‘Hypocrisy’ of SNP MP over military aid for Yemen war
The SNP leader at Westminster has been accused of hypocrisy after condemning UK involvement in Yemen, which he had previously demanded. Angus Robertson attacked the British military for ‘effectively taking part in a war in Yemen that is costing thousands of civilian lives’.
Yet he and other Nationalist MPs signed an Early Day Motion in 2012 requesting that Yemeni President Abd- Rabbu Mansour Hadi have ‘all the security and training assistance his forces require’ to bring stability to the country.
Yemen’s bloody internal conflict has claimed the l i ves of 6,000 people, with no end in sight.
Peace talks due to take place last week were cancelled following the execution of a Saudi cleric.
Tory MSP Alex Johnstone said: ‘This is hypocrisy of the highest order from Angus Robertson. No amount of puerile foot stamping from the sidelines can hide the fact that when it comes to defence and foreign affairs, the SNP are simply lost at sea. The public has had enough of the SNP saying one thing and doing another.’
The SNP said Mr Robertson’s current position was based on recent legal analysis for Amnesty International, released last month.
The analysis concluded that if the UK were to authorise the transfer of weapons to Saudi Arabia, where they might be used in the conflict in Yemen, this would breach international law.
It also said the UK Government had ‘actual knowledge of the use by Saudi Arabia of weapons, including UK-supplied weapons, in attacks against civilians and civilians objects,’ since at least May 2015.
President Hadi is backed by Saudi Arabia, while his rival, Ali Abdullah Saleh, is allied to Iran.
At Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, Mr Robertson said: ‘Thousands of civilians have been killed in Yemen, including a large number by the Saudi air force, who have done that using British-built planes with pilots who are trained by British instructors... dropping British-made bombs.
‘Is it not time for the Prime Minister to admit that Britain is effectively taking part in a war in Yemen that is costing thousands of civilian lives?’
Mr Cameron replied: ‘It is in our interest that we back the legitimate government of Yemen, and it is right to do that.
‘Just to be absolutely clear about our role, we are not a member of a Saudi-led coalition. British military personnel are not directly involved in t he Saudi- l ed coalition’s operations.
‘But do we provide training and advice in order that countries actually obey the norms of humanitarian law? Yes, we do.’
An SNP spokesman said: ‘ Information has come to light which shows the worrying extent the UK is now taking part in a war in Yemen that is costing thousands of civilian lives. The Prime Minister needs to be honest with the public.’