A new report from the Department of State Inspector-General has advised that future US arms sales to Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies will include mitigation measures to reduce the risk of civilian casualties when those weapons are used, a senior Department official said during a phone press conference
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 11th August, 2020) A new report from the Department of State Inspector-General has advised that future US arms sales to Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies will include mitigation measures to reduce the risk of civilian casualties when those weapons are used, a senior Department official said during a phone press conference.
"The one recommendation that the Department had been working on [was] that they introduce additional mitigation measures to reduce the risk of civilian casualties," the senior State Department official said on Monday. "We agree with that, of course."
The Inspector-General's report on the certification of US arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates recommended more stringent measures to reduce the dangers of harm to civilians from the use of the weapons, the State Department official said.
"We were already directed by the president to mitigate the risk of civilian casualties. Department officials had already reviewed this. We are continuing to work to assist and help the Saudi-led coalition and [to add] additional training and better equipment," the official said.
In May, Trump fired State Department Inspector-General Steve Linick when he was working on the report on Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's certification of US arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Linick's successor, acting Inspector-General Stephen Akard, recused himself from the investigation and the report was completed by Akard's deputy, Diana Shaw.
The report will be released very shortly, the senior State Department official said.
