Amnesty Says Saudi Used US-Made Bomb in August Airstrike on Sana’a
A bomb used by the Saudi regime in a deadly air strike on a residential building in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa in August was manufactured in the United States, Amnesty International said.
The attack destroyed the building on August 25, killing 16 civilians and injuring 17 others, including a five-year-old girl named Buthaina al-Rimi who was killed after her parents, five brothers and her uncle were killed. Her image then spread, arousing sympathy.
After examining the remains of the weapon used in the air attack, Amnesty found that the bomb was manufactured in the United States.
“We can now say unequivocally that the bomb that killed my parents, brothers and other civilians was made in the United States,” said Lynn Maalouf, director of Amnesty International’s Middle East research.
The alleged Saudi Arabian-led coalition against Yemen approved the air strike, blaming the deaths of civilians for a “technical error”. The UK-based human rights body called the deficit “the ongoing military support provided by the United States and Britain to Saudi Arabia.” Campaign “instead of holding the coalition responsible for its actions in Yemen.”
“There simply is no explanation for the United States or other countries such as the United Kingdom and France that could justifiably justify the continued flow of arms into the Saudi-led coalition for use in the conflict in Yemen.I have repeatedly committed gross violations of international law, including war crimes, Past months, with devastating consequences for the civilian population, “said Maalouf.
Amnesty International urged an independent international investigation into the Saudi campaign, noting “the total disregard for the civilian lives, as well as their lack of commitment to effective investigations.”
The United States and Britain have often denounced the transfer of arms to Saudi Arabia and thus fuel human rights violations and war crimes in Yemen.
Britain signed a framework agreement for military and security cooperation with Saudi Arabia, British media reported on Sept. 19.
Saudi Arabia and its allies have been bombing Yemen since March 2015 in an attempt to crush the popular Ansar Allah al-Houthi movement and reinstate former president Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, a strong ally of the Riyadh regime.
More than 12,000 people have been killed since the campaign began. Most of the infrastructure of the Arabian peninsula, including hospitals, schools and factories, has been turned into rubble.
The Saudi war has also led to a deadly cholera epidemic throughout Yemen. Earlier this month, the UN human rights chief called for an urgent investigation into Saudi air strikes against civilians in Yemen.