US to sell smart bombs worth $1.29 billion to Saudi Arabia
The United States will sell smart bombs worth of $1.29 billion to Saudi Arbia as the monarchy continues relentless raids against its impoverished neighbor.
The Pentagon said on Monday that the US State Department has approved the sale to supply Riyadh for war on Yemen, which has taken the lives of thousands in the Arab world’s poorest country.
The Saudi aggression has reportedly claimed the lives of more than 7,100 people and injured nearly 14,000 others. The strikes have also taken a heavy toll on the country’s facilities and infrastructure, destroying many hospitals, schools, and factories.
Further, human rights groups and international organizations have voiced deep concern over the rising number of civilian casualties in Yemen, calling for an end to the conflict.
US lawmakers were notified on Friday of the approval by the Pentagon's Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), tasked with handling foreign arms sales.
DSCA said in a statement that it is committed to support the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF).
"This acquisition will help sustain strong military-to-military relations between the United States and Saudi Arabia, improve (the ability of Saudi forces to work) with the United States, and enable Saudi Arabia to meet regional threats and safeguard the world's largest oil reserves," DSCA said.
The sale "directly conveys US commitment to the RSAF's current and future ability to sustain combat operations," it said.
The sale includes 22,000 smart and general purpose bombs, including 1,000 GBU-10 Paveway II Laser Guided Bombs, and over 5,000 Joint Direct Attack Munitions kits to turn older bombs into precision-guided weapons using GPS signals, according to Reuters.
The approval came at a time that the Saudi forces were bombarding the neighboring country.
Bombardment of Yemen started on March 26, without any international mandate, to undermine the country’s Ansarullah movement and restore power to the fugitive former president Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi, who is a major ally of Riyadh.
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