ONE OF THE deadliest airstrikes in Yemen since a Saudi Arabia-led coalition began bombing the country used munitions supplied by the United States, according to a report by Human Rights Watch.
The March 15 attack targeted a crowded market in the village of Mastaba in northwestern Yemen, killing at least 97 civilians, including 25 children. HRW said it found remnants of a “GBU-31 satellite-guided bomb, which consists of a U.S.-supplied MK-84 2,000-pound bomb mated with a JDAM satellite guidance kit, also U.S.-supplied.” The group said it also reviewed evidence provided by British news channel ITV, which found remnants of an “MK-84 bomb paired with a Paveway laser guidance kit.”
The report provides yet more evidence of U.S. complicity in the indiscriminate killing of civilians in Yemen. The Obama administration has been a key military backer of Saudi Arabia in its yearlong campaign against a rebel movement in Yemen known as the Houthis. In addition to billions of dollars in arms sales, the Pentagon has provided the Saudi-led coalition with logistical and intelligence support. Human Rights Watch said the U.S. role may make it “jointly responsible” for war crimes.
“The U.S. military has deployed dedicated personnel to the Saudi joint planning and operations cell to help coordinate activities,” the group’s report said. “U.S. participation in specific military operations, such as providing advice on targeting decisions and aerial refueling during bombing raids, may make U.S. forces jointly responsible for laws-of-war violations by coalition forces. As a party to the conflict, the U.S. is obligated to investigate allegedly unlawful attacks in which it took part.”
Since the conflict began in March 2015, more than 6,400 people have been killed, nearly half of them civilians, and more than 30,000 injured. According to the United Nations, airstrikes have been responsible for the majority of civilians deaths. The Saudi-led coalition has been accused of numerous violations, including the targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure, such as hospitals, schools, and factories.
“The U.S. and others should pull the plug on arms to the Saudis or further share responsibility for civilian lives lost,” stated Priyanka Motaparthy, emergencies researcher at HRW.
The bombing of the market in Mastaba last month was perhaps the deadliest attack of the entire war so far. Journalist Mohammed Ali Kalfood visited the site after it was bombed and interviewed a survivor who provided a heart-wrenching account to The Intercept:
There were two big craters where the bombs hit — nearly full of ripped and charred bodies, and blood was everywhere. Survivors were in a frenzy; rescuers began to pile up the bodies, while the wounded were rushed to hospitals. Thank God, I survived unscathed. None of my family members were there at the time. But other families were blown up: Five brothers, who used to help khat sellers to make a living, were all killed in the strikes. When their old father, Hassan Kashoor, came to identify the bodies of his five sons, four of them could hardly be identified, while the other went unidentified. There were too many limbs and other parts of the bodies of those who were killed, so that the families could barely identify their dead.
Top photo: The covered market in Mastaba, Yemen, was destroyed in the March 15, 2016, airstrike.
Of course there were.
They must all be removed from power!
robertsrevolution.net
Enabling, like aiding and abetting, carries the same penalty as the crime itself.
Precisely, let’s call it what it is state sponsorship of terrorism, or state terrorism.
The MK-84 is an “American general-purpose bomb” that has been in service for over five decades beginning with Vietnam. Likewise, Paveway laser guidance kits have been in service for over five decades and are fitted to the MK-84 for the purpose of overcoming their limitations as free-fall, dumb bombs. The more advanced versions of the MK-84 are classified as “smart bombs” as they are fitted with JDAM kits and are therefore guided by an integrated inertial guidance system which is coupled to a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver. The Mk-84 is currently being manufactured in America and in Israel. The Mk-84/ Paveway II configuration has most recently been approved by the US State Department for sale to the UAE, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. It has also been used in the recent war against Libya by the Canadian Air force. In Dec. 2015, Amnesty international attempted to dissuade President Onama from supplying the Saudis with 1.29 Billion dollars worth of bombs, related parts, and logistical support:
https://www.amnestyusa.org/sites/default/files/aiusa-letter-obama-saudi-arms.pdf
Sharif, c’mon brother. Did you just cut and paste the HRW report and call the work your own?
