US responsible for Saudi Arabia crimes in Yemen: Analyst

Press TV has conducted an interview with Mark Weber, the director of the Institute for Historical Review from California, about role of the United States in the Saudi war on Yemen.

The following is a rough transcription of the interview.

Press TV: Before I start off with the comments made by the Control Arms Coalition, I want to touch on what these lawmakers in the US have said as far as the Saudi aggression on Yemen is largely seen as a US campaign, what do you make of that?

Weber: This is an important aspect of all of that. The US support for the Saudi kingdom’s war in Yemen should be a really major scandal, because even though most Americans don’t seem to have much concern for the legal or moral aspects of this conflict, every American should be very concerned because this policy of support for Saudi Arabia is bound to intensify hatred of the US in the region and thereby fuel anti-American terrorism. And that’s underscored by the point you made about how many people in Yemen view the attacks by the Saudi bombers in Yemen as really attacks by the United States, because Saudi Arabia would not be able to carry out these bombings and its intervention in Yemen without continued strong US military support as your report pointed out.

Press TV: Despite this logistical support, the US has been as we just mentioned here as well selling weapons to Saudi Arabia. Now when the Control Arms Coalition calls the US hypocritical, when it sells these arms to Saudi Arabia, what does that exactly mean?

Weber: Well, best you ask them, but I suppose the main point is the United States pursues policies and has for many years that are in crass contrast to its stated goals. I mean the United States for example claims to be against the proliferation of nuclear weapons, but it maintains its policy of so-called ambiguity about Israel’s illegal nuclear weapons stockpile. The United States has countenanced the development of nuclear weapons by Pakistan and India. The United States in fact is violating the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty of nuclear weapons, which requires the United States to make good efforts to eliminate nuclear weapons altogether, but the United States has actually been increasing their nuclear stockpile. I mean the general point is, with regard to US policy on many fronts Israel, Palestine and so forth, the United States claims to support principles and goals, but its actual policies are in crass contradiction to those stated goals.

Press TV: Of course, when we talk about logistical support and arms sales and deepening of relations between the US and Saudi Arabia is this a direct green light to Saudi Arabia’s aggression in Yemen and if so then is the US just as complicit when it comes to war crimes that are happening over there?

Weber: Well, I mean the United States makes it possible. It’s hard to know what fine tuning and exact statements are being made by American officials to Yemen. There are indications that what Saudi Arabia is doing is even somewhat embarrassing to American politicians, but that’s not enough to change this fundamental policy of US virtually blank check support for Saudi Arabia. So, it does bear a great responsibility of course not as much, I suppose in the case of Yemen, as the actual bombers of Saudi Arabia air force carrying out the bombs. But overall of course the United States has this major responsibility, because without US backing and support, Saudi Arabia could not carry out these actions in Yemen and other policies.

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