Replies to post #6454 on LEE KRAMER'S ROOM: With Views

[mr40]

Trump wants to sell them "precision" weapons that would help the Saudis target terrorists and not hospitals, factories, markets, schools, and homes.
The Saudis are fighting Iran backed rebels.

But officials said the equipment and training is mainly designed to address Saudi Arabia’s broader and longer-term threats. Saudi Arabia and other Arab neighbors along the Persian Gulf believe Iran to be their biggest threat.

The package includes $109 billion in equipment such as the tanks, ships, Patriot missile batteries and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense — or THAAD system — for taking out incoming missiles.

Some $750 million will be in the form of training programs for the Saudi Air Force, which has been criticized for inflicting high numbers of civilian casualties in Yemen. Training will include education on targeting, the laws of war and reducing civilian casualties, officials said.

Ahead of the weekend announcement, the administration separately informed Congress on Friday that it will sell some $500 million in precision-guided munitions to Saudi Arabia. These include laser-guided Paveway II bombs and JDAM kits for converting unguided bombs into “smart bombs.”

In notifying lawmakers, the State Department said the munitions will improve Saudi targeting ability, particularly in Yemen.

The department said it would continue to urge Saudi Arabia and its coalition partners in Yemen to reduce civilian casualties and work toward a truce and peace negotiations.

UK Defense Secretary Michael Fallon said the UK gains from a close relationship with Riyadh, calling it “an enormously important trading partner, a commercial partner, but also a defense partner.”

“We share intelligence with Saudi Arabia about terrorism. We gain from that relationship. Every arms export application is very carefully looked at and judged by our criteria — some of the toughest in the world. But Saudi Arabia, equally, is entitled to defend itself.”

UK military personnel have been providing Saudi forces with airstrike and artillery training and Britain has sold billions of pounds’ worth of arms to the Gulf theocracy.
The Obama administration has sold more weapons to the Saudis than any other administration.