BOX
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PICTURE REF
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SOUND
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1.
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Pre-title
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It was the
deadliest attack in Yemen’s 21-month war.
140 people killed,
over 500 injured in Saudi led air strikes – as they attended a funeral.
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2.
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Husain
I was people
burning, their heads were burning or cut off.
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3.
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The Saudis said the
attack was based on “incorrect information” and said their Yemeni partners
were to blame.
We cross the
frontline to ask who was responsible.
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4.
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Magdashi sync
Nawal
Are there any
Coalition personnel in the operation room in Yemen?
Magdashi
From the Coalition
forces and Yemen.
Magdashi
In every room.
Nawal
In every room.
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5.
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And we follow the
bombs back to where they came from – America.
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6.
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Sync congressman
Apparently the US
and the United Kingdom thinks it is totally fine for these strikes to keep on
happening and I am very outraged that we are still assisting what looked just
like war crimes.
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7.
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The bombing raised
serious questions for Saudi Arabia and its allies the US and the UK about the
conduct of the bombing campaign.
Could this
airstrike have changed the course of the war in Yemen?
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8.
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Title page
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The Funeral Bombing
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9.
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Memorial event…
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Relatives and
friends are gathering in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa. They are paying their
respects to the victims of the worst airstrike in the country’s war.
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10.
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Nawal PTC
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PTC
There are thousands
of people here that have come to mourn their loved ones that were lost in the
great hall and as they are doing that the Saudi-coalition airplanes are
circling above.
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11.
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Memorial event
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At today’s memorial
event, amongst the mourners, are senior figures in the rebel government that
controls the capital and large parts of the country.
Over two years ago,
the Houthi rebel alliance forced the internationally-recognised government of
President Hadi into exile.
A Saudi-led
coalition, backed by the US and the UK is trying to put him back in
power, and has carried out thousands
of airstrikes.
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12.
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Set-ups Abdullah….
Aston - Saturday 8 October
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For the mourners -
returning to the burnt out wreck of the community hall brings back traumatic
memories.
A month earlier,
people were making plans to attend the day-long funeral of a respected senior
tribal leader.
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13.
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Abdullah
I was having lunch
with my sons. Sadiq heard that we were going to the funeral.
He said I'm coming with you Dad. I said it’s fine, we agreed to go together.
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14.
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When Abdullah and
his youngest son Sadiq arrived, the building was packed with senior political
and military leaders from Yemen’s rebel government.
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15.
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Religious duty to attend
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Abdullah
Funerals in Yemen
are known for their religious traditions. It’s a duty to attend them.
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16.
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Sanaa street GVs
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The funeral had
been advertised widely, in keeping with Yemeni tradition thousands of people
- most of them civilians - were on
their way to attend.
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17.
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Saleh
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One of the
coalition’s key enemies was amongst those expected. Rumours swirled that the
former President of Yemen - now one of the main rebel leaders - was in the funeral hall.
Minutes before the
bombing, an elite security unit that usually only travels with Ali Abdullah Saleh - entered the
building.
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18.
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Until now, it’s
still not been confirmed whether he was there.
We obtained a rare
interview with him.
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19.
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Nawal
Were you there at
the funeral?
Saleh
I was close to the
Great Hall, about 150 meters away. I saw a lot of people and cars at the
entrance so I turned my vehicle around and went somewhere else.
Nawal
So you were planning
to go to the funeral?
Saleh
No, I wasn’t
planning to go. I only passed the funeral on the way to another place. My son and nephew went on my behalf.
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20.
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Also at the funeral
were hundreds of civilians from the country’s
many tribes who had nothing to do with Yemen’s war.
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21.
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It was 3.20pm.
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22.
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Abdullah
The airstrike felt
like an earthquake.
Nobody in the hall
thought of who they were sitting next to or where their relatives and friends
were. They were going in different directions but I saw my son Sadiq and felt
reassured that he was out of danger.
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23.
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Husain walking through destroyed hall
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One of those
attending today’s memorial event is 14 year-old Husain.
