US cuts arms sales to Saudi Arabia

[scholseys]

Yemen conflict: US cuts arms sales to Saudi Arabia

Image copyrightREUTERS
Image captionSaudi Arabia joined the war on the side of President Hadi in March 2015
The US has said it will limit arms sales to Saudi Arabia amid concerns over civilian casualties linked to air strikes in Yemen.

Precision-guided weapons will no longer be delivered, a Pentagon official said.

President Barack Obama's administration said it was concerned over "flaws" in the way air strikes are targeted in Yemen.

In October, more than 140 people were killed in a strike on a funeral in the country.

A Saudi-led coalition, which is attempting to support the elected government against Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, was blamed for the attack.

White House National Security Council spokesman Ned Price later warned Saudi Arabia that US security co-operation was "not a blank cheque".

But while some sales are being scaled back, the US said it will continue to provide Saudi Arabia with intelligence focused on border security.

It will also provide training for pilots involved in the Saudi-led air campaign, to avoid civilian casualties wherever possible, the official said.

Other contracts are expected to go ahead such as a deal worth more than $3bn (£2.4bn) to supply military helicopters.

The Saudi-led coalition is fighting the Houthi rebel movement in Yemen.

Thousands of civilians have been killed and nearly three million people have been displaced in the country, one of the region's poorest, since the war began in 2014.

The Houthis took the capital Sanaa, forcing Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi's government to flee. Some ministers have since returned to the city of Aden.

Saudi Arabia has denied causing large-scale civilian deaths, saying it is making every effort to avoid hitting civilian targets.

.......................................................................................................................................................................

The Saudis should think about diversifying their arsenal the US just made their fleet sitting ducks...

 

[BDforever]

Yemen conflict: US cuts arms sales to Saudi Arabia

Image copyrightREUTERS
Image captionSaudi Arabia joined the war on the side of President Hadi in March 2015
The US has said it will limit arms sales to Saudi Arabia amid concerns over civilian casualties linked to air strikes in Yemen.

Precision-guided weapons will no longer be delivered, a Pentagon official said.

President Barack Obama's administration said it was concerned over "flaws" in the way air strikes are targeted in Yemen.

In October, more than 140 people were killed in a strike on a funeral in the country.

A Saudi-led coalition, which is attempting to support the elected government against Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, was blamed for the attack.

White House National Security Council spokesman Ned Price later warned Saudi Arabia that US security co-operation was "not a blank cheque".

But while some sales are being scaled back, the US said it will continue to provide Saudi Arabia with intelligence focused on border security.

It will also provide training for pilots involved in the Saudi-led air campaign, to avoid civilian casualties wherever possible, the official said.

Other contracts are expected to go ahead such as a deal worth more than $3bn (£2.4bn) to supply military helicopters.

The Saudi-led coalition is fighting the Houthi rebel movement in Yemen.

Thousands of civilians have been killed and nearly three million people have been displaced in the country, one of the region's poorest, since the war began in 2014.

The Houthis took the capital Sanaa, forcing Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi's government to flee. Some ministers have since returned to the city of Aden.

Saudi Arabia has denied causing large-scale civilian deaths, saying it is making every effort to avoid hitting civilian targets.

.......................................................................................................................................................................

The Saudis should think about diversifying their arsenal the US just made their fleet sitting ducks...

 

[Chinese-Dragon]

They have plenty of other options, the USA are just trying to lose one of their biggest customers.

 

[TheDarkKnight]

Yemen conflict: US cuts arms sales to Saudi Arabia

Image copyrightREUTERS
Image captionSaudi Arabia joined the war on the side of President Hadi in March 2015
The US has said it will limit arms sales to Saudi Arabia amid concerns over civilian casualties linked to air strikes in Yemen.

Precision-guided weapons will no longer be delivered, a Pentagon official said.

President Barack Obama's administration said it was concerned over "flaws" in the way air strikes are targeted in Yemen.

Don't you need PGMs to reduce collateral damage or civilian casualties?

 

[mike2000 is back]

They have plenty of other options, the USA are just trying to lose one of their biggest customers.

I agree, they can get that from other countries, So what's the point? U.S policies (especially under passive/confused) Obama can sometimes be strange.
Anyway our defence contractors and companies will be more than happy to fill in the void. For us here, BUSINESS IS ALWAYS BUSINESS .
Britain to deepen security cooperation with the GCC
Addressing the GCC's annual summit PM Theresa May said she is "clear-eyed" on the threats posed by ISIL and Iran.

