MoD: UK Arming Saudi Arabia in Yemen

Local Editor

Britain's Ministry of Defense has confirmed it is providing technical support and arming Saudi Arabia in its ongoing war against Yemen.

A MoD spokesperson said the UK's assistance to Saudi Arabia includes providing "precision guided weapons," but added the British government had been assured they will be used in compliance with international law.

Anti-arms trade campaigners condemned Britain's support for the Gulf monarchy, warning that the UK cares more about arms sales than human rights and democracy.

A MoD spokesperson stated: "The UK is providing support to the Saudi Arabian Armed Forces and as part of pre-existing arrangements are providing precision guided weapons to assist the Saudi Air Force."

"The use of these weapons is a matter for the Saudis but we are assured that they will be used in compliance with international law."

The MoD's response confirms suspicions held by anti-arms trade campaigners that Britain is providing support for a war that top Yemeni academics based in the West have branded "illegal."

Andrew Smith of Campaign Against the Arms Trade (CAAT) said: "The Saudi bombing has created a humanitarian catastrophe and now we know the UK weapons have contributed to it."

"These weapons have not just given military support to the bombardment, they have also provided a strong political support and underlined the closeness between the UK and Saudi governments."

"With the destruction of Yemen and the intensifying crackdown on dissent in Saudi Arabia, the UK government is sending the message that human rights and democracy are less important than arms sales," he added.

CAAT said the "precision guided weapons" used by the Saudi Air Force are likely to be Eurofighter Typhoons or Tornado jets.

An Amnesty International report found that British fighter jets were "extremely likely" to have been used in the 2009 Saudi bombing of Yemen.

At the time Amnesty called on the UK government to ensure British weapons "did not facilitate violations of international humanitarian law, including possible war crimes, by the Saudi Arabian air force."

The confirmation of Britain's indirect support for the Gulf kingdom's war against on Yemen comes as the reported total casualties pass the 10,000 mark.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team