It is a direct analogy to gun sales in the US. Gun manufacturers are not in any liable for what buyers do with their products; If Colt sells someone an AR15 they can rightly assume that it will only be used for legal, peaceful purposes. Just ask the NRA. By analogy, the tens of billions of dollars in arms sales to countries like Saudi Arabia and Israel cannot be criticized, because these countries could just as well be buying the bombs to hang over their mantle pieces.
Besides all that, building bombs provides well paying jobs to patriotic Amerikuns, and profits to the companies that employ them, profits that in turn help strengthen our country by funding the election of our Congress and President.
No it is not a direct analogy of gun sales in the US as selling bombs and arms to regimes that use them or might use them to kill civilians is in breach of International humanitarian laws.
This is not about the arms manufacturers being liable for what is being done with the arms they make – the liability is with our governments.
The UK, USA, France, Germany Italy, Spain, Sweden Netherlands and Turkey have all been selling arms to Saudi Arabia and sales totaled $25 Bn in 2015. These countries are arming and aiding a campaign in Yemen that is clearly targeting civilians and bombing and killing them.
This is in breach of Article 2 of the EU Council’s common position on arms sales which compel countries to deny export licenses if there is clear risk that equipment might be used in violation of International Humanitarian Law.
The responsibility for preventing the sales of arms export licenses lis with the Governments and not the manufacturers of arms.
And if being a “patriotic American” has become all about war profiteering, and selling bombs to despot war criminals who target civilians and slaughter children then fuck being patriotic.
As the great comedian George Carlin once said ” I no longer get choked up seeing American flags and yellow ribbons – I consider those to be symbols for the simple minded”
There is no war… Just Washington… Poison Gas for Saddam – – Illegal cluster bombs for the sauds…WASHINGTON – WARMONGERS – and MERCHANTS OF DEATH – – they have gone insane after closing the asylums. Isis is their creation – – The refugees they create are people trying to survive TERRORISTS?? homegrown or otherwise – just part of Washington’s game. PURPETUAL WAR – MILITARIZED SWAT TEAMS of POLICE – Stingrays & Hailstorms illegal ease dropping… I am remind of a photograph of John McCain in Iraq – ” saying how safe it was” the camera zoomed-out to reveal he was surrounded by our troops – – DO the Politicians walk around in Washington D.C. without police?? RED ALERT – – RED ALERT – was sounded every time George W. Bush’s poll numbers went down – – – – WHERE IS. THE CRY FOR PEACE?? Afghanistan? Iraq? Yemen?? refugees trying to escape the horrors of WAR ( created in Washington D.C.) WHERE is the TRUTH – JUSTICE – AMERICAN WAY – we wave around the world?? – – – – hero’s? we try to ban the refugees we created – – terrorists – created by – killing their women and children – maiming – cluster bombs ( banned worldwide)- – T E R R O R I S T S seeking revenge / New York is safe – Washington is safe…ARE YOU SAFER – TODAY….where do you hide from truth??
Thank you for reporting on the US complicity in the indiscriminate killing of civilians in Yemen by Saudi Arabia. This is damming evidence, and with the recent revelations that the British and US military are in the Saudi control room for strikes on Yemen it surely establishes the joint liability for war crimes. The UK Government has also been put under notice that it is in breach of International law for exporting military equipment and British made missiles to Saudi, which could have been used by Saudi Arabia to kill civilians in Yemen. Andrew Smith of the CAAT, Campaign against the arms trade said that ” UK weapons have been central to a bombing campaign that has killed thousands of people, destroyed vital infrastructure, and inflamed tensions in the region. The UK has been complicit in the destruction by continuing to support airs trikes and provide arms despite strong and increasing evidence that war crimes are being committed”
Almost 6 billion pounds of UK arms have been licensed to Saudi Arabia since David Cameron became Prime Minister.
So much for the British values which Cameron keeps rattling on about.
Absolutely President Obama and the Saudi Dictator King should be brought up on war crimes and crimes against humanity. This Obama is a violent extremist using weapons of mass killing on nations that haven’t attacked us. His Nobel Peace prize should be stripped immediately.
Not sure if this is the truth, but this story details how Turkey provided deadly gas weapons that were used on an Aleppo neighborhood:
http://www.veteranstoday.com/2016/04/07/turkish-led-forces-gas-aleppo-neighborhood/
If this proves to be the truth, then Turkey should be booted out of NATO, at a minimum.