Theresa May said she wanted a 'strategic partnership' to help boost security in Gulf countries [Hamad I Mohammed/Reuters]
British Prime Minister Theresa May has said that she wants to deepen defence cooperation with Gulf countries and work towards signing "an ambitious trade agreement" with them.

Addressing the Gulf Cooperation Council's (GCC) annual summit in the Bahraini capital Manama on Wednesday, May said that Britain wanted to "make a more permanent and more enduring commitment to the long-term security of the Gulf" and invest more than three billion pounds ($3.7bn) in defence spending in the region over the next decade.

GCC annual summit kicks off in Bahrain


"Gulf security is our security," she told the council, which brings together the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman.

"In challenging times you turn to your oldest and most dependable friends ..."

May said that she wanted a "strategic partnership" to help boost security in Gulf countries, including defence investment and military training in Bahrain and Jordan.

During here televised speech, May also touched upon issues such as the ongoing conflicts in Yemen and Syria as well as the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group.

"May talked about how they will confront the threat of ISIL together, and how they will confront Iranian involvement or interference in Yemen," Al Jazeera's Jamal Elshayyal, who had been following the GCC summit from Doha, said.

"But overall it is possible to say that she was mainly looking for the economic good news that the UK desperately needs at the moment."

Improving trade ties
The prime minister also spoke about discussions to improve trade ties with Gulf countries as Britain prepares to leave the European Union.

"I want these talks to pave the way for an ambitious trade arrangement" after Brexit, she said.

Theresa May was "in search of an alternative to the economic stability that the EU provided for the UK before the Brexit vote," Al Jazeera's Elshayyal said.

"May now sees an opportunity in the GCC, not only because of the vast natural resources that are here, but also because of the idea that the GCC countries between themselves have a lot of trade agreements already in place.

"So, to her, setting up a trade agreement here is like setting up something with a much bigger entity rather than just looking for bilateral trade ties between the UK and another country."

READ MORE: Bahrain authorities block Al Jazeera from GCC summit

King Salman of Gulf heavyweight Saudi Arabia opened the two-day summit on Tuesday with a call for a "doubling of efforts" to face regional challenges.

Inside Story - Putting the GCC house in order


Al Jazeera Media Network (AJMN) was blocked from covering the GCC summit on the ground, as Elshayyal was refused entry at Bahrain International Airport on Tuesday even though AJMN had followed all necessary procedures and submitted all requested documents to the relevant authorities on time.

Bahrain's information ministry did not immediately return repeated calls and emails seeking comment.

It was not the first time Bahraini authorities have prevented Al Jazeera from reporting on events in the country.

"Manama previously blocked Al Jazeera's reporters from covering the 30th GCC summit, without providing convincing reasons," AJMN said in a statement released on Tuesday.

"The network had prepared for special, comprehensive coverage of this important event," it added.

No official reason has been received from Bahraini officials on why AJMN was refused entry.


http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/12/britain-deepen-security-cooperation-gcc-161207102311180.html

 

[maximuswarrior]

I agree, they can get that from other countries, So what's the point? U.S policies (especially under passive/confused) Obama can sometimes be strange.
Anyway our defence contractors and companies will be more than happy to fill in the void. For us here, BUSINESS IS ALWAYS BUSINESS .
Britain to deepen security cooperation with the GCC
Addressing the GCC's annual summit PM Theresa May said she is "clear-eyed" on the threats posed by ISIL and Iran.

Theresa May said she wanted a 'strategic partnership' to help boost security in Gulf countries [Hamad I Mohammed/Reuters]
British Prime Minister Theresa May has said that she wants to deepen defence cooperation with Gulf countries and work towards signing "an ambitious trade agreement" with them.

Addressing the Gulf Cooperation Council's (GCC) annual summit in the Bahraini capital Manama on Wednesday, May said that Britain wanted to "make a more permanent and more enduring commitment to the long-term security of the Gulf" and invest more than three billion pounds ($3.7bn) in defence spending in the region over the next decade.

GCC annual summit kicks off in Bahrain


"Gulf security is our security," she told the council, which brings together the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman.

"In challenging times you turn to your oldest and most dependable friends ..."

May said that she wanted a "strategic partnership" to help boost security in Gulf countries, including defence investment and military training in Bahrain and Jordan.

During here televised speech, May also touched upon issues such as the ongoing conflicts in Yemen and Syria as well as the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group.

"May talked about how they will confront the threat of ISIL together, and how they will confront Iranian involvement or interference in Yemen," Al Jazeera's Jamal Elshayyal, who had been following the GCC summit from Doha, said.

