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Saudi-US bombing of Yemen


XXL

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Revealed: The UK is training Saudi pilots amid accusations of war crimes in Yemen

Exclusive: Liberal Democrats condemn the UK's 'complicity in this murderous campaign'

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/saudi-arabia-yemen-conflict-bombing-latest-uk-training-pilots-alleged-war-crimes-a7375551.html

 

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The Saudi Air Force is being trained by the British Government amid accusations that it is carrying out atrocities in neighbouring Yemen, it has emerged. The Liberal Democrats – who uncovered the instruction being given, in both Saudi Arabia and the UK itself – described the revelation as “shameful”. Tom Brake, the party’s foreign affairs spokesman, called on the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to end the training immediately and for much stricter controls on arms exports to the oil-rich kingdom.

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said the Royal Saudi Air Force was helped in order to “improve their targeting processes” – and, therefore, their compliance with international law. But Mr Brake said: "It is shameful that the UK Government is not only arming Saudi pilots, it is training them as well. The indiscriminate bombing of innocent civilians by Saudi Arabia in Yemen, in clear breach of international humanitarian law, is now well documented. The Government must end its complicity in this murderous campaign.”

The training opens up a new front in criticism of Britain’s close links with Saudi Arabia – with the Saudis currently leading a coalition bombing campaign against Houthi rebels in Yemen – at growing humanitarian cost.

Earlier this month, air strikes carried out by the coalition’s air forces killed at least 140 people and injured up to 600 more at a funeral. A report by the Saudi-led coalition’s Joint Incidents Assessment Team (JIAT) admitted responsibility having promised an investigation into the incident, but blamed “wrong information” from allies of the internationally recognised Yemeni government, which it is supporting in the conflict.

“A party affiliated to the Yemeni presidency of the general chief of staff wrongly passed information that there was a gathering of armed Houthi leaders in a known location in Sanaa, and insisted that the location be targeted immediately,” investigators said in a statement at the time. Saudi Arabia insists the coalition it leads keeps to international laws, with any incidents investigated.

Despite the accusations of alleged war crimes, Theresa May has defended selling arms to Saudi Arabia by insisting close ties “keep people on the streets of Britain safe”. The admission that training is also taking place came in a written parliamentary answer obtained by Mr Brake from Mr Fallon. The Liberal Democrat demanded to know what training and advice had been given by the UK on authorising military operations and the “targeting of aerial operations” over the past year.

In reply, Mr Fallon wrote: “As part of our ongoing defence engagement with Saudi Arabia, the UK has provided training to the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) both in the UK and in Saudi Arabia, including international targeting courses for RSAF personnel, to improve their targeting processes and to support International Humanitarian Law (IHL) compliance.”

The Defence Secretary said the UK had also delivered two training sessions in Saudi Arabia on the process for investigating alleged IHL violations, under a joint incident team it supported. But he added: “The UK has not been directly involved in investigations undertaken by the JIAT, has not provided any specific operational advice to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for operations in Yemen and has not provided training on political authorisation of military operations.”

Saudi Arabia has insisted its campaign in Yemen is being waged "in accordance with international humanitarian law, in a legitimate war of self defence, in a legitimate war to defend the legitimate government of Yemen".

Mr Brake said the latest revelation emphasised the urgent need for strict rules to require the Foreign Secretary to sign off personally any arms sales to countries such as Saudi Arabia. His plan would see all 28 countries on the Foreign Office’s "countries of concern" list – which also includes China and Russia – denied arms without proof there was “no risk they’ll be used in human rights abuses”.

Mr Brake announced plans to bring forward a backbench Bill, hoping to win the support of both Labour and the Scottish National party for the crackdown.
 

 

 

 

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On 10/19/2016 at 10:31 AM, XXL said:

https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/egypt-leaves-saudi-coalition-yemen-reports/

Egypt leaves Saudi Coalition in Yemen: reports

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CAIRO, EGYPT (9:00 A.M.) - The Egyptian Air Force has reportedly withdrawn from the Saudi-led Coalition of countries attacking Yemen after a 12 month-long operation,.

According to locals in Cairo, this move by the Egyptian government comes just hours after the Egyptian Intelligence Chief met with his Syrian counterpart.

No formal announcement has been issued by the Egyptian government to corroborate these reports; however, if true, Saudi Arabia will lose a key ally in this bombing campaign against the Yemeni people terrorists.
 

I fixed it for you.

