{"id":98026,"date":"2017-09-04T12:00:34","date_gmt":"2017-09-04T11:00:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/?p=98026"},"modified":"2017-09-04T10:21:41","modified_gmt":"2017-09-04T09:21:41","slug":"how-media-obscure-ussaudi-responsibility-for-killing-yemeni-civilians","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/2017\/09\/how-media-obscure-ussaudi-responsibility-for-killing-yemeni-civilians\/","title":{"rendered":"How Media Obscure US\/Saudi Responsibility for Killing Yemeni Civilians"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>

Reuters<\/p><\/div>\n

31 Aug 2017 – <\/em>A coalition of Saudi Arabia, the United States, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates, with minor support from several other Middle Eastern nations, has relentlessly bombed Yemen since March 2015. This August, the coalition ramped up the ferocity of its airstrikes, killing dozens of civilians.<\/p>\n

On August 23, the US\/Saudi coalition bombed a hotel near Yemen\u2019s capital Sanaa, killing 41 people, 33 of whom\u201480 percent\u2014were civilians, according to the United Nations.<\/p>\n

Then on August 25, the coalition bombed homes in Sanaa, massacring a dozen civilians, including eight members of the same family.<\/p>\n

Major Western media outlets have, however, obscured the responsibility Saudi Arabia, and its US and European supporters, bear for launching these airstrikes.<\/p>\n

There are no other parties presently bombing Yemen, so media cannot feign ignorance as to who is responsible for the attacks. But reports on the bloody US\/Saudi coalition airstrikes were nonetheless rife with ambiguous and downright misleading language.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

It seems worth mentioning that the airstrike was supported by the same government that supports NPR.<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cDozens of People Killed as Airstrike Hits Hotel Near Yemen\u2019s Capital,\u201d wrote NPR<\/strong> (8\/23\/17<\/a>), in a masterwork of euphemism. Apparently dozens of Yemenis mysteriously died of unknown causes at the exact moment a generic, unaffiliated airstrike hit the hotel. NPR<\/strong> only indirectly mentioned, in the story\u2019s fifth paragraph, that the \u201cSaudi-led coalition\u201d was \u201cblamed\u201d for the attack.<\/p>\n

AFP<\/strong>\u2018s news wire (8\/23\/17<\/a>), which was republished by Yahoo<\/strong>, the Daily Mail<\/strong> and Breitbart<\/strong>, used the headline \u201cAir Raids on Outskirts of Yemen Capital Kill \u2018at least 30,’\u201d again obscuring who was responsible for those air raids. France 24<\/strong> (8\/23\/17<\/a>) ran the wire with the headline \u201cAir Raids on Yemen Capital Kill Dozens.\u201d<\/p>\n

The BBC<\/strong> (8\/23\/17<\/a>) wrote, \u201cYemen War: Air Strike on Hotel Outside Sanaa \u2018Leaves 30 Dead.’\u201d\u00a0 \u201cDozens Killed in Airstrike on Yemeni Hotel,\u201d the Guardian<\/strong> headline (8\/23\/17<\/a>) read.<\/p>\n

The London-based Middle East Eye<\/strong> (8\/23\/17<\/a>) was just as ambiguous, with \u201cYemen Air Attack Destroys Hotel, Killing at Least 35 People,\u201d as was Qatar-owned Al Jazeera<\/strong> (8\/23\/17<\/a>), with \u201cAir Raid in Yemen Kills at Least 35 people\u201d\u00a0 and the Turkish TRT World<\/strong> (8\/24\/17<\/a>), which wrote, \u201cAt Least 60 people Killed in Airstrikes on Hotel in Yemen.\u201d<\/p>\n

Whose airstrike was it? What party was responsible? This remains unknown to those who only glanced at the headlines\u2014that is to say, to most readers<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The 29-month war has killed thousands of Yemeni civilians, with tens of thousands more injured and millions facing famine<\/a>. And the United Nations has repeatedly reported that the US\/Saudi coalition is responsible for a majority of the civilian casualties<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Even when Saudi Arabia\u2019s guilt is acknowledged by media, the crucial role of the US is typically ignored (FAIR.org<\/strong>, 8\/31\/15<\/a>, 10\/14\/16<\/a>, 2\/27\/17<\/a>). Readers miss out on crucial context that is needed to understand the war, and their governments\u2019 contributions to it: Saudi Arabia is flying US-made planes, full of fuel provided by the US Air Force, dropping US- and UK-made bombs, with intelligence and assistance from American and British military officials.<\/p>\n

Non-Yemeni \u2018Yemeni Airstrikes\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Neither the headline nor the accompanying story mention who conducted the airstrike\u2014though the photo caption refers to the \u201cSaudi-led airstrike.\u201d<\/p><\/div>\n

