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CAIRE – The decision by the United States to stop refueling the war planes of a Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen has been hailed by Yemeni rebel leaders, human rights defenders, and the United States. 39, man and humanitarian workers.
They also made it clear that Washington was increasingly worried about air strikes by its closest Middle East allies, who killed thousands of civilians in Yemen.
But interviewees said it was very unlikely that the decision would spread in the coalition unless more concrete steps were taken. It will not change the trajectory of the war in Yemen, nor the growing humanitarian crisis, which now affects more than 14 million people on the edge of famine, more than half of Yemen's population.
The United States, Britain and other Western powers continue to support the coalition with information, logistical support and billions of dollars in arms, much of which is deployed in Yemen, the poorest country from the Middle-East.
Saudi Arabia said late Friday that it had asked the Pentagon to stop refueling its airplanes by air, as its forces were able to perform the task themselves.
"The US decision to stop refueling coalition aircraft is important because it implies that the United States is trying to distance itself from the devastating impact on civilians of poorly targeted airstrikes," said Elisabeth. Kendall, Yemen specialist at the University of Oxford. "But it's not a military game changer."
Yemeni pro-government forces are gathering in the eastern suburbs of Hodeida as they fight the Houthi rebels on November 9, 2018. (Stringer / AFP / Getty Images)
[[[[A rare rebuff to Saudi allies by the Trump administration]
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and other Sunni Muslim countries in the coalition are seeking to overthrow Shiite Houthi rebel forces, which the US and its allies say are backed by Iran. Tehran denies this.
The objective of the Saudi-led war is to re-establish the internationally recognized Yemeni government, driven out of the Yemeni capital Sanaa in 2015, and to prevent Iran from gaining foothold on the Arabian Peninsula.
Fahmi Alyusufi, the deputy Houthi Information Minister, on Saturday called the US decision to "guarantee for opponents to the US involvement in the aggression" of the coalition led by the government. Saudi Arabia.
Another Houthi politician said the stopping of fueling was incremental, with the United States continuing to provide information and logistical support, as well as sending US military trainers to Saudi Arabia to participate in the effort. of war.
The American movement "will affect the duration of their planes in the air, but will not cripple the aggression's ability to aggravate the conflict," said the official, Mohammed Albukhaiti. "Yemen's headquarters is an American and Western headquarters, as such a seat exceeds the capabilities of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates."
[Saudi role in Yemen war under new scrutiny after Khashoggi killing]
The refueling of coalition aircraft by the United States has long been controversial because of the large number of civilians killed as a result of coalition air strikes. The UN estimates that at least 10,000 people have died, while other reputable organizations have counted more than 50,000 since the war began more than three years ago.
Coalition air strikes have hit hospitals, health centers, weddings, funerals, factories and other non-military targets. Fragments of American-made bombs have been found on numerous attack sites by human rights groups and the Washington Post.
In August, more than 40 children were killed when a coalition airstrike hit their school bus with a bomb made in the United States. Saudi Arabia first claimed that Houthi fighters were inside the bus and then retracted as a result of international pressure triggered by images of the bloody sequel.
After each air strike, Yemenis often blame the United States for the same breath as the Saudi-led coalition of their tragedies. Human rights advocates have hinted that the United States could be complicit in war crimes in Yemen.
The growing number of civilian casualties, despite the coalition's promises to target with greater precision, has increasingly led to an end to the American refueling of US lawmakers seeking to limit arms sales to Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia and to end the US engagement in the war in Yemen.
In recent congressional meetings, it became clear that the Pentagon had little control over Saudi Arabia's military activities in Yemen. In March, General Joseph Votel, head of the US Central Command, told Congress that US forces were not investigating whether US fuel or ammunition had been used in coalition operations that resulted in the deaths of civilians.
Human rights activists said on Saturday that the US decision to end support for supplies was long overdue.
[U.S. Navy seizes weapons off Yemen coast]
"All steps to contain the reckless aerial bombardment of civilian areas in Yemen by the Saudi Arabian coalition led by the United Arab Emirates is a step in the right direction," said Lynn Maalouf, director of Amnesty International's Middle East,
But stopping refueling, she added, "does not go far enough"
Kristine Beckerle, a Yemeni researcher for Human Rights Watch, said, "The decision to stop refueling is a clear, albeit extremely late, recognition of the terrible way the coalition is waging this war and the risks it has taken. by the United States in matters of security. complicity."
"The United States and other allies in the coalition should seize this opportunity to suspend all arms sales, call for an end to abuses, and demand accountability for the many people we have already seen," added Mr. Beckerle.
The stoppage of supply comes as the coalition launched a fierce offensive against the Yemeni port city of Hodeida last week. Dozens of airstrikes have struck in and around the city. Civilian casualties are again attacking aerial assaults and shelling. The port is the main gateway to much of the food, fuel, medicine and humanitarian aid entering northern Yemen, where 80% of the population lives.
With the Hodeida offensive now threatening to deepen the crisis, aid workers hope that the United States will take more action to help Yemenis.
"The United States has the opportunity to continue to take steps that make a real difference for Yemenis," said Suze van Meegen, Protection and Advocacy Advisor in Yemen for the Norwegian Refugee Council.
Among these measures, she said, there was "the pressure for an immediate ceasefire" and the guarantee that "all seaports and airports in the country are open and functioning, allowing rapid transport of food, fuel and people needing medical treatment. " "
With Friday's decision, the responsibility for preventing civilian casualties will fall more on the Saudis. It remains to be seen if the Trump administration will be prompted to take further steps to control the coalition.
"Saudi Arabia called the announcement a victory, saying it asked the US to stop refueling because its military professionalism allowed it to do it itself," Kendall said.
"The question is now: will it be enough to convince Congress that the United States can not be held responsible for wandering air strikes, or is it just a first step towards new ones?" measures?"
Raghavan reported from Cairo.
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