Biden’s Campaign Donors Don’t Want Him to End US Support for the Yemen War

The Saudi-United Arab Emirates coalition (UAE) launched an airstrike against a Yemeni prison in January. killing more than 90 detaineesInjuring many others. A fragment of the weapon that was used to do it was found in the rubble. It contained a photograph of the weapon used to do it. Raytheon Technologies manufacturer code. A few days later Greg Hayes (CEO of Raytheon) was discussing the escalation and consequences of the wars in Yemen and Ukraine. he said, “I fully expect we’re going to see some benefit from it.”

The Biden administration is abandoning its promises to Yemen from one year ago and now supports the escalation in the war. They refuse to suspend support for Saudi Arabia. Raytheon, a company that sees profits from the war in Yemen, gave President Joe Biden’s presidential campaign over half a million dollars in 2020.

In November 2021, the Biden administration announced an enormous arms sale $650 million Saudi Arabia has a large market for medium-range missiles, and missile rail launchers. Raytheon is the primary contractor for these weapons.

Aisha Jumaan (Yemeni founder of Yemen Relief and Reconstruction Foundation) called out the responsibility for arms supplying companies such as Raytheon. saying, “I would like to ask Greg Hayes, what would you say to the family members of those who were killed by your weapons? How would you feel if your family was targeted by these arsenals?”

It is not unusual to find weapons manufactured by the United States in Yemen. In 2018A bomb later identified by Lockheed Martin was dropped on a Yemeni school bus killing more than 40 children.

When people ask who is winning the war on Yemen, the answer is not the Houthis or Saudi Arabia. Weapons companies funded by the U.S. taxpayer through Pentagon contracts are who’s winning the war. Weapons manufacturers that reinvest their money into political campaigns like President Biden’s are who’s winning the war.

With Saudi Arabia remaining the number one buyer of weapons from the U.S, these companies make millions — sometimes billions — of dollars arming the Saudi-UAE led coalition, and Biden took campaign donations from all of them. According to OpenSecrets, Biden’s campaign took $527,010Raytheon $447,047Lockheed Martin $726,873Boeing $416,276Northrop Grumman, $237,104 General Dynamics.

U.S. companies are coming out on top at the expense of 30 million Yemenis, and the president’s political campaigns benefit from the companies’ ability to make so much money off conflict.

On February 4 of last year, President Biden announced to the world that the U.S. would be ending “offensive” support for the war in Yemen. Peace activists rejoiced for a moment but were quick to ask Biden what “offensive” really meant. What wasn’t “offensive” about Saudi Arabia and the UAE waging war and maintaining a blockade on a sovereign country like Yemen? Activists questioned him about the meaning behind the announcement. Members of Congress asked for clarification as well. They never got answers. A year later, bombs are raining down on Yemen’s main cities while the flow of weapons from the U.S. to Saudi Arabia remains unimpeded, and manufacturing codes of Biden’s campaign donors are still found in the rubble left behind by war crimes.

On the anniversary of Biden’s announcement promising to end offensive support to Saudi Arabia, the situation on the ground is worse than ever. Airstrikes have gone up in the first year of Biden’s presidency, compared to former President Donald Trump’s last year in office. Because of the Saudi blockade, fuel and food cannot flow freely into Yemen. Hospitals are facing fuel shortages that could lead to them losing power while trying to treat malnourished children. Worst-case scenarios suggest that a child will die. every 75 seconds in Yemen.

Blaming Biden for his refusal to act isn’t enough now. The carnage benefits his campaign donors Raytheon, Lockheed Martin and Lockheed Martin. Their executives are comfortable enough with this fact to openly admit it in their meetings.

In 2018 and 2019, when President Trump refused to act, Democrats and some Republicans in Congress made it a point to pass a War Powers Resolution to signal to the White House that Congress does not consent to the U.S.’s role in Yemen. If they want to end the U.S. involvement in the war, Congress must quickly introduce and pass a new War Powers Resolution.