TROUBLE

U.S., Britain, and France May Be Complicit in Yemen War Crimes: U.N. Report

By arming a Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen, Washington may be helping to commit potential war crimes, including starving and bombing civilians

The United States, Britain, and France may be complicit in war crimes in Yemen after arming and backing a Saudi-led coalition during the five-year conflict, the United Nations said Tuesday. In a wide-ranging report, a U.N. team of investigators compiled a secret list of possible war-crimes suspects, which was drawn from its latest report on violations by the coalition of Arab states and the Houthi movement that controls Yemen’s capital. The Saudi-led coalition is accused of intentionally starving Yemenis as a war tactic while also killing thousands of civilians in airstrikes. The Houthis are accused of planting land mines and deploying child soldiers. 

The U.S. provides logistical support and intelligence to the coalition, and sells weaponry to the group, which is also led by the United Arab Emirates. “The legality of arms transfers by France, the United Kingdom, the United States, and other states remains questionable, and is the subject of various domestic court proceedings,” the report said.