"But overall it is possible to say that she was mainly looking for the economic good news that the UK desperately needs at the moment."

Improving trade ties
The prime minister also spoke about discussions to improve trade ties with Gulf countries as Britain prepares to leave the European Union.

"I want these talks to pave the way for an ambitious trade arrangement" after Brexit, she said.

Theresa May was "in search of an alternative to the economic stability that the EU provided for the UK before the Brexit vote," Al Jazeera's Elshayyal said.

"May now sees an opportunity in the GCC, not only because of the vast natural resources that are here, but also because of the idea that the GCC countries between themselves have a lot of trade agreements already in place.

"So, to her, setting up a trade agreement here is like setting up something with a much bigger entity rather than just looking for bilateral trade ties between the UK and another country."

READ MORE: Bahrain authorities block Al Jazeera from GCC summit

King Salman of Gulf heavyweight Saudi Arabia opened the two-day summit on Tuesday with a call for a "doubling of efforts" to face regional challenges.

Inside Story - Putting the GCC house in order


Al Jazeera Media Network (AJMN) was blocked from covering the GCC summit on the ground, as Elshayyal was refused entry at Bahrain International Airport on Tuesday even though AJMN had followed all necessary procedures and submitted all requested documents to the relevant authorities on time.

Bahrain's information ministry did not immediately return repeated calls and emails seeking comment.

It was not the first time Bahraini authorities have prevented Al Jazeera from reporting on events in the country.

"Manama previously blocked Al Jazeera's reporters from covering the 30th GCC summit, without providing convincing reasons," AJMN said in a statement released on Tuesday.

"The network had prepared for special, comprehensive coverage of this important event," it added.

No official reason has been received from Bahraini officials on why AJMN was refused entry.


http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/12/britain-deepen-security-cooperation-gcc-161207102311180.html

Business is business even at the displeasure of Uncle Sam? I highly doubt that your country would be selling anything to the Saudis if the Americans call you on the mat.

I think China and Russia are the ones that are going to benefit from US dissent.

 

[mike2000 is back]

Business is business even at the displeasure of Uncle Sam? I highly doubt that your country would be selling anything to the Saudis if the Americans call you on the mat.

I think China and Russia are the ones that are going to benefit from US dissent.[/QUO7TE]

Lol You certainly don't know anything about our country or its foreign policy. We will do what is in our interests. Just like we were the first major western country to join the AIIB leading to other western countries to follow suite, despite the U.S being vehemently against our move. We still went ahead. Lol. Similarly you should read about Britains invasion of Egypt during the suez canal crisis, the U.S and Britain had conflicting interest about the invasion so the U.S openly opposed our invasion. So allied can't always age on everything. If we see an opportunity we will seize it if it serves or interests, PERIOD.
We are still very close allies with the U.S though, however that doesn't means we always agree on everything. Partners often have disagreements over some issues but that doesn't means they will stop being allies or partners, only immature powers behave that way. We are a mature power so our relationship is different , we can often agree to disagree on some issues.

Our military relations with Saudi and our gulf allies will only increase these coming years irregardless of the U.S. We have been Saudi Arabia(and many gulf countries) second largest weapons supplier for over a decade, only the U.S has been selling more weapons to the Saudis than Britain. With U.S ban, expect our defence giants to grab even more market share, since we definitely will keep our business going.

Summary article:

UK approved £3.3bn of arms sales to Saudi Arabia in first year of Yemen war
#ArmsTrade
Exports of smart bombs, combat aircraft parts were approved in face of civilian deaths, international condemnation

UK-manufactured cluster bomblets gathered by activists in northern Yemen earlier this year (Amnesty International)

Jamie Merrill
Wednesday 27 July 2016 13:58 UTC
Last update:
Wednesday 27 July 2016 20:23 UTC
71 397googleplus1 477
Topics:
ArmsTrade
Tags:
saudi, Arms sales, UK, Fallon, human rights
Show comments
The UK government licensed arms exports worth £3.3bn ($4.2bn) to Saudi Arabia during the first 12 months of the Saudi-led conflict in Yemen, a campaign group has revealed.

The Campaign Against Arms Trade's analysis of government figures, released this week, shows the total is at least £500m more than previously thought.

From April 2015, the UK approved exports including so-called smart bombs, components for combat aircraft, armoured vehicles and communications equipment.

