{"slug":"saudi-arms-deal-yemen-war-complicity","title":"Saudi Arms Deals and Complicity in Yemen War Crimes","date":"2017-05-20","lastUpdated":"2020-11-16","description":"The Trump administration approved over $140 billion in arms sales to Saudi Arabia and maintained intelligence and logistical support for the Saudi-led bombing campaign in Yemen — a war the UN found responsible for the world's worst humanitarian crisis, with documented strikes on hospitals, schools, markets, and civilian infrastructure.","summary":"Trump's first foreign trip was to Riyadh, where he announced a $110 billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia. The U.S. continued to provide refueling, intelligence, and targeting support for Saudi-led coalition strikes in Yemen throughout the first term, even as the UN documented mass civilian casualties, attacks on protected sites, and a blockade causing mass starvation. Congress passed resolutions invoking the War Powers Act to end U.S. involvement; Trump vetoed both.","category":"complicity-in-genocide","severity":"extreme","ongoing":false,"sources":[{"url":"https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/20/world/middleeast/trump-saudi-arms-deal.html","title":"Trump Signs Arms Deal Worth Nearly $110 Billion on Saudi Visit","publisher":"The New York Times"},{"url":"https://www.un.org/press/en/2018/sc13270.doc.htm","title":"UN Panel of Experts: Yemen — Violations of International Law by All Parties","publisher":"UN Security Council"},{"url":"https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/mde31/8387/2019/en/","title":"Yemen: 'Bombs Fall on Us': Punishment of Civilians and Unlawful Killings in Yemen","publisher":"Amnesty International"},{"url":"https://www.hrw.org/news/2017/08/01/us-cluster-munitions-used-yemen-killing-civilians","title":"US-Supplied Cluster Munitions Used in Yemen Killing Civilians","publisher":"Human Rights Watch"},{"url":"https://apnews.com/article/us-approved-saudi-arms-sales-in-wake-of-bus-bombing","title":"US approved Saudi arms sales after bus bombing killed children","publisher":"The Associated Press"},{"url":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-joint-resolution/7","title":"S.J.Res.7 — A joint resolution to direct the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities in Yemen","publisher":"U.S. Congress"}],"draft":false,"status":"published","tags":["Yemen","Saudi-Arabia","arms-sales","humanitarian-crisis","complicity-in-genocide","first-term","war-crimes","starvation"],"relatedEntries":[],"timeline":[{"date":"2017-05-20","title":"Trump announces $110 billion Saudi arms deal","summary":"On his first foreign trip as president, Trump travels to Riyadh and announces a $110 billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia — including precision-guided munitions, warships, and air-to-air missiles. The deal had been partially blocked by Obama over civilian casualty concerns."},{"date":"2017-07-01","title":"Obama-blocked precision munitions sale approved","summary":"The Trump administration approves a $500 million sale of precision-guided munitions to Saudi Arabia that Obama had paused in December 2016 following strikes on a funeral that killed 140 people."},{"date":"2018-08-09","title":"Coalition strike kills 40 children on school bus","summary":"A Saudi-led coalition airstrike hits a school bus in the Dahyan market in northern Yemen, killing 40 children between ages 6 and 11. AP reporters identify components from a U.S.-made MK-82 500-pound bomb in the wreckage."},{"date":"2018-10-02","title":"Khashoggi killing triggers limited review","summary":"Following the assassination of Jamal Khashoggi, the Trump administration suspends mid-air refueling support for Saudi coalition aircraft in Yemen — the only concrete policy change made in response to the murder."},{"date":"2019-04-04","title":"Congress passes War Powers resolution","summary":"The Senate votes 54-46 and the House votes 247-175 to direct the removal of U.S. forces from Yemen hostilities under the War Powers Resolution."},{"date":"2019-04-16","title":"Trump vetoes Yemen War Powers resolution","summary":"Trump vetoes the bipartisan War Powers resolution — only the second presidential veto in his administration. He calls the resolution 'unnecessary and dangerous.'"},{"date":"2020-11-16","title":"Trump administration approves $23 billion UAE arms deal","summary":"In its final weeks, the Trump administration approves a $23 billion arms package for the UAE — another Yemen coalition partner — including F-35 stealth fighters and Reaper drones."}],"location":{"name":"Yemen / Washington, DC","lat":15.5,"lng":48.5},"custom":{"era":"first-term","posture":"reported","warCrimeClassification":"enabling","internationalLaw":[{"statute":"Rome Statute","article":"Article 8(2)(b)(iv)","provision":"War crime of launching disproportionate attacks — U.S. support for coalition strikes on civilian infrastructure may constitute aiding and abetting war crimes"},{"statute":"Rome Statute","article":"Article 25(3)(c)","provision":"Aiding, abetting, or assisting in the commission of a crime within the jurisdiction of the Court — provision of weapons and targeting support"},{"statute":"Geneva Conventions","article":"Additional Protocol I, Articles 54-56","provision":"Prohibition on attacks on objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population; prohibition on attacks on works and installations containing dangerous forces"},{"statute":"International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights","article":"Article 6","provision":"Right to life — blockade-induced mass starvation as a weapon of war"}],"iccRelevance":true,"civilianCasualties":25000,"victims":"Estimated 25,000+ civilian deaths from coalition airstrikes in Yemen 2015-2020; 20+ million Yemenis in acute food insecurity by 2018; millions displaced","structuredVictims":[{"group":"Yemeni civilians killed in Saudi-led coalition airstrikes","status":"Killed by coalition forces using U.S.-supplied weapons and U.S. intelligence support","count":25000},{"group":"Yemenis facing acute starvation","status":"UN declared Yemen world's worst humanitarian crisis by 2018"}],"structuredPerpetrators":[{"name":"Donald Trump","role":"President of the United States","institution":"White House"},{"name":"Jared Kushner","role":"Senior Advisor; primary point of contact with Saudi leadership","institution":"White House"}],"updateLog":[{"date":"2020-11-16","summary":"Updated with UAE arms deal in Trump's lame-duck period."},{"date":"2019-04-16","summary":"Updated with Trump veto of Yemen War Powers resolution."}]}}