The monstrous Saudi regime

[batshitlady]

The lead story on last night's Newsnight: CAAT is considering considering legal action against the UK Government unless it suspends all licences permitting UK produced arms to be sent to Saudi Arabia.

Your support to increase the pressure on the government to act and distance this country from the barbaric, medieval theocracy that is saudi Arabia. Who are currently blowing Yemen to smithereens with our weapons.

sign

[batshitlady]

I meant to say please sign

[AgentProvocateur]

Thanks, I will sign and share

[MytwinisMilaKunis]

The link is not working for me

[batshitlady]

Ooops sorry, I was trying to do that clever imbeddedy thing that everyone else seem to be able to do .. Here it is, please, please sign.

www.caat.org.uk/get-involved/act-now/petition/stop-arming-saudi

[batshitlady]

Anybody???

[prh47bridge]

For those who aren't aware, the situation in Yemen is a little more complex than the description in the OP suggests.

There is a civil war. Houthi tribes and forces loyal to a previous president who was deposed in the Arab Spring uprisings are attacking government forces. The government has requested assistance. Saudi Arabia heads up a coalition of 9 Arab states supporting the government, mainly through air strikes against the rebels. Both sides in this conflict have been accused of war crimes. The intervention has been branded a "humanitarian disaster" by critics with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights saying that the air strikes are responsible for two-thirds of civilian casualties.

[batshitlady]

Thank you for your interpretation of events in Yemen pr47 Don't get me wrong, I glad someone is reading.

People can learn what is going on for themselves - if they're interested, and it doesn't look like many are at the moment.

The UK must end all arms sales and military support to Saudi Arabia, one of the world's most authoritarian regimes, its repression at home and aggression abroad is propped up and supported by UK arms sales.

Not only does it brutally repress its own population, it has used UK weapons to help crush democracy protests in Bahrain, and now UK-made warplanes to attack Yemen. This conflict has triggered a humanitarian disaster and risks destabilising the region further. The UK has continued to support Saudi air strikes in Yemen and provide arms despite strong evidence that war crimes may have been committed.

The UK's military support for the Saudi regime makes us complicit in its wrongs. Campaign Against Arms Trade is considering legal action against the UK Government unless it suspends all licences permitting UK produced arms to be sent to Saudi Arabia.

Please sign www.caat.org.uk/get-involved/act-now/petition/stop-arming-saudi

[mimishimmi]

The U.S and others were and are totally in cahoots with Saudi leadership (as well as Pakistan). They knew for years where OBL was. We give them arms, they arm the fascist paramilitaries, we get sent over to fight them, our own society becomes more fascist, arms and banking companies see win-win. Dangerous times.

[Room101isWhereIUsedToLive]

Bump.

[UnderTheCovers]

Question, for the knowledgeable types who seem to be looking at this. What would have happened if the Arab States Coalition hadn't intervened? Yemen was already in a state of civil war, so would the fighting have continued within the boarders? Or is there reason to think it would have all been resolved pretty quickly?

[prh47bridge]

The country is essentially divided into four segments at the moment. Two, constituting around half the country, are controlled by the government. One is controlled by the Revolutionary Committee (Houthis and supporters of the ex-president) and one is controlled by AQAP (Al Qaeda). IS is also involved. It is alleged that Iran is supporting the Revolutionary Committee, although both Iran and the Revolutionary Committee deny this. Nine Arab states and the US are supporting the government.

It is a very messy situation and unlikely to be resolved soon even if the Arab states pull out. If they hadn't intervened to support the government there certainly would not have been a peaceful resolution. It is possible the rebels would have defeated the government but, given the number of parties involved in Yemen, it is unlikely that would have been the end of the conflict.