U.S. Congress could vote to ban arms sales to Saudi arabia, UAE

SANAA, Oct. 6 (YPA) – The U.S. Congress may ban arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, if a new vote is taken because of their air raids on Yemen that leave civilian deaths , RIA Novosti reported on Friday.

“The last time that the Senate voted on stopping arms sales, it came very close to passing,” HRW Deputy Washington Director Andrea Prasow said.

She added that “the massive number of unlawful attacks that have occurred since, I think, suggests that if the Senate faces that kind of vote again, it might pass, and the Senate might actually try to ban arms sales to Saudi Arabia and possibly the UAE.”

Prasow indicated that Washington should not expect a new vote on the issue, but should take action on its own.

“It shouldn’t come to that though. The US government should decide on its own that it shouldn’t send this signal to the Saudis that they can continue with unlimited US support,” Andrea Prasow said.

She stressed that human Rights Watch and other organizations continue to follow developments in Yemen and the weapon used during these illegal military operations.

She continued: Human Rights Watch has documented “87 unlawful attacks some of which are war crimes.”

“I think these companies have to be asking themselves as well whether they are living up to their own independent obligations. Knowing that these weapons are being used unlawfully, can they really continue to sell them?” she explained.

E.M