UN Should Take Action against US, Saudi Arabia over Civilian Deaths

Rasa - Fake news first: The United States and Saudi Arabia are praising themselves for avoiding civilian casualties in Yemen.

News ID: 434676

Date: 08 November 2017 - 23:10

RNA - The warmongers claim their so-called Coalition Supporting Legitimacy in Yemen is doing all it can to avoid harming civilians and children, reiterating their non-existent commitment to follow international humanitarian laws in military operations. They further slam the United Nations for using what they call “unreliable sources loyal to Houthis” (Ansarullah resistance movement) to write reports against Saudi Arabia. Speaking of reliable sources of information for writing the reports, it suffices to mention two separate news that were published on Wednesday, November 8:

The US is once again escalating the war in Afghanistan, and the number of US warplanes dropping munitions on the central Asian country is on the rise, and with it, the number of civilians being killed in those strikes. Seemingly every month the US announces that coalition munitions dropped are up dramatically from the month prior, and while a lot of the civilian casualties are officially still just “under investigation,” the UN is openly expressing concern about the rising toll.

This comes amid reports that the US-backed, Saudi-led airstrikes are also on the rise, targeting residential areas, markets, mosques and schools, and extended families. In fact, Saudi airstrikes have been killing thousands of civilians on a regular basis since early 2015, leading to a massive death toll. This has fueled international criticism of Saudi war crimes, and both the US and British governments for selling the Saudis such arms when they are used so recklessly.

This is while UN efforts to compel an end to the illegal war have failed for now, but there is a growing campaign in Europe and elsewhere to stop the weapons sales. Historically, Saudi officials have bought a lot of influence in both the US and Britain, ironically with arms sales, but the war crimes are costing them a lot of credibility.

In between, funny how Saudi Arabia accuses Iran (and Lebanon for that matter) of being behind Yemen missile strikes deep inside the Saudi territory without offering any evidence that this is the case. Indeed, while they claim Iran provides the missiles, they also confirm the missiles are Yemen-made designs, and which Yemen’s Defense Ministry confirms firing themselves.

Still, one allegation from the Saudis was enough for US Ambassador Nikki Haley to come to the UN on Tuesday, November 7, to demand international action against Iran, claiming the missile that targeted Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport on Saturday “may be of Iranian origin” and that would be a violation of UN Security Council resolutions. Guess what? It is the other way around. Backed by the US, Britain and regional allies, Saudi Arabia has invaded Yemen, the poorest nation in the Arab world. By killing thousands of civilians Saudi Arabia has also committed war crimes; a charge led by the United Nations and numerous human rights organizations.

Therefore, and under the Charter of the United Nations, the world body is expected to take action against Saudi Arabia and its allies, and not Iran, as Saudi allegations are transparently untrue. By picking fights with Iran, the warmongers cannot sweep their war crimes under the carpet. Also by using a missile launched from Yemen this week as a pretext to threaten war with Iran or by intensifying the brutal war and the illegal blockade of ports, the warmongers cannot shrug off responsibility for their actions.

Yet the UN and member states are still avoiding a vote on a resolution that puts pressure on Saudi Arabia to end the war, much less condemn US-British involvement in the conflict. Saudi Arabia relies heavily on the US military for intelligence sharing, refueling flights for coalition warplanes, and the transfer of American-made cluster bombs, rockets, and other munitions used against civilian targets in Yemen.

The UN, however, has never authorized support for the war, which has caused over 15,000 civilian deaths and has spiraled in recent months into one of the worst humanitarian crises of the century. For more than two years, Saudi Arabia and company have imposed a sea and air blockade around Yemen. Now, more than 7 million Yemenis face starvation and thousands, mostly children, are dying from cholera. Coalition warplanes have repeatedly struck crowded markets, hospitals, power plants, and other civilian targets.

The real news is for the international civil society to indicate an interest in the issue. The UN could do so by forcing a debate at the General Assembly and an on-the-record binding vote and resolution over the war. Under International Law, the UN should meet its international responsibility to end the war. To the people of Yemen, this is the way the UN should do its work. The world body should uphold its own Charter which is protecting international peace and stability.

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