CNN Probe:

U.S. Arms End Up in 'Wrong Hands' in Yemen

Date: 19 October 2019 - 23:17

News ID: ۷۱۸۱۲

SANAA (Dispatches) – A CNN investigation has found that the American-made weapons, supplied to Washington's allies waging a war on Yemen, end up in the hands of U.S.-backed militants fighting against each other in the impoverished state.
American military hardware has been distributed to militant groups in Yemen, including the UAE-backed southern separatists, al-Qaeda-linked and Salafi terrorists, a new CNN probe released on Saturday found.
The Emirati-supported elements, it added, are using American arms to fight the Saudi-led militants loyal to ex-Yemeni president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, who are also armed with U.S. weapons.
In another probe back in February, CNN had found that the U.S.-made equipment sold to Saudi Arabia and the UAE were being passed to militants in Yemen in violation of arms sales law. The findings led the Pentagon to launch an investigation into the unauthorized transfer of U.S. weapons in Yemen.
U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren from Massachusetts, who is running for the Democratic presidential nomination, announced her intention to pursue the findings with the administration of President Donald Trump.
"One report of U.S. military equipment ending up in the hands of our enemies is troubling. Two reports are deeply disturbing," she said. "The Defense and State Departments have not yet provided answers to questions I asked back in February and I intend to follow up."
Analyzing social media video of militant infighting in southern Yemen, CNN found multiple instances of American Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles being used by UAE-backed groups, such as Alwiyat al-Amalqa or the Giants Brigade.
Saudi Arabia is the United States’ largest arms client, with over $129 billion in approved purchases.
Saudi Arabia and a coalition of its vassal states launched the war on Yemen in March 2015 in an attempt to reinstall the Riyadh-backed former regime of Hadi and eliminate the Houthi Ansarullah movement.
The Western-backed military aggression, coupled with a naval blockade, has destroyed the country’s infrastructure, and led to a massive humanitarian crisis.