US committed to supporting KSA against 'threats' from Yemen

By Al Mayadeen Net
Source: Agencies
20 Dec 2021 23:38

Despite claiming to suspend arms sales to Saudi Arabia, the US State Department affirms its support for the Saudi regime against Yemen.

US State Department spokesperson Ned Price

The United States remains committed to providing support for Saudi Arabia in the face of the "threats" emanating from Yemen, US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said Monday, although Washington had suspended sales of munitions to Riyadh.

"We have suspended proposed sales of certain air-to-ground munitions [to Saudi Arabia], but we are committed to continuing to support Saudi Arabia to improve its ability to defend its territory against these threats," Price said during a press briefing.

Price claims the US welcomes talks between Saudi and Iranian officials aimed at de-escalating Riyadh's war on Yemen.

Yemen has been under a Saudi-led war that has claimed the lives of tens of thousands of Yemenis. The Saudi-led aggression is accompanied by a harsh embargo on Sana'a, which has pushed millions to the brink of famine.

The Saudi-led aggression has been launching and backing air, land, and sea operations in Yemen in cooperation with their ally, Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi.

Price claims that Sana'a has endangered 70,000 US nations residing in Saudi Arabia; however, the US-backed Saudi regime has endangered the lives of millions in Yemen and continues launching arbitrary airstrikes that claim the lives of civilians, in violation of international law.

Less than a month ago, a pregnant mother in Yemen was wounded as a result of a Saudi-led coalition airstrike, leading her to tragically lose her unborn baby, an Al Mayadeen correspondent reported.

Data from the US Department of Defense revealed the continued flow of US weapons to Saudi Arabia since the start of its aggression on Yemen.

The investigation showed weapon contracts worth about $28.4 billion were concluded since March 2015, including about 20 contracts approved by the administration of President Joe Biden this year, amounting to $1.2 billion.

Saudi military purchases from US sources and firms are estimated at $63 billion since its aggression on Yemen, adding the collective contracts stipulated with US firms in which Saudi Arabia "was clearly the primary buyer."