Civilian Deaths in Yemen Won’t Stop a Billion-Dollar US Arms Deal With Saudi Arabia

[dixiegrrrrl]

The US State Department has signed off on the sale of $1.29 billion worth of weaponry to Saudi Arabia, including tens of thousands of bombs that will restock a Saudi arms stockpile depleted by the country's air campaign in Yemen, which has been linked to civilian deaths.

Human rights groups have repeatedly criticized Washington's support for the Saudi-led intervention in Yemen, where the UN says coalition airstrikes have killed more than 1,000 civilians. Monday's announced deal, which still requires rubber stamping from Congress, indicates those concerns have had little effect on weapons sales.

In justifying the sale, the State Department's Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said approval would "replenish" the stockpiles of the Saudi air force and allow it to "meet current and future threats from potential adversaries during combat operations." The weapons, said the DSCA, would also help to "safeguard the world's largest oil reserves."

The billion dollar deal includes 22,000 smart and general purpose bombs, including models that have been deployed in Yemen. The package includes 8,000 unguided MK-82 "dumb bombs," 1,000 GBU-10 Paveway II Laser Guided Bombs, and more than 5,000 kits that can turn common munitions into ones equipped to use GPS guidance for precision strikes.

According to the Congressional Research Service, the US has sold more than $90 billion in armaments and weapons systems to Saudi Arabia since 2010.

https://news.vice.com/article/civilian-deaths-in-yemen-wont-stop-a-billion-dollar-us-arms-deal-with-saudi-arabia?utm_source=vicenewsfb