My first exposure to the Turkish Empire was Lawrence of Arabia, a movie. I later learned more things about the turkish thing and it wasn’t pretty. I don’t believe a lot has changed since those days because it seems that all sides have retreated to the starting gate and are waiting for the opportunity to strike.
But that does not appear to apply to “the people who live on the ground with other people”. The whole “you are the enemy and we will destroy you” thing seems more of an operation of people aspiring and having positions of power who are willing to fight against others with positions of power by putting the populations at risk and on the front lines.
For those who live on the dirt and work and live with others who are the same and different with them, who buy and sell stuff, who work and play together, who is the real enemy of a life that works?
The members of NATO have a history of supporting such atrocities.
At some point, Americans are just going to have to admit that this is who we are and what we do: Imperialist warmongers who engage endlessly, directly and via proxies, in wars of aggression, crimes against humanity an brutal oppression around the world.
We’ve been bad guys, not good guys, for a very long time.
I just added Doug’s photo to the white guilt Wikipedia page… true story.
I rest my case.
There is no defense that can be offered ,as the evidence is overwhelming, and it would be a unanimous verdict in any non corrupted court room outside of the United Snakes of Ameriikiller.
100% right Doug,
The great comedian George Carlin, was trying to get this message home years ago.
Watch “Exposing the American Government” by George Carlin on YouTube.
The video should go viral because it so amazingly sums up what America has become.
The u.s. is turning the planet into a warzone. The u.s. has made war an economy. The u.s. trades oil for weapons. The weapons industry needs business.
WAR IS A NET LOSER. Bernie Sanders said it. Donald Trump said it. None of the other candidates will oppose the establishment that gets Sons and Daughters of Americans murdered in their fraudulent wars and conflicts. The warhor media continue to bash and dismiss these 2 candidates.
Meanwhile there has been no real explanation for the collapse of building 7. Things just don’t add up. What does add up is that as the wealthy continue to drain America of cash flow by pulling their money out of the country via Mossack-Fonseca methods, wallstreet gets to generate loan dollars for consumer credit pricing.
LOL. Very subtle.
It maybe subtle but it is very true, as World Trade Centre building 7 was not hit by a plane.
Then there is also an issue of how the concrete core came to melt in the two buildings hit by planes, when the fire from burning aircraft fuel cannot reach an adequate temperature to cause it to melt. Also the two buildings collapsed almost precisely into their own foot print. To achieve this would be almost impossible unless through controlled demolition. The planes hit the building, no dispute, but they didn’t cause the collapse. Finally, let’s address the plane hitting the pentagon. Where did all the plane debris go ? Why did a reporter at the Pentagon after the attack state that “he saw no evidence of a plane hitting the Pentagon” ? If you also follow the money trail before and after 911 and look Into who gained massively financially from 911 that also makes interesting reading.
“Then there is also an issue of how the concrete core came to melt in the two buildings hit by planes, when the fire from burning aircraft fuel cannot reach an adequate temperature to cause it to melt.”
Architecture is FUN!! You don’t have to cause anything to melt. Take your own home for example. Take a sledgehammer. Knock out the load-bearing walls. Your home WILL collapse, without fire!! Likewise, if you take out the load bearing walls on a multistory building on a mid-level floor, the floors above you collapse, and the weight of that collapse causes the floors beneath to collapse!!
If you read the architectural notes on the twin towers, you’ll find they each had one central pillar holding the whole thing up. Because the architect did not anticipate planes crashing into the pillar. If the pillar got hit, then the whole thing collapses. Nothing, I repeat nothing, needs to “melt” for demolition to occur.
“Also the two buildings collapsed almost precisely into their own foot print. To achieve this would be almost impossible unless through controlled demolition.”
Unless the building is collapsing because it’s central pillar has been taken out, thus causing it to collapse like a stack of pancakes.
But why the hell would someone who WANTS to make a tragedy to inspire the American People in a false flag use a controlled demolition controlled in such a way as to minimize collateral damage?? If /I/ was running a false flag operation, I’d make SURE to kill as MANY INNOCENT BYSTANDERS AS POSSIBLE, which would achieve the greatest effect in motivation and manipulation. You’re saying these people who rigged the demolition took the TIME and EFFORT to MINIMIZE the effectiveness of their false flag?? That sounds really stupid of them to have done!!
“Finally, let’s address the plane hitting the pentagon. Where did all the plane debris go ?”
