David Cameron was yesterday accused of "silently" taking Britain into Saudi Arabia's war in Yemen, as new figures revealed UK arms sales to the Gulf kingdom have increased by almost 11,000 per cent since the conflict started.
"Brushing aside the question," the PM did admit that the UK military was offering training and advice, The Independent says, and promised "to make sure that the norms of humanitarian law" were obeyed.
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"Just to be absolutely clear about our role, British military personnel are not directly involved in the Saudi-led coalition's operations, personnel are not involved in carrying out strikes and we're not involved in the Saudi targeting decision-making process," the Prime Minister said.
Earlier this month, Sky News alleged that six military experts were working with Saudi Arabia's military operation in Yemen to help select rebel sites to attack. The claim was backed by the Saudi foreign minister, Adel al-Jubeir, who, speaking to the Daily Telegraph this week, said British advisers are "working alongside" Saudi personnel who are targeting bombing sites.
This week, Russian newspaper Pravda claimed Britain and Saudi Arabia were "standing shoulder to shoulder in atrocity".
According to human rights groups, the UK sold more than $1bn (£705m) of arms to Saudi Arabia in a three-month period last year – which coincided with a surge in air strikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen that have killed 5,884 people since March.
In December, legal analysis commissioned by Amnesty International and Saferworld suggested the British government was in breach of domestic, EU and international law by continuing to supply arms to Saudi Arabia after it was found be to deliberately targeting civilians.
"The UK is selling billions of pounds worth of weapons to the Saudis in the full knowledge of the grave risk that they'll be used to kill Yemeni civilians," said the report.
Cameron has repeatedly rejected calls to suspend UK arms licences in the face of "overwhelming evidence" of civilian targeting by the Saudi Arabian air force, arguing that Britain has the most robust export controls on weapons in the world.
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