Amnesty International Accuses UAE of Delivering American Weapons to Yemeni Militias

On Wednesday, February 6, Amnesty International issued a statement accusing the United Arab Emirates of recklessly supplying advanced Western weaponry to various militia groups in Yemen. This statement follows a CNN investigative report published on Monday, which claimed that Saudi Arabia and the UAE have provided American weapons to fighters linked to Al-Qaeda, radical Salafi militias, and others, contrary to their commitments. Meanwhile, General Joseph Votel, head of the U.S. Central Command in the Middle East, called for an investigation into this matter during a Senate Armed Services Committee meeting, referencing the CNN report. Amnesty International's harsh criticism of the UAE states that 'Emirati forces have received billions of dollars in weapons from Western countries and others, and they are supplying these weapons to Yemeni militias that are unaccountable and whose war crimes are evident.' The statement cites 'publicly available evidence' indicating that the UAE has become a major conduit for delivering armored vehicles, mortars, and advanced weapons to groups accused of war crimes. According to this human rights organization, various images and videos show that heavy advanced weapons purchased solely by the UAE are in the hands of forces like the 'Giants Brigade' (Quwat al-Amaliqa), a conservative Salafi group fighting the Houthis in Yemen. Amnesty emphasizes that 'the proliferation of these fighting forces will bring disaster to the citizens of Yemen, who have already suffered hundreds of thousands of deaths and millions are on the brink of famine due to the war.' Reuters contacted the UAE government press office regarding Amnesty's report but has not yet received a response. Patrick Wilcken, a weapons control and human rights official at Amnesty International, stated on Wednesday that American and British weapons have fallen into the hands of Al-Qaeda, ISIS, and 'irresponsible' groups in Yemen, calling for a halt to arms sales to the Arab coalition. Meanwhile, another report published by CNN based on field investigations states that American weapons sold to Saudi Arabia and the UAE have been diverted to the Iran-backed Houthis through various means. This raises concerns that sensitive U.S. military technology could fall into Tehran's hands, posing a new threat to American soldiers in other conflict zones. Additionally, a CNN team in the port city of Hodeidah, Yemen, has observed that the 'Giants Brigade' possesses several MRAP (Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected) vehicles, with purchase tags from a factory in Beaumont, Texas, still attached. The U.S. Department of Defense told CNN that countries must legally obtain permission from the United States to transfer American weapons to other groups, but such permission has not been granted to Saudi Arabia and the UAE. According to AFP, General Joseph Votel stated on Tuesday that the U.S. must determine whether American-made military equipment in Yemen has fallen into the hands of Al-Qaeda and Iran-backed rebels. He told the Senate Armed Services Committee, 'We need to pay closer attention to these allegations and understand what has happened.' The Yemen war, ongoing for three and a half years, sees Saudi Arabia and the UAE, along with several other Arab countries, confronting the Houthis, who are supported by Iran. This regional conflict has created the worst humanitarian crisis currently in the world.