Poem: Saudi War On Yemen Mock Trial.

I wrote this poem as a mock trial or moot court which is a simulation of court’s proceedings.

War crimes mock trial

The case of Saudi-led coalition in Yemen 

Between

The people of Yemen – Plaintiff.

And

Saudi-led coalition – Defendant.

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Background:

A military intervention was launched by Saudi Arabia on 26 March 2015, leading a coalition of nine Middle Eastern countries, to influence the outcome of the conflict in Yemen. Code-named Operation Decisive Storm, the intervention initially consisted of a bombing campaign, a full blockade and the deployment of ground forces into Yemen.

Fighter jets and ground forces from Egypt, Morocco, Jordan, Sudan, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatarand Bahrain also took part in the operation. Djibouti and Somalia made their airspace, territorial waters and military bases available to the coalition. The United States provided intelligence and logistical support, including aerial refueling and search-and-rescue for downed coalition pilots. It also accelerated the sale of weapons to coalition states. US and Britain have deployed their military personnel in the command and control centre responsible for Saudi-led air strikes on Yemen, having access to lists of targets.

The war has a dramatic worsening effect on the humanitarian situation, that reached the level of a “humanitarian disaster”.

Human rights groups repeatedly blamed the Saudi-led military coalition for killing civilians and destroying health centers and other infrastructure with airstrikes. The blockade left 78% (20 million) of the Yemeni population in urgent need of food, water and medical aid.

Cast of Characters:

Plaintiff: the people of Yemen

Defendant: Saudi-led coalition

Defense attorney: USA and UK

Judge: United Nations (UN)

Jury: other countries in the world

Saudi war on Yemen mock trial

OFFICER: 

All rise for the jury. Please be seated.

JUDGE: 

The plaintiff may proceed.

Plaintiff:

Thank you, your Honor.

May it please the court and the jurors.

We always respect our neighbors.

Never have we been invaders.

Being inoffensive haven’t Interceded for us with haters.

Freedom is a faith that we are believers.

Peace is a cult that we are followers.

Airstrikes, explosions, missiles and raiders, our nightmares came true.

Hell that we have been through.

A war was waged out of the blue.

In cold blood they killing us without further ado.

In relishing they starving us too.

Basely they destroying us, through and through.

Your honor, ladies and gentlemen of the jury.

Evidences are decisive when the vision may be blurry.

Mutilated and charred bodies that were battered in fury.

Demolished and ruined infrastructures not of the same category.

Starved and famished creatures with fatal diseases we carry.

Just debris is remained, do you really feel sorry?

Are those evidences enough to make you worry?!

A just verdict is our demands in the end of our story.

Defendant: 

Your honor, ladies and gentlemen of the jury.

There is no rest for the weary.

We are the richest countries in the world.

We are the countries of the black gold.

We are the kingdoms of the avant-garde

So neighbor is our backyard.

To has power and wealth that is not desired.

To be behind gun and guard

To came with the armor and the sword.

That would never be allowed.

We would declare the war in the name of Lord.

We were warned by our founder King.

“The good or evil for us from Yemen would spring”.

We always work to keep it weak, poor, lawless, stateless and helpless thing.

In a chaos controlled by us must swing.

Trying to get power and independence is its crime.

Actions must be taken to prevent it from restoring its sublime.

War must be waged in its chosen time.

At some point you have to get off the dime.

Defense attorney:

Your honor,

Our clients were impelled to wage this war.

To defend themselves they are for.

No effort to support our clients we spare.

Safety of our clients is that we always care.

Threatening the black gold resources that we can’t ignore.

We have to choose the rich or the poor.

Who has the valuable gore.

The law of evolution is that the strongest survives for sure.

Judge:

Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury,

have you reached a verdict, or the vision is still blurry?

Jury: 

A verdict we have rendered.

No to announce it we intended.

Our advantages can’t be menaced or depended.

So, silence is a verdict and please don’t get offended.

Plaintiff’s last words: 

In times of war, the law falls silent.

That makes a pacifist gets violent.

In your opinion, What a just verdict should be reached?!

Look at the following photos which are some of Saudi war crimes in Yemen that includes (killing innocent civilians, famine because of the war and the blockade and destroying Yemen infrastructures).

Then answer the question above about your opinion of the just verdict that should be rendered.

Yemen: Humanitarian Snapshot – A temporal overview of the conflict and its impact ( as of 25 October 2016).

Saudi is killing innocent civilians.

Saudi is destroying Yemen infrastructures.

Famine in Yemen because of Saudi war