The German government's approval of arms sales to Saudi Arabia will hinder peace settlement of the conflict in Yemen and trigger continuation of the ongoing war on the Arabian peninsula, Alexander Neu, the Die Linke party spokesman in the Bundestag Defense Committee, told Sputnik on Thursday.
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 21st September, 2018) The German government's approval of arms sales to Saudi Arabia will hinder peace settlement of the conflict in Yemen and trigger continuation of the ongoing war on the Arabian peninsula, Alexander Neu, the Die Linke party spokesman in the Bundestag Defense Committee, told Sputnik on Thursday.
On Wednesday German Economy Minister Peter Altmeier approved arms sales to Saudi Arabia following previous vows by the ruling coalition to stop arms supplies to the countries involved in the Yemen conflict.
"By continuing to deliver weapons to Saudi Arabia, the German government is prolonging the war and preventing a political solution to the Yemen conflict. In favor of German geopolitical ambitions in the Near and middle East and the German arms industry, human lives are sacrificed in Yemen," Neu said.
According to the lawmaker arms deliveries would cause more destruction in Yemen and more deaths and injuries.
"Another consequence will be more refugees - even if only a few will make it to Europe. In the misery of the Yemenis, the Federal Government is complicit [via] arms deliveries," Neu added.
Neu noted that the German government "produces" masses of refugees by enabling wars, even if not by sending soldiers overseas, but, as in the case of Yemen, through arms exports.
"The federal government is thus involved in the destabilization of the Middle East, whereas the same government sheds crocodile tears about the miserable state of this region at every opportunity," the lawmaker stressed.
Neu stressed that all relevant export permits must be revoked and arms deliveries stopped immediately.
Yemen has been engulfed in an armed conflict between the government forces and the Houthi rebels for several years. The Saudi-led coalition of mostly Persian Gulf nations has been carrying out airstrikes against the Houthis at Hadi's request since March 2015.
