FACT CHECK: New York Times Claims Multiple U.S. Allies In The Middle East Criticize The U.S. Strikes On Houthis
The New York Times reported that “some U.S. allies” in the Middle East criticized the U.S. strikes on the Houthi rebels.
Screenshot/New York Times
Verdict: Unsubstantiated
The NYT article initially noted a single U.S. ally, Oman. The article was later corrected and updated, though Turkey, another U.S. ally, did condemn the airstrikes.
Fact Check:
The U.S. and the U.K launched airstrikes against Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, striking several targets, according to the Associated Press. The Houthis have launched several attacks against commercial vessels in the Red Sea with missiles and drones, striking several, the outlet reported.
The New York Times reported that the strikes drew criticism from the Middle East, including “some U.S. allies.”
“Many in the Middle East, including some U.S. allies, condemned the American-lead strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen,” part of the article read.
The article, though, only notes a single U.S. ally criticized the airstrikes. This ally, Oman, issued a statement saying, “It is impossible not to denounce that an allied country resorted to this military action, while meanwhile, Israel is continuing to exceed all bounds in its bombardment, brutal war and siege on Gaza without any consequence.”
The article reported that Bahrain, another U.S. ally, saw protests in the streets against the airstrikes. President Joe Biden, though, said in his January 11 statement that Bahrain supported the airstrikes against the Houthis.
“Today, at my direction, U.S. military forces—together with the United Kingdom and with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands—successfully conducted strikes against a number of targets in Yemen used by Houthi rebels to endanger freedom of navigation in one of the world’s most vital waterways,” Biden’s statement reads. (Emphasis added by Check Your Fact).
Russell Goldman, a senior staff editor from the international desk for the NYT, told Check Your Fact that the outlet corrected the headline. (Did Pope Francis Say That Jesus Was Born During A Census Taken By King David?)
“We’ve since updated and corrected the headline on that item to read: U.S.-Led Strikes Draw Fury From Iran. Other critics also included militias allied with Iran, as well as Oman, a U.S. ally that often mediates between the Houthis and international parties,” Goldman said.
The article now appears with a correction at the bottom, informing readers of the error.
NYT/Screenshot
“An earlier version of this article misstated the number of U.S. allies in the Middle East that publicly condemned American-led airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen,” the correction reads. “It was one U.S. ally, Oman, not more than one.”
At least one other U.S. ally, Turkey, denounced the strike, according to Al Jazeera. Other U.S. allies such as Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Egypt did not condemn the strikes explicitly, though Ayman Safadi, Jordan’s foreign minister blamed Israel for the situation, the outlet reported.
“The Israeli aggression on Gaza and its continued committing of war crimes against the Palestinian people and violating international law with impunity are responsible for the rising tensions witnessed in the region,” Safadi said.
