US Oks New $1 Billion Weapons Sales to Saudis, Ignores Yemen War Crimes Reports

The US State Department confirmed on Thursday it had authorized a $670 million deal for anti-tank missiles, a $106 million contract for helicopter maintenance and $300 million for ground vehicle parts.
 
A US official said the deals were in the planning process since President Donald Trump announced more than $100 billion in potential new arms contracts on a visit to Riyadh last year.
 
"This proposed sale will support US foreign policy and national security objectives by improving the security of a friendly country," the US Defense Department said in a statement.
 
US President Donald Trump brought several pictures of American weapons to this Weeks meeting with visiting Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman of Saudi Arabia. He boasted of multibillion-dollar sales of arms to the kingdom.
 
Showing a sign to journalists at the meeting that read “12.5 billion in finalized sales to Saudi Arabia,” Trump boasted about all the money that US defense contractors would be getting for their products. “Three billion dollars, 533… million dollars, 525… million dollars,” Trump said as he pointed at the pictures. Then he turned to the crown prince and added: “That’s peanuts for you!” The Saudi de facto ruler burst in laughter.
 
Amnesty International slammed the United States, Britain and other Western countries on Friday for their continued arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, as their forces wage a brutal war in Yemen.
 
The US, along with the UK, has been the main arms provider to Saudi Arabia during the military campaign The US has also provided intelligence and logistical support.
 
November last year, US Congressman Ro Khanna said Washington is is helping Saudi Arabia commit war crimes in Yemen.
 
Since March 2015, Saudi Arabia and some of its Arab allies have been carrying out deadly airstrikes against the Ansarullah movement in an attempt to restore power to fugitive former President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi, a close ally of Riyadh.
 
According to local estimates, nearly 14,000 Yemenis, mostly women, children and the elderly, have been killed since the onset of Saudi Arabia’s military campaign against the impoverished state. Much of the Arabian Peninsula country's infrastructure, including hospitals, schools and factories, has been reduced to rubble due to the war. The Saudi-led war has also triggered a worsening humanitarian crisis of unprecedented proportions across Yemen.