STOP THIS SLAUGHTER
MPs CALL FOR BAN ON ARMS SALES TO SAUDIS AFTER SCOTS-MADE BOMBS KILL CIVILIANS IN YEMEN
MPs from all parties have called for an immediate ban on arms sales to Saudi Arabia after Scottish-made bombs were used against civilians in Yemen’s civil war.
We told last week how fragments of so- called smart bombs dropped in Yemen revealed they were guided by laser systems made in Scotland by an American arms giant as campaigners branded the aerial bombardment a war crime.
On Thursday, a confidential report by United Nations experts said a military coalition led by Saudi A rabia had violated international humanitarian law by bombing a civilian home in Al-Mahala village in May.
MPs on Westminster’s inf luential committee on arms export controls yesterday said the UK government must halt arms sales to Saudi Arabia.
SNP MP Douglas Chapman said: “It is clear that until there is a full, thorough and impartial investigation into allegations of war crimes by Saudi Arabia in Yemen, there should be no arms sales to Saudi Arabia.
“The committee on arms export controls began collating evidence of Saudi war crimes in Yemen earlier this year.
“The evidence I have heard from credible sources, including from experts on Middle East affairs, has been clear – there are convincing allegations of war crimes and clearly nothing has been done to investigate this.
“Aer ia l bombing by the Saudi-led coalition has led to an unprecedented number of civilian casualties. Those who use these weapons and make decisions as to their targets have clearly done little to ensure innocent civilians are not affected.
“Regardless of where the weaponry is built, that is wrong. I expect that the committee’s final report, which I have yet to see, will reinforce the message that alleged war crimes are ongoing and the UK government need to respond swiftly and with a firm hand.
“Where such credible and numerous allegations have been made, the UK government should postpone these exports immediately.”
Democratic Unionist Party MP Jim Shannon said: “I want to see a stop to British bombs – or bombs from anywhere – being used in indiscriminate bombing in Yemen by forces we have no control over.
“I am aware that arms sales are a very important part of the economic life of the UK but British bombs should not be used in the blanket bombing of civilian areas in Yemen, in which innocents are killed.”
More than 6000 people, half of them civilians, have been killed in Yemen since March 2015 when war broke out between Houthi rebels and forces loyal to exiled president Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi.
The report to the UN Security Council also said Houthis had concealed fighters and equipment in or close to civilians in Al Mukha “with the deliberate aim of avoiding attack” and in violation of international humanitarian law.
Saudi Arabia has said it is committed to international humanitarian law.
Last week, we reported that a code on a bomb fragment found in Sana’a revealed it was made by a subcontractor for US arms giant Raytheon.
The bomb, guided by the system made by the now-defunct electronics firm based in the Borders, was found in the debris of an alleged war crime when a chambers of commerce was targeted in January this year.
Belkis Wille investigated the attack for Human Rights Watch and said there have been at least 69 unlawful coalition airstrikes that killed more than 900 civilians. She believes the UK government have been misleading during discussions on alleged war crimes.
She said: “The UK government have consistently