UK to resume defence exports to Saudi Arabia

[Zarvan]

UK to resume defence exports to Saudi Arabia

by Charles Forrester Jul 9, 2020, 12:02 PM

The UK is set to begin processing licences for the export of defence equipment to Saudi Arabia that could potentially be used in Yemen again, according to a written...

The UK is set to begin processing licences for the export of defence equipment to Saudi Arabia that could potentially be used in Yemen again, according to a written answer provided to parliament by the Secretary of State for International Trade, Elizabeth Truss, on 7 July.

In June 2019 the UK Court of Appeal ruled that arms exports to Saudi Arabia were unlawful as UK authorities had made “no assessments of whether the Saudi-led coalition had committed violations of international humanitarian law (IHL) in the past, during the Yemen conflict, and made no attempt to do so.”

The UK has analysed potential violations by Saudi Arabia of international humanitarian law by fixed-wing aircraft, and has not found any pattern, trend, or systemic weakness in the incidents investigated. (BAE Systems)

In response, the Department for International Trade (DIT) has “developed a revised methodology in respect of all allegations which it is assessed are likely to have occurred and to have been caused by fixed-wing aircraft.”

Each of the allegations raised by the Court of Appeal were subsequently evaluated based on the revised IHL principles, and an undisclosed number of incidents were assessed as “possible” violations of IHL. Further to the analysis of these incidents, the DIT sought to “identify any patterns of non-compliance with IHL; a lack of commitment on the part of Saudi Arabia to comply with IHL; and/or a lack of capacity or systemic weaknesses which might give rise to a clear risk of IHL breaches.”

Already a Janes subscriber? Read the full article via the Client Login
Interested in subscribing, see What we do

https://www.janes.com/amp/uk-to-res...Vkc5dVI5VFp1cVMwPQ2?__twitter_impression=true

 

[Gomig-21]

LOL! That is one of the biggest beating around the bush crap I have ever read looool! It's either they violated the IHL or they didn't, which one is it? Or is it just a mouthpiece to pretend they really care about the Yemeni people but behind doors they really want as much Saudi $$$$$$$$$$$ as possible and so pretend to really care even though they really don't give a rat's behind and then continue making money, baby!

 

[The SC]

LOL! That is one of the biggest beating around the bush crap I have ever read looool! It's either they violated the IHL or they didn't, which one is it? Or is it just a mouthpiece to pretend they really care about the Yemeni people but behind doors they really want as much Saudi $$$$$$$$$$$ as possible and so pretend to really care even though they really don't give a rat's behind and then continue making money, baby!

They want the money too ..but these latest Houthi attacks are opposed by the UNSC..
The UK even apologised to Saudi Arabia officially about this..

 

[Shah_Deu]

Seems like their finances are bad, really bad! Money afterall has no moral opinions.

 

[Gomig-21]

They want the money too ..but these latest Houthi attacks are opposed by the UNSC..
The UK even apologised to Saudi Arabia officially about this..

They should've mentioned the Houthi attacks and balanced it out a little bit and made it look better that they were looking at the entire picture and not just Saudi behavior. The hypocrisy is at its best.

 

[The SC]

They should've mentioned the Houthi attacks and balanced it out a little bit and made it look better that they were looking at the entire picture and not just Saudi behavior. The hypocrisy is at its best.

The UK in the midst of all this has supplied KSA from its own depots..till the court decision.. so they have never believed those human rights organizations' biases..

 

[FuturePAF]

The UK especially now after Brexit had to try to maintain its foreign economic ties if it is to even maintain its standard of living. The Europeans economies are expected to contract 5-9% per the IMF. If the Brits don’t sell weapons there are other nations in line to sell to the GCC Arabs, including the Chinese. If the Brits call them out of human rights (and put sanctions on them) and the GCC Arabs start buying large amounts of weapons from China they won’t turn back. The GCC economies currently need to save some money but also want to keep their campaign going in Yemen, so platforms like the JF-17 Block 3 have a good chance becoming sanctions proof options for the Saudis, as well as create a significant defense tie with China, and reinforce the ties with Pakistan.

 

[The SC]

The UK especially now after Brexit had to try to maintain its foreign economic ties if it is to even maintain its standard of living. The Europeans economies are expected to contract 5-9% per the IMF. If the Brits don’t sell weapons there are other nations in line to sell to the GCC Arabs, including the Chinese. If the Brits call them out of human rights (and put sanctions on them) and the GCC Arabs start buying large amounts of weapons from China they won’t turn back. The GCC economies currently need to save some money but also want to keep their campaign going in Yemen, so platforms like the JF-17 Block 3 have a good chance becoming sanctions proof options for the Saudis, as well as create a significant defense tie with China, and reinforce the ties with Pakistan.

Yes true.. and The UK have started ToT with KSA for hawks and most likely for Typhoon..
The JF-17 Blk III is coming on top of it all.. no doubt about that..

 

[vi-va]

Hypocrisy in the first place. Even child knew British history.

 

[Constantin84]

Excellent news, the economy isn't doing well, every bit counts.

 

[The SC]

Excellent news, the economy isn't doing well, every bit counts.

Not only the economy..while it counts.. but mostly it is an old strategic alliance between the two.. because even when the UK economy was doing good it supplied arms and other stuff to KSA..