A FEW weeks after taking office, Joe Biden has made a welcome pronouncement where the brutal war in Yemen is concerned. The US president has said “this war has to end” while observing that Washington was ending support for “offensive operations”. The US has been a key supporter of the Saudi-led coalition battling the Iran-allied Houthis over control of the impoverished Arab nation ever since Riyadh launched the war in 2015 in support of the Yemeni government, after the Houthis took Sana’a.
In fact, if the Americans were to fully pull back their support for the Saudis, many feel this war — described as a human catastrophe by the UN — would be over very soon. All sides involved in the conflict have welcomed Mr Biden’s decision; the Yemeni government has called for “diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis” while the Houthis have said that “real proof” would come with “an end to aggression and a lifting of the blockade”. Indeed, the US president’s words will have to be backed by solid actions. His declared intention to reverse the ‘terrorist’ tag the Houthis have been slapped with by the Trump administration is a good first step. Moreover, all sides must cease fire and support the political process to ensure all tribes and sects in Yemen are heard.
Beyond Yemen, Mr Biden can also review US policy in other parts of the Middle East, particularly after the adventurism his predecessor indulged in. Amongst the major conflicts in the region that springs to mind is the Arab-Israeli dispute. While the US leader has said he will not reverse Donald Trump’s controversial step of shifting the American embassy to the disputed city of Jerusalem, Joe Biden can definitely call out Israel for its atrocious behaviour towards the Palestinians, especially under Benjamin Netanyahu’s rule. Expecting the Americans to give the Palestinians a fair hearing is naive, considering the power the pro-Israel lobby wields over Washington’s political players of all persuasions. However, the least Mr Biden can do is prevent Israel from launching more murderous forays into Palestinian areas, and stop Tel Aviv from devouring more and more Arab land.
Another hotspot in the region is Iran. While Donald Trump brought the US and Iran to war due to his reckless policies, President Biden has indicated that he wants to return to the nuclear deal, which his predecessor pulled America out of. If he were to succeed in doing this, it would be a major diplomatic achievement and would bring down temperatures in the Middle East. Again powerful actors — Israel, some in the Gulf — will not be too happy about this; yet the new American administration must work to re-engage with Tehran if it is serious about regional peace. Joe Biden seems to have many good intentions for the Middle East. The months ahead will reveal if he has the determination to transform intentions into actions.
Published in Dawn, February 8th, 2021
