Saudi Arabia: We Kidnapped Yemenis for 'Negotiations'
According to The New Arab, Saudi sources claim Southern Transitional Council (STC) leader Aidarous al-Zubaidi 'fled' Riyadh after 'failing to travel for talks.' Apparently, Saudi Arabia's idea of a diplomatic conference involves inviting delegates, then confiscating their phones and passports, holding them in a 'government guest house,' and restricting their movement. Such treatment, critics might
argue, tends to make the 'invitees' rather keen on 'fleeing' their generous hosts. This bizarre diplomatic theater unfolded while Saudi Arabia bombed Yemen daily, a conflict backed by billions in US weapons sales. One might wonder if the Saudis are less interested in genuine negotiations and more in dictating terms to a captive audience, both literally and figuratively. 'Fled' sounds so much more
palatable than 'escaped detention,' doesn't it?