Saudi forces main obstacle to Yemen ceasefire: Activist

Press TV has interviewed Hussain al-Bukhaiti, an activist and political commentator in Sana’a, to discuss Saudi Arabia’s ongoing airstrikes against various areas across Yemen despite a ceasefire.

The following is a rough transcription of the interview.

Press TV: What I’d like to put to you first off is that in your opinion at the moment and given the situation that we have just heard of, what is the biggest if not the major obstacle on the way of achieving a ceasefire and cessation of hostilities in Yemen?

Bukhaiti: The Saudi forces and Saudi loyal forces on the ground are the main obstacle because we know that forces loyal and backed by Saudi government and by former president Hadi have declared hours before the ceasefire, they declared that they have nothing to do with this ceasefire and they are not concerned about it or any talks in Geneva.

So this is why the fight has escalated in Yemen as you mentioned before and just let me remind you that in the previous ceasefire the Saudis have used the UN ceasefire that happened in July to invade Aden and the southern provinces of Yemen and it seems that this is the same cover for a new invasion which they have targeted new areas in al-Jawf and as well in Harad northwest Yemen. And I think that the UN because it has not condemned the previous violation of the ceasefire by the Saudis when they invaded Aden, they have not done as well this time so I think the UN is a part in this coalition and in this war against Yemen.

Just yesterday 22 civilians were killed north of Sa’ada by Saudi double-tap strike and just three hours ago three people were killed and four were injured in my city, Dhamar, just hundred kilometers south of Sana’a and we still hear the Saudi plane hovering over Yemen from the beginning of this so-called ceasefire and I think for the Yemeni national delegate in Geneva, I think they must take a decision and leave this talk because they went to this talk after an agreement with the UN through Ould Cheikh that there will be ceasefire while they are trying to find a solution to the war on Yemen.

Press TV: Basically if the United Nations, the broader international community cannot bring a solution here, then what else? Can we expect anything coming from the Arab League?

Bukhaiti: No. I mean the Arab League nothing is going to come [from] them because they have taken side with the Saudis and let’s remind you of the attack, the Tushka attack, Tushka missile attack that happened in Ma’rib few months ago that killed 68 United Arab Emirates’ troops in Ma’rib. The Arab League has condemned that and they called it a terrorist attack.

Can you imagine when you as a Yemeni targeted invader in your country and then the secretary general of the Arab League came and condemned this attack? They are all against Yemen except some countries. This war is profiting many, many countries like the US and just it really sounds silly when the US a few months ago has allocated about 80 million dollars as they say to help Yemeni and to provide aid for Yemen but on the other hand they are going to sell to the Saudi a new so-called smart ammunition that costs one billion and three hundred million dollars and this shows you the amount of profit this war is making for the West especially for weapons manufacturers like France, Britain and the United States.

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