40 Yemeni Children Dead by U.S.-Made Bomb?
Aired via TV/Radio on the program “Democracy Now” – August 14th, 2018
http://www.democracynow.org/2018/8/14/40_yemeni_children_dead_by_a
AP Investigation: Behind the Scenes in Yemen, U.S.-Backed Saudi Coalition Is Working with al-Qaeda
http://www.democracynow.org/2018/8/14/ap_investigation_behind_the_scenes_in
Excerpt:
AMY GOODMAN: Thousands of mourners gathered in the northern city of Sa’dah for funerals of 51 people, including 40 children killed in a U.S.-backed Saudi-led coalition airstrike on a school bus last week. Images posted online suggest a U.S.-built Mark 82 bomb was used in the bombing. The massacre of school boys between the ages of six and 11 was one of the worst attacks on children in history of Yemen’s brutal war. This is Moussa Abdullah who witnessed the bombing.
Moussa Abdullah: The strike happened in the middle of the market and it targeted a bus carrying children. Our shops were open and the shoppers were walking around as usual. All of those who died were residents, children and shop owners.
Amy: The children had spent the day celebrating the end of summer school by taking a field trip to a cemetery, one of the last remaining green spaces in a region devastated by war. Video released by Houthi media captures the school boys laughing and talking on the bus. Just hours later, most of the kids in the video were dead. This is Hussein Hussin Tayeb, whose son Ahmed was killed in the bombing.
Hussein Hussin Tayeb: I was one of the first people on the scene. As soon as I arrived with others wanting to help out, we figured we had to quickly nurse the wounded because there was chaos. People were running over bodies and shouting. It was a scary situation. Very scary, but may God give us patience from his strength.
Amy: U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has condemned the air strike, calling for an independent investigation into the deadly attack. Saudi Arabia responded by saying it will launch its own investigation,
claiming the air strike was a legitimate military operation. U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis said Sunday he is sending a three-star general to Riyadh to assist the Saudi investigation. The U.S.-backed Saudi-led bombing campaign has repeatedly been accused of committing war crimes by targeting civilians.
