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Human Rights are Buried by UK Arms Profits as Yemen Bleeds
Last edited Sat Feb 6, 2016, 02:10 PM - Edit history (1)
by Felicity Arbuthnot / February 3rd, 2016
Out of the mirror they stare,
Imperialism’s face
And the international wrong.
— W.H. Auden, 1907-1973
It is more than possible to speculate why Prime Minister David Cameron has declared it his mission to scrap the Human Rights Act – which is incorporated into the European Convention on Human Rights – it appears he simply does not believe in human rights.
For example, the fact that Saudi Arabia executed – including beheadings – forty seven people in one day last month, displaying their bodies from gibbets, failed to deter him from having British military experts to work with their Saudi counterparts, advising on which targets – and which people, it seems – to bomb in Yemen. Parliament has not been consulted, thus, without a chance to debate and vote, democracy too has been suspended.
The fact that in May 2013 Saudi also beheaded five Yemenis, then used cranes to display their headless bodies against the skyline (Al-Akhbar, May 21st, 2013) also did not trouble him. Neither did that by November 10th, 2015, the year’s total executions had already reached one hundred and fifty one, the highest for twenty years, in what Amnesty International called “a bloody executions spree.”
But why care about human rights or outright savagery when there are arms to be sold? As written previously, in one three month period last year UK arms sales to Saudi soared by 11,000%. From a mere nine million pounds the preceding three months: “The exact figure for British arms export licences from July to September 2015 was £1,066,216,510 in so-called ‘ML4’ export licences, which relate to bombs, missiles, rockets, and components of those items.”
For example, the fact that Saudi Arabia executed – including beheadings – forty seven people in one day last month, displaying their bodies from gibbets, failed to deter him from having British military experts to work with their Saudi counterparts, advising on which targets – and which people, it seems – to bomb in Yemen. Parliament has not been consulted, thus, without a chance to debate and vote, democracy too has been suspended.
The fact that in May 2013 Saudi also beheaded five Yemenis, then used cranes to display their headless bodies against the skyline (Al-Akhbar, May 21st, 2013) also did not trouble him. Neither did that by November 10th, 2015, the year’s total executions had already reached one hundred and fifty one, the highest for twenty years, in what Amnesty International called “a bloody executions spree.”
But why care about human rights or outright savagery when there are arms to be sold? As written previously, in one three month period last year UK arms sales to Saudi soared by 11,000%. From a mere nine million pounds the preceding three months: “The exact figure for British arms export licences from July to September 2015 was £1,066,216,510 in so-called ‘ML4’ export licences, which relate to bombs, missiles, rockets, and components of those items.”
In the light of a fifty one page UN Report on the bombing of Yemen obtained by various parties on January 27th, Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn called for an immediate suspension of arms sales to Saudi, pending the outcome of an independent Inquiry. David Cameron stated, farcically, that: “Britain had the strictest rules governing arms sales of almost any country, anywhere in the world.”
However, in one of the key findings, the UN Report says:
It adds:
It also reported cases of civilians fleeing and being chased and shot at by helicopters.
Moreover it stated that the humanitarian crisis was compounded by the Saudi blockade of ships carrying fuel, food and other essentials that are trying to reach Yemen.
The panel said that: “civilians are disproportionately affected” and deplored tactics that: “constitute the prohibited use of starvation as a method of warfare.” (Emphasis added.)
However, in one of the key findings, the UN Report says:
The panel documented that the coalition had conducted airstrikes targeting civilians and civilian objects, in violation of international humanitarian law, including camps for internally displaced persons and refugees; civilian gatherings, including weddings; civilian vehicles, including buses; civilian residential areas; medical facilities; schools; mosques; markets, factories and food storage warehouses; and other essential civilian infrastructure, such as the airport in Sana’a, the port in Hudaydah and domestic transit routes.
It adds:
The panel documented 119 coalition sorties relating to violations of international humanitarian law.
It also reported cases of civilians fleeing and being chased and shot at by helicopters.
Moreover it stated that the humanitarian crisis was compounded by the Saudi blockade of ships carrying fuel, food and other essentials that are trying to reach Yemen.
