Despite calls by international human rights groups on the US to stop providing Saudi Arabia with weapons being used in the onslaught in Yemen, the United States [US] approved on Wednesday the US$11.25-billion sale to the Saudi military of up to four Lockheed Martin Corp multi-mission warships, in addition to associated equipment, training and logistics.
The approval of the huge military deal goes against calls on Washington to halt all arms transfers to a country killing civilians in Yemen.
The Pentagon’s War Security Cooperation Agency ["DSCA"] notified Congress late Monday about the possible sale, and released a statement on its website on Tuesday, according to Reuters.
"We stand ready to support that sale", Lockheed Chief Executive Officer Marillyn Hewson told analysts on an earnings call. She said the deal could be completed in 2016.
The sale will be the first major export in years of a newly built US-manufactured surface naval vessel and was said that it will enable the US military to operate more easily with the Gulf Cooperation Council countries.
One US official who was not authorized to speak publicly said that, "This sale demonstrates the enduring US commitment to building robust diplomatic and security partnerships essential to promoting peace and stability in the Gulf region".
Many non-governmental organizations [NGO] suggested the US was responsible for the onslaught in Yemen because the weapons being used are US-made and sold to Saudi Arabia by Washington. They called on the Obama administration to halt all sales of arms to the Saudis.
The ’civilian’ death toll in Yemen has risen to more than 2,300 with more than 4,000 other civilians wounded in the fighting in the country that has raged for more than a year now, according to the UN recently this month [September]. Yet, other organizations put the death toll at much higher.
