Britain’s Role In The Aggression On Yemen: From Arming To Recruiting Fighters
Ali Al-Dorwani
Following nearly a four-decades-long hiatus from the Yemeni arena – more specifically since the British occupation left South Yemen as a result of the October 1963 Revolution – Britain has returned to play a major role in the war against the Yemeni people. This is a war that has destroyed everything and set Yemen back decades. Britain’s role was most evident at the UN Security Council.
In recent months and days, it has become evident that Britain is not only the chief author of Yemen resolutions at the Security Council, including 2216 through to 2452, but also a key partner in the aggression against the war-torn country and one of the most important pillars of the Quartet along with Saudi Arabia, the United States and the United Arab Emirates.
This British position was clearly confirmed by the UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt’s latest statements stressing the continuation of what he called the strategic relationship with Saudi Arabia to deal with the war in Yemen. This in addition to the spike in British rhetoric on Yemen, which refers to the involvement of London and its interference in all Yemeni political and military affairs as well as other issues.
Looking at Hunt’s recently declared positions in addition to the statements he made after the Warsaw Conference and the Quartet meeting, it is clear that these moves are highly suspicious and raise serious questions about what the Quartet – headed by Britain – is planning for Yemen and its people, especially after trying to paint a different picture of Yemen and its people in Warsaw. That picture refers to the director of the Warsaw summit deciding to seat Yemen between the US, represented by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and the “Israeli” entity, represented by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Although these statements are in stark contrast to the atmosphere of optimism promoted by the United Nations and its envoy to Yemen, they also coincide with the insistence of the London government to continue supplying Riyadh and Abu Dhabi with deadly weapons that have killed thousands of women and children while destroying Yemeni infrastructure. British and European organizations active in the field of human rights and anti-arms trade repeatedly called for a halt to this armament, which brings shame to the UK government. Repeated calls.
Britain did not stop here. On the contrary, it even attempted to try and influence Berlin to abandon its decision to prevent licenses to supply weapons to Riyadh. The German magazine Der Spiegel revealed deep British concern regarding the impact of the German decision on the British and European defense industries. The magazine reported the concerns of Britain’s foreign secretary over British companies failing to meet several contracts with Saudi Arabia, including a new model of Eurofighter Typhoon or Tornado fighter jets, one of the most prominent aircraft used to kill civilians in Yemen.
In the same context, new information revealed the depth of the British involvement in the aggression against Yemen. The British newspaper Daily Express reported that two British soldiers from SAS battalions, one of the most dangerous forces in the world, were injured in Yemen. They were part of a team of twelve British troops deployed in a top-secret mission to the war-torn country alongside a unit of the US green berets.
These facts and revelations further unveil the nature of the quadripartite aggression on Yemen, which enters its fifth year in nearly a month. Thus, it refers to the real objectives behind it. These positions also refute all the justifications that Saudi Arabia and the UAE have given for the past four years.
On the other hand, the people of Yemen are aware of the scale of the conspiracy surrounding them. They also recognize the steadfastness of the heroes of the army and the popular committees and the righteousness of the stance towards this aggression, the motives of which and the gravity of its objectives are being uncovered day after day.
