Saudi Arabia regrets funeral attack but stops short of admitting responsibility

[webfact]

Saudi Arabia regrets funeral attack but stops short of admitting responsibility

Chris Cummins

 

 

RIYADH: -- Saudi Arabia has said it ‘regretted’ an air strike on a funeral in the Yemeni capital Sana’a that killed 142 mourners.

 

However, the kingdom stopped short of admitting it carried out the attack.

 

Saturday’s carnage, one of the deadliest since the Saudi-led coalition began military operations in March 2015, brought a terse response from the United States and the UN.

 

UN secretary general Ban Ki Moon made the following statement:

“Saturday’s funeral bombing was a heartless attack on civilians and an outrageous violation of international humanitarian law.Initial reports from the site indicate that this too was a coalition attack. Excuses ring hollow given the pattern of violence throughout the conflict. Parties cannot hide behind the fog of this war.”

 

The Houthi rebel group backed by Iran, which the Saudi’s are trying to remove, retaliated by firing a missile at the Taif military air base some 40 km for the holy city of Mecca.

 

In Sana’a people took to the streets to demand an international inquiry into the attack.

 

The Saudi’s have lunched a coalition probe.

 

 

-- © Copyright Euronews 2016-10-11

[pegman]

UN sanctions on their oil. It would help the Canadian $ as a bonus.

[Scott]

Sanctions on their oil would probably be of little value unless it were under the auspices of a UN embargo and that is very unlikely to happen.    Oil is sold on the international market and it would require a vast number of countries to agree and again that's not likely to happen.  

 

In reality, oil will continue to move from place to place and countries that put sanctions on Saudi oil will likely find the only difference will be a shift in which oil goes where from what country.   There would also be a sudden and sharp increase in the price of oil, even if the world-wide supply is not affected.  

 

Many of our members believe that the ME should be left to sort out its own problems.   I am not sure that is the best solution, but before getting very involved in Yemen and messing with the Saudis, it's something that should be thought out very carefully and rationally.

 

That said, it is a sad indictment on those involved in an attack on the many innocent people attending a funeral.  

 

 

[ilostmypassword]

41 minutes ago, Scott said:

  I am not sure that is the best solution, but before getting very involved in Yemen and messing with the Saudis, it's something that should be thought out very carefully and rationally.

 

 

 

 

The USA already is very involved with the Saudi invasion of Yemen.  It is supplying weapons and intelligence reports. Pretty much everything except putting boots on the ground and pilots in the air.

[Credo]

I think without boots on the ground and pilots in the air, the involvement is minimal.   Weapons are not supplied to Saudi Arabia, they are bought.   Intelligence is supplied between countries on a regular basis.   

 

Yemen controls some important waterways and should those be endangered, then you will see an expansion.   I think there was a recent incident in international waters.   

 

It's not a wise idea to fire missiles toward Mecca.   

Edited October 11, 2016 by Credo

[Grubster]

Well we know they were behind 911 and we still love em, what difference could this possibly make.

[ilostmypassword]

7 hours ago, Credo said:

I think without boots on the ground and pilots in the air, the involvement is minimal.   Weapons are not supplied to Saudi Arabia, they are bought.   Intelligence is supplied between countries on a regular basis.   

 

Yemen controls some important waterways and should those be endangered, then you will see an expansion.   I think there was a recent incident in international waters.   

 

It's not a wise idea to fire missiles toward Mecca.   

The US may provide some intelligence and sell weapons to the Saudis. But the the level of US support for the Saudi invasion of Yemen goes far beyond that.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/14/world/middleeast/yemen-saudi-us.html