Saudi Arabia’s air strikes in Yemen are killing many innocent people. Amnesty International has complained of “high toll of civilian deaths” and Human Rights Watch says an attack on a displaced persons camp, killing 29 civilians and wounding 41, “raised concerns about violations of the rules of war.”
As far as I can tell New Zealand (which has a representative on the UN Security Council) has yet to condemn the raids, which constitute illegal aggression against a neighbouring country.
From the news coverage so far it is hard to assess the rights and wrongs of the various factions contesting for power within Yemen. The Houthis, who are now militarily dominant in much of the country, are routinely described as Iranian-backed, but there is no evidence that Iran has had much to do with the conflict.
The back story is several decades of rule by the dictator Ali Abdullah Saleh, who stepped down in favour of his vice-president, Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, in 2012 following mass protests against his regime.
Many Yemenis, including the Houthis, were not satisfied that Hadi (also a member of the elite) was facilitating the changes required.
There is no easy way out of the crisis, but we can be sure that Saudi intervention will make things worse. The last thing the Saudi dictatorship wants for its neighbour is a democratic system.
The UN Secretary-General’s representative, Jamal Benomar, has put a lot of effort into mediation, with one all-party agreement being reached in September last year, and another, for a People’s Transitional Council, on 22 February this year. These agreements broke down as the Houthis, Hadi and other factions couldn’t agree on where to go next.
The September agreement has several progressive characteristics including targeting “people living in poverty and in marginalised areas” with more health, education and social welfare expenditure and better state salaries.
By going along with the Saudi attack on Yemen, America seems to be heading for another Middle East foreign policy disaster. They backed the Saudis arming Syria’s rebels, and ended up with Isis. They backed Saudi troops crushing the Arab Spring protests in Bahrain. And now America is giving new life to Yemen’s Al Qaeda by backing the Saudi bombing of its strongest opponent, the Houthis.
Unfortunately, I don’t have much confidence our government will distance itself from the United States on the Security Council and support a Russian motion (now on the table) for a halt in the Saudi bombing.
The Kurds in northern Syria who have managed to save Kobane and surrounding areas from ISIS and have created non-racist, no-religious democratic based institutions are showing the way forward. Of course, incidentally they are showing how all the surrounding nations based on oil wealth, religious intolerance etc are at the opposite end of the scale.
You can follow the northern Syrian Kurdish struggle as it unfolds daily here – https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Lions-Of-Rojava/290140627860127?fref=pb&hc_location=profile_browser
Remember when the US and Britain wanted to invade Syria a year or so ago? The public kicked up a stink about having another war, so they had to come up with another strategy.
This is plan B.
http://www.globalresearch.ca/the-destabilization-and-destruction-of-syria-islamic-state-terrorists-deployed-by-the-cia/5440834
This article takes the same basic line as you and has quite a lot of information on the social and political conditions.
http://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/africa-and-middle-east/saudi-aggression-vs-yemen/
New Zealand won’t condemn it because somehow John Key has gotten the truly absurd idea that comparing New Zealand to Saudi Arabia is good.
It ain’t. It never was. And certainly won’t be in the foreseeable future.
Why?
Saudi Arabia is one of the top five users of the Death Penalty.
Saudi Arabia does not allow women to drive, or do certain things such as conduct official business or leave the country without permission from a male relative.
Saudi Arabia bans protest and freedom of the press.
Amongst those statements, I see nothing to be proud of. Do you?
And to be honest, I cannot see meaningful change happening whilst our petro-dollars keep the Saudi economy propped up, and the U.S. arming their military.
Yes Keith, it seems Oil is the subject NatZ have on their mind as they scrap even our Electrified rail system last week to now allow Kiwirail to buy new Diesel locomotive locomotives for the main truck line.
Robert suggested oil is king rightly.
We have a Key lead Government firmly addicted to oil so Saudi Arabia is now becoming an important supply for NatZ climb up the oil dependant ladder for sure.
We wish your own senior membership of these environmentally connected subjects to the Green Party will be taken as serious issues by the new Green party line up who are so far nonchalant on many environmental issues.
Pity Jeanette and Sue are no longer able to provide sensible thought as you do, so keep it up Keith and all the best.
Yemen – another geopolitical pawn that occupies a strategic square on the grand chessboard at the Gulf of Aden. The humanitarian needs are trumped by the need to have a client government that supports US policy. Therefore, the NZ government will be mute.
Read and listen, and the truth shows the rot and lies by Saudi Arabia the allieS of the west, they are behind much of the war in Syria:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4c0wcFO5EWg
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