eliminate AlQaeda elements from Yemen. Actually, Saudi-led coalition killed more than 800 AlQaeda elements and you can find that in the news.
May the “Angel of Death” visit your home and rid us of you and your “animalistic” thoughts!
I bet you have a picture of a “fake jesus” on your wall along with your “fake gold crucifix” around your “fake religious” neck that you are a True follower of Christ!
You are a demon…
The use of cluster bombs is a despicable moral failing, to say nothing of the rest of the world that has banned its use. The US continues to show us as an ‘exceptional nation’, able to pull out of international treaties to cover its ass in unprovoked wars. We take exception to international norms, such as torture, black sites, rendition, war crimes, preemptive “self-defense,” Kyoto, illegal and massive spying without a warrant, etc.; that’s what makes us exceptional.
.
The use of these and most munitions on a country as poor, desperate, and desolate as Yemen is the behavior of felony stupidity and an ignoble bully. Bombing Yemen out of existence is a way to spend money on nation building, isn’t it?
Clearly, Mr Tillerson is unclear of the upcoming administration’s policies on…anything.
additional targeting intelligence? Humans are the scourge of the planet. Would it not be simpler if every newborn were injected with a circuit breaker to a shut-off valve with it’s own IPv6 connection in true IOT fashion? Why try to make robots more human when it’s simpler and cheaper to make humans more like robots?
But-but big Daddy Trump isn’t pro war like Hillary, this is why America is already dead, cancerous right wing nutjobs rending the nation impotent in all respects. Congress and the senate are dominated by these low IQ corporate lobbyist ball gaggers aka cuckservatives, watch them squirm denying Tillerson’s continued oil wars and Trumps regressive cabinet these next 4 years. No, leftists are watching carefully just as neoliberal Obama was, you tribal idiots are done.
Unacceptable! Why not just return Killary to Dept of State!
I think the difference there is that Clinton is dedicated to the neocon regime-change destabilization game in alliance with the Sunni dictatorships and Israeli right-wing Zionists, whereas the Trump crew wants a stable Middle East because it’s better for their business interests.
I’ll just keep plugging Steve Coll’s book; seriously if Tillerson is picked it’s a must-read. The chapter on the “Haifa Pipeline” in particular shows the difference between the neocon/Israeli crowd and the international oil crowd. It’s all about the struggle for Iraqi oil control in the post-invasion period:
That was a typical idiotic neocon move, causing great anger and mistrust among Iraqi oil officials. In contrast, on Exxon’s side:
Clinton would have been far worse than Trump on foreign policy, she’d probably have picked radical neocon activist Victoria Nuland as Secretary of State, I’d guess. And of course that whole “pro-democracy” line that Clinton and Bush promoted was grossly hypocritical, in that they’d never push for that in Bahrain or Qatar or Saudi Arabia, nor in Israel’s West Bank and Gaza.
The US is aiding and abetting Saudi Arabia’s genocidal war on the Yemeni people. The US should be arming the Yemeni people against Saudi Arabia.
The US, as usual, supports another oppressor and mass murderer.
Steve Coll’s “The Private Empire of ExxonMobil” is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand Rex Tillerson and how he’d behave as Secretary of State. As far as the Middle East states:
Qatar: “In 2000, ExxonMobil committed to multibillion-dollar investments to develop huge new LNG gas trains from the North field as an exclusive 25 percent partner with Qatar Petroleum. . . Only ExxonMobil, Raymond boasted to Wall Street analysts, had figured out how to unlock the value of Qatar’s bounty.”
Saudi Arabia: “Exxonmobil already operated large, profitable refining and chemical plants in the kingdom that it had agreed years earlier to construct and operate in exchange for preferential access to Saudi crude. . . After September 11, there seemed to be a widening gap between how the Saudis analyzed the region’s challenges – they placed a strong emphasis on the sectarian issue and Iran – and the way the Bush administration saw them, intently focused as it was on Al Qaeda and global terrorism. As Raymond and his colleagues negotiated for access to Saudi Arabian gas reserves, ExxonMobil found itself straddling the chasm that opened between Washington and the Saudi regime.”
Iraq: “The question was whether ExxonMobil could develop contract terms that would allow it to book Iraqi oil as proved reserves without forcing Iraq’s government to accept production sharing or other contract forms typically rejected in the Arab world on nationalistic grounds. . . An initial agreement between ExxonMobil and Iraq stalled . . . The Obama administration’s lobbying helped; the deal went through (2009) . . . Eighteen months later Exxonmobil . . . was loading Iraqi crude into supertankers in the Persian Gulf that could hold 2 million barrels at a time.”
