Boris Johnson hasn’t got on his bike. Nor has he jogged on. Instead he is busying himself by playing the big man as he talks Yemeni peace with a visiting Arab delegation. To seek a political solution to the conflict that has been raging nigh on for three years. We don’t mean to step out of line. But we would like to suggest to BoJo the Foreign Secretary that he and his government stop clowning around. Meaning that Downing Street is a big part of the problem. For not only is it arming Riyadh as it continues its military aggression towards one of the world’s poorest nations — the British Army is now said to be actively engaged in the military training of Saudi combat troops. Presumably because, you know, the latter want to be the best. Though we personally might have just a few reservations about the professionalism of a so-called world class fighting machine that ousted itself by unwittingly publishing photographs as well as information of its latest project that is firmly linked to a bygone Empire. But now the whole world knows about Operation Crossways and the focus on ‘Irregular Warfare’ (IW) techniques; which refer to specific tactics employed by conventional armies to defeat terrorist groups. The elephant in the room being Iran; which of course is a sovereign nation. Thus the question remains: what happens now? Sadly, the answer is very likely nothing. Yes, we all know how the UN has accused the Saudi Kingdom of committing crimes against humanity in Yemen; a country where some 150,000 children are expected to die by the year’s end. And there are now talks of UAE being subjected to the same hollow threat. Whereas, by rights, the entire Saudi-led coalition should be standing in the dock alongside Britain, Washington and now possibly Athens. So we put it to the British people: as Boris readies to play host to the Middle East’s most powerful men — can you really be sure that the entire ‘event’ isn’t simply a ruse to add to the £283 million in arms that the May government agreed to sell to the Saudis in the aftermath of the coalition strike on a funeral hall in the Yemeni capital of Sana’a? After all, the Islamic Military Alliance appears to have changed gears of late to hit acceleration. We have long contended that Jeremy Corbyn is the only statesman that Britain has. Indeed, he has called on the Prime Minister to immediately end all material support to Riyadh, while urging a ceasefire to be brokered through the UN. And while we firmly believe Mr Corbyn to be a man of principles and integrity — this time we can stand by him only to a certain extent. For this simply isn’t enough. Britain needs to be held accountable for at least one of its rogue wars. A light rap on the wrist simply won’t cut it anymore. And as for the world body, it should simply tear up its Charter and go home. * Published in Daily Times, November 29th 2017.