Trump to resume precision munitions deliveries to Saudis

The Trump administration notified Congress last week that it plans to begin delivering precision-guided munitions to Saudi Arabia under a 2015 weapons deal, congressional officials said today.

The US Senate is expected to vote today on a resolution to block portions of a new, separate arms sale to Saudi Arabia, agreed during a visit there by President Donald Trump in May.

Arms sales to Riyadh have become increasingly contentious in the US Congress, where some lawmakers object that American weapons have contributed to widespread civilian casualties in a Saudi-led military campaign in Yemen.

Former US President Barack Obama suspended the planned sale of precision-guided munitions in December because of concerns over civilian casualties in Yemen, where the civil war pits Iran-allied Houthi rebels against the government backed by a Saudi-led Arab coalition.

Read: Democrats to back Republican opposition of Saudi arms deal

Trump, however, has said he wants to encourage weapons sales as a way to create jobs in the United States.

Senator Ben Cardin, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the administration had notified Congress about the start of deliveries on the 2015 sale. He said in a statement that Trump’s decision was another reason for the Senate to disapprove the new sale.

We need to send a message to both the Trump Administration and the Saudis to work much harder to avoid civilian casualties, expedite humanitarian relief, and push for a peaceful end to the war through a negotiated political settlement

Cardin said.

Today’s Senate vote, which would block about $500 million of that sale, including precision-guided munitions and other offensive weapons, coincides with Saudi Foreign Minister, Adel Al-Jubeir, meeting with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and other officials in Washington.