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24.
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Husain interview
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Husain
I was standing then
falling. At that moment, I wanted to fly and escape. I was standing then
falling. I felt as if I was in a dream. Then I touched my leg and it was
real.
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25.
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Husain’s leg was
trapped in the rubble. He was desperate to break free quickly.
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26.
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Husain
We all expected
another airstrike. One wasn’t enough. They always do that.
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27.
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Fearing another
bomb was going to be dropped on the funeral hall, Husain and his father drew
their daggers and cut his leg off.
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28.
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Husain
There was a piece of
flesh hanging off my leg. It was stuck in the rubble. I couldn’t move, so we
cut it off and fled.
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29.
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Red Crescent teams
rushed to the site of the bombing as soon as they heard the news.
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30.
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Red Crescent man
I was close to the
incident, just a few metres away. I was in the ambulance.
When there is a
bombing like this, we expect another hit, so I stopped somewhere safe.
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31.
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It was a wise
decision. A pilot was preparing to drop another US-made bomb. The United
States is the main supplier of aircraft and armaments to the Coalition.
The second 500lb
paveway guided bomb crashed through the roof, detonating inside the hall just
when the wounded were being evacuated and medical teams and rescuers were
entering the site.
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32.
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Nawal ptc
This hall at full
capacity can take up to 2000 people. Now everyone I’ve spoken to tells me
that it was absolutely packed. The first airstrike dropped right over here
and as people were running out of the windows and the first responders were
coming in to treat the casualties around six to seven minutes later the
second airstrike dropped over here.
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33.
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Nawal
Many of the people
you treated from the funeral hall incident were rescuers?
Red Crescent man
Yes sure, many
civilians went to help and became victims.
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34.
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Red Crescent man
It’s common. After
the first strike, those with a relative or brother inside enter without
thinking.
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35.
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Sadiq’s father -
Abdullah - who had escaped the funeral hall - still believed his son was safe
having seen him flee the burning building.
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36.
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Abdullah
Before the second
airstrike, Sadiq called his brother, telling him about the bombing. He told
him I had died. He was screaming at the top of his voice. The call was
disconnected. Sadiq then went back to look for me in the hall.
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37.
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Two airstrikes on
the same target with a gap of minutes between them is known as a double tap.
This is often classified as a war crime - as it targets rescuers and medical
teams.
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38.
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Sadiq was killed by
the second strike whilst searching for his father. He was 26 years old and
had been married for just a month.
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39.
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Abdullah
Sadiq
died true to his name, true as a martyr, true to himself, to God and his
father.
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40.
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Archive of bombing aftermath
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Sadiq’s death and
that of the 139 others also allegedly broke international humanitarian
law.
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41.
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PTC in graveyard
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PTC
It is forbidden to
launch an attack on sites where the loss of life or injury to civilians is
out of proportion to the direct military advantage gained. The community hall was a well-known
civilian establishment and the funeral gathering had even been widely
advertised on media and Facebook.
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42.
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Sanaa top shots
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Initially, the
Saudi-led Coalition denied striking the funeral at all.
The United States
expressed immediate concern, warning that security cooperation with Saudi
Arabia was not a blank cheque.
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43.
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A week later a
Saudi-led investigation team blamed an unnamed person in the Yemeni military
for the strike. It accused the Air Operations Centre in Yemen for directing
the bombing without obtaining approval from Saudi Arabia.
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44.
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Looking at the report on her computer in hotel room
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However, we’ve
obtained a rebel government intelligence report based on mobile phone records
and interviews. It says informants were giving live updates of who was
arriving at the funeral, making the case that the airstrike was not only
deliberate but pre-planned.
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45.
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Saudi response…
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Nawal
The Saudi-led
Coalition stated that the bombing was launched from the operations room in
Yemen, and the Coalition Command in Saudi Arabia were not involved in it.
What do you think?
Saleh
I don’t think so,
this was planned.
