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Monday, November 19, 2018

False Compassion in Action

A ceasefire will start in Yemen. Failure to win and end the war is the biggest killer in the war.

Here we go:

The Saudi-led coalition on Thursday halted its offensive to retake the Yemeni port city of Hudaydah.

The Trump administration has been pushing for a cease-fire for weeks, with peace talks set in Sweden at the end of the month. With less fighting in Hudaydah, humanitarian groups can get much-needed food and medical supplies to millions of starving civilians.

As I mentioned about lessening the intensity of the war in this post on Iranian propaganda efforts in Yemen on behalf of the Houthi:

Saudi efforts to win without enduring casualties lengthens the war and makes sure more of somebody else dies. Yemen is false compassion in action.

The ceasefire will not noticeably work and humanitarian aid delivered will be siphoned off by the Houthi for their war needs and blocked for the people who need it after a brief respite.

And the Houthi will regroup and reorganize during the ceasefire to be better prepared to fight the war when the ceasefire is ended.

So the war will last longer and more people will suffer and die. But other than that a ceasefire is great.

PRE-PUBLICATION UPDATE: Strategypage touches on the ceasefire and humanitarian issues, and more, also noting that the rebels are losing.

UPDATE: Seriously, if this holds it just extends the war and increases casualties and suffering:

Intense fighting broke out in Yemen's port city of Hodeidah late on Monday, shattering a lull in violence that had raised hopes of a ceasefire between a Saudi-led coalition and Houthi insurgents as the United Nations tried to resume peace talks.

Victory sooner is the most compassionate thing that can be done.