Basically, ExxonMobil’s agenda is to book oil reserves; that promotes the value of its stock and reassures investors that they’ll continue to get their large dividends. Recently (Oct 2016) ExxonMobil had to cut its booked reserves by 20% (related to Canadian tar sand operations, which are not viable with low oil prices). There’s also the issue of Kurdish oil, from Reuters, April 2016:
And see this:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/01/09/exxonmobil-and-iran-did-business-under-secretary-state-nominee-tillerson/96359776/
All this is somewhat encouraging in that Exxonmobil probably prefers a stable Middle East to an unstable Middle East, so destabilizing reckless regime change is not on the agenda – but clearly, neither is the promotion of democracy and human rights in places like Saudi Arabia (not that Obama wanted that either).
The fundamental point here is this: anyone who thinks that Rex Tillerson, after some 40+ years of service to ExxonMobil, is going to pursue any policy that hurts ExxonMobil’s bottom line, is out of their mind.
I know mentioning Tillerson’s relationship to Putin and Russia will get me branded a McCartyite but I thought since you were including Tillerson’s relationship with other regimes it was also important to include this:
“It’s hard to imagine Tillerson publicly chiding Putin today because he is now so very dependent on that friendship. In 2011, he negotiated a multibillion-dollar deal between Exxon Mobil and Rosneft, the Russian state oil giant cobbled out of Khodorkovsky’s seized empire and run by Putin’s former KGB buddy, Igor Sechin. The deal would have allowed Exxon access to the Russian Arctic shelf—which, according to U.S. government estimates, is thought to contain some 22 percent of the world’s undiscovered oil and gas deposits—in exchange for helping Rosneft, which didn’t have the technological capabilities, drill for the stuff.
In 2014, Russia invaded Ukraine, seized the Crimean peninsula and started an insurgency in Eastern Ukraine, triggering a wave of American and European sanctions. But that summer, Tillerson thought it best to stay away from the St. Petersburg Economic Forum and instead sent his deputy, who, acting on behalf of Exxon Mobil, signed another energy deal with Rosneft and Sechin, who had ended up under sanctions. The deal would expand Exxon-Rosneft offshore drilling in the Arctic Ocean, explore for shale oil in Siberia, and cooperate on a liquefied natural gas plant in the Russian Far East. Other energy companies signed similar deals, and Total’s CEO told journalists at the Forum, “My message to Russia is simple—it is business as usual.” Even Dudley, who had fled Russia and “sustained harassment” six years prior, said, “We have a responsibility to stand with our partners in a difficult time.”
http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/12/rex-tillerson-exxon-putin-russia-ties-friend-214515
That’s also directly related to ExxonMobil’s reserve booking problem, again from Steve Coll’s Private Empire:
I think what we really see in the Ukraine and Crimea, though, is the agenda of the neocon types, like Victoria Nuland and Robert Kagan, who clearly were trying to install a government in the Ukraine that would be obedient to their agenda, either by manipulating the elections or when that failed, by instigating a coup. Key events during that coup (such as the Maiden sniper case) still remain unexplained and uninvestigated:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/05/ukraine-bugged-call-catherine-ashton-urmas-paet
Of course the only reason the Guardian reported on it was to attempt to dismiss it as a “conspiracy theory” and promote U.S. State Department talking points, but it seems obvious in retrospect that Victoria Nuland and the U.S. State Department had allied with the far-right neo-Nazi types in the Ukraine to overthrow the elected government. One telling fact was the immediate crackdown by the new regime on Russian-language speakers:
The U.S. State Department and CIA and USAID and private foundations all played roles in promoting the coup (look up [ “Internet in a Suitcase” Ukraine ] on Google for some examples) and the Russian-speaking regions (eastern Ukraine and Crimea) were facing violent threats from the neo-Nazi thugs, so Russia’s intervention in many ways was justifiable. And Crimea did hold a democratic referendum on the issue, with the majority of their people preferring the Russian alliance over the new Ukrainian government.
All in all, it was just another reckless regime change operation by the Clinton camp, as seen in Libya and Syria. Those regime change games are stupid, reckless and destablizing, and don’t create “a better world” – that’s one reason to be positive about Donald Trump’s foreign policy, he seems opposed to that approach.