Intelligence agents
passed on information that the target was at the funeral. The decision to hit
the hall was made in Saudi Arabia.
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46.
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The Saudi’s have
denied that their central command in Riyad authorised the strike. They blame
the Air operations centre in Marib – so I’m going there.
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47.
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I’m keen to hear
what they say about the attack on the funeral hall.
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48.
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Marib is only 100
miles east, but due to the war we need to skirt round the main frontline - a ten hour drive through the
mountains. No western journalist has
visited here since the war started.
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49.
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I meet units of the
national army leading the battle to take control of Sana’a from the rebels.
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50.
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General Qumary
This is the
battlefield. Can you see the black mountains in front of us?
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51.
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These forces are
equipped and supported by the Saudi-led coalition and have their wages paid
by them.
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52.
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MAREB GVS
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The key person I
want to interview here is the head of the Yemeni army. He’s in command of the
Air operation centre in Marib
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53.
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Nawal
Did you know the
funeral was taking place in the great hall?
Magdashi
No, we had no
idea.
We and the Coalition
are not at all pleased with what happened in the community hall. It might be
a mistake. Whoever made the mistake will take full responsibility, but we
will not cast blame until we finish the investigation.
Nawal
But did the forces
under your command request this airstrike?
Magdashi
As I told you, it is
still under investigation
Nawal
But you know what
you have requested and not requested, did you order this?
Magdashi
In what way?
Nawal
Did you order a
pilot?
Magdashi
Sometimes a
commander on the frontline asks to this or that to a target but I told you
the investigation is still on-going to find out who was responsible.
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54.
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The Saudi-led
Coalition stated that its Command in
Saudi Arabia did not know about the attack on the funeral hall – and blamed
Yemenis in the Air operation center here.
But General
Magdashi is confirming for the first time that foreign coalition personnel in
the Air operation center were always present.
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55.
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Nawal
Are there any
Coalition personnel in the operation room in Yemen?
Magdashi
From the Coalition
forces and Yemen.
Magdashi
In every room.
Nawal
In every room.
Nawal
Who controls the
airstrikes? Do you have control?
Magdashi
Look, actually, the
targets are obvious. We coordinate on what targets to hit, on the
battlefronts, on everything.
Nawal
Does every target
need sign-off from the Coalition?
Magdashi
Sure, that’s how we
coordinate.
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56.
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This raises doubts
that it was just the Yemenis who ordered the strike on the funeral hall.
We asked the Saudi
government for a response but they declined the request.
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57.
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MUSIC
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The Saudi’s have
always emphasised how tightly they control the air campaign to avoid mistakes
being made.
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58.
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Egyptian TV
clip… May 2016
Major-General Asiri
When a Coalition jet
takes off from base, the flight is closely monitored through sound, video and
other data.
Interviewer...
There is no way a
pilot can make mistakes with the targets?
There is no way, and
there’s no way for us to receive inaccurate information. Usually it is made accurate from a number
of sources.
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59.
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The funeral bombing
was the first time the Coalition admitted a serious breach in its own rules
of engagement in its 21-month campaign.
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60.
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But the UN, NGOs
and many human rights groups have regularly criticised the way the Coalition
air campaign has been conducted since its start in March 2015.
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61.
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To find out more, I
am travelling to the Yemeni city that has been bombed the most by Coalition
jets, and the site of another double tap air strike.
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62.
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It’s a 165 mile
drive northwest of Yemen’s capital to Saada, which is the homeland of the
Houthi rebels.
Journalists rarely
venture here.
Over two years ago,
the Houthi rebels launched their offensive from here, making it a key target.
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63.
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When the Coalition
air campaign started in March last year, the city of Saada was pounded.
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64.
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Saada PTC
This was once
Saada’s busiest market, hundreds of people used to make a living here selling
sweets food clothes, Now it is completely destroyed. They fled leaving
everything behind.
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65.
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The UN panel of
experts on Yemen found that the Saudi-led Coalition had seriously breached
international humanitarian law in May 2015 by declaring the entire city of
Saada a military target, making no distinction between combatants and
civilians, launching indiscriminate attacks.
