According to a report released by the United States (US) State Department’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) on Tuesday, President Donald Trump’s administration failed in its civilian death risk assessment when approving an arms sale deal with Saudi Arabia last year. However, the report also says that the State Department’s “emergency” declaration to bypass Congressional approval and push the $8.1 billion weapons deal does not violate any arms export laws.
In May 2019, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo issued the emergency certification to hasten the weapons sale to the Kingdom, as well as the United Arab Emirates, without securing the required approvals from Congress. This was done in an apparent bid to evade any concerns brought up by opposition members regarding Saudi Arabia’s involvement in the Yemen war and resultant civilian casualties, as well as human rights issues within the Kingdom. While the report has absolved Pompeo of violating any laws, it has also concluded that the State Department had not adhered to longstanding practices established under the 1976 Arms Export Control Act.
The report also found that “the Department did not fully assess risks and implement mitigation measures to reduce civilian casualties and legal concerns associated with the transfer of PGMs included in the Secretary’s May 2019 emergency certification”. Further, the OIG also remarked that the State Department “regularly approved arms transfers to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates that fell below” legal caps set on precision-guided-munitions by the Congress that required approvals.
Pompeo’s abuse of the emergency declaration prompted a prominent Congressional political backlash, which saw several Republican members siding with Democrats to vote against Trump. In May, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi had written a letter to the President saying, “It is alarming to see news reports that your action may have been in response to Inspector General [Steve] Linick nearing completion of an investigation into the approval of billions of dollars in arms sales to Saudi Arabia.”
Thousands of Yemeni civilians have been killed due to airstrikes by the Saudi-led coalition and the UAE, which have hit schools, farms, water supplies, and crucial energy sources in the war-torn country. More often than not, American-manufactured weapons and bombs are used for this, especially for intelligence and air refuelling support.
See also: UK to Resume Arms Exports to Saudi Arabia Despite Concerns of Use in Yemen War