Vitriolic anti-American hashtag promoted on pro-Houthi newspaper website

Vitriolic anti-American hashtag promoted on pro-Houthi newspaper website
The hashtag saying 'America Kills Yemeni People' has appeared on the homepages of the Yemeni news agency Saba's English and Arabic websites.
2 min read
19 Oct, 2016
Houthi officials have accused the US of complicity in a deadly airstrike in Sanaa [AFP]

A Houthi-controlled newspaper in Yemen's capital is promoting the hashtag #AmericaKillsYemeniPeople (in Arabic: أميركا تقتل الشعب اليمني) on its homepage.

The anti-US message could be seen on both its Arabic and English homepages of Sanaa-based newspaper Saba on Tuesday.

The hashtag has been promoted on Twitter after a Saudi-led coalition airstrike targeted a funeral attended by Houthi officials on 8 October leaving at least 140 people dead.

Images appearing to show fragments of US-manufactured munitions have been circulated since the attack. 

The US is the biggest seller of military hardware to Saudi Arabia, followed by the UK, and France. Speaking to Saba shortly after 8 October attack one Houthi official said it had occurred with "international collusion that reaches the level of direct participation". 

Widespread condemnation of the 8 October attack has since lead Saudi Arabia to reconsider its 19-month long intervention in Yemen in support of the President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi's government. 

On Monday, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said that Riyadh was prepared to agree to a ceasefire if the Iran-allied Houthis agreed. A UN-backed ceasefire is now set to begin on Thursday. However, previous ceasefires during the conflict have failed to bring lasting peace.

Ten thousand people have been killed in Yemen's conflict and over three million people displaced.

The promoted hashtag could be seen on the homepage of both Sana's Arabic and English websites on Tuesday.