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66.
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PTC
According to the
United Nations, in the first wave of airstrikes, almost 1200 structures were
hit. Amongst the targets were five markets, a petrol station.
Forty per cent of
the population fled.
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67.
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On January the 21st
Coalition jets were circling near Saada waiting to strike. A bomb was dropped
on a residential area near the city.
An ambulance was
despatched from this hospital. Abdulmalek Amer was the driver.
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68.
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Mohammad Hagar
I shouted at him and
told him not to risk his life. He said that every second counts pulling a
wounded person from the rubble and taking them to hospital.
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69.
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Abdulmalek arrived
at the scene in his ambulance. What happened next was captured on camera.
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70.
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As with the funeral
bombing in Sana’a - a Saudi-coalition
plane carried out a second airstrike just as civilians were aiding the
wounded.
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71.
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Mohammad Hagar
During the second
airstrike, Abdulmalek was with a large group of rescuers.
Abdulmalek survived
the second strike.
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72.
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Abdulmalek picked
up some of the injured. Shortly afterwards there was a third airstrike.
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73.
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Airstrike
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74.
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Abdulmalek’s
ambulance took a direct hit.
He and 17 other
people were killed in the three airstrikes. 36 were injured.
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75.
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Funeral bombing site
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The funeral bombing
in Sanaa on the 8th October was one of thousands of Coalition airstrikes
since March last year.
The bombs in that strike all came from one place - the United States.
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76.
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I’m come to
Washington D.C. The United States government has been the Saudi-led
Coalition’s strongest backer, providing intelligence, logistical and advisory
support. Billions of dollars of US weapons sales have been approved.
We’ve learnt the US
air force has - on average - refuelled Coalition jets twice a day during its
21-month Yemen campaign.
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77.
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After the funeral
bombing the White House announced an immediate review of US support
expressing serious concern about how the conflict is being waged.
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78.
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Nawal PTC
Despite this, we’ve learned that the day
after the airstrikes, the US air force refuelled Coalition jets. In a four
week period since then, US tankers flew over 87 missions, refuelling 386
aircraft with 1.7million litres of fuel. Indeed, this is slightly higher than
the monthly average refuelling support given by the US since the start of the
air campaign.
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79.
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There’s been
growing concern in Congress about US assistance. Representative Ted Lieu was
in the US Air Force and serves as a Colonel in the Reserves. He’s been
following the campaign closely.
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80.
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Lieu sync
We are flying our
tankers with US pilots, we are refuelling these jets of the Saudi Arabia
military led coalition and then they are dropping bombs but if you look at
the law of war of international law you can be guilty of aiding and abetting
war crimes, so if you are in that direct military operation, refuelling a jet
that then commits a war crime my view is that opens up the United States to
great risk and we need to stop doing it.
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81.
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Only this week the
White house released a provisional statement following the funeral bombing.
For the first time since the war began they are blocking the supply of
$350million of precision munitions to Saudi Arabia.
But the refuelling
of coalition jets – which only the United States has the capacity to do -
will continue.
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82.
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No current US
official working on Yemen would give an interview but a recently retired
senior State Department ambassador, who worked on Yemen during the first year
of the war, agreed to talk to me.
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83.
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Ambassador Jerry
Feierstein
I don’t believe that
Saudi Arabia is guilty of war crimes and
I don’t believe that the United States or the UK for that matter is
complicit.
So you have to be
careful about how you make the assertion and it has to be on the basis of a
clear examination and investigation of the facts before you can say that this
was in fact a war crime and intent also has to do with it.
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84.
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The Funeral hall is
to be preserved as a monument to those who died.
The UN estimates
that more than 4000 people have been killed by coalition airstrikes - sixty
per cent civilians.
The Saudi-led
Coalition says this figure is exaggerated.
A UN panel of
experts found that the double tap strike on the funeral hall - breached
international humanitarian law - this could make it a war crime.
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