The new prime minister of Yemen’s National Salvation government says Britain is guilty of war crimes in Yemen, accusing the country of participating in the bombing of civilians through its sales of arms to Saudi Arabia.
“They have sold cluster bombs to Saudi Arabia,” Abdulaziz bin Habtur, prime minister of the newly formed government, told Sky News. “They know the Saudis are going to drop them on Yemen… in Saada and in Sana’a and other provinces.”
“I don’t think they are guilty of war crimes, I believe so. They are participating in the bombing of Yemen people.”
Bin Habtur went on to state that British-made cluster bombs have been found in Saada, along with a British-made Storm Shadow cruise missile which the UK’s Ministry of Defense calls “arguably the most advanced weapon of its kind in the world.”
It is believed that Saudi Arabia has British-made cluster bombs bought in the 1980s and 1990s, as the UK agreed to stop using and selling them around six years ago. The Convention on Cluster Munitions also states that signatories will “never under any circumstances assist, encourage, or induce” anyone to use such munitions.
Bin Habtour’s statements come less than two weeks after British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson defended the UK’s arms sales to Saudi Arabia, denying that Riyadh’s bombing campaign in Yemen violates international law. Johnson alleged that the actions of Saudi Arabia in Yemen are justified, and even supported by the UN.
Britain refused to stop selling arms to Saudi Arabia in November, rejecting calls by two parliamentary committees and human rights groups.
Yemen has been since March 26, 2015 under brutal aggression by Saudi-led coalition.
Thousands have been martyred and injured in the attack, with the vast majority of them are civilians.
Riyadh launched the attack on Yemen in a bid to restore power to fugitive ex-president Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi who is a close ally to Saudi Arabia.
Source: RT
