To: President Donald Trump, The United States House of Representatives, and The United States Senate
Stop U.S. Arms Sales to Resupply Saudi Air Strikes in Yemen
Please stop the proposed $1.7 billion in new sales of American bombs and weapons to Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates, for use in the deadly air strikes in Yemen that have already killed over 1,000 civilians.
Why is this important?
In mid-November, the Obama administration quietly announced a $1.29 billion deal to sell 19,000 laser-guided and general purpose bombs to Saudi Arabia, to resupply its controversial bombing campaign against Houthi rebels in Yemen. In addition, a separate sale of $380 million of U.S. JDAM bomb guidance kits was also approved for the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which is part of the Saudi-led military coalition.
More than 1,000 civilians have been killed by Saudi air strikes since the war began in March, adding to the overall death toll of 5,300 people killed in the war. Thousands of houses have been destroyed in rebel-held areas, and 1.4 million people are now internally displaced.
Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International oppose the international resupply of the Saudi military coalition to continue the air war. The two groups have documented many air strikes that fail to discriminate between civilians and combatants. For example, Saudi bombs were dropped on a school, two wedding parties, in crowded markets where no military targets are present, and on a hospital operated by MSF/Doctors Without Borders. The Saudi government has refused requests by Human Rights Watch and other groups to investigate these and other specific incidents where civilians were killed.
Under U.S. law, Congress has 30 days to pass legislation to reject the two arms sales. It can also act to terminate the sales at any point up to the point of delivery.
More than 1,000 civilians have been killed by Saudi air strikes since the war began in March, adding to the overall death toll of 5,300 people killed in the war. Thousands of houses have been destroyed in rebel-held areas, and 1.4 million people are now internally displaced.
Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International oppose the international resupply of the Saudi military coalition to continue the air war. The two groups have documented many air strikes that fail to discriminate between civilians and combatants. For example, Saudi bombs were dropped on a school, two wedding parties, in crowded markets where no military targets are present, and on a hospital operated by MSF/Doctors Without Borders. The Saudi government has refused requests by Human Rights Watch and other groups to investigate these and other specific incidents where civilians were killed.
Under U.S. law, Congress has 30 days to pass legislation to reject the two arms sales. It can also act to terminate the sales at any point up to the point of delivery.