The government in Riyadh is the UK arms industry’s biggest customer and the figures show that the Middle East is the UK’s largest overall export market for weapons, including Eurofighter Typhoon and advanced Hawk trainers jets that have dropped devastating 2,000-lb bombs in urban areas in Yemen.
The new figures also show that the UK licensed £538m of weapons, including military training aircraft for the Royal Saudi Air Force, in the first quarter of 2016 alone, despite increasingly vocal international condemnation of the country’s bombing campaign in Yemen.

http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/uk-approves-33bn-arms-sales-yemen-126867279


Plus, the new military and naval bases we are building in Bahrain and Oman will only deepen our involvement and security of gulf states, irregardless of anything.


I'm sure you are aware (maybe not) of all these, probably just parroting what some naive people usually say. Lol

 

[maximuswarrior]

Lol You certainly don't know anything about our country or its foreign policy. We will do what is in our interests. Just like we were the first major western country to join the AIIB leading to other western countries to follow suite, despite the U.S being vehemently against our move. We still went ahead. Lol. Similarly you should read about Britains invasion of Egypt during the suez canal crisis, the U.S and Britain had conflicting interest about the invasion so the U.S openly opposed our invasion. So allied can't always age on everything. If we see an opportunity we will seize it if it serves or interests, PERIOD.
We are still very close allies with the U.S though, however that doesn't means we always agree on everything. Partners often have disagreements over some issues but that doesn't means they will stop being allies or partners, only immature powers behave that way. We are a mature power so our relationship is different , we can often agree to disagree on some issues.

Our military relations with Saudi and our gulf allies will only increase these coming years irregardless of the U.S. We have been Saudi Arabia(and many gulf countries) second largest weapons supplier for over a decade, only the U.S has been selling more weapons to the Saudis than Britain. With U.S ban, expect our defence giants to grab even more market share, since we definitely will keep our business going.

Summary article:

UK approved £3.3bn of arms sales to Saudi Arabia in first year of Yemen war
#ArmsTrade
Exports of smart bombs, combat aircraft parts were approved in face of civilian deaths, international condemnation

UK-manufactured cluster bomblets gathered by activists in northern Yemen earlier this year (Amnesty International)

Jamie Merrill
Wednesday 27 July 2016 13:58 UTC
Last update:
Wednesday 27 July 2016 20:23 UTC
71 397googleplus1 477
Topics:
ArmsTrade
Tags:
saudi, Arms sales, UK, Fallon, human rights
Show comments
The UK government licensed arms exports worth £3.3bn ($4.2bn) to Saudi Arabia during the first 12 months of the Saudi-led conflict in Yemen, a campaign group has revealed.

The Campaign Against Arms Trade's analysis of government figures, released this week, shows the total is at least £500m more than previously thought.

From April 2015, the UK approved exports including so-called smart bombs, components for combat aircraft, armoured vehicles and communications equipment.

The government in Riyadh is the UK arms industry’s biggest customer and the figures show that the Middle East is the UK’s largest overall export market for weapons, including Eurofighter Typhoon and advanced Hawk trainers jets that have dropped devastating 2,000-lb bombs in urban areas in Yemen.
The new figures also show that the UK licensed £538m of weapons, including military training aircraft for the Royal Saudi Air Force, in the first quarter of 2016 alone, despite increasingly vocal international condemnation of the country’s bombing campaign in Yemen.

http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/uk-approves-33bn-arms-sales-yemen-126867279


Plus, the new military and naval bases we are building in Bahrain and Oman will only deepen our involvement and security of gulf states, irregardless of anything.


I'm sure you are aware (maybe not) of all these, probably just parroting what some naive people usually say. Lol

All rhetoric aside, time will tell whether Britain can walk it alone. I have my doubts because the West including Britain doesn't have cojones to displease the USA.

On a different note, does Britain support the Saudi war in Yemen? By supplying arms it seems to be taking a side for sure.

 

[AmirPatriot]

Don't you need PGMs to reduce collateral damage or civilian casualties?

The Saudis kill civilians even with PGMs.

 

[mike2000 is back]

I think China and Russia are the ones that are going to benefit from US dissent

Lol That's an even funnier statement. It's unfeasible for KSA to procure most of its advanced weapons systems from Russia or China.
For one, they don't have common strategic interests in the region, they are on opposing sides.
Secondly, Saudis weapons systems has always been geared towards western equipment/systems for almost half a century now, as such to replace them will require huge investments and a total revamp of the country's industry etc. So no, the Saudis might buy one or two weapons from China or Russia here and there. But that's about it. The rest and most important ones will always come from western Powers.

I thought that as a Pakistani at least you will know this .