The panel said that: “civilians are disproportionately affected” and deplored tactics that: “constitute the prohibited use of starvation as a method of warfare.” (Emphasis added.)
Amnesty, Human rights Watch, Médecins Sans Frontières (who have had three medical facilities bombed) and The Campaign to Stop Bombing in Yemen have all called for an independent Inquiry with the power to hold those responsible for atrocities to account. None of which, however, would bring back the dead, restore the disabled, disfigured, limbless, or beautiful, ruined, ancient Yemen – another historical Paradise lost.
Full article: http://dissidentvoice.org/2016/02/human-rights-are-buried-by-uk-arms-profits-as-yemen-bleeds/
Why are these horrors against nations and invisible and expendable people unable to defend themselves all so identical, even down to the exact same war-crimes and international human rights abuses?
Saudi Arabia has a very long and documented history of military intervention in Yemen:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1017295153
but so has Britain.
A HISTORY OF “AWE-INSPIRING” VIOLENCE
Aden, now Yemen, was a British “protectorate.” After WWII, it was subdued in part by the then-new weapon of mass destruction, the bomber plane. In 1947, the Emir of Dhala’s son, Haidan, led an uprising which was crushed by the Royal Air Force. [4]
The RAND Corporation’s Bruce Hoffman writes that, “No sooner than the threat from Haidan been neutralized than trouble erupted from another tribe, in the nearby village of Al Husein.” Hoffman explains the aerial “punishment”: “Four Mosquitoes and three Tempests from No. 8 Squadron were ordered to destroy the village. The rocket and cannon air strike, the after-action report stated, “was most impressive and awe-inspiring, and the attack undoubtedly made an impression not easily forgotten.”” [5]
From 1962, Britain ran a covert mercenary war in Yemen, in which a staggering 200,000 people died in an eight year period, many from chemical weapons, such as phosgene, produced by the tax-funded Porton Down laboratories (the UK’s biochemical warfare plant). The operations were run by MI6 head Dick White, and former MI6 vice chief turned banker George Young via the latter’s Mossad-allied proxy, Neil McLean. [6]
High Commissioner Sir Kennedy Trevaskis suggested to the British mercenary forces that they “put the fear of death into the [Yemeni] villagers” with more air raids. Prime Minister Harold Macmillan wrote that “it would not suit us too badly if [Yemenis] were occupied with their own internal affairs during the next few years.” [7]
Critical Analysis
By T.J. Coles, PIPR
Plymouth Institute for Peace Research
Thursday, Feb 4, 2016
http://axisoflogic.com/artman/publish/Article_72985.shtml
Aden, now Yemen, was a British “protectorate.” After WWII, it was subdued in part by the then-new weapon of mass destruction, the bomber plane. In 1947, the Emir of Dhala’s son, Haidan, led an uprising which was crushed by the Royal Air Force. [4]
The RAND Corporation’s Bruce Hoffman writes that, “No sooner than the threat from Haidan been neutralized than trouble erupted from another tribe, in the nearby village of Al Husein.” Hoffman explains the aerial “punishment”: “Four Mosquitoes and three Tempests from No. 8 Squadron were ordered to destroy the village. The rocket and cannon air strike, the after-action report stated, “was most impressive and awe-inspiring, and the attack undoubtedly made an impression not easily forgotten.”” [5]
From 1962, Britain ran a covert mercenary war in Yemen, in which a staggering 200,000 people died in an eight year period, many from chemical weapons, such as phosgene, produced by the tax-funded Porton Down laboratories (the UK’s biochemical warfare plant). The operations were run by MI6 head Dick White, and former MI6 vice chief turned banker George Young via the latter’s Mossad-allied proxy, Neil McLean. [6]
High Commissioner Sir Kennedy Trevaskis suggested to the British mercenary forces that they “put the fear of death into the [Yemeni] villagers” with more air raids. Prime Minister Harold Macmillan wrote that “it would not suit us too badly if [Yemenis] were occupied with their own internal affairs during the next few years.” [7]
Critical Analysis
By T.J. Coles, PIPR
Plymouth Institute for Peace Research
Thursday, Feb 4, 2016
http://axisoflogic.com/artman/publish/Article_72985.shtml
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