Two days later, reports were just as obfuscatory, and even used the term \u201cYemeni<\/em> airstrike,\u201d to refer to an airstrike that was carried out by non-Yemenis<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u201cYemen Airstrike Kills 12, Including Six Children: Rescuers,\u201d Reuters<\/strong> reported on August 25<\/a>. This brief two-paragraph wire did not once mention the US\/Saudi coalition was responsible.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter Yemeni Airstrike, Little Girl Is Family\u2019s Only Survivor,\u201d\u00a0the international news agency wrote the next day (8\/26\/17<\/a>). This Reuters<\/strong> piece noted that the \u201cSaudi-led coalition\u201d was \u201cblamed,\u201d though even that language seems designed to deflect; blamers can be wrong, after all.<\/p>\n

Major newspapers were similarly misleading. \u201cYoung Yemeni Girl Is Sole Survivor After Airstrike Topples Her Home,\u201d the New York Times<\/strong> (8\/26\/17<\/a>) reported. The lead provided no further information: \u201cAn airstrike toppled their apartment building.\u201d In fact, it was not until the seventh paragraph, after three large photos, that the Times<\/strong> finally conceded, \u201cA Saudi Arabia\u2013led coalition took responsibility for the airstrike a day after the attack, citing a \u2018technical mistake.’\u201d The Times<\/strong> did not once mention American or British support for the coalition.<\/p>\n

Al Jazeera<\/strong> (8\/25\/17<\/a>) likewise used the headline \u201cChildren Among Dead in Latest Attack on Yemen Civilians.\u201d And\u00a0TRT World<\/strong> (8\/26\/17<\/a>) reported, \u201cYemen Airstrike Kills 12, Including Six Children.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even when Saudi Arabia admitted responsibility for killing Yemeni civilians, media watered down the language. \u201cSaudi-Led Force Admits Strike in Yemen\u2019s Capital Hit Civilians,\u201d Reuters<\/strong> (8\/26\/17<\/a>) headlined its news wire. Note the airstrike hit<\/em> civilians, not killed<\/em> them.<\/p>\n

The attack was also reduced to a mere \u201cmistake.\u201d Larger context was not provided: namely that more than one-third of US\/Saudi coalition airstrikes have hit civilian areas<\/a>, and that there is a growing body of evidence that the coalition has intentionally<\/em> targeted civilian infrastructure<\/a> in Yemen.<\/p>\n

Not all media were equally misleading; some were more forthright. AP<\/strong>\u2018s news wire (8\/23\/17<\/a>), which was republished by the Chicago Tribune<\/strong>, New York Daily News<\/strong>, Houston Chronicle<\/strong> and San Francisco Chronicle<\/strong>, used a headline that told readers who was responsible for the deadly attack: \u201cSaudi-Led Airstrikes Hit Yemen Hotel, Killing at Least 41.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Washington Post<\/strong> was similarly direct, with its reports \u201cSaudi-Led Coalition Airstrike Kills Dozens in Yemen Ahead of Major Rally\u201d (8\/23\/17<\/a>) and \u201cSaudi-Led Airstrikes Kill 14 Civilians in Yemen\u2019s Capital\u201d (8\/25\/17<\/a>).<\/p>\n

The Art of Obfuscation<\/strong><\/p>\n

To justify this ambiguity in reporting, media might claim it is sometimes not immediately clear who launched the airstrikes. But, again, there are no other parties flying warplanes in Yemen.<\/p>\n

Yemeni Houthi-Saleh forces, who govern the north of the country and roughly 80 percent of the population, have not been bombing their country. Moreover, the US\/Saudi coalition has imposed an air blockade on the impoverished country since March 2015 (another significant fact that is rarely reported by corporate media).<\/p>\n

In Syria, where numerous rival countries have been launching airstrikes, it is understandable that media may sometimes have to exercise caution before apportioning blame. But this is not the case with Yemen.<\/p>\n

In the 29-month war in Yemen, there is one party that has been responsible for thousands of air raids: the Saudi air force, as part of a coalition with the US, the UK and the UAE.<\/p>\n

Yet Yemen is not an isolated case of this ambiguity. Media frequently obfuscate and downplay the culpability for bombing when the US and its allies are responsible.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

New York Times headline (10\/3\/15) improved by Twitter user @OneKade<\/p><\/div>\n