But regardless, ExxonMobil would never allow that kind of conflict to get in the way of incredibly lucrative business deals that were critical for their booked reserve statements to the SEC, and hence, their share price. That would be like expecting ExxonMobil to cut ties with Saudi Arabia over their Yemen bombing – not likely, is it?
“That would be like expecting ExxonMobil to cut ties with Saudi Arabia over their Yemen bombing – not likely, is it?”
I don’t know how likely it is, but the Russia Saudi Arabia comparison is apt.
“Total’s CEO told journalists at the Forum, “My message to Russia is simple—it is business as usual.”
And in October of that same year, Christophe de Margerie, the chief executive of French oil company Total, dies in an air crash in Moscow. His corporate jet collided with a snow plough and was then engulfed in flames. All four people on board were killed. Mr de Margerie, 63, had been chief executive of Europe’s third largest oil company
An excellent, excellent book. If left a mark on me, but as it has been about four years since I read it, the details are fading, if not missing.
I had neighbors who came from Texas – who had family members whose aspiration was to work there. Understanding the “look” (branding) and the expected behavior that is more rigid and catholic (lowercase “c” – if I use that word correctly) than outsiders would imagine. She was intrigued by the book.
Their own army – or the ability to call on the US Military to help “suppress” the local dissidents speaks to ExxonMobil’s power. Knowingly giving money to corrupt autocrats to buy their cooperation on destroying the environment – and destroying people’s existence, who do nothing to help their own people, doesn’t get much worse in the extraction business, or does it?
And of course, when these dictators come to the US to spend their oil money on lavish accoutrements on Fifth Avenue or Rodeo Drive, and they buy property. There are US banks to accommodate their transactions and somebody (perhaps Mr Agent Orange) ready to take his – and it’s likely a man – money. Sometimes they are caught – but I don’t think the punishment ever fits the vast criminality.
Wow!
Honest question. Has that Merkley guy ever cared about these issues before?
Short answer: Yes. These and related issues are a central focus for Merkley.
Long answer: No. Chris Murphy (D-CT), Rand Paul (R-KY), Al Franken (D-MN), and Mike Lee (R-UT) tried to block the sale of $1.15 billion in military equipment to Saudi Arabia this year, but Merkley opposed them:
They were blocked in the Senate on a 71 to 27 vote. 23 Democrats and 4 Republicans voted to block the arms sale; Merkley was on the side voting for approval of the Saudi arms deal:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/9/21/1572772/-Senate-Shoots-Down-Murphy-Paul-Resolution-to-Block-Saudi-Arms-Deal-71-27-Dems-Split-Almost-Evenly
Hence, this new concern over Yemen by Merkley really does look like partisan political grandstanding; why didn’t he oppose the previous arms sale, when Obama was overseeing it?
Incidentally, all I had to do to discover this was Google [ Jeff Merkley Yemen ]; the DailyKos report was in the top 10 hits. Basic due diligence; the journalists writing this article should have done this as well. And maybe commentators too?
Maybe it would help if you read the question and answer more carefully; and considered a broader interpretation of “these issues” than you appear to; and expanded your narrow Google search, photosymbiosis, you might have come up with a response that, however long it might be was closer to correct.
So, go, now, and research Merkel’s overall record on foreign policy, war & peace and arms sales. It is far from perfect (in the view of those of us who are peace advocates), but it is also much better than the average senator and indicates a long-standing interest in “these issues.” That’s probably why Peace Action West gives Mekley an 83% lifetime score.
As for sniping at me for supposedly not doing my homework, you’ve been around here more than long enough to know better than that.
The vote against the Murphy resolution is a pretty major and recent blot on his record and suggests that the gentleman from Oregon may find it easier to criticize a Trump administration than the Obama administration.
Given, however, that the Trump administration will be the only target for the foreseeable future, I can live with what some may object to as opportunistic or hypocritical moral grandstanding if civilians in Yemen can be spared unnecessary suffering.
And if Trump wants to exact his revenge by opening up an investigation of the Obama administration’s complicity in war crimes, I can live with that, too.
Well, of course he will. That’s how partisan political games are played.
As for a “blot on his record,” votes on bills like this (that are certain to pass — the bill, not the resolution) are generally carefully scripted so that those who need to vote one way or another to keep constituents, lobbyists or campaign funders happy can do so without endangering the final, mutually-agreed outcome.
The blot is on the entire, bought, sold and rigged, process of governing our nation.
“The blot is on the entire, bought, sold and rigged, process of governing our nation.”
