US congressmen urge Obama to stop support for Saudis

EghtesadOnline: A group of 64 members of the House of Representatives of the United States have called on President Barack Obama to stall over sale of 1.15 billion dollars of arms to Saudi Arabia calling Washington support for Riyadh as 'immoral and unlawful.'

News ID: ۷۳۶۹۰۳

14 September 2016

In a recent letter to the US President, the lawmakers asked him to withdraw support to Riyadh which is intentionally targeting civilians or deliberately indifferent in executing its military operations, the Hong Kong-Thailand-based newspaper Asia Times has reported on Tuesday.

Quoting US Representative Lieu, the paper reported that the congressmen have called for a halt to US support for Saudi war in Yemen, describing it as 'immoral, and unlawful', according to IRNA.

'The multiple, repeated airstrikes on civilians look like war crimes. Hospitals, schools and wedding parties are not legitimate military targets,' Lieu was quoted by Asia Times as saying.

'By assisting Saudi Arabia, the United States is aiding and abetting what appears to be war crimes in Yemen,' Lieu was quoted.

Lieu who represents California at the US House of Representatives, has been repeatedly raising concerns about Yemen since last fall.

For months, he has been trying to get Obama administration officials to reconsider US backing for the Saudi-led war in Yemen as reported by the US online publication, the Intercept.

Saudi Arabia with the help of nine other Arab countries except Oman has been mounting massive attacks on Yemen since March 26, 2015, to give power back to the resigned Yemeni President Mansur Hadi and prevent the Yemeni revolutionary forces from taking power.

Saudi Arabia was the top recipient of American-made arms from 2011 to 2015, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.