Saudis use talks to launch more attacks on Yemen: Analyst

Press TV has conducted an interview with Hussein al-Bukhaiti, Yemeni activist and political commentator from Sana’a, on what is behind the relentless Saudi aggression against the Yemeni people despite UN-brokered talks on the conflict in the Arabian Peninsula state

The following is a rough transcription of the interview.

Press TV: With these peace talks taking place right now in Switzerland, why would Saudi Arabia insist on continuing its aggression against the country?

Bukhaiti: Actually the Saudis are using these peace talks, like Geneva II, as a cover for their operation and new operation in Yemen. We all remember that in July ceasefire or truce that happened in July, the Saudis and the United Arab Emirates and forces backed by them have invaded Aden and many areas in the South.

And they’ve done that during that ceasefire and the UN hasn’t condemned that and hasn’t even released even a statement to clarify what was happening at that time. And this time as well, before the ceasefire, before the Geneva II, all Saudi-backed forces across Yemen either in the south, in Taiz and in Ma’rib, have declared before the ceasefire that they are not obligated by any ceasefire.

They are not concerned about what’s happening in Geneva II and as soon as the talks started in Geneva on the 15th of December, the Saudi and the UAE and all their forces in al-Jawf and Ma’rib have launched a massive attack on that area in a new move similar to what happened to the previous ceasefire in July.

And we’ve seen that from the beginning there wasn’t any ceasefire. In the first day of the ceasefire, 20 civilians were killed across Yemen. And just in the last 48 hours, there were two families, who were killed in Amlaha Valley, northeast Saada, most of them women and children.

 So, they show you that just these peace talks and the Geneva talk are just a cover for Saudi operation to continue in Yemen. And this is going under the nose of the UN, which our Seyyed Abdul-Malik [al-Houthi] said yesterday in his speech that the UN is becoming a part of the problem and they are becoming a side of this conflict.

Press TV: What benefits Saudi Arabia get from continuing this war, because you have come on Press TV time and time again and said that Saudi Arabia is not achieving the goals that it set out to achieve in this war? So, why prolong it?

Bukhaiti: It’s because they haven’t reached anything. They couldn’t reach any solution that favors them. We know that they call the areas in south of Yemen, which was as they liberated in July still they have no control over that area.

Al-Qaeda has the upper hand, ISIS (Daesh) has the upper hand and we saw that latest video they have burned, slaughtered and killed and over 30 and this hasn’t just got them anywhere.

But I think the Saudis’ goals for their operation that they have declared at the beginning, it was just as well another cover-up, because the main actually goal that they want to reach in Yemen is to destroy Yemen, to bring terrorists in Yemen, like they did in Syria.

And we’ve seen lately in all areas have been controlled by the Saudi-led coalition, al-Qaeda has much control specially as well in Aden, which should be one of the first liberated cities. And I think and I’m sure, the only goal of Saudi is the total destruction of Yemen. They have been targeting all the infrastructure, a blockade over nine months, no medicine, no fuel coming into Yemen, people are suffering, they just want to bring Yemen into submission.

And as long as the UN and the international community and countries like the US, France and the UK, as long as they’re supporting the Saudis, providing them with intelligence, providing them with weapons, the Saudis will continue because they got lots of money and they got the oil money.

And many countries are making profit from this war. So, I don’t think this war is going to end soon, but as soon as the Yemeni army will take new strategic steps, what we have seen in the last few days by launching attacks deep inside Saudi, I think, when the Saudi regime will feel and fear its collapse, this is the only way to stop their aggression against Yemen.

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