Tag Archives: United Arab Emirates

UN Probe Says Repeated Bombing of Yemen Civilians by US-Backed Saudi Coalition Likely Amounts to War Crimes

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“Despite the severity of the situation we continue to see a complete disregard for the people in Yemen,” says co-author of UN’s investigative report

By Jon Queally, staff writer for Common Dreams. Published 8-28-2018

A young boy runs with his tire past buildings damaged by Saudiled airstrikes in Saada Old Town in Yemen. (Photo: Giles Clarke/OCHA)

Evidence presented as part of a wide-ranging investigation sponsored by the United Nations and released Tuesday shows that the military coalition led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates waging a war in Yemen—armed and with backing from the United States and the United Kingdom—have likely “perpetrated, and continue to perpetrate, violations and crimes under international law.”

Conducted by the Group of International and Regional Eminent Experts on Yemen, a body of Yemen and regional experts created by the UN Human Rights Council, the report documents how indiscriminate bombing by the Saudi-led coalition has devastated the Yemeni population and details how civilian targets have repeatedly been struck. Continue reading →

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Abu Dhabi announces launch of Israeli-installed mass surveillance system

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The Internet of Things applies unique identifiers to objects, people to be followed, and provides large amounts of data on all aspects of an individual’s movements and activities based on the surveillance equipment used.

By Rori Donaghy. Published 7-15-2016 by openDemocracy

Astronaut photo of Abu Dhabi on the Persian Gulf, taken from the International Space Station, 2011. Photo: NASA via Wikimedia Commons

Astronaut photo of Abu Dhabi on the Persian Gulf, taken from the International Space Station, 2011. Photo: NASA via Wikimedia Commons

Authorities in Abu Dhabi announced on Wednesday the launch of an emirate-wide surveillance system, which Middle East Eye previously revealed was installed by an Israeli-owned security company.

The Abu Dhabi Monitoring and Control Centre (ADMCC) said the new Falcon Eye surveillance system “links thousands of cameras spread across the city, as well as thousands of other cameras installed at facilities and buildings in the emirate”. Continue reading →

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3 Facts That Will Change Everything You Believe About U.S. Foreign Policy

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By Nick Bernabe. Published 5-27-2016 by The Anti-Media

The United States has the world’s most powerful military — and a huge budget to match it. In fact, the U.S. spends more on defense than the next seven countries’ budgets military combined. America’s navy has been branded a “Global Force for Good,” and U.S. military operations around the world are sold to the public as freedom-by-force operations (see: Operation Iraqi Freedom).

But what is the truth about America’s foreign policy? Is America truly a benevolent empire hell-bent on raining democracy-by-drone strike around the world? To answer this question, we looked at America’s arms global deals and came to a rather disappointing  conclusion. Continue reading →

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Purveyors of Global Violence, US Continues to Lead World Arms Trade

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Topping the list of those on the receiving end of these deals are Middle East allies, including Saudi Arabia

By Lauren McCauley, staff writer for Common Dreams. Published 2-22-2016

A joint weapons training exercise on how to operate an M67 120mm mortar system with the Royal Saudi Naval Forces and U.S. Marines. (U.S. Marine Corps photos by Gunnery Sgt. Rome M. Lazarus/Released)

A joint weapons training exercise on how to operate an M67 120mm mortar system with the Royal Saudi Naval Forces and U.S. Marines. (U.S. Marine Corps photos by Gunnery Sgt. Rome M. Lazarus/Released)

The U.S. weapons industry continues to lead the world as the greatest supplier of major arms and munitions, according to an authoritative analysis, fueling the global violence and turmoil that has soared to unprecedented levels in recent years.

The report (pdf), put forth by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) on Monday, found that the U.S. continues to dominate the global arms trade, driving 33 percent of total exports between 2011 and 2015. Continue reading →

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