By The Smartencyclopedia Staff 

Key Points:

• A BBC investigation uncovers evidence suggesting that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has financed politically motivated assassinations in Yemen, training locals with the help of American mercenaries hired by the UAE in 2015.
• The training provided by American mercenaries, initially hired by the UAE, was allegedly used to instruct locals in Yemen, leading to a surge in targeted killings, with over 100 assassinations reported in a three-year period.
• The UAE government vehemently denies the allegations, labeling them as “false and without merit.”
• The conflict in Yemen, often overshadowed, gains international attention due to recent attacks on ships in the Red Sea, bringing to light the broader implications of the bitter internecine conflict in the Middle East’s poorest country.

Detailed Report: A BBC investigation has brought to light troubling allegations that the UAE has funded politically motivated assassinations in Yemen, escalating the already complex and devastating conflict in the region. American mercenaries, initially hired by the UAE in 2015, reportedly provided training that was later used to instruct locals in Yemen, resulting in a significant increase in targeted killings.

The conflict in Yemen, which gained global attention following recent attacks on ships in the Red Sea, has been marked by a deadly atmosphere, hindering the permanent return of Yemen’s internationally recognized government. The vacuum created indirectly aids groups like the Iran-backed Houthis.

The BBC investigation revealed a wave of mysterious targeted killings in Yemen’s government-controlled southern areas, affecting Yemeni citizens unconnected to terror groups. The majority of those assassinated were reported to be members of Islah, the Yemeni branch of the Muslim Brotherhood. While not classified as a terrorist organization by the US, Islah is banned in some Arab countries, including the UAE.

Leaked drone footage from 2015 implicated American mercenaries from a private US security company, Spear Operations Group, hired by the UAE. The mercenaries claimed to have been involved in training Emirati officers in the UAE military base in Aden, who, in turn, trained local Yemenis to carry out the targeted killings.

Investigations by human rights group Reprieve found that between 2015 and 2018, 160 killings occurred in Yemen, with only 23 individuals having links to terrorism. The assassinations reportedly followed similar tactics employed by Spear Operations Group, involving improvised explosive devices (IEDs) as distractions followed by targeted shootings.

The UAE, despite its stated goal of eliminating jihadist groups, has allegedly recruited former al-Qaeda members for its security forces in Yemen, creating a complex web of alliances. The whistleblower, along with American mercenaries, claimed that the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) includes former al-Qaeda members.

The BBC’s investigation uncovered a pervasive climate of fear, making it challenging to pursue justice in cases involving forces backed by the UAE. The UAE government firmly denied the allegations, stating that it supported counter-terrorism operations in Yemen at the invitation of the Yemeni government and its international allies.

The revelations raise questions about the broader implications of the conflict in Yemen and the involvement of external actors, shedding light on the complexities of the ongoing power struggle in the Middle East.