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S Arabia after concealing war crimes in Yemen: Academic

Saturday, 13 February 2016 9:29 AM [ Last Update: Saturday, 13 February 2016 9:27 AM ]

Peter Maurer (3rd-R), president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, visits a historic building destroyed by a Saudi strike in the Yemeni capital Sana’a on August 9, 2015. ©AFP

Press TV has conducted an interview with William Beeman, a professor at the University of Minnesota from Minneapolis, on Saudi Arabia’s call on aid workers in Yemen to leave the areas that are under Riyadh’s constant air raids.

The following is a rough transcription of the interview.

Press TV: How do you see Saudi Arabia’s warning to the aid workers who are currently doing their job to help those under constant airstrikes by Saudi Arabia?

Beeman: It’s very clear that Saudi Arabia does not want the aid workers in Yemen for two reasons.

First of all, they don’t want the aid workers to witness the atrocities that are taking place against the Yemeni citizens, because the aid workers on the ground they can see for themselves and report on the terrible conditions that the Saudi bombings have inflicted on Yemeni people.

And second of all, they don’t want the situation for the Yemini people to improve. They believe that if they make life miserable enough for the Houthis that they will surrender.

And so, when the Red Cross is aiding people and providing humanitarian aid yet alleviate some of the terrible pain that has been inflicted by these raids.

So, you can understand why Saudi Arabia would not want the Red Cross to be working in Yemen.

Press TV: Apparently Saudis have already attacked several Doctors without Borders hospitals and medical staff in Yemen. The targeting of aid workers in war zones apparently amounts to war crimes. Then why has the international community kept silent on such crimes?

Beeman: Actually one of the problems is that the Saudi Arabian government is friendly with the United States and it’s considered the United States’ ally. And therefore, the United States has regularly supported the Saudi Arabian government in everything that’s been done in Yemen.

Also it’s widely believed here in the United States that it would not be a civil war if it weren’t for Iranian support and of course that is ridiculous, because Iran is not providing any military aid at all.

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