US Guilty of 'Basically Unconditional Support' for Saudi War Crimes in Yemen

The United States and other governments that continue to sell weapons to Saudi Arabia are guilty of “the worst kind of hypocrisy,” an international watchdog charged on Monday, as the arms trade continues despite mounting evidence of civilian causalities, war crimes, and other atrocities being committed by the kingdom in Yemen.

“It is extremely concerning that many transfers are still continuing, in particular the governments of the United States, the U.K., and France have authorized and are continuing to export very large quantities of weapons, including explosive weapons, bombs which are being used daily against civilians in Yemen,” said Anna Macdonald, director of Control Arms Coalition.

The statement was made as governments convened in Geneva, Switzerland at the World Trade Organization’s second conference on the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), which stipulates that signatories block any arms deal if there is evidence that the weapons will be used against civilians.

“At the heart of the ATT is the obligation on countries that have joined it to make an assessment of how the weapons they want to transfer will be used,” states the Control Arms website. “They must determine if the arms would commit or facilitate genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and serious human rights violations.”

Both France and the U.K. have ratified the agreement. While the U.S. has signed on, Congress has failed to approve it.

“The ATT has been in force for nearly two years but some States Parties are violating it with impunity,” Macdonald continued. “Every day, we are seeing the devastating impact of the sale of arms and ammunition for use on civilians in Yemen.”

Scores of Yemeni civilians have been killed in the past two weeks alone, as the Saudi-led military coalition bombed a potato chip factory, a school, and a Doctors Without Borders facility—forcing the aid group to withdraw its much-needed medical staff from six hospitals in the region.

SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT