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Saudi/UAE terror-bombing a bus in Yemen’s northern Saada province Thursday was the latest mass atrocity in the country.
According to an updated ICRC body count, 51 Yemeni civilians were killed, including 40 children – 79 others injured, including 56 children. When terror-bombed, the bus was heading home from a picnic.
The US, UK and France are complicit in years of mass slaughter and destruction throughout the region, supplying the most arms – the Saudis, Egypt and UAE the leading buyers.
Nearly half of US arms exports go to the Middle East, supplying about one-third of all arms worldwide, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
Between 2013 and 2017, arms exports to the Middle East doubled, responsible for mass slaughter and destruction in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and elsewhere.
U.S., Britain, France, and other EU nations supply 98% of weapons sold to the Saudis. Other regional countries buy most of their arms from the same sources.
The US, Germany and Italy supply most Israeli arms imports. India, the world’s largest arms importer, buys most of its weapons from Russia (the main supplier), America and Israel.
Saudi Arabia is Britain’s largest arms customer. Scottish National Party MP Brendan O’Hare earlier asked:
“What does a regime have to do -how many breaches of international humanitarian law must it commit? – before this Government deems it an unacceptable partner to deal in arms with?”
The UK-based Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) challenged Theresa May’s regime “to stop its immoral and illegal arms sales to Saudi Arabia, ignoring and denying the overwhelming evidence that UK weapons are being used in violations of international humanitarian law in Yemen.”
Its spokesman Andrew Smith said
“UK fighter jets and bombs have played a central role in the ongoing destruction.”
He called for a full investigation into whether “UK arms (were) used in this appalling (school bus) bombing.”
CAAT’s judicial challenge to the Theresa May regime will be heard in appeals court proceedings ahead.
America, Britain, France and other EU countries continue selling arms to the Saudi/UAE killing machine.
Britain’s Department for International Trade turned truth on its head, claiming “the UK operates one of the most robust export control regimes in the world and will continue to defend the decisions being challenged,” adding:
“We keep our defense exports under careful review to ensure they meet the rigorous standards of the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria.”
According to RT,
“UK Prime Minister Theresa May, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, and the Foreign Office have issued no statements on the (school bus atrocity), and ignored RT when approached for comment.”
“The prime minister’s office refused to accept a list of questions from an RT journalist, or provide an email address for other future queries.”
“Neither the PM, Foreign Secretary, or Foreign Office have provided comment to the media on the Yemen bus attack.”
Shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry slammed May’s regime for “arming and advising a Saudi air force that cannot tell or does not see the difference between a legitimate military target and a bus full of children.”
Fact: There are no legitimate targets when waging wars of aggression – what’s going on in Yemen since March 2015. America, Israel, the Saudis, UAE, and apparently Britain consider civilians, including children, legitimate targets.
Yemen is Washington’s war, Britain and France partnering in its aggression – Saudi Arabia and the UAE their agents of mass slaughter and destruction.
Nikki Haley called for all sides to work with the UN “in good faith to find a political solution to the war.”
All it takes is for the Trump regime and its partners in high crimes to end their naked aggression on the country. Haley failed to explain.
On Friday, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert refused to hold the Saudis responsible for the school bus massacre, disgracefully saying “we don’t have the full details about what happened on the ground.”
At the same time, she falsely blamed Houthi fighters for Saudi/UAE high crimes.
The Saudi-led “coalition” began a whitewash probe into the school bus massacre. Earlier, it turned truth on its head, claiming the bus carried Houthi missiles.
The Thursday atrocity followed many earlier ones, many more sure to follow as endless US-orchestrated aggression on the country continues.
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Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at [email protected].
His new book as editor and contributor is titled “Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III.”
http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html
Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.
