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US standing 'four-square' behind UK in supporting Saudis: Analyst

Thursday, 27 October 2016 10:08 AM [ Last Update: Thursday, 27 October 2016 10:10 AM ]

A video grab from footage broadcast by the UK Parliament's Parliamentary Recording Unit (PRU) shows British Prime Minister Theresa May as she speaks during Prime Minister's Questions (PMQs) in the House of Commons in London on October 12, 2016. (Photo by AFP)

British Prime Minister Theresa May has refused to withdraw her support for Saudi Arabia’s membership at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) despite mounting pressure to vote against it. This comes as Riyadh has continued its war crimes in Yemen as well as committing gross violations of human rights in the kingdom itself.

The United States and Britain’s support for Riyadh at the UN Human Rights Council is a tragic symbol of Western governments’ hypocrisy with respect to Saudi Arabia, says a former US Senate foreign policy analyst.

“Of course the United States is not a member of the UN Human Rights Council at the moment, Britain is, but I am sure that Washington is standing four-square behind London in supporting the Saudis,” James Jatras told Press TV in an interview on Thursday.

He also stated Saudi Arabia is the very “antithesis” of human rights, raising questions over its membership at the council in the first place.

“It [Saudi Arabia] is the very definition of the violation of human rights not only in its behavior in Yemen, its support for terrorists in Syria but its domestic practices within the Saudi state itself,” the analyst added.

Jatras further argued it is highly “lucrative” and “beneficial” for the political class and the companies that profit immensely from selling weapons to the kingdom to maintain their alliance with the Saudis.

However, he said, the American and British public will certainly not benefit from this alliance, adding that they are not even aware of the facts on this issue.

London has repeatedly been blamed by human rights groups, including Oxfam and Amnesty International, for fueling the Yemeni war by supplying Saudi Arabia with weapons.

Since the conflict began last year, the British government has approved more than £3 billion ($3.7 billion) in arms sales to the Saudis.

Rights groups have also condemned the Saudi monarchy’s crackdown on dissent and prosecution of pro-reform activists at home.

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