Taskforce on Yemen responds to Decisive Storm violations claims

An independent assessment taskforce has been formed in response to claims that the Saudi-led Arab coalition forces have committed violations while conducting military operations to support the legitimate government of Yemen.

The Joint Incidents Assessment Team (JIAT) was formed to assess claims and accidents and consists of 14 members with experience in military and legal fields. The members of the JIAT are jointly from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the Republic of Yemen, Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.

The JIAT investigated claims after preparing an internal duty regulation governing its work, which includes customary procedures for assessing accidents occurring in such operations.

The JIAT depended on the customary procedures for investigating the facts and collecting evidence, proofs and documents and lists of targets. It also depended on international humanitarian law, international norms, rules of engagement, accident evaluation, and target mechanism.

The JIAT exercised its full independence and impartiality, according to a statement published by the Saudi Press Agency.

The JIAT's Legal Advisor Lieutenant General Mansour Ahmed Al-Mansour from the Kingdom of Bahrain said in a news briefing held at King Salman Air Base at the Central Sector that the JIAT's work in assessing the accidents “depends on ensuring the legal aspects of target operations that are compatible with the international law, and on using the American and British mechanism to assess accidents in addition to the law of armed conflict.”

The JIAT reportedly prepared a report for individual cases, including the facts, circumstances surrounding each accident, backgrounds, timings, lessons learned, recommendations and future actions to be taken.

A list of specific events during military operations in Yemen could be found here.