Washington has approved the sale of 133 tanks and 20 recovery vehicles to Saudi Arabia, citing the kingdom’s role as a “leading contributor of political stability and economic progress” in the Middle East, even as Saudi aircraft resumed bombing Yemen.
Advertisement
Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch called on the United Nations General Assembly in June to suspend Saudi Arabia from the U.N. Human Rights Council until the military coalition stops killing civilians in Yemen.
State Department spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau said she was “very concerned” by Tuesday’s casualty reports, but did not directly comment when asked if the State Department anxious USA weapons being sent to Saudi Arabia could be used against civilians.
DSCA, the military agency responsible for foreign military sales agreements, said General Dynamics will act as principal contractor for the sale that also aims to facilitate greater interoperability between the US and Saudi armies and support a regional partner of the United States.
Congress has 30 days to block the sale, though is unlikely to do so.
The agreement includes the possible sale of armored recovery vehicles, smoke grenade launchers, and a host of other hardware.
The announcement coincides with Saudi Arabia’s military campaign in support of Yemeni forces loyal to the exiled government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi in their effort to oust Houthi forces from the capital, Sanaa, who are backed by Iran.
Tuesday’s raids included a strike on a food factory in Yemen’s rebel-held capital Sanaa, medics said. The coalition’s air strikes have come under criticism from rights groups for the deaths of civilians.
Advertisement
The Saudi-led coalition intervened in March a year ago after Houthi rebels and allied forces loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh overran Sanaa in September 2014.
