Nearly 70 Yemeni arms dealers buy and sell weapons on US social media platforms
2024-08-25
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Reference News reported on August 24On August 22, the British newspaper The Times published a report titled "Arms dealers linked to the Houthis use social media platforms to buy and sell weapons". The full text is excerpted as follows:
In parts of Yemen controlled by the Houthis, arms dealers have been using the social platform X to buy and sell rifles, pistols and grenade launchers.
In Sanaa, the Yemeni capital controlled by the group, dozens of arms dealers have effectively used the social platform X as a storefront, posting pictures of assault rifles for sale. Some gun dealers' X accounts are verified with a blue checkmark, which adds to their online prestige.
The United States has designated the Houthis as a global terrorist organization since they attacked shipping in the Red Sea.
Experts say arms dealers selling weapons on X violated the platform's terms of service, and the platform's failure to detect transactions linked to the Houthis could mean the company violated U.S. law.
A State Department spokesperson said: “U.S. persons are generally prohibited from doing business with sanctioned entities unless the transaction is authorized or exempted. Persons engaging in certain transactions with the organization may be at risk of sanctions.”
“If the transaction was conducted through platform X and its payment system, then the platform is likely in violation of sanctions against the Houthis and could at least be seen as enabling the transaction,” said Jessica Davis, an expert on terrorism financing and president of Incyte Threat Intelligence. “Any payment processor involved could also be held liable.”
Traders encourage potential buyers to contact them through messaging platforms such as Telegram and WhatsApp or monetization platforms such as the Patreon crowdfunding site to complete transactions using cryptocurrencies.
Gun sellers are not shy about what they are doing. On X, one dealer wrote under a picture of a pistol: "Newly arrived Glock pistols from Pakistan. Various colors and specifications, lowest price."
At least 68 arms dealers based in Sanaa have been found to be buying and selling weapons on X. Many use the Houthi armed forces' logo in their advertisements and share the group's slogans on X.
“We believe they are operating in Houthi-controlled territory so there must be a connection,” said Elizabeth Kendall, a Yemen expert and president of Girton College at the University of Cambridge. “Unless you have some kind of permission from the Houthis, you can’t do business in these places.”
Adam Hadley, executive director of the United Nations' "Technology Against Terrorism" initiative, said: "So far, the international community has mainly used military means to fight the Houthis. But this phenomenon shows that we also need to fight terrorists online, not just with bombs and bullets." (Compiled by Yang Xuelei)
