British govt. trains, equips Yemeni forces

November 4, 2011

The British government has spent tens of thousands of pounds training Yemeni security forces and supplying equipment to the suppressive regime over the last five years.

Junior defense minister Peter Luff revealed: Britain, the close supporter of the repressive regimes all around the world, provided the regime of US-backed Ali Abdullah Saleh with £90,000 worth of spare “non-lethal public order equipment.”

Luff also said that UK government gave “professional development training” to scores of Yemeni security forces.

The Ministry of Defense claimed that it suspended the training of officers loyal to Yemeni ruler six months ago in the wake of the “significant deterioration” in “political and security situation” of the country.

In a written parliamentary answer to Labour MP Mike Gapes, Luff backed the support the UK government gave to the suppressive regime, claiming it helped handling the threat of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.

He also said that British military experts went to Yemen last October and in February this year in order to train the forces at the Yemeni Central Security Force Public Order Battalion.