Biden killing chances of re-election in attacks on Yemen: Newsweek

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Newsweek
15 Jan 2024 16:12
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Joe Biden's attacks on Yemen signify what could be considered the final death blow in his reelection, as Muslim and Arab voters growingly oppose his policies in the Middle East.

US President Joe Biden speaks in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, Friday, January 5, 2024. (AP)

Joe Biden's attacks on Yemen signify what could be considered the final death blow in his reelection as Muslim and Arab voters growingly oppose his policies in the Middle East, a report by Newsweek explained.

The US president authorized the bombing of Yemen as a means to deter Ansar Allah and subdue their actions in the Red Sea on Thursday, then again on Friday.

Destruction increasing

Following the aggression on Yemen, Edward Ahmed Mitchell, deputy executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), told Newsweek that Biden's illegal conduct has been deeply frustrating.

"We're deeply disturbed to see the Biden administration escalating this crisis by bombing Yemen without congressional approval, instead of simply addressing the root of the crisis, which is the ongoing genocide in Gaza. If the genocide comes to an end, the temperature in the region will come down," Mitchell said.

In his statement, Mitchell also said that military conduct that was not approved by Congress is ultimately regarded as illegal and would not resolve the issue at hand. He also slammed Biden's efficiency in directly confronting the Yemenis to secure maritime trade routes but his lack of effort in containing the genocide in Gaza.

The US has remained "Israel's" faithful ally throughout its four-month onslaught in Gaza, supporting the indiscriminate killings of thousands of civilians and providing material and political support through military aid and the vetoing of resolutions that halt all attacks on the Strip, something civil rights groups and progressives, even within Biden's own party, have condemned.

Mitchell echoed Rashida Tlaib's denunciation of the US military attacks in Yemen, who took to X and declared it a violation of the law.

.@POTUS is violating Article I of the Constitution by carrying out airstrikes in Yemen without congressional approval. The American people are tired of endless war.
— Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (@RepRashida) January 12, 2024

However, Biden, despite not receiving congressional approval preceding the first attack on Yemen, had sent Congress a formal letter on Friday briefing them on the status of a second attack to "deter and degrade Houthi capacity to conduct future attacks."

Melissa DeRosa, a Democratic strategist, came into Biden's defense saying his decisions preserve US interests in the Middle East, as well as those of the United States' only "democratic ally" in the region.

Muslim American voters have spoken

Biden had already lost a substantial amount of Muslim votes following his adamance to support genocide in Gaza, but following his decision to bomb Yemen, the anti-Biden campaign #AbandonBiden has reached new heights.

Jaylani Hussein, director of the Minnesota chapter of the CAIR, told Newsweek that the majority of Muslims have resonated with the #abandonBiden campaign and will not be casting their votes for the current president as he runs for reelection.

Dr. Hassan Abdel Salam from the #AbandonBiden campaign also told Newsweek that all forecasts of Biden's policies and decisions in the Middle East have been proven correct following the US-led aggression on Yemen and that his foreign policy in Gaza disregards the needs of Muslim Americans who hold the Palestinian cause highly.

Wael Alzayat, the CEO of Emgage, an organization that educates American Muslims on voting matters, confirmed that Biden would not be getting their votes, but that worries about voters not participating at all are also on the rise, as former president Donald Trump is a contender for the 2024 elections.

Announcing that Trump is also not an option alongside Biden, Alzayat said that Americans have experienced a Trump-led United States and that his policies toward Palestinians are bound to be even more harmful if he is elected.

Several other organizations of the sorts also affirmed that their organs would not be voting for either Trump or Biden so votes would probably be going to a third-runner party.

A poll conducted by Emgage showed that out of the total sample of 2,200 Muslim Americans, only 5.2 percent are considering voting for Biden. In retrospect, 86 percent of Muslim Americans voted for Biden in 2020.

Please listen to the Pennsylvania delegation’s remarks at the #AbandonBiden presser before the #March4Gaza rally in DC. pic.twitter.com/GSkUJV5k8y
— Miracle. ESQ. MSW. (@MiujizaMMilagro) January 14, 2024

Presidential Candidate Jill Stein calls for a ceasefire

Dr. Jill Stein, who is running with the Green Party for the 2024 elections, has condemned Biden's aggression on Yemen, saying he violated the Constitution and the War Powers Act.

She expanded on how the current president's policies affect American society. "It's not only Muslim Americans who are horrified by this. So too are youth and many in our communities of color. In fact, a landslide majority of US voters want a ceasefire and an end to this genocidal war—much of it paid for with our tax dollars. Congress and the White House, however, are listening to AIPAC [American Israel Public Affairs Committee] and the war profiteers instead of the people."

She also highlighted how the majority of the populace has vowed not to descend pro-genocide candidates into power, swinging a hit at Joe Biden, who has, according to Stein, consistently undermined the wishes of the American people.

A landslide majority of US voters want a ceasefire and an end to the genocidal war on Gaza, but the politicians aren't listening. It's time to make them listen.

Sign and share the Pledge to Stop Genocide: abandon pro-genocide candidates! https://t.co/bRAu3eEfoz
— Dr. Jill Stein🌻 (@DrJillStein) January 13, 2024