Mark Curtis - British foreign policy in the Middle East: A secret history of self interest

Covert involvement in Yemen raises the same old questions about the machinations of the British oligarchy

I have put out a number of articles out here recently about the murkey world of the ruling elite. A dark world of war, shady finance, mercenaries, money laundering, arms sales, etc.

Mark Curtis says the U.K. is not a democracy, but an oligarchy where the aristocracy practice the dark arts. There is so much money to be made out of evil, that it attracts all the swamp creatures, oddballs, cranks, weirdos, gangsters, monsters, spooks, and psychopaths. They rob Africa and the world, and whack up hostilities with other countries just to keep their arms sales going, while pretending their business is plain old capitalism. Killing millions is no problem to them, especially when there's money to be made. Look at Yemen?

With Brexit going wrong, Theresa May is thankful for the £4.7 Billion arms sales to Saudi Arabia.  No doubt MBS will be dining with the Queen again one day soon. A guest of honour!

Mark Curtis wonders if Jeremy Corbyn has the will to take on the aristocracy. Well, it would be war if he did, and very dangerous. These people are professional killers.

On Tuesday in the British parliament, Labour's shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry asked an urgent question relating to allegations that British troops have been covertly fighting in Yemen and supporting the Saudi-led coalition.

As reported in the Mail on Sunday, five British special forces troops from the elite Special Boat Service (SBS) were injured while "advising" Saudi Arabia on their deadly campaign in Yemen.

The commandos were injured in gun fights as part of a top-secret campaign, and other reports have claimed British troops have been killed in such battles. British soldiers from the Special Air Service (SAS) have reportedly been secretly deployed and operate “dressed in Arab clothing”. 

Responding to Labour's questions Mark Field, a minister in the UK's foreign office, said that he would seek to get to the bottom of these "very serious and well sourced" allegations. 

The presence of British soldiers in Yemen, secretly fighting a war that has brought death, famine and destruction to millions of innocent civilians, raises an age-old question: why does British foreign policy in the Middle East support dictatorships, abuse human rights and prioritise Britain’s power status? 

It’s tempting to say the reasons are simply geopolitics, oil and other commercial interests. But there is a deeper explanation: Britain, far from being a true democracy, is in reality an oligarchy that promotes the interests of a privileged domestic elite. The idea that Westminster is the "mother of all parliaments", representing a democratic model for the world, is a cultivated myth. 

The UK has elections every five years, an independent judiciary, freedom of speech and association, and strong laws protecting the equality of all citizens and civil liberties. Yet real power rests in the hands of an elite few who control policy-making institutions and the dominant ideas in society.

British foreign policy-making is so centralised that it is akin to an authoritarian regime. A prime minister can send troops into action without even consulting parliament.  

Britain is currently fighting several covert wars with no parliamentary authorisation or debate. Away from Yemen, special forces are operating on the ground in Syria, despite parliament only having approved air strikes against the Islamic State (IS) group. The British covert war in Syria has been going on since 2011, with almost no discussion by elected MPs. 

Middle East Eye

Mark Curtis - British foreign policy in the Middle East: A secret history of self interest