Is there a moral obligation when selling arms to allies or is it just all about the money – PB/TK
AFTER THE SOMALI MASSACRE, SHOULD WE SELL MORE ARMS TO THE SAUDIS?BY
This article first appeared on Just Security.
Earlier this month, a dramatic event occurred in the war in Yemen that could even shock those numbed by the continued pace of civilian casualties.
A military craft and helicopter reportedly engaged in an attack on a boat carrying over 140 Somali refugees killing upward of 42 people on board.
Despite initially conflicting accounts, the evidence points to the Saudi-led coalition.
On March 24, the U.N. reported that according to survivors’ accounts, the vessel “was hit by shelling from a Coalition warship, without any warning, followed by shooting from an Apache helicopter overhead.”
What has not received adequate attention is the potential role of the United States.
It will take time to sort out the details of what exactly occurred, but this potentially brazen attack comes just as the White House is considering increasing its involvement in the Saudi-led operations against the Iranian-back Houthi militia in this Middle East nation.
So, how might the United States be implicated given that it didn’t come anywhere close to pulling the trigger?
Continue to newsweek.com article: http://www.newsweek.com/after-somali-massacre-should-we-sell-more-arms-saudis-574840
