Tag: Yemen

NOVANEWS BY CATHERINE SHAKDAM Saudi Arabia follows the very policy Israel has followed against Palestine LL Have you ever wondered if there was a pattern to the madness which is the Middle East, and the many wars the region has witnessed over years? At which point should we look for the agenda behind the bloodshed, and the apparent nonsensical violence nations have had to grapple with? Is War a cultural Middle Eastern trait? What is the common denominator?  I hope I don’t sound patronizing here but trust me, there is a pattern and there is an agenda. Wars don’t just happen, they are waged and more often than not carefully planned out. Forget the political platitudes politicians and officials have served you over the years – that peace and security are what governments want to achieve...

NOVANEWS By Lyndal Rowlands Two years after the UN Arms Trade Treaty entered into force, many of the governments which championed the treaty are failing to uphold it, especially when it comes to the conflict in Yemen. "In terms of implementation, the big disappointment is Yemen," Anna Macdonald, Director of Control Arms, a civil society organisation dedicated to the treaty, told IPS. "The big disappointment is the countries that were in the forefront of calling for the treaty -- and indeed who still champion it as a great achievement in international disarmament and security -- are now prepared to violate it by persisting in their arms sales to Saudi Arabia," she added. The Saudi-led international coalition has been responsible for thousands of civilian deaths in Yemen, and Sau...