U.K. Government Freezes New Arms Sales To Saudi Arabia After Court Rules The £4.7Billion Trade Unlawful Because Of Yemen

The Guardian: UK arms sales to Saudi Arabia unlawful, court of appeal declares

Ruling prompts government to suspend new arms sales to Saudi Arabia while it urgently reviews its processes

British arms sales to Saudi Arabia have been declared unlawful by the court of appeal because ministers failed to properly assess their contribution to civilian casualties in indiscriminate bombing in Yemen.

The unexpected ruling has prompted the British government to suspend new arms sales to Saudi Arabia while it urgently reviews its processes – although Liam Fox, the international trade secretary, has said the government would also seek to appeal.

Read more ....

More News On The U.K. Government Freezing New Arms Sales To Saudi Arabia After Court Rules The £4.7Billion Trade Is Unlawful Because Of Yemen

Government freezes new arms sales to Saudi Arabia after Court of Appeal declares the £4.7billion trade unlawful -- Daily Mail
UK arms sales to Saudi Arabia unlawful, court rules -- BBC
Court rules UK must reconsider arms sales to Saudi Arabia -- ABC News/AP
Britain suspends new Saudi arms licences linked to Yemen -- AFP
Britain broke the law on Saudi arms exports, court rules -- Reuters
UK arms sales to Saudi Arabia declared unlawful by court of appeal -- DW
'Historic' UK decision outlaws arms sales for Saudi war on Yemen -- Al Jazeera
Court orders UK to suspend new arms sales to Saudi over Yemen war concerns -- Middle East Eye
‘Irrational & unlawful’: UK govt dealt landmark defeat over arms sales to Saudi Arabia -- RT

U.K. Government Trying To Keep Details Of Its Security Pact With Saudi Arabia Secret

Saudi Arabia is the largest importer of British weaponry. Reuters

The Independent: UK Government attempting to keep details of secret security pact with Saudi Arabia hidden from public

Exclusive: Theresa May agreed to ‘memorandum of understanding’ with Crown Prince Muhammad bin Nayef last year.

The British Government signed a secret security pact with Saudi Arabia and is now attempting to prevent details of the deal from being made public.

The Home Secretary Theresa May agreed to the so-called ‘memorandum of understanding’ with her Saudi counter-part Crown Prince Muhammad bin Nayef during a visit to the Kingdom last year.

The Home Office released no details of her trip at the time or announced that the deal had been signed. The only public acknowledgement was a year later in a Foreign Office report which obliquely referenced an agreement to “modernise the Ministry of the Interior”.

WNU Editor: I suspect that the details in this security agreement are on military sales, intelligence sharing, and military coordination and assistance coupled with the U.K. giving diplomatic support to the Saudis on issues like Iran, Syria, and how Riyadh suppresses its own internal dissent.

Inquiry Calls On BAE Arms Deal To Saudi Arabia After Revelations Of Impropriety Were Made Public By Wikileaks

Revelations In BAE Saudi Case Prompt Inquiry Call -- The Telegraph

A senior MP has demanded a parliamentary inquiry into Britain’s £43 billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia after a leaked US diplomatic cable disclosed the full case against BAE Systems, the defence contractor.

The Serious Fraud Office dropped the investigation in December 2006, after intense diplomatic pressure from the Saudis. BAE was fined by US authorities last year after it admitted a relatively minor charge of making false statements. It faced no action in Britain over the Saudi allegations and until now the full details of the case have been kept secret.

However, a US cable given to the WikiLeaks website and obtained by The Daily Telegraph discloses the strength of the investigators’ case. Written four months after the collapse of the investigation, it shows the SFO had evidence that:

Read more ....

Update: WikiLeaks cable alleges fraud in arms deal -- UPI

My Comment: This inquiry will probably go forward. The Labour Party was the government at the time, and it was their decision to suspend any further investigations of fraud or illegality in the BAE arms deal to Saudi Arabia. My gut is telling me that some embarrassing information on how the Labour Party officials treated this case is going to be made public .... further embarrassing the Party and some of its past officials.

Amnesty International UK: British Tornado Bombers Used By Saudi Arabia In Yemen

Tornado GR4 Saudi Arabia Airforce. Photo from One World

Amnesty Links British Jets To Saudi Attacks In Yemen -- The Guardian

Group calls on government to suspend arms supplies to Saudi Arabia over deaths of Yemeni civilians in air raids.

Tornado fighter-bombers supplied by the UK to Saudi Arabia are "extremely likely" to have been used in attacks on civilians in Yemen, human rights campaigners said today.

Amnesty International UK called for the government to suspend all arms supplies to Saudi Arabia pending a full investigation.

The UK must ensure that any support it has provided for the jet fighters "did not facilitate violations of international humanitarian law, including possible war crimes, by the Saudi Arabian air force," it said.

Read more ....

My Comment: The possibility of the U.K. suspending arms supplies to Saudi Arabia is .... ZERO.