SANAA, Aug. 22 (Saba) -The Saudi aggression against Yemen stems out from the desire of domination in the political and economic spheres of the Middle East this concluded the clamp down on what was known as the Arab Spring that began in 2011.
The war against Yemen is facilitated by Saudi economic expansionism, rulers reinforced their dominance in the region this includes strategic ports, chokepoints in the red sea and passage ways for ships thus eliminating any competition, benefiting Saudi, and its alliances for a greater chance of economic.
The Saudi and United Arab Emirates UAE collation against Yemen began on the 26th of March 2015 and has led to multiple atrocities and violation of human rights using western arms.
Yemen has undergone an air, land and naval blockade obstructing the ships that import food and medical provisions into the country.
Human Rights Watch revealed that 90% of bombings were airstrikes and bombing that destroyed Homes, attacked civilians at wedding gatherings, market places, hospitals, farms, schools, mosques, water wells, and weakened the Yemeni infrastructure, furthermore, in 2018 the Saudi led coalition conducted an airstrike which bombed a wedding gathering, killing 22 people and 8 children who were all burnt to death.
Also, the coalition attacked and bombed a school bus killing 26 children in cold blood, “The US supported coalition attacks with targeting intelligence and air refueling”
The 2019 World Report asserted that the Saudi-led coalition used six types of banned cluster munitions manufactured in the US including the UK. According to the 2019 World Report, 14 million people are facing the risk of famine and on the other hand many civilians are at the risk of contaminating cholera according to Medicines Sans Frontiers, “less than half of the country’s medical facilities are still functioning” this and the lack of medication including the broken infrastructure led to out breaks of cholera that has claimed the lives of 2000 leaving 500,000 infected.
Now in the current situation people are subjected to Coronavirus, and there will be little medical preventative measures put in place. Not to forget that it was reported by since 2018, 3 Million women and girls have been enduring the threat of violence from both Saudi aggression and domestic violence.
Yemen’s Sanaa Based Legal Centre for Rights and Democracy explained that since the Saudi aggression against Yemen that led to,11,929 people lost their lives including 2500 children. Saudi warplanes attacked and killed 70 Arab horses including their trainer leaving 30 horses in a critical condition.
Amnesty International revealed that between 2015- 2016-2017 Saudi led coalition used banned cluster munition against Yemeni civilians in different cities in Yemen. (Amnesty International.8th March.2017)
“cluster bombs are one of the nastiest weapons in the history of warfare…its truly shocking that a British cluster munition has been dropped on civilian area in Yemen” Oliver Sprague (Amnesty International. 2016)
The Saudi regime uses it’s oil profits to invest in Britain by buying stocks in the British market, including vast bonds, luxury apartments and real estate “it currently has £93bn invested in the British economy”.
David Wearing, a specialist on UK-Saudi relations at Royal Holloway University, estimates that of the UK’s current account deficit is financed by Saudi cash, which “stabilises an increasingly vulnerable pound these investments are the reason for western powers to overlook Saudi’s atrocities in Yemen and in Saudi alike.
The ongoing tragedy in Yemen would never be occurring if there was not almost unlimited support that the Saudi led coalition is getting from most important imperialist powers in the west.
These governments have provided an uninterrupted flow of the weapons and other logistical and political assistance to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia or KSA and that all it requires to carry on the carnage in Yemen.
The US and UK are command and control centre directing the deadly and destructive air strikes.
Moreover, the US Navy actively participates in enforcing the tight sea blockade on Yemen and USA aircraft’s have provided air fuelling equipment for Saudi/UAE coalition bombers. Saudi has proven to be the world’s most dominant oil exporter, therefore with their oil money are able to afford weapons and aircraft from any western power.
In March 2018 Bin Salman, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia made a deal with Britain to buy 48 war jets worth £10 billion pounds. Between 2013/2014 the British government allowed BaE special arm deal export licence that enabled unlimited arms sales to Saudi, including 6300 British contractors and experts who liaised with Saudi led operations against Yemen.
Thus the aim is to train Saudi pilots, maintain war air crafts and oversee Saudi military personal and soldiers to load bombs successfully on to the relevant war planes and set to the intended targets in Yemen.
John Deverell, the former director of defences diplomacy at the ministry of defence , who also served as defences attache to Saudi and Yemen between 2001 and 2003 said; “we brits tend to pussyfoot around, despite having considerable leverage on Saudis, the British must be willing “ to use the threat of pulling arms sales and personnel linked to the war in Yemen“.
He also added that all the gestures of concern and worry will prevail: “ we are worried that if we speak the truth to powers, we will endanger the commercial relationship” unfortunately it is this commercial relationship that keeps the major powers bogged down in the Yemeni “ humanitarian catastrophe” as the UN has labelled the war in Yemen.
The origins of this relationship go back to the Al-Yamamah Arms deal signed in 1985. As the deal assures British involvement in the maintenance, training and resupply of armaments and parts for any British warplanes sold to the Saudis in both war and peacetime’s.
Since the deal is open ended shifting its implications from Tornados sold to the Saudis and to the more recent Typhoon jets. therefore capitalist arm deals are more profitable and must be respected more than making peace, stability or preventing bloodshed.
Written by Lisa Gardner
Translated Mona Zaid
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