Brah, I don’t know if you know this, but planes are pretty damn flimsy. You only get a plane-shaped hole in the cartoons. The metal on a plane isn’t going to hold up against explosions and walls. It MUST be flimsy because it needs to be light enough to lift off the ground!!
But here’s the biggest picture. Why the hell would someone use a missile and ~claim~ it was a plane. If you’ve already hijacked TWO planes and had them crash into stuff, why NOT hijack a THIRD plane and have it crash into the pentagon as well?? A smart person trying to fake an attack would have used an ACTUAL PLANE and made SURE there were plenty of cameras in the area to make maximum DRAMA out of the tragedy!! No one in their right mind would think that using a missile, and risking ANY NUMBER OF EYEWITNESSES SEEING IT is a sensible plan.
Brah, what’s more likely, that this was THE MOST incompetent conspiracy in the WHOLE OF HISTORY with the conspirators making terrible decision after terrible decision, and yet, somehow, despite all their terrible decision-making, they just HAPPENED to have no one that was a part of this vast conspiracy come forward and just HAPPENED to never get this info caught in any one of the many leaks that have been coming out of the US government since 2001, or is it more likely there was no conspiracy?? The US government leaks like a siv, but through miraculous luck, nothing on this vast false flag has ever been leaked??
You’re conspiracy relies on the US government being made up of the stupidest people in the world (which, I’ll grant you, is a likely possibility), but it ALSO is reliant on them being the luckiest people in the world. Like, controls the entire world’s supply of four-leaf-clovers and rabbits feet levels of luck. Unless the Irish government was behind everything, I doubt the people behind this theoretical conspiracy would be lucky enough to be that grossly incompitant and yet not be caught in any leak.
Steel buildings never collapse unless engineered to collapse.
Look at the Murrow Building in OK City. A 5000 lb bomb went off right in front and the building did not collapse.
911 was a coup dEtat.
The Saudis flew home right after.
Correct. Thebuildings were hitby planes but they were brought down by controlled demolition using thermite. only this would account for the speed of the collapse.
A test on one of the beams found residue of iron zinc and sulphur in abundance which are consistent with Thermite, and more damningly Barium was present which is highly toxic and found in military grade explosives. It is not found in building materials planes or office supplies.
There has also even nostalgia factory explanation offered on why WTC 7 should collapse without a plane hitting it. Maybe the central column just had a stress point which happened coincidently to Fallon exactly the same day as the planes hit.
In the case of the Pentagon a plane doesn’t just totally disintegrate, and therewouldhavebeen debris including seats, luggage, the engines, and at very lease fragments of plane fuselage.
http://www.911hardfacts.com for the truth.
“WAR IS A NET LOSER. Bernie Sanders said it.”
Yes, Sanders said it, but he has overwhelmingly voted in favors of our ward machine and weapons industry from the moment he arrived in Washington. He has said that he would continue targeted killing by drone. He has insisted on “regime change” in Syria. He has joined Obama and the rest of the War Party in baiting and demonizing Russia and Putin. He’s no peace candidate.
“Meanwhile there has been no real explanation for the collapse of building 7. ”
Yes, actually, there has been a very thorough explanation. Start here: http://www.nist.gov/el/disasterstudies/wtc/faqs_wtc7.cfm
No mystery, no conspiracy, no “pull it” — just an hours-long series of fires originating in multiple locations, with no firefighting response possible, until key parts of the structure, notably particular long-span beams, weakened sufficiently that it all fell down.
…added to the fact that the Giuliani regime’s corruption and viciousness had deprived both fire fighters and police of the necessary functioning communications gear. Hard to stop spreading fires from burning down buildings, causing collapses, if you can’t communicate.
The Saudi royals are us they are an integral part of the body of the Empire of the Exceptionals, like its leg or arm whatever. There is no difference the US/Israel/Saudi Arabia (not a complete list) are one global Empire of the Exceptionals.
understood, “exceptional” as in American exceptionalism. Tentacles of a giant SQUID maybe. petrodollars mutating to wardollars. The u.s. has a very large defense budget and nothing left to defend.
We still have our way of life, and our ideals, and our democracy, and….ooolp……
uh huh.
Damn. I coulda sworn I had it when I left the house, but I left my morality in that last MK-84 paired with a Paveway laser guidance kit.