Letter to the Editor: Delaware congressional delegation needs to end deadly conflict in Yemen

In February 2021, President Joe Biden promised to end “all American support for offensive operations in the war in Yemen, including relevant arms sales.” Since then, very little has been done toward that end, but with the arrival of House Joint Resolution 87, the opportunity to deliver on that promise has been gift-wrapped. Delaware’s Libertarians beg you to follow through.

In no uncertain terms, the joint resolution directs the president to remove U.S. armed forces from hostilities in Yemen and prohibits the U.S. support and enabling of offensive strikes from a coalition led by Saudi Arabia. In effect, this extricates us from a horrifying war we never should have been party to. It has resulted in the deaths of many innocent people — including thousands of women and children.

Presently, there is a cease-fire. Now is the time.

From hedge fund managers to baristas in our nation, our tax dollars have funded this conflict for seven years. The Saudi-led bombing campaign is reported to have directly ended the lives of more than 150,000 people, and famine and disease caused by the bloodbath has brought the death toll to over 375,000. Who knows what other horrors will come to light in the final analysis?

Don’t make us pay for the slaughter of the innocent. Don’t make us war criminals.

A bipartisan minority in Congress is pushing to get this passed, but they need more support. Please get onboard and end this, while the chance to do so has been laid at your feet. What must the people of Delaware think of you if you don’t?

Untold damage has already been done. Blood has been spilled, and crimes have been committed. There is nothing we can say or do that will make the people of Yemen forget our part in this. But putting an immediate stop to it is the first step toward a very distant reconciliation.

Blame previous administrations, take credit for ending it, do whatever you must politically but, for the love of God, end it.

End it, so the peace lovers among us may begin to beg for forgiveness and be taken seriously.

Bill Hinds

Chairman, Libertarian Party of Delaware

Newark