Joe Biden Faces Immediate Backlash in US After Bombing Yemen

Joe Biden is already facing protests in America over his decision to launch air strikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen in response to attacks on international shipping, with demonstrators chanting "hands off Yemen" outside the White House.

On Thursday, the president ordered "a number" of strikes against militant targets following what he described as an "extensive diplomatic campaign" to stop the attacks on shipping vessels passing through the Red Sea. The strikes were carried out in concert with the U.K., and with assistance from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands.

In a statement, Biden said the Houthis had "endanger[ed] freedom of navigation in one of the world's most vital waterways," and that the targeted strikes were "a clear message that the United States and our partners will not tolerate attacks on our personnel."

The Houthi rebels—part of Iran's sphere of influence in the Middle East and thought to be providing a proxy for its aggression—have been launching attacks predominantly on shipping vessels in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait—a key waterway between Yemen, Eritrea and Djibouti that leads to the Suez Canal—since November.

The vessels have been attacked or boarded under the pretence of support for Palestinians in Israel's ongoing war against Hamas, though many ships have had a tenuous or unclear link to Israel.

Despite U.S. and British intervention against the attacks, several international shipping companies have suspended operations through the strait, raising fears of an impact on global trade.

While Biden cited America and its allies' interest in protecting global commerce, critics have argued Thursday's airstrikes threaten to expand the current conflict and drag the U.S. into another war in the Middle East.

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators were captured on video in New York City's Times Square on Thursday night chanting: "Yemen, you make us proud. We want justice, you say how. Stop bombing Yemen now."

The same crowd was also seen shouting: "Yemen will live forever. Say it loud, say it clear: liberation is near."

Another protest in Washington hurled chants of "let Yemen live" over the White House fence and accused the Biden administration of "genocide."

The air strikes were against militant, not civilian, targets in Yemen. The administration has faced numerous demonstrations over its support for Israel in the war against Hamas, and has been repeatedly accused of being complicit in a genocide—something it has denied.

Newsweek approached the White House via email for comment on Friday.

While British involvement in the strikes has been backed by opposition leader Sir Keir Starmer, several Democrats have already criticized Biden for sanctioning them.

Ro Khanna, a congressman for California, described the military intervention as "unconstitutional," telling CNN: "He certainly should have come to Congress so that we can discuss whether this actually could put more American troops at risk. I'm concerned about retaliation in Iraq and whether it could draw us into a Middle East war."

"The United States cannot risk getting entangled into another decades-long conflict without Congressional authorization," Mark Pocan, a representative for Wisconsin, also said. "The White House must work with Congress before continuing these air strikes in Yemen."

The U.S. has not disclosed how many strikes it undertook; Britain's Ministry of Defence said U.K. forces had conducted two strikes. Houthis claimed 73 targets, including airfields, had been hit in regions of Yemen they controlled, killing five and wounding six—though Newsweek could not immediately verify this information.

Militant officials have vowed to continue their attacks on shipping in the Red Sea following the strikes.

"America and Britain will undoubtedly have to prepare to pay a heavy price and bear all the dire consequences of this blatant aggression," Hussein al-Ezzi, a Houthi spokesperson, wrote.