On Tuesday, Saudi Arabia announced that it is issuing a royal pardon for any and all Saudi troops engaged in the war in Yemen, covering all crimes related to violating military rules and discipline. They said this is to show appreciation for the “heroics” of the invading forces.
The Saudi invasion of Yemen has been widely controversial internationally. Saudi airstrikes have killed massive numbers of Yemeni civilians, and the war has also caused a famine, and the largest cholera epidemic in human history.
Faced with UN criticism, Saudi officials heavily resisted allegations of wrongdoing, and ultimately got the UN to agree that Saudi Arabia would be allowed to investigate its own forces, and police themselves. This pardon shows none of that is going to matter.
It is unclear what prompted the pardon to be offered no, as the war shows no sign of ending, and there is no suggestion from official reports that the Saudis had punished any of their troops more than nominally for war crimes in the first place.
Actually its Warrior Prince who should answer most for his soldiers – and mercenaries’ – crimes, but whatever.
The Saudis probably find it safer to fight make believe Iranians in Yemen than risked being tapped to fight real Iranians across the Gulf.
SURPRISE!
Don’t worry we’ll just investigate our own crimes… actually never mind, we’ll just pardon ourselves for the murderous crimes our troops have already committed in the invasion of Yemen, and the ones they will continue to commit during the indefinite occupation of the country. Such is ‘due process’ by royal decree!
PIGS
The Saudis are just following the standard that the government of Israel has set for the IDF.
Your headline is not right, the king has pardoned the excesses and errors that occurred within the Saudi armed forces and have no relation with what is happening in Yemen and the fact that you should know that the Saudi soldier follows the rules of engagement stemming from the teachings of the Islamic religion in the war