Saudi Arabia’s King Salman walks past Russian honour guards during a welcoming ceremony upon his arrival at Vnukovo airport outside Moscow, Russia October 4, 2017. REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin
A confidential draft United Nations blacklist seen by Reuters names a Saudi Arabia-led military coalition for killing and maiming children in Yemen, though it notes that the alliance has put measures in place to improve child protection. This comes following a highly publicised visit of King of Saudi Arabia Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to Moscow.
“In Yemen, the coalition’s actions objectively led to the listing for the killing and maiming of children, with 683 child casualties attributed to this party, and, as a result of being responsible for 38 verified incidents, for attacks on schools and hospitals during 2016,” says a draft explanation of the blacklist. It has to be approved by Antonio Guterres, the current UN chief before publication and is subject to change. The Saudi UN ambassador, Abdallah Al-Mouallimi, declined to comment until the report is officially issued.
The draft was published after the visit of King of Saudi Arabia Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to Moscow on October 4 during which the two countries launched a joint energy investment fund worth $1 billion. The fund could include investments in natural gas projects and petrochemical plants.
Riyadh also intends to buy Russian S-400 missile systems, which raised some concerns from the Pentagon. According to Pentagon spokeswoman Michelle Baldanza, the “compatibility issues” between the US and Russian systems will become detrimental.
“The Saudi’s will not be able to link the S-400 with Saudi’s current (US and Europe-sourced) infrastructure, nor will they be able to connect the S-400 with US systems. More troubling to me is that Russia will gain a foothold in a nation that for decades has depended largely on defense systems acquired from the US and Europe,” writes Frank Cevasco, former longtime head of international affairs at the Pentagon. “That alone ensured a measure of interoperability among US, European and Saudi forces.”
America losing her milking cow ?
Saudis finally waking up that Yankistan is a sinking ship…
You dont get the point at all.
Saudis are killing all they see, which is not their own supporters and much faster then Houtis having Iran support.
US has blamed Saudis many times for being with no limits according to civilians. They have boycuttet their normal support for yemen at least 1 time.
And yet the Saudi air-force cannot operate without US and UK technical assistance, they need foreign maintenance engineers and intelligence assistance to carry out missions.
US strategy does seem to be rather short sighted and I would think that the US protection racket has become a ‘Dollar Too Far ‘ for the Saudi despots :)
It is JUST possible that Arab and other pro Western nations in the Middle east will find common interest with Iran, Russia and the Brics nations.
Israeli’s will be shitting themselves :)
About your last line – I don’t think so. There has been for a while now an unspoken strategic alliance between Saudis and Israelis, which seems quite bizarre but it’s there. The northern part of Saudi territory is quite close to Israel, so S-400 system easily covers Israeli airspace as well. Not being simplistic about it but this seems to me being a deal where Israel effectively gets S-400 protection too. The covert Israel-Saudi Axis is a key to a lot of things happening in the ME.
The madness in the Middle East today somewhat resembles the madness of Europe during the period of the 100 Years War.
Infighting , intrigue and betrayal by the rich and the mass death of the poor.
Ironically it was during this period that millions of people were forced to flee their homes in an attempt to find safety in other parts of Europe and Eurasia.
All bull , the yanks are loving it , they get to inspect the S400 in detail , and at their own sweet time .
I doubt that ‘inspecting ‘ them would be any advantage to the US. For example, the US needs to use Russian Made space rocket engines and have been doing so for decades . Yet the US is still unable to build their own domestic replacement that is reliable and that works :)
Its not like that. Its a matter of building complete copies or not and agreements about the use of space.
Others are not so bad and comming.
Denmark has been obliged (blackmailed) to buy the F35 I understand ?
More Danish taxpayers money being pick pocketed by America :)
Not that simple my friend. Same thing as with Turkey. Russians entering military complexes of NATO country (Turks) and close US ally (Saudis) is a very serious thing and consequences are yet to be seen. Export version if S400 is not revealing yanks technological things they don’t already have. Its a good and capable system but it is not the same as “normal” S400.
If the Saudis have a license to build them locally and they become an important part of their defenses, it would not be in their best interest to let the USA inspect them. If any weaknesses are found, it would open the Saudis to future attacks. I would think they want to keep the system as secret as possible.
That won’t happen as the Russians have nixed the idea of any transfer of technology and it would be like getting an domestic S 200M technology wise.
US do the same. Most countries can buy most of their productions, but the advanced are for only the very selected ones.
where’s the draft published? Reuters’ article is from October 3
The US insists on final control of any weapons system they supply. You don’t want interoperability. You want independence.
Thats right. Saudis has by trust be given the most advanced catagory weapons and it seemes 100% that ISIS has got many of them.
There is another one. Saudis havnt got so much money as before and the russians might be much cheeper and some mm better. Thats a good trade. Rockets systems small and big are almost the only thing russians has improved and have in production. So why not.
What a coincidence…
As soon as Saudis started getting a bit close to Russia, suddenly UN noticed they are killing Yemeni children. How nice.
Would it kill you to notice it during last 2 years?
Still it’s a good move, but timing tells us a lot.
see you? putin brings bad luck. :)
Yes, where is Trump now with his speech about “beautiful babies…”?
Yemen is not Africa or USA. I hope UN will send some contraseption to the poor in USA. We and other countries send some to Africa and compensate there.
Its babling nonsense of the worst seen today. UN work slow and it has been on the agenda for more then months.
But of course You probatly enjoy the other way, when UN proove that at least 20 of 27 gasattacks only can have been done by Assads a condemption is Vetoed. Hurra-Hurrah
Of course it is.
UN is very quick in their reaction to NK or Syria for example,just a day or two, but it takes 2 years for them to notice Saudis are killing Yemeni children. After all, it takes time!
I’m sure you count whatever your supervisor says as babbling nonsense.
In eternal words of “Benni” the cab driver, “I’ve got 5 kids to feed!”
What UN proof you brain dead moron? No UN inspectors were there to do any forensics after the false flag “gas” attacks in Syria. You seem to keep popping up on these forums, but why not seriously consider leaving us alone and going to Haaretz and the Jerusalem Post where they will appreciate your krap more than the honest truth-lovers here? Take Solomon Krapashit with you if possible . .
Im les and less for Israel, because they look and behave more and more like arabs.
Sure you are. Sure.
Yes, I see no change to the better and Isreal seemes to integrate in too many matters.
There’s no earn in commenting on Haaretz or JPost, being like-minded and all.
That’s why we’re all here “honoured” with their presence.
Notice there will be no talk about any kind of proof, they conveniently forget it and just claim something else, wilder than the one before
The head of the UN human rights commission getting put on a blacklist for abusing human rights?!
This is a good sign how obsolete the UN club is … or it could be payback for the Saudis daring to do deals with Russia ;)
Im sure its not. Its about the war is going on and on and Saudis has prefared some old king being old in everything to stay with no public support by his own supporters as well.
Its – so to speak – an old thing. They have been figthing there as long as I remember. I remember Nasser was there too and gave up. Many Egyptians died for nothing too. Now all has colera or something too.
Arabica united – here we comes. Could be because they are close to Mocca.
@ Pentagon spokeswoman Michelle Baldanza, you’re absolutely right. For this very reason Arabia is going to throw US weapons away xD
The Saudis have only made overtures to purchase them as they know that the Kremlin will nix the transfer of technology, this way they can speed up the negotiations with the US on the THAAD system.
Yes like that. Next time Saudis might like to buy those, the price might have lowered.