Social organizations denounce the sale of weapons and the violation of human rights by oil power

Government and media attack CUP for denouncing relations with Saudi Arabia

Enric Llopis
Rebellion


How to participate in the demonstrations? The Candidature d'Unitat Popular (CUP) announced on 22 August its refusal to share the first line of the demonstration of the 26th in Barcelona, ​​which will walk the Paseo de Gracia and end in Plaza Cataluña, with the monarch Felipe VI and the President of the Government, Mariano Rajoy. The slogan of the march ("Not tinc por I'm not afraid") highlights the rejection of the attacks perpetrated by the Islamic State in the Catalan capital and Cambrils (Tarragona), which resulted in 14 deaths and hundreds of injuries on 17 August.



CUP deputy, Mireia Boya, stated in statements made by the Efe Agency that the independence formation will manifest itself alongside "people and citizens" but not - in reference to Rajoy and Felipe VI - with those who are "indirectly "Responsible for the attacks, because according to the activist" finance and help Daesh take more forces; And they are the ones who give them arms, establish commercial relations and friendship. " In social networks, the CUP released yesterday the message "Les seues guerres, els nostres morts", with the photograph of Felipe de Borbón with the Saudi monarch Salman bin Abdulaziz, in January 2015.

Speaking to Spanish television, the Vice-President of the Government, Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría, responded as follows to the CUP: "They are radicals, who do not have clear things in the defense of life and freedom."

In a similar sense, the editorial of the newspaper El País of August 21, entitled "Frenar a la CUP" was expressed. The editorialist described as a "declaration of institutional rupture" and "disrespect to the victims" the decision taken by anti-capitalist formation about his participation in the March 26 march.

In addition, the newspaper of Grupo Prisa asked the Catalan government of Junts pel Si a response - to show that they are not "hostages of extremism" - to statements such as that the attack is due to the "logics of capitalism" or that King Felipe de Borbón Represents "imperialism that has financed terrorism."

The editorial of the conservative daily ABC, of ​​21 of August, also loaded the inks against the Candidature of Unitat Popular; "Nothing will be lost with the absence of these apologists of the naturist violence and other violence," said the editorialist, who also lamented the "rotten scale of priorities (of the CUP), as toxic as its contribution to public life of Catalonia".

However, numerous analysts have highlighted relations between Saudi Arabia and terrorist organizations. For example, in March 2016, the Latin American Summary newspaper published an article by Yair Cybel, a producer in Telesur and editor in El Grito del Sur, a popular medium in Buenos Aires, eloquently titled "Saudi Arabia: the bloody dictatorship that finances the state Islamic". The analyst highlighted how "many referents and international organizations have accused the Saudi government of being one of the main promoters of the Islamic State or Daesh." In addition to recalling human rights violations in the Arab kingdom (in the face of the silence of the so-called international community) and the fact that it is "one of the most ferocious dictatorships in the Middle East", Yair Cybel pointed out the accusations Financial aid and logistics, as well as the sale of weapons, to jihadist groups fighting in Syria, Libya and Iraq. The text also mentions an alliance between Saudi Arabia and Turkey to "facilitate the access of the Islamic State to major Syrian cities".

Many other scholars have pointed to these connections, such as Alain Rodier, director of the French Center for Studies on Intelligence and an expert on jihadist terrorism. In an article published by the French magazine Atlántico, and reproduced by the Russian channel RT in August 2014, the specialist stressed that Saudi Arabia "contributed to the emergence of the Islamic state that now threatens" (refers to the terrorists later considered To the House of the Saud a corrupt institution and subordinated to countries like United States and Israel). Rodier recalls that the oil power began to finance the jihadist groups that in 1979 fought the Soviet troops in Afghanistan. They did it together with Pakistan, he adds, but later financially supported other "radicals" (analyst's expression) who also clashed with Islamabad. In the interview Alain Rodier underlines the ideological factors: "They are building mosques throughout the Islamic world to expand their influence and oppose Tehran; And, earlier, to the Muslim Brothers. "

Independent media and critical voices of the Spanish state have reminded this week of recent trips from Philip VI to Saudi Arabia (January 2017), with politicians, companies and businesses linked to the visit. But the connections come to what happens in Marbella as a holiday.

