Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Australia's Dogs of War in Yemen

The Australian mainstream media, asleep at the wheel as usual, has NOT reported this:

 "An Australian citizen is the commander of an elite UAE military force deployed in Yemen as part of the Saudi-led coalition which human rights groups accused of war crimes. Mike Hindmarsh, 59, is a former Australian army officer who is publicly listed as commander of the UAE's Presidential Guard... a unit of marines, reconnaissance, special forces and mechanised brigades according to the US State Department website... The Presidential Guard has been lauded for playing a key role in the Saudi-led coalition seeking to reinstall the exiled Yemeni government of President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi... While the Arab coalition fighting in Yemen is widely described as being led by Saudi Arabia, one Gulf official told Middle East Eye on condition of anonymity that the external ground forces were in reality being steered by the UAE... [I]n October 2009 it was announced that the Australian government had approved Hindmarsh's retirement from the army to take up a new role commanding the UAE Presidential Guard... [A] quick search through LinkedIn throws up numerous results of experienced soldiers - mainly from Australia - who occupy senior roles in the elite force..."

That's the gist of Revealed: the mercenaries commanding UAE forces in Yemen, Rori Donaghy, middleeasteye.net, 23/12/15.

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