Local Editor
In a letter to Donald Trump, Amnesty International has urged the US administration not to approve pending arms sales to Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.
According to Amnesty, the arms sale would only serve to aid the Saudi-led coalition bombarding Yemen, causing more civilian casualties and violating international law.
“There is substantial risk that Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and other coalition members could use new U.S. arms to further devastate civilian lives in Yemen…this could implicate your administration in war crimes or violations of international humanitarian law. Amnesty International researchers have already found both unexploded U.S. bombs and identifiable fragments of exploded U.S. bombs among the ruins of Yemeni homes and other civilian objects,” the letter read.
Riyadh’s coalition against Yemen, which includes Bahrain, launched its disastrous military campaign in late March 2015.
The offensive, initially designed to reinstate the ousted regime, has claimed over 11,000 lives, wounding close to 20,000 others.
“If approved, this deal would essentially have President Trump throwing gasoline on a house fire and locking the door on his way out,” said Amnesty’s US executive director, Margaret Huang.
Aside from the USD 300 million in precision-guided munitions allocated for the Saudis, the deal also involves USD 3 billion worth of F-16 fighter jets for Bahrain.
The sale needs White House approval before it moves forward.
Source: LualuaTV, Edited by Website Team
