Increasing danger for journalists working in Yemen

Since the start of the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, the Saudi-led military coalition has conducted a number of attacks on schools, hospitals, houses, and factories. In the past month, the Saudi coalition attacked a school in Saada province, killing ten children and wounding dozens. Days after the school bombing, Saudi Arabia launched airstrikes on a[…]

Why Saudi Arabia Should, But Probably Won’t, Allow an Independent Investigation of Civilian Casualties in Yemen

Two weeks ago at a press conference with Secretary of State John Kerry, Saudi Foreign Affairs Minister, Adel Jubeir, spoke dispassionately about his country’s actions in the conflict in Yemen. “Yes, we do our best to minimize civilian casualties,” Jubeir claimed. “We do our best to investigate when we have reports of these, and we[…]

Time to End Saudi Arabia’s Shameful Position on the Human Rights Council

In 2006 the United Nations (UN) established a new Human Rights Council (HRC) to be “responsible for the promotion and protection of all human rights around the globe.”  The HRC replaced the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) after it had been heavily criticized for allowing countries with poor human rights records to be members. Now,[…]

Congressmen Seek to Block Saudi Tank Deal as Civilian Causalities Rise in Yemen

Last week, the U.S. State Department notified Congress of an impending $1.15 billion dollar arms sale to Saudi Arabia. This deal is the latest in a string of major arms sales agreements, totaling over $20 billion, since the Gulf country began fighting in Yemen against the Houthi rebels in March 2015. However, steady arms sales to[…]

Saudi Arabia & UAE Pledge Support to Anti-ISIS Fight while Fueling Extremism in Yemen

On 21 Thursday 2016, Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met with United States Defense Secretary Ash Carter in Washington, DC in order to discuss further cooperation in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS, also known as ISIL, IS, and Daesh). The two officials thanked one another for their[…]