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Saudi Diplomat: Saudi-led Alliance does not have Ambitions in Yemen | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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A boy looks on as he sits next to a hut at a camp for people displaced by the war near Sana’a, Yemen April 24, 2017. Credit: Reuters/Khaled Abdullah


Washington– Saudi Ambassador to Yemen Mohammed bin Said Al Jaber said that the Kingdom and other countries in the coalition supporting Yemen’s legitimacy did not have any personal ambitions, but were seeking the establishment of security and stability in the war-torn country.

Addressing a gathering of politicians, intellectuals and media specialists at the Washington Institute on Thursday, the Saudi ambassador said that war was not a choice, but came as an utmost necessity to save Yemen’s legitimacy and stop Iranian interference in the country.

Al Jaber underlined the need to put an end to Iran’s expansionism project, which threatens security of Gulf States and the region.

He noted that Saudi Arabia has supported the participation of all Yemeni parties in Yemen’s political process, based on UN Security Council Resolution 2216, the outcome of the national dialogue and the GCC Initiative and its implementation mechanism.

The Saudi diplomat said that the Kingdom, along with other alliance members, have sought during the negotiations in Switzerland and Kuwait to find a political solution to the crisis, underlining their readiness to rebuild the country.

He further stressed that the Saudi-led alliance has made civilian protection its ultimate priority, and has banned attacks on thousands of civilian-populated areas.

Underlining the alliance’s full commitment to international humanitarian law, Al Jaber said that appropriate investigation was conducted every time the alliance was accused of breaching the law.

The ambassador noted, however, that Houthi militias and supporters of ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh were relying on murder, destruction and child recruitment in military operations, adding that Houthis were using houses, schools and medical centers as armories and ammunition storage.

On the humanitarian level, Al Jaber said that the Arab alliance, in particular King Salman Center for Relief and Humanitarian Aid (KSRELIEF), has granted more than $600 million in aid, while Houthi and Saleh militias were blocking the access of humanitarian assistance to the people.