Yemen update 1/27/2016..UN panel slams Saudi use of Starvation as War Tactic

Yemen’s pro-govt forces claim having retaken Taez province area

International Military Review – Yemen, Jan. 27, 2016

UN panel slams Saudi use of Starvation as War Tactic

Yemen confab discusses impacts of war on health sector

Yemen conflict: Should UK sell arms to Saudi Arabia?

’900% more UK arms sales to Saudi, look if any end up in Yemen’– Salmond

Houthis, destroying saudi Bradley tank after fleeing soldiers

Yemeni Forces Destroy Saudi-Led Coalition’s Arms Depot in Ta’iz Province

The Yemeni army and volunteer forces destroyed an arms depot of the Saudi-led coalition in Ta’iz province.

“The Saudi forces’ logistical and arms depot was destroyed in the Yemeni forces’ missile attacks in Al-Ahyouq region in Ta’iz province,” a Yemeni military official told FNA on Wednesday.

He said that a large column of smoke could be seen after the Yemeni missiles hit the Saudi arms depot.

Meantime, a Yemeni military source disclosed that the Saudi troops failed to take back Malhama military site in Al-Khuba region in Jizan province in Southern Saudi Arabia.

In a relevant development on Tuesday, the Yemeni army and popular forces continued their special operations in Al-Khuba city and seized back strategic military positions.

The Yemeni forces took full control of Al-Shabaka military center after cutting their supply lines in the Northern part of Al-Khuba region.

Taking control of Al-Shabaka military center and the Saudi forces’ supply lines in the Northern part of Al-Khuba are of highly strategic importance to both sides of war.

In Saudi Arabia’s Asir province, the Yemeni forces prevented the Saudi forces from advancing towards al-Rabou’a city for the second day. This is while the Saudi warplanes conducted over 350 sorties over Al-Rabou’a to back up the Saudi forces.

In a relevant development on Monday, the Yemeni army and popular forces thwarted an attempt by the Saudi-led coalition forces to prevail over the al-Rabou’a region in Asir province.

The Saudi troops launched an attack to take control of al-Rabou’a region which is under the control of the Yemeni forces, but they were pushed back by the army and popular forces.

The Yemeni forces also set fire to several military vehicles of the Saudi army.

Saudi Arabia has been striking Yemen for 306 days now to restore power to fugitive president Mansour Hadi, a close ally of Riyadh. The Saudi-led aggression has so far killed at least 8,000 Yemenis, including hundreds of women and children.

Hadi stepped down in January and refused to reconsider the decision despite calls by Ansarullah revolutionaries of the Houthi movement.

Despite Riyadh’s claims that it is bombing the positions of the Ansarullah fighters, Saudi warplanes are flattening residential areas and civilian infrastructures.

Over 3,750 schools have been closed and at least 1.2 million Yemeni people have been displaced so far.

Saudi War on Yemen Has Become America’s Shame

Speaking in Riyadh on January 24, US Secretary of State John Kerry didn’t shy away from endorsing the House of Saud’s criminal decision to invade Yemen.

In broad violation of international law, he said Washington will continue to provide logistical, targeting, and intelligence assistance to Riyadh in an unjustified war which has raged since last March, killed thousands of civilians, and made millions more refugees.

Kerry followed on these outrageous comments with similar Saudi allegations about Iran’s imaginary “interference” in Yemen. He even issued a statement of “concern” about the massive civilian death toll, but brazenly did not mention Saudi Arabia, who has killed the vast majority of them.

Despite Saudi allegations, the ongoing war is not just against Ansarullah, but against the people of Yemen as an overwhelming majority of war casualties are civilians. Meantime, the resistance group has no military ties to Iran. Which means this conflict is no part of a regional power struggle between Tehran and Riyadh. But that’s not the purpose of this write-up. The argument is this:

* Washington, Riyadh and their regional partners in crime bear the greatest responsibility for the civilian carnage. The regime changers are behind the suffering inflicted on the civilians through an unjustified blockade. They cannot hide the fact that they are now in an awkward diplomatic tangle for being directly responsible for two million malnourished Yemenis as well as the collapse of the country’s health, food and education system.

* Unlike what corporate media would like to suggest, and despite the ongoing crimes being committed against humanity, there is no indication that cracks in the relationship between Washington and Riyadh are beginning to show. When in Riyadh, Kerry never urged the Saudis to abide by international humanitarian law governing conflicts. He never said America would withdraw its support, or that the war is turning into a political liability for Washington.

* As it has been the case since last march, the War Party doesn’t want this conflict wrapped up anytime soon. It is not frustrated by repeated Saudi violations of the cease-fire either. After all, the War Party and the Military-Industrial Complex didn’t supply many of the weapons that the Saudi coalition is using against civilian targets only to be worried later about being linked to the resulting atrocities and deteriorating humanitarian situation.

* The US government has committed and continues to commit war crimes in Yemen, as it is the primary supplier of Saudi weapons; prevented last year nine Iranian ships loaded with relief supplies from reaching the besieged country; sent an aircraft carrier to the area to enforce the Saudi embargo on outside supplies; and still prevents scrutiny of Saudi human rights abuses at the Human Rights Council.

True, both the US and the Saudis are not parties to the Rome Statute for the International Criminal Court. Still, that statute sets forth standard aider and abettor liability provisions. It says an individual can be convicted of war crimes if he or she “aids, abets or otherwise assists” in the commission of the crime.

Under international law, therefore, the US government should halt arms transfers and military support to the Saudis and support an independent investigation into US arms transfers and war crimes in Yemen. The US must stop participating in the ongoing blockade so that humanitarian assistance can reach those in need, and engage in diplomatic efforts to end the conflict. It’s a disgrace and an abomination that it never does.