 

[maximuswarrior]

Lol That's an even funnier statement. It's unfeasible for KSA to procure most of its advanced weapons systems from Russia or China.
For one, they don't have common strategic interests in the region, they are on opposing sides.
Secondly, Saudis weapons systems has always been geared towards western equipment/systems for almost half a century now, as such to replace them will require huge investments and a total revamp of the country's industry etc. So no, the Saudis might buy one or two weapons from China or Russia here and there. But that's about it. The rest and most important ones will always come from western Powers.

I thought that as a Pakistani at least you will know this .

LOL How is China the opposing side? Where did you dream that? If anything, KSA will have to look for new allies after its debacle with the US. China certainly fits the profile. It is a rising power that has a strong defense industry and can provide all the goodies in the process. We can argue about Russia due to its role in Syria, but to say that KSA is at complete odds with Russia would be an over-exaggeration. Anything is possible in politics.

Where did I say that the Saudis would completely ignore the Western defense industry? Those are your words. All I'm saying is that the KSA is going to diversify and they are not going to do that by solely buying Western weapons. Diversification will come from China/Russia. Two other major defense suppliers in addition to the West. You can surely include the big ticket acquisitions into that. One thing the Saudis must have learnt over the years is not to rely on a single source for defense acquisitions. This latest backstabbing by the US is just another proof.

Wrong. I'm a Pakistani Dutch. At least, get your facts correct.

 

[mike2000 is back]

All rhetoric aside, time will tell whether Britain can walk it alone. I have my doubts because the West including Britain doesn't have cojones to displease the USA.

On a different note, does Britain support the Saudi war in Yemen? By supplying arms it seems to be taking a side for sure.

Bla bla, as I said having disagreements or different policies over certain issues doesn't means we will stop being allies or partners. Our interests still converge overall. So we will remain allies and partners irregardless of some diverging views we might have.

As for Yemen, we support the internationally recognised government of Yemen. So our position is clear on that.

 

[maximuswarrior]

Bla bla, as I said having disagreements or different policies over certain issues doesn't means we will stop being allies or partners. Our interests still converge overall. So we will remain allies and partners irregardless of some diverging views we might have.

As for Yemen, we support the internationally recognised government of Yemen. So our position is clear on that.

Whatever that means. Frankly, it doesn't concern me one tiny bit. I'm just amazed at the duplicity though.

You're doing a pretty good job of recognizing the government of Yemen by providing weapons to the Saudis who are bombing that country to bits and pieces.

 

[TheDarkKnight]

The Saudis kill civilians even with PGMs.

Are Saudis deliberately targetting civilians using expensive PGMs from F15s and EFs ? Or some innocent lives are lost because of other limitations, which even US plus Nato hasnt been able to achieve. PGMs cannot eliminate civilian losses but it atleast reduces them. If Saudis want to just kill civilians then they can easily use unguided munitions and other means, something which Assad in Syria does quite efficiently.

Regards

 

[DJ_Viper]

Lol That's an even funnier statement. It's unfeasible for KSA to procure most of its advanced weapons systems from Russia or China.

For one, they don't have common strategic interests in the region, they are on opposing sides.

Secondly, Saudis weapons systems has always been geared towards western equipment/systems for almost half a century now, as such to replace them will require huge investments and a total revamp of the country's industry etc. So no, the Saudis might buy one or two weapons from China or Russia here and there. But that's about it. The rest and most important ones will always come from western Powers.

I thought that as a Pakistani at least you will know this .

To your bold part above, "the need is the mother of invention". I think the UK, Germany and France will side with the US. This would be a horrific wake up call for the Saudi's in terms of not setting up their internal industry when they were riding the $$$$ horse with rich oil. Not their economy is hitting the shiit room fast and they don't have excessive billions they once did.

I can see the Saudi's starting to buy the J-10's, J-11's and the J-31's of the world. I don't think they'd get too close to Russia due to her support for Iran and Syria. I don't think they'll directly oppose them either. Just a silent, non-adversarial relationship. I think China will score them as a Customer and in turn, they will probably setup J-10C's manufacturing in house (as another tiered aircraft to support EFT's which will start to cut down on flying time to preserve more spares and combat ready jets). KSA would probably become a major customer for all advance Chinese tech and will build an internal industry to build their own weapons too. At the end of the day, they have serious experience with Western top end equipment, jets, tactics and all. It can't be too hard to invest and customize top end Chinese products to match the top end Western products. In fact, that might benefit the Chinese knowing they have advise and requirements from a customer using F-15SA, EFT, etc and many other systems.