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  • 1 month later...

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-38364694

UK-made cluster bombs used in Yemen, Michael Fallon confirms

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Cluster bombs made in the UK have been used in the conflict in Yemen, the government has confirmed. Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said Saudi Arabia had confirmed munitions bought from the UK in the 1980s had been dropped. Since 2010 it has been illegal under British law to supply the bombs, which put civilians at risk by releasing small bomblets over a wide area.

Labour said it was "deeply worrying" cluster bomb use had been confirmed. The UK is supporting the Saudi-led coalition which is fighting the Houthi rebel movement in Yemen. In a statement to MPs, Mr Fallon said the UK had not supplied any cluster bombs to Saudi Arabia since 1989. But he added that Saudi investigations had concluded that some UK-made cluster bombs had been dropped.

The BL-755 bombs will no longer be used by the coalition, he added.

 

Amnesty International, which says it has documented the use in Yemen of a cluster bomb manufactured in the 1970s, has called on the UK to trace weapons made and sold before the ban. Earlier the Saudi state news agency reported a coalition spokesman saying cluster bombs were only used against "legitimate military targets". He added: "It has become apparent that there was limited use by the Coalition of the UK-manufactured BL-755 cluster munition in Yemen.

"This munition was used against legitimate military targets to defend Saudi towns and villages against continuous attacks by Houthi militia, which resulted in Saudi civilian casualties."

 

 

 

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  • 1 month later...
On 23/10/2016 at 7:06 PM, XXL said:

Precisely

Oliver Stone said it best in regards to the current American Presidential race, crafted to distract people from the very serious things that are going on around the world of our own Western governments, Western diplomacies and Western Intelligence agencies' doing for the most part, sadly. 

This picture alone speaks a million words:

 

615936874_cardinal-timothy-dolan-donald-

Can you explain to me why fires that picture soak a million words? Is it because two politicians with "opposite views" are smiling together?

Thanks in advance.

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On 19/10/2016 at 10:31 AM, XXL said:

https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/egypt-leaves-saudi-coalition-yemen-reports/

Egypt leaves Saudi Coalition in Yemen: reports

1-31.jpg

 

CAIRO, EGYPT (9:00 A.M.) - The Egyptian Air Force has reportedly withdrawn from the Saudi-led Coalition of countries attacking Yemen after a 12 month-long operation,.

According to locals in Cairo, this move by the Egyptian government comes just hours after the Egyptian Intelligence Chief met with his Syrian counterpart.

No formal announcement has been issued by the Egyptian government to corroborate these reports; however, if true, Saudi Arabia will lose a key ally in this bombing campaign against the Yemeni people.
 

I really appreciate your info, but I think that this kind of language makes the article seem like propaganda, even if it's true ( I've already checked).

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  • 2 months later...
On 3/2/2017 at 11:30 AM, Dannylex said:

Can you explain to me why fires that picture soak a million words? Is it because two politicians with "opposite views" are smiling together?

Thanks in advance.

 

Because it is highly symbolic of the hold that the Vatican and the Jesuits in particular have held over both US parties for decades

All of the CIA Directors and most US presidents have studied at Jesuit institutions incidentally, but that's just part of the issue

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UK establishment disturbing cosiness to Saudi Arabia:

 

 

 

 

Channel 4 Documentary on Saudi Arabia multiple human rights violations:

 

 

 

We collaborate with Saudi Arabia to keep Western and Middle Eastern citizens safe?? :rotfl:

Saudi Arabia is the main global exporter of Wahabism and terrorism, it doesn't make any sense whatsoever

What a joke

 

 

 

 

 

 

David Cameron defending UK'S horrid deal to elect Saudi Arabia on UN Human Rights Council

 

 

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The true face of US-Saudi relations

Oil-for-tyranny

Telesur documentary

 

Meet the new head of the United Nations panel on Human Rights: the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Abby Martin takes us inside the brutal reality of this police-state monarchy, and tells the untold people's history of resistance to it. With a major, catastrophic war in Yemen and looming high-profile executions of activists, The Empire Files exposes true nature of the U.S.-Saudi love affair. 

 

 

iran.jpg

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7 hours ago, runa said:

Out of 19 attackers of 9/11, 15 were from Saudi Arabia. 

No one ever talked about it. 

 

Exactly

And not only that ....  it got even murkier and more ridiculous, or rather transparent, depending on how you look at it

 

 

 

 

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