A review of annual State Department reports by the Security Assistance Monitor show the Defense and State departments planned sales of approximately $2 million in F-15 trainings for Saudi aviators, including fighter jet trainings, through foreign military sales between fiscal years 2015 to 2020. ), a substantial number of Yemenis have not been killed by direct violence. The Defense Department did not respond to requests from The Post to clarify if and how these units might have been vetted or if Leahys provisions did not apply ahead of joint exercises or additional weapons deliveries. Our purpose is to build an international movement to prevent and stop genocide. In some ways, the humanitarian crisis in Yemen is unprecedented and can be tied directly to the conflict. Houthi forces have repeatedly launched missiles toward civilian airports in Saudi Arabia in what constitute apparent war crimes. The reports do not include any trainings that may have been purchased through direct commercial sales. In his analysis of the blockades legality, Dutch military scholar Martin Fink writes that the blockade means massive time delays and uncertainty on what products would be allowed to enter.. Thats evident from the kind and volume of civilian targets documented. Yemen war deaths will reach 377,000 by end of the year: UN At least one squadron each from Bahrain, Kuwait and the UAE benefited from U.S. contracts because of support going to a type of plane, but lack of specificity in information published by the Department of Defense makes it impossible to know the exact squadron. Yemens economic infrastructure farms, private businesses and factories, oil and gas facilities, water and electricity lines and food storage have also been hit. The main cause of the crisis is the ongoing Yemeni Civil War. AFP A Saudi-led multinational coalition intervened in the conflict in Yemen in March 2015 Yemen's neighbour Saudi Arabia was alarmed by the prospect of the Houthis taking control of. Coalition airstrikes increased after that, according to Yemen Data Project, a website publishing statistics on coalition airstrikes, with civilian casualties reaching their highest monthly rate in more than two years. An investigation of the attack should consider whether all feasible precautions were taken to minimize civilian harm, and whether the expected military gain outweighed the anticipated loss of civilian life and other harm to civilians. In 2016, well after the coalition began its genocidal assault on Yemen, four of the top five recipients of U.S. arms sales were members of the coalition. An analysis of news releases, videos and photos reveals for the first time at least three of these four Saudi squadrons not only received new equipment but participated in at least 13 trainings and joint exercises including at least one on U.S. soil. The coalitions genocide in Yemen would not be possible without the complicity of the U.S. Meg Kelly is a video reporter for The Washington Post's Visual Forensics team. New UNDP report projects that the number of those killed as a result of Yemen's war could reach 1.3 million by 2030. . In other words, two questions must be answered: (1) if the US and/or the UK were committing the same acts as the Saudi-led coalition, would they be wrongful, and (2) are the US and UK aware of the circumstances of the wrongful acts being committed by the Saudi-led coalition? More than 230,000 people have died as a result of military operations in Yemen. The coalition has not responded. These American officials could be tried for war crimes. Following those attacks, on January 17, coalition airstrikes destroyed two residential buildings, including the home of Houthi Brigadier General Abdullah al-Junid, director of the College of Aviation and Air Defense in Yemens capital, Sanaa, and damaged four adjacent residential buildings. Security forces kill protestors, e.g., in protests against the demolition of a historic neighborhood in Awamiya. UN humanitarian office puts Yemen war dead at 233,000, mostly from As for knowledge of the circumstances, the destruction of Yemen by the coalition has been ongoing for almost four years. The fighting has stretched the country thin and devastated the nation. Airstrike counts and fatality totals reported by ACLED and Yemen Data Project. An error occurred while subscribing your email address. Killings Apparently Unlawful, Any Future Peace Talks Should Prioritize Justice, Share this via Facebook Highlights: Senate probes PGA Tour-LIV Golf merger in key hearing Iran's supreme leader has accused Saudi Arabia of committing genocide in Yemen and said air strikes against Houthi rebels are doomed to fail, in a sharp escalation of . The last F-15SA was delivered to Saudi Arabia in 2020, and dozens of contracts supporting the new fleet and the upgrade of the other F-15s were awarded after 2015. After eight years of conflict that has turned life for Yemens civilians into a disaster zone, the situation only seems to get worse, said Lama Fakih, executive Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch. Database of Foreign Military Training and Defense Department training compiled by Security Assistance Monitor. If we dont sell the particular ammunition, they can still fly, Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-N.J.), who served as assistant secretary of state for human rights during the Obama administration, told The Post. The Yemeni