Yemen weapons dealers selling machine-guns on X

In Yemen, a troubling situation has emerged where weapons dealers are openly selling firearms and other military equipment on a social media platform known as X, which was previously called Twitter. These dealers are offering a variety of weapons, including Kalashnikov rifles, handguns, grenades, and grenade launchers. The majority of these transactions are taking place in the capital city of Sana’a and in other regions controlled by the Houthis, a rebel group that receives backing from Iran and is classified as a terrorist organization by both the United States and Australia. Edmund Fitton-Brown, a former British Ambassador to Yemen who now works with the Counter Extremism Project, expressed his disbelief that these weapons dealers are operating independently. He stated, 'It is inconceivable that they are not operating on the Houthis’ behalf. ' He further explained that any private dealers attempting to sell weapons to the Yemeni government would be swiftly shut down. An investigation conducted by The Times newspaper revealed that several Yemeni accounts on X had received the blue verification tick, indicating their authenticity. Both The Times and the BBC have reached out to X for comments regarding this issue, but they have yet to receive any response. Following Elon Musk's acquisition of X in 2022, many content moderators were laid off, which has raised concerns about the platform's ability to monitor and regulate such dangerous content. The advertisements for these weapons are primarily in Arabic and are targeted at Yemeni customers, in a country where the number of firearms is often said to exceed the population by a ratio of three to one. The BBC has uncovered numerous examples of these online advertisements, showcasing weapons priced in both Yemeni and Saudi riyals. The language used in these ads is designed to entice potential buyers, with phrases like 'Premium craftsmanship and top-notch warranty' and 'The Yemeni-modified AK is your best choice. ' One advertisement even features a video of the seller firing a 30-round magazine on full automatic at night. Another ad promotes sand-colored Glock pistols, priced at around $900 each. What is particularly alarming is that these advertisements are not hidden in the depths of the Dark Web, where illegal items are typically traded; instead, they are easily accessible on X, visible to millions of users. In response to this alarming trend, a UK-based non-governmental organization called Tech Against Terrorism has issued an urgent plea to technology platforms to actively remove content that supports the Houthis from the internet and social media. The Houthis, who are a tribal minority from the mountains, seized power in Yemen in 2014, ousting the UN-recognized government. Since then, a military campaign led by Saudi Arabia has failed to dislodge them, resulting in a prolonged civil war. As of late 2023, the Houthis, who possess a significant arsenal of drones and missiles, many of which are supplied by Iran, have been targeting commercial and naval shipping in the Red Sea. They claim that these actions are in support of Palestinians in Gaza, although many of the vessels they attack have no connections to Israel. A US-led maritime force stationed offshore has struggled to prevent the Houthis' assaults on shipping, which have had a detrimental impact on trade routes passing through Egypt's Suez Canal.