In a war in which the lines between the combatants and civilians are blurred, Saudi Arabia has become the piñata of western nations seeking a scapegoat for the deaths of civilians in Yemen.
Saudi Arabia has come under harsh criticism for the number of reported civilian deaths during the 16-month war: 6,500 people killed with reported more than 3,700 identified as civilians. These numbers, of course, are reported by western observers and human rights activists, many of whom have little experience in gathering battlefield intelligence. Frankly, any civilian death is unacceptable and countries that engage in wars resulting in civilian deaths should be held accountable.
If the United Nations and NGOs are holding Saudi Arabia to a high standard, then the same organizations should also hold the United States and Russia to the same standard when engaging in operations that have left thousands of civilians dead in Iraq and Syria.
The Saudis welcomed US Secretary of State John Kerry to Saudi Arabia. Kerry was on a mission to bring in the United Arab Emirates and Great Britain to help broker a peace deal with the Iran-backed Houthi rebels to end the war. Prior to the meeting between Saudi officials and Kerry, the US government released a statement that said, “The multilateral meeting on Yemen is designed to share ideas and initiatives for getting the political discussions back on track and trying to get a political solution.”
Following the meeting, Kerry outlined a plan which offers the Houthis participation in government in exchange for an end to violence and a surrender of weapons.
International observers should keep in mind that the Saudi campaign in Yemen has support from the Obama administration and the United States helps the Saudi military obtain precision-guided munitions. The US military has also sent military lawyers to Saudi Arabia to ensure that coalition strikes are legal. The US is also providing aerial refueling and battlefield intelligence. Any expressed concerns by the US over civilian deaths ring hollow when the US is a partner in the war. The sticking point to ending combat and eliminating civilian deaths altogether is how to deal with Iran. Iran is training Houthi rebels and providing them with sophisticated weaponry and tactical information that has prolonged the war.
It’s fine that Kerry wants to bring in the British and the UAE to discuss a peace deal. But without reining in Iran and sharing responsibility for the instability in Yemen, there is little chance for lasting peace. Saudi Arabia has supplied plenty of evidence of Iran’s designs against the Gulf states in general and Saudi Arabia in particular. Yet the US has made few moves to curb Iran’s adventurism in the region.
True peace negotiations must include all players, but the participants have a tough road ahead. Peace talks in Kuwait were suspended on Aug. 6 and fighting escalated. This is not a Saudi-Yemen fight and getting all players to the table is in itself a tremendous task for Kerry.
Although it’s imperative that a peace deal must be reached to end the sufferings of Yemeni civilians, the continuing allegations that Saudi Arabia is committing war crimes is a distraction, and indeed a hurdle, to achieving peace. The focus must be getting all countries at the
peace table.
Saudi Arabia has come under harsh criticism for the number of reported civilian deaths during the 16-month war: 6,500 people killed with reported more than 3,700 identified as civilians. These numbers, of course, are reported by western observers and human rights activists, many of whom have little experience in gathering battlefield intelligence. Frankly, any civilian death is unacceptable and countries that engage in wars resulting in civilian deaths should be held accountable.
If the United Nations and NGOs are holding Saudi Arabia to a high standard, then the same organizations should also hold the United States and Russia to the same standard when engaging in operations that have left thousands of civilians dead in Iraq and Syria.
The Saudis welcomed US Secretary of State John Kerry to Saudi Arabia. Kerry was on a mission to bring in the United Arab Emirates and Great Britain to help broker a peace deal with the Iran-backed Houthi rebels to end the war. Prior to the meeting between Saudi officials and Kerry, the US government released a statement that said, “The multilateral meeting on Yemen is designed to share ideas and initiatives for getting the political discussions back on track and trying to get a political solution.”
Following the meeting, Kerry outlined a plan which offers the Houthis participation in government in exchange for an end to violence and a surrender of weapons.
International observers should keep in mind that the Saudi campaign in Yemen has support from the Obama administration and the United States helps the Saudi military obtain precision-guided munitions. The US military has also sent military lawyers to Saudi Arabia to ensure that coalition strikes are legal. The US is also providing aerial refueling and battlefield intelligence. Any expressed concerns by the US over civilian deaths ring hollow when the US is a partner in the war. The sticking point to ending combat and eliminating civilian deaths altogether is how to deal with Iran. Iran is training Houthi rebels and providing them with sophisticated weaponry and tactical information that has prolonged the war.
It’s fine that Kerry wants to bring in the British and the UAE to discuss a peace deal. But without reining in Iran and sharing responsibility for the instability in Yemen, there is little chance for lasting peace. Saudi Arabia has supplied plenty of evidence of Iran’s designs against the Gulf states in general and Saudi Arabia in particular. Yet the US has made few moves to curb Iran’s adventurism in the region.
True peace negotiations must include all players, but the participants have a tough road ahead. Peace talks in Kuwait were suspended on Aug. 6 and fighting escalated. This is not a Saudi-Yemen fight and getting all players to the table is in itself a tremendous task for Kerry.
Although it’s imperative that a peace deal must be reached to end the sufferings of Yemeni civilians, the continuing allegations that Saudi Arabia is committing war crimes is a distraction, and indeed a hurdle, to achieving peace. The focus must be getting all countries at the
peace table.