Thus, the Efe Agency reported last August 11 of the theft of jewelry, worth one million euros, to a Saudi prince in a villa in Marbella. The newspaper El Confidencial published some details of the complaint filed before the National Police by the Prince's daughter: four rings with diamonds, two pendants and a ring of the Bulgari signature, a watch of the brand Chopard with diamonds, twenty gold earrings , Four Cartier rings and four bracelets with diamonds.

Another possible perspective is that of business in common. Last July 27, the Ministry of Public Works reported that the high-speed train (AVE) that the Talgo company has manufactured to connect the Saudi cities of Mecca and Medina, already reaches the testing speed of 330 kilometers per hour (Between Jeddah and Medina).

You can take infinite points of reference. The Russian channel Sputnik reported in December 2015 the dinner organized by the Saudi monarch, Salman bin Abdulaziz, to pay tribute to the emeritus king of Spain, Juan Carlos de Borbón. The visit took place in the context of the displacement of this one to the United Arab Emirates, to enjoy the Formula 1 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi. The Saudi Press agency, Sputnik cites, organized "a banquet in honor of the King of Spain."

Three months earlier Amnesty International reported that Saudi Arabia was in third place in the ratio of countries with the highest death penalty executions after China and Iran. Thus, between January of 1985 and June of 2015 were executed in the Arab kingdom 2,208 people; In addition to beheading, the most widespread means of execution, there are cases in which the firing squad is used, the document said. On the other hand, public executions are carried out in the square. "Non-lethal" offenses such as adultery, armed robbery, apostasy, rape, witchcraft or witchcraft, among others, can also be punished with capital punishment, Amnesty International points out.

In May 2016 Greenpeace, FundiPau, Oxfam Intermón and Amnesty International presented a devastating report: "Licenses to kill?". The document made reference to the first semester of 2015, but the idea of ​​substance can extend until today. Part of the research's interest is that in March 2015 the Saudi-led international coalition launched the bombing of Yemen. In the six months analyzed in 2015, Spain exported to the "Saudi coalition" armament - aircraft, ammunition, bombs, rockets and missiles - worth 560 million euros.

Along with the complaint, organizations recalled that by that time (May 2016), more than 3,000 civilians had already lost their lives in the war in Yemen, the country had about 2.5 million displaced persons from their homes and more than 80% of the population required humanitarian aid. Attacks by Saudi Arabia and its allies included hospitals, schools, mosques and markets, which, according to NGOs, could mean war crimes.

The subsequent report (May 2017) of the above mentioned organizations raised to more than 650 million euros the arms exports by the Spanish state to the Arab power (sum of 2015 and 2016); Ammunition, bombs, missiles, mortar grenades, aircraft and electronic equipment were also exported, among other war materials.

When last January Felipe VI paid official visits to Riyadh, he stayed in the Palace of the King Saud, where he had meetings with the Saudi ministers of Commerce and Investments, Majid Al Qassabi; And Finance, Mohamed al-Yadan. Spanish Television and the Efe Agency titled January 15: "Felipe VI asks the king of Saudi Arabia to continue betting on Spanish companies." Felipe de Borbón mentioned as an example of "close business relationship" the fact that Spanish consortiums take over the construction of the AVE between Mecca and Medina, as well as the subway of the Saudi capital.

In addition, the official agenda included the participation of the Spanish monarch in a forum with about thirty Spanish managers, according to Spanish Television and the Efe Agency, "to visualize the interest in achieving new contracts." Among others, and worth about 2,000 million euros, highlighted the sale of five corvettes to the army of Saudi Arabia, whose construction would be undertaken by the Spanish public company Navantia. There was also a time for the distraction: the governor of Riyadh offered a welcome reception to the Hispanic king, with a dance by Arab soldiers.