A contrast in coverage

When the Israelis respond to many years of Hamas rockets hitting their country by hitting back in a measured way, the world's "human rights" organisations, the United Nations and of course much of the world's media (especially the BBC) voiced their horror at the "disproportionate" response and gave credence to Hamas's claims of "civilian" deaths. Oddly now that Saudi Arabia has launched has "sent fighter jets and artillery bombardments across the border into northern Yemen Thursday in a military incursion" and

"The rebels said the Saudi airstrikes hit five areas in their northern stronghold Thursday but it was not possible to independently verify the reports. They said there were dead and wounded, and that homes were destroyed. The rebels' spokesman said people were afraid to get near the areas being bombed, making it difficult to count the casualties.

"Saudi jets dropped bombs on a crowded areas including a local market in the northern province of Saada," Hawthi spokesman Mohammed Abdel-Salam told The Associated Press. "They claim they are targeting al-Hawthis, but regrettably they are killing civilians like the government does."

He said the attacks were followed by hundreds of artillery shells from the border.

"So far, three killed have been pulled out of the rubble, including a woman and a child who perished when their houses were bombed and burned down," said Abdel-Salam."

The BBC are happy to accept the Saudi and Yemeni official line that

"Saudi Arabia has insisted its forces only attacked Yemeni rebel positions on Saudi territory, according to the state news agency.

This directly contradicts a number of separate reports on Thursday that air strikes had taken place on on rebel strongholds in northern Yemen."

I'd place more credence on the Seattle report that:

"Two Arab diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Saudi Tornado and F-15 warplanes had been bombarding targets inside Yemen since Wednesday afternoon, inflicting significant casualties on rebels. The diplomats spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not allowed to talk to the media."

It is odd that the Saudi incursion is described as coming as a response to "the killing of a Saudi soldier, blamed on the rebels." Am I alone in seeing the parallels with the capture of Gilad Shalit?

So where are the UN protests at the Saudi attacks on Yemeni civilians? Where are the cries of "disproportionate response" from the "human rights" industry and where is the wall to wall BBC coverage? The absence of all three elements leads me to believe that just maybe the need for oil, fear of Islamic retaliation and the usual anti-Israel feeling along with a smattering of anti-Semitism may well be to blame.