When the US bombed a hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan, in October 2015, killing dozens of civilians, media scrambled to craft almost laughable euphemisms. FAIR (10\/5\/15<\/a>) documented at the time\u00a0 how news outlets used circuitous headlines like \u201cUS Is Blamed After Bombs Hit Afghan Hospital.\u201d Also seen in the August 23<\/a> NPR<\/strong> report cited above, this brand of misleading, ambiguous rhetoric is the \u201cofficer-involved shooting<\/a>\u201d of war reporting.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, the responsibility of US enemies for killing civilians is rarely if ever obscured.<\/p>\n

It is instructive to compare Western media coverage of Yemen to that of Syria, where attacks are \u201cAssad bombing\u201d (Fox News<\/strong>, 2\/15\/17<\/a>), \u201cAssad airstrikes\u201d (Breitbart<\/strong>, 4\/28\/16<\/a>), \u201cAssad regime airstrikes\u201d (Times of Israel<\/strong>, 10\/16\/12<\/a>;\u00a0 Australian<\/strong>, 8\/18\/15<\/a>), \u201cregime airstrikes\u201d (NBC<\/strong>, 8\/19\/16<\/a>) or \u201cregime bombing\u201d (Daily Caller<\/strong>, 8\/17\/15<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Media have even written of a \u201cpro-Assad drone\u201d that was \u201cdisplaying hostile intent,\u201d and thus just had<\/em> to be shot down by the US (Guardian<\/strong>, 6\/20\/17<\/a>; Independent<\/strong>, 6\/20\/17<\/a>; The Hill<\/strong>, 6\/20\/17<\/a>), as if the robot were personally a fan of the Syrian leader.<\/p>\n

The phrases \u201cSalman bombing,\u201d \u201cSalman airstrikes\u201d or \u201cSaudi regime airstrikes\u201d are, however, nowhere to be found in reports on Yemen.<\/p>\n

Downplaying the Key US Role<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

An admirably direct condemnation in the New York Times (8\/25\/17) of killing carried out with the help of the United States.<\/p><\/div>\n

Media calling US\/Saudi coalition attacks \u201cYemeni airstrikes\u201d is at best misleading, and at worst flat-out false. Yet this language also has a political effect: It obscures the character of the war. This framing is part of the \u201ccivil war\u201d trope media have propagated for two-and-a-half years.<\/p>\n

When Yemen is discussed, it is virtually always through the lens of a \u201ccivil war.\u201d As FAIR (7\/25\/17<\/a>) has detailed before, this\u00a0exceedingly widespread myth, which has permeated media discourse, denies the extent to which the conflict is actually a foreign war on<\/em> Yemen, led by Saudi Arabia, the UAE and their US and European sponsors.<\/p>\n

Even the term \u201cSaudi-led\u201d coalition is misleading. The New York Times<\/strong> editorial board (8\/17\/16<\/a>) acknowledged, in a little-noted editorial on Yemen, \u201cExperts say the coalition would be grounded if Washington withheld its support.\u201d<\/p>\n

That is to say, if the US wanted the war in Yemen to end, it would end overnight. The \u201cSaudi-led\u201d coalition is only led by Saudi Arabia in name.<\/p>\n

Surprisingly, in the midst of intensified coalition attacks, the New York Times<\/strong> published another rare editorial on Yemen on August 25<\/a>. In the piece, dramatically titled \u201cThe Slaughter of Children in Yemen,\u201d the editorial board forcefully warned of exactly what critics have been saying for 29 months:<\/p>\n

The Saudi coalition\u2014and its American enablers, who provide military equipment, aerial refueling and targeting\u2014simply cannot be allowed to continue killing civilians and destroying what little is left of Yemen. That is why it is imperative to publicly identify the unconscionable slaughter of innocents for what it is, and to hope that this will shame Saudi Arabia and its American backers to search for a humane end to Yemen\u2019s hell.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Reporters at the Times<\/strong> and elsewhere should heed this call to demonstrate journalistic responsibility by clearly conveying their governments\u2019 responsibility for the slaughter in Yemen\u2014not just in editorials, but in news articles, every time.<\/p>\n

____________________________________________<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Ben Norton is a journalist and writer. He is a reporter for <\/em>AlterNet’s Grayzone Project and a contributor to<\/em> FAIR. His website is BenNorton.com<\/a>, and he tweets at @BenjaminNorton<\/a>.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

 <\/p>\n

Go to Original \u2013 fair.org<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

31 Aug 2017 – A coalition of Saudi Arabia, USA, UK and UAE has relentlessly bombed Yemen since March 2015. There are no other parties bombing the country, so media cannot feign ignorance as to who is responsible for the attacks. But reports on the bloody US\/Saudi coalition airstrikes were nonetheless rife with ambiguous and downright misleading language.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[62],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-98026","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-media"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98026","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=98026"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98026\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=98026"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=98026"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=98026"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}