Well, quite.
It just seems to me that the majority of the Congressmembers take the “public vs. private postion” approach – they might occasionally grandstand about human rights and argue with each other in public, but behind the scenes, it’s private cooperation with the Saudis. As corroborating evidence:
http://www.kxl.com/merkley-congressional-delegation-saudi-arabia/
Somehow I doubt Merkley used that opportunity to condemn the KSA’s human rights record in Yemen (or in the KSA itself).
They also traveled to Israel, where Merkley had this to say:
Merkley is not a “bad guy”, sure he endorsed Bernie Sanders (who has backed Lockheed’s F-35 and Obama’s drone assassination programs) – but this just emphasizes what a debacle U.S. foreign policy has become, across almost the entire political spectrum.
Here is what Merkley had to say in response to a constituent inquiry about his vote not to block the sale of arms to Saudi Arabia. Looks like he has other priorities besides people’s lives in Yemen. (He may be among the “best” but pretty much everyone in Congress is morally bankrupt on war, IMHO.)
(Apologies for not knowing how to block quote. I know how that bothers some people and I will take the hit if anyone combines instruction with deserved snark.)
“Thank you for sharing your concerns with me regarding arms deals between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia. I appreciate you raising this issue. As you may know, on August 9 the State Department approved the sale of tanks and other military equipment to Saudi Arabia valued at approximately $1.15 billion. The Arms Export Control Act of 1976 gives Congress the authority to block the sale of weapons transfers. I am pleased that the Senate had a chance to debate and vote on this sale.
“I share some of your concerns about Saudi Arabia’s actions in the conflict in Yemen, particularly the bombings of civilian targets. That said, I did not vote to block this specific sale for several reasons. This particular weapons transfer does not include air-to-ground munitions. I have co-sponsored S.J. Res. 32, which would require the President to certify that Saudi Arabia is taking appropriate and necessary steps to limit civilian casualties prior to a sale of air-to-ground munitions.
“I believe we must look carefully at our relationship with Saudi Arabia. I am troubled by the Kingdom’s tacit support of extremism around the world, and their human rights abuses and treatment of women. At the same time, Saudi Arabia has been an important ally in the Middle East since before World War II and they remain an important counterweight to Iran. They have shared intelligence that has thwarted at least one major terror attack.
“Thank you, again, for sharing you concerns with me on this important issue. I hope you will continue to write me about issues that are most important to you.
“All my best,”
http://www.publicnow.com/view/7485DF13AD3038ECA2455E041FE362CAC9110AAD?2016-09-28-18:32:04+01:00-xxx8613
That’s a classic. Aides who can write flawless Doublespeak are in great demand and command handsome salaries.
Of course he does. You don’t get to be a US senator, at least not for long, if you engage in too much rocking of the foreign policy boat. And if you were an actual antiwar activist, you wouldn’t have a chance at most city council seats.
Merkley does better than most, but he has a career to think of, dontcha know?
Once again, you are correct. I don’t want to sound conspiratorial in TI comments — God forbid — but “they” won’t let you anywhere near power if you would use it against war.
Nazi prison guards made a serious tactical blunder with the “following orders” defense when they should have used the “have a career to think about” defense.
You betcha. And it’s been that way, on a bipartisan basis, since Valentine’s Day — ;^) — 1945, when Roosevelt met ibn Saud aboard the USS Quincy in the Great Bitter lake, except for the major violation of the Saudis’ understanding of the agreement that occurred when the US ended up supporting the establishment of Israel. Of course, by then, Roosevelt was dead.
Lets see that report about Saudi government involvement in 9/11 eh?
It sounds like Tillerson meets the basic requirements for incompetence one would expect from a Trump nominee. You can try to spin it politically, but when I read “Well I’d have to examine what our past policy has been. I don’t want to get out ahead, if we’ve made commitments in this area, I don’t want to get out ahead of anyone on that,” it just sounds like a kid in class who didn’t do the reading and doesn’t have an answer to the question.
Wouldn’t he lack clearance till he was confirmed?
I’m sorry but, that quote from the Amnesty International advocacy director is just too much. Of course that’s what should be done and of course that’s what the United States isn’t going to do. We’ve got a long history of relations with Saudi Arabia that prove we will never cut off arms and military support to that shitty government.
Rex Tillerson seems like everything no one should want in a Secretary of State, too, hiding behind past policy like he did and refusing to voice an opinion of his own.