Civil War is an ongoing conflict that has produced enormous instability and destruction in Yemen. The U.S. has also provided the coalition with logistical support, including mid-air refueling, targeting advice and support, intelligence, expedited munitions resupply and maintenance. Alexander Morris-Schwarz is a second-year student at McGill University where he is majoring in Political Science with a minor in Communication Studies. Its peace negotiators and field office staff are required not to encourage or condone amnesties that prevent prosecution of those responsible for serious crimes. Genocide Watch considers Saudi Arabia to be at Stage 8: Persecution for its treatment of Shi'a Muslims domestically and Stage 9: Extermination for its war crimes and blockade of food aid in Yemen. The Houthi Ministry of Health reported that 91 detainees were killed and another 236 were injured. Uxbridge, Hillingdon, Westminster Community Concerts - Students from the Royal Academy of Music, pieces for organ and trombone Things such as food shortages are commonplace and the vast majority of the Yemeni population is now considered in need of aid. As of August 2021, confirmed cases of Covid-19 had reached 8,265, with 3,252 associated deaths according to the World. The Houthi military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, announced the attacks and targets in a televised speech that day, noting that Houthi forces launched five ballistic and winged missiles as well as drones targeting the airports of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the oil refinery in Mussafah in Abu Dhabi, and a number of important and sensitive Emirati sites and facilities. Attacks targeting civilian objects and indiscriminate attacks that do not distinguish between civilian and military targets are prohibited under the law of armed conflict. Then the second airstrike hit. Human Rights Watch reviewed satellite imagery collected before and after the attack. However, since 2018, when the Southern Transitional Council, a secessionist group in South Yemen, seized control of Aden, the coalition has been ruptured. (Ian E. Abbott). The specifics of certain sales are never released to the public. More than 50 detainees were targeted, some of them were climbing the wall so [the gunfire] made them fall down and die because the wall is really tall many children were injured who were kept in the childrens prison, which held 40 children. 2 said, likening the Saudi-led airstrikes on Yemen to Israel's bombing campaigns in Gaza. Strike data showed the escalation began in October 2021, the same month that the United Nations Human Rights Council voted to end its independent investigatory group on Yemen. Finally, Yemens cultural heritage has been attacked. Before joining the Post, she worked as an associate video producer for Time magazine. Hadi also declared that Aden was to be considered a temporary capital for the time being. 18 January 2022 Human Rights. The United States government should not accept Saudi Arabias request to designate the Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, which would cripple delivery of humanitarian aid. Q. What the US and Saudi Arabia are doing in Yemen is genocide 18K 353 353 comments Add a Comment jwdot 5 yr. ago The problem is our country doesn't see them as 27 million people - I'm not so sure they see them as people at all WeKilledSocrates 5 yr. ago What are people? Created in 2019, Catalyst operates under the portfolio of the VP Publications of the McGill IDSSA. An Ansar Allah-led military offensive has been ongoing since February 2021 with the aim of reclaiming the city of Marib, and reports are suggesting that Saudi Arabia is looking for an exit strategy after half a decade of disastrous military operations. The Houthi movement, officially known as Ansar Allah (Supporters of God), is a predominantly Zaidi Shia political movement whose, revolve around combating economic insecurity and political marginalization within Yemen. An investigation into the attack should consider whether coalition forces targeted a military objective, and, if there was a legitimate military objective, whether all feasible precautions were taken to minimize civilian harm, and whether the expected military gain outweighed the anticipated loss of civilian life. Yemen Crisis Has Only Worsened, Despite Biden Pledge Hadi subsequently fled the country and eventually sought asylum in Saudi Arabia. I couldnt know where it hit but the house shook more and another part of the room fell off. Graphics editing by Danielle Rindler and Tim Meko. Join our movement today. Saudi Arabia prohibits, Saudi women's and human rights activists are arrested, subjected to pre-determined trials and given lengthy prison sentences. Sales announcements never name specific squadrons that will benefit, only a type of plane or piece of equipment being sold. The Yemeni Civil War began in 2014 when the then president of Yemen, Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, was ousted from power after losing control of the capital after a coup detat by the Houthi movement. The interruption of mobile networks and internet affected service across almost the entire country for four days, affecting virtually every aspect of life, including emergency rescue operations, money transfers, and humanitarian work. Eighty percent of the population depends on humanitarian relief. The United Nations has referred to the civil war and its ensuing ruin as , The Yemeni Civil War began in 2014 when the then president of Yemen, Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, was ousted from power after losing control of the capital after a, by the Houthi movement. The current war in Yemen began in 2014 when Houthis from northern Yemen, a largely Shi'a movement supported by Iran, took control of Sana'a, the capital of Yemen. Saudi Arabia prohibits public worship of religions other than Islam. Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto leader of the kingdom [Cliff Owen/AP]. On August 23, a Saudi-led airstrike south of the . The Yemen genocide is now widely accepted as a war crime. A joint Washington Post analysis reveals for the first time that the United States supported the majority of air force squadrons involved in the Saudi coalitions years-old air campaign. According to media reports from January 28, the Joint Incident Assessment Team concluded that the strike in Saada targeted a Special Security Camp which is a legitimate military target.. A photograph of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on display in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Under international humanitarian law, or the laws of war, warring parties may target only military objectives. As of February 2018, according to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the coalition had killed 6,000 people in airstrikes and wounded nearly 10,000 more. The roof and northern facade are clearly damaged, A mosque 10 meters east shows damage to the roof, and a section of the wall located on the right side of the main gate also seems affected. LONDON and SANAA It was a hot, dry day in early July 2015. He said the child found the remnant near the prisons bakery. Both [Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates] face significant threat to their territories, State Department spokesman Ned Price told The Post, noting that the Houthis had launched hundreds of cross-border attacks on Saudi Arabia in just the last year. In an ideal world, one in which all states are equally subjects before international law, the U.S. would also seek an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice regarding what restitution it owes the people of Yemen for its role in the coalitions genocide. We posed a few questions to Bachman to break this down further. LEFT: An F-16E plane from the UAE Air Forces 2nd Shaheen Squadron takes off to conduct airstrikes in Yemen in 2015. Airstrikes are still responsible for the vast majority of civilian deaths. The Joint Incident Assessment Team (JIAT) established by the coalition to investigate violations said on February 8 that the strike in Saada targeted a Special Security Camp which is a legitimate military target but evidence gathered by Human Rights Watch and Mwatana for Human Rights consistently reflected that the facility targeted was a detention center. Following a period of political instability and turmoil after the, , they seized political power in Yemen with a military coup and took control of the capital Sanaa. Although individual squadrons have never publicly been implicated in specific airstrikes, which are always described as being carried out by the coalition, the then-head of U.S. Central Command, Gen. Joseph Votel, confirmed in 2019 testimony that the United States had access to a detailed database of the coalitions airstrikes in Yemen. Get updates on human rights issues from around the globe. Mohammed bin Salman and other Saudi leaders should be charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity in Yemen in courts with universal jurisdiction, and with murder for killing Jamal Khashoggi. The US's Role in the Hidden Genocide in Yemen Warning: This graphic requires JavaScript. The man who was detained at the center who survived the strikes also told Mwatana for Human Rights that three children were among the injured. Opinion . As early as March 2015, U.S. officials worried that coalition airstrikes may have violated the rules of war. There is no international investigative body currently documenting human rights violations and unlawful attacks by parties to the conflict in Yemen. On January 19, Houthi media reported that airstrikes targeted Sanaa Airport and its surroundings. Within Saudi Arabia, Shi'a Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, Hindus, and other non-Muslims have no freedom to practice their religions. Internal State Department documents, written between mid-May 2015 and February 2016 and released as part of a Freedom of Information Act request by Reuters, revealed concern at the State Department about the Saudi-led coalitions airstrikes and the legal implications for U.S. officials. In its satellite imagery analysis, Human Rights Watch also identified a military target 15 meters away, the 1st Armored Division base, across the street from the residences that were struck. Imagery from January 18 reflects previous damage to the facility, from an attack in 2016. First, the concept of genocide that is most commonly employed does not actually reflect even the very narrow one codified by the Genocide Convention. 1 December 2020 Peace and Security Almost a quarter of a million people have died in Yemen's war, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on its website on Tuesday,. Then, when I lifted my head up to see what happened, I saw the ceiling and the wall all destroyed.
