Saudi Arabia ally of Israel, US: Activist

Press TV has conducted an interview with Cyrus McGoldrick, an artist and community activist currently in Tehran, to discuss Iran’s Yemen-bound aid ship.

The following is a rough transcription.

Press TV: First of all a lot of hue and cry over an aid delivery that Iran is sending for the people of Yemen who truly need it. Why do you think that is so?

McGoldrick: This is just one more grotesque maybe fascinating example where Iran is being accused of what their opponents are already doing. Saudi Arabia has been leading a coalition at war with Yemen, bombing civilians, bombing a country which is internally trying to advance the movement for justice and now Iran is sending much-needed aid is being blamed for escalating a conflict which it certainly did no part in starting. It is important to note, mind you, that the blockade that Saudi Arabia and its allies have been holding against the people of Yemen is not sanctioned by the UN, so in many ways Saudi Arabia is now acting much like its ally Israel, defying the UN, with now the United States of America at its back.

Iran’s aid that is hopefully going to the people of Yemen by whatever means possible now is so much needed when you are hearing reports from the ground; the devastation which is on the ground; the very desperate need on the ground there. We can really only hope that the UN will step in, will try to exert whatever minimal power it has without the United States behind it and allows this food and medicine to go through.

Press TV: Well, you mentioned the UN. We have not heard as much from the UN Security Council or other bodies of the United Nations in support for any form of aid to go into Yemen be it through Iran or any other country. Why do you think the UN has taken such a backseat when it comes to Yemen?

McGoldrick: Unfortunately, we see more and more that the United Nations is something of a toothless body, at least when it disagrees with the interests of the United States and Israel. Now that the United States is behind Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies form around the (Persian) Gulf, from Egypt and others, there is really no way I don’t think for the United Nations to really enforce any kind of standards that it claims to uphold for war, for war crimes, for aid and the delivery of that aid.

Iran is really, it seems, defending for itself and once again is really the core of resistance against what is really a comprehensive imperialist agenda across the region. Iran as always continues to be an opponent of this injustice, an opponent of imperialism in the region and so it only makes sense unfortunately that you see these very familiar allies, the same cast of characters, the United States, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and now its regional allies standing against it once again. This is just one example of course. Iran has become something of a foil for the people; something that has become a home, become a magnet for the accusations of like I said, these allies, the Arab states, the United States, and Israel, have already been doing and are doing constantly on the news, publicly and really without any shame.

Press TV: Right, now as far as the situation in Yemen goes, there has been an intensive PR campaign by Saudi Arabia to portray itself as the savior of the people of Yemen. Now you drew parallels between the situation in Yemen and the situation in Gaza. When it came to breaking the siege of Gaza let’s not forget that aid flotilla which was attacked by Israeli forces, Mavi Marmara, which ended up with casualties; do you think that such acts of solidarity with the people of Yemen like the aid ship that is being sent by Iran will help in basically standing up and challenging that mirage that Saudi Arabia is presenting?

McGoldrick: It is very important and I want to put forward the immense pride that we have in the people who are on that boat, on that ship trying to deliver that aid. They have put themselves in immense danger understanding the viciousness with which the Saudis and their allies have been attacking Yemen in opposing any aid getting to the country and getting any relief to the country. It is very important to understand that these people are on the frontlines and just like the Iranian pilot who tried to deliver the aid before, these are very impressive displays of solidarity with the people of Yemen. Throughout this, or even at best... of course Saudi Arabia is positioning themselves as the savior of Yemen and they continue to do so even though they are dropping cluster bombs on civilians, on men women and children, young and old; but even more often than that I find among communities across United States especially among Muslim communities who are of course opposing sectarianism and of course don’t want to see this divisiveness... there is this presentation that even if Saudi Arabia isn’t the savior of Yemen, that somehow Saudi Arabia and Iran are equal players, two sides of the same coin, are both equally to blame here. And this is really important to remember, I remind everyone at home listening that Saudi Arabia is the ally of Israel and is the ally of the United States; it is behind coups in Egypt and across the region and this is not a player in the region that has good intent. This is not a country which is source of goodness, and justice; this is really just a puppet in the region. They accuse Iran so ironically. They accuse Iran of regional meddling... this phrase ‘regional meddling’ coming from places like the Saudi Arabia, Israel, United States... is one of the most vicious, most ironic really laughable accusations that I have heard yet. But it is really important now that we get to the bottom of it. That if we look at the evidence, if we look at the scale of this conflict, if we look at the source of this conflict, it is really important that we put that to bet.

Press TV: Now, also at this moment different representatives of Persian Gulf, Arab monarchies are gathering in the United States for the famous Camp David summit. And Yemen will be one of the topics. What do you think they are going to talk about?

McGoldrick: Well, I did hear that a few of the usual suspects wont be present at the Camp David for these talks about Yemen for various reasons. But I imagine that they will be planning ahead a little bit. This conflict is of course not just about Yemen, it is about the entire region, it is about the American hegemony throughout the Muslim world, throughout the world at whole. I think the Arabs seem to be lining up now for American aid. I think they see a place now where they can align themselves whereas with the example of ISIL, despite [what] they may say, they have been on either sides of this issue. I think they see now a space for them to undermine the growing familiarity, the growing connection, the growing space for some peace, for some de-escalation in what has been a more than a thirty-year conflict between the United States and Iran. So now of course they are going to United States to sign up for that. Here [is a conflict on] how exactly such agreement would manifest, I am sure that they want more than the United States is willing to obligate themselves into because the United States has not been exactly a good ally to much other than Israel. But of course we will keep an eye on it; we have to stay focused, we have to remember the big picture, remember that these conflicts are not just about the nation-states in which they are happening but this is about huge power struggles across the region. And at the bottom of it for many of the oppressors in this region it is about money; this is not about human life, it is not even necessarily about the kings sitting in their thrones. But it is really about the money that the biggest capitalists are making at the end of the day and frankly it is a lot of it.

MTM/MKA

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