According to two separate investigations, the weapons provided by the United States and other Western nations to the Saudi and Emirati governments end up in the hands of Al Qaeda-linked Sunni militias in Yemen. The weapons are supplied to the armed forces of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates by the West, with the understanding that they will be used in the war in Yemen. The war has been ongoing since 2015, when an alliance of rebel groups from Yemen's Shia communities formed the Houthi movement, which quickly took control of much of the country. The Houthis have effectively overthrown the government, provoking a reaction from a coalition of Sunni Arab states, which see the Shia movement as an Iranian front. In an effort to restore Yemen's Sunni-dominated government, Western countries have supplied Saudi Arabia and the UAE with over $ 5 billion in weapons.
However, a report published by Amnesty International claims that some of those weapons, including machine guns, mortars and even armored vehicles, are being deliberately diverted to Sunni militia groups in Yemen. Among them are three militias that are known to be supported by the Emirati government, aka the Shabwani security forces. These groups, Amnesty says, have been seen using Western-supplied weaponry on the battlefield and their lands across Yemen. In its report, the human rights group states that these groups are not accountable to any government and have been linked to serious war crimes against civilians. Meanwhile, a separate investigation broadcast by CNN claims that American-made weapons and materials supplied by Washington to the Saudi and Emirati militias are falling into the hands of Salafist militias in Yemen. The report names the Sunni Abu al-Abbas Brigade, which is closely linked to al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). The CNN report also claims that some American weapons have fallen into the hands of Houthi fighters.
The BBC quoted a senior American general on Wednesday as saying the Pentagon plans to investigate whether American and other weapons supplied by the West are being illegally diverted into the hands of non-state Sunni militias in Yemen. The UAE government did not comment on the reports.
