Tag

#arms-sales

Commercial and government-to-government sales of weapons and defense articles. Incidents involve arms sales that bypass congressional review, violate the Leahy Law, or supply weapons used in attacks on civilians.

Grade 5 of 5: International Crime (Rome Statute)

Saudi Arms Deals and Complicity in Yemen War Crimes

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 a War Powers resolution to end U.S. involvement, which Trump vetoed in April 2019, and he vetoed three resolutions disapproving arms sales in July 2019.