Local Editor
The US says Saudi Arabia’s bombing of Yemen was an act of "self-defense" against alleged Iranian missiles on its border. While there are similarities with the Syrian conflict, Washington sees "differences" between the deaths of over 150 civilians, blamed on Riyadh, and the situation in Aleppo.
"It is different," the State Department’s John Kirby has told AP’s Matt Lee, when asked whether Capitol Hill sees a difference between the recent attack in Yemen and "what you accuse the Russians and the Syrians and the Iranians of doing in Syria, particularly Aleppo?"
"Since the beginning of this conflict in Yemen, weddings, marketplaces, hospitals, schools - and now mourners at a funeral - have been hit, resulting in massive civilian casualties and zero accountability for those responsible," the UN said in a statement Monday.
Yet, when it comes to Saudi Arabia and its intervention in Yemen, the State Department said it is important to remember that Riyadh has a "pressing requirement for self-defense" because of threats it faces from Iranian missiles launched by Houthi revolutionaries near the border.
Saudi Arabia began its deadly campaign against Yemen in late March 2015. The strikes were meant to undermine the Houthi Ansarullah movement and restore power to fugitive former president Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi.
About 10,000 people have been killed and over 16,000 injured since Riyadh launched the airstrikes. The Saudi aggression has also taken a heavy toll on Yemen’s facilities and infrastructure.
Source: News Agencies, Edited by Website Team
