The US State Department approved the potential sale of 3,000 precision-guided munitions to Saudi Arabia, according to a Pentagon statement on Tuesday, Reuters reported.
The $290-million deal includes 3,000 GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb I (SDB I) munitions, containers, support equipment, spares and technical support, the Pentagon stated.
“The proposed sale will improve Saudi Arabia’s capability to meet current and future threats by increasing its stocks of long-range, precision air-to-ground munitions,” the Pentagon said in a statement, adding that “the size and accuracy of the SDB I allows for an effective munition with less collateral damage.”
The report of the potential sale comes in the final days of US President Donald Trump, who has treated the Saudi kingdom as a staunch US ally during his presidency.
US President-elect Joe Biden, on the other hand, has vowed to stand up to Saudi Arabia’s record of human rights violations, even saying he would consider making Saudi Arabia “the pariah it is.”
Earlier this month, Israel conveyed a message to the incoming Biden administration, asking them to remain flexible regarding the US relationship with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates despite their poor track record regarding human rights, in light of Iran’s threat to the region.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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2 Responses
Given how quickly allegiances and political alliances can change in the Middle East, we should hope that one of these bombs doesn’t end up falling “precisely” on 14 Rechov Davis Flusser in Yerushalayim several months or several years from now. Its not clear WHY we need to give the Saudis this kind of advanced weaponry.
LOL – Biden said nothing. Doesn’t know where he is. Anytime we hear them saying ‘Biden said’ we know it’s fake news.