Yemen campaign: US cancels weapons transfers to Saudi Arabia

US concerned about how Riyadh is prosecuting its war against Iranian-backed Huthi rebels

WASHINGTON: The White House has blocked the transfer of precision munitions to ally Saudi Arabia, amid anger about the civilian death toll from the kingdom’s bombing campaign in Yemen.

“We have made clear that US security cooperation is not a blank check,” a senior administration official told AFP, echoing long-standing concerns about how Riyadh is prosecuting its war against Iranian-backed Huthi rebels.

“Consequently, we have decided to not move forward with some foreign military sales (FMS) cases for munitions,” the source said.

“This reflects our continued, strong concerns with the flaws in the coalition’s targeting practices and overall prosecution of the air campaign in Yemen.”

Other US sources confirmed the proposed sale was of precision guided munitions made by US firm Raytheon.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 14^th, 2016.