Quotes and Media Availability - Muhammad bin Salman meeting with Donald Trump
Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman is set to begin a visit to the United States the week of March 19, 2018, including a visit with U.S. President Donald Trump on March 20 in Washington, DC.
The following Forum on the Arms Trade-listed experts* may be quoted as below and are available to talk with media about this topic. Click on their names for contact details. When citing, please use their organization to identify them:
The following Forum on the Arms Trade-listed experts* may be quoted as below and are available to talk with media about this topic. Click on their names for contact details. When citing, please use their organization to identify them:
Kate Gould Legislative Director for Middle East Policy, Friends Committee on Nat'l Legislation (FCNL) - March 19, 2018
“Despite the well-oiled Saudi propaganda machine’s best efforts, the most important story to watch during the Crown Prince’s visit is how he responds—or fails to respond--to the mounting wave of opposition to U.S. complicity in the Saudi-led war in Yemen. While the Saudi Crown Prince is likely to ask for more bombs from the White House, there will be activists on every stop on his itinerary campaigning against sending more weapons of mass starvation his way.
Thanks to this groundswell of opposition to the war, as early as Tuesday, the Senate is set to vote on ending U.S. military support for the Saudi-led war. This vote is a historic opportunity for the Senate to send the message to President Trump and the Crown Prince that the U.S. must stop literally fueling the world’s largest starvation crisis.”
“Despite the well-oiled Saudi propaganda machine’s best efforts, the most important story to watch during the Crown Prince’s visit is how he responds—or fails to respond--to the mounting wave of opposition to U.S. complicity in the Saudi-led war in Yemen. While the Saudi Crown Prince is likely to ask for more bombs from the White House, there will be activists on every stop on his itinerary campaigning against sending more weapons of mass starvation his way.
Thanks to this groundswell of opposition to the war, as early as Tuesday, the Senate is set to vote on ending U.S. military support for the Saudi-led war. This vote is a historic opportunity for the Senate to send the message to President Trump and the Crown Prince that the U.S. must stop literally fueling the world’s largest starvation crisis.”
William Hartung Director, Arms and Security Project, Center for International Policy - March 16, 2018
“Some pundits and policy makers in the U.S. have portrayed Mohammed Bin Salman as a courageous reformer who is finally bringing Saudi Arabia into the 21st century. Nothing could be further from the truth. He is a reckless autocrat who has not only launched a devastating, U.S.-backed war in Yemen, but has meddled in the internal politics of other nations in the region and engaged in harsh rhetoric that makes a potential conflict with Iran more likely. Rather than rewarding this behavior, or papering it over with false claims about his reformist credentials, President Trump and the Congress should act to rein in Mohammed Bin Salman's reckless policies. First and foremost, that means ending U.S. arms and logistical support for the Saudi/UAE-led war in Yemen, which has killed thousands of civilian and put millions of people at risk of famine.”
See also William Hartung, "Mohammed Bin Salman: Brave Reformer Or Reckless Autocrat?" Lobelog, March 15.
“Some pundits and policy makers in the U.S. have portrayed Mohammed Bin Salman as a courageous reformer who is finally bringing Saudi Arabia into the 21st century. Nothing could be further from the truth. He is a reckless autocrat who has not only launched a devastating, U.S.-backed war in Yemen, but has meddled in the internal politics of other nations in the region and engaged in harsh rhetoric that makes a potential conflict with Iran more likely. Rather than rewarding this behavior, or papering it over with false claims about his reformist credentials, President Trump and the Congress should act to rein in Mohammed Bin Salman's reckless policies. First and foremost, that means ending U.S. arms and logistical support for the Saudi/UAE-led war in Yemen, which has killed thousands of civilian and put millions of people at risk of famine.”
See also William Hartung, "Mohammed Bin Salman: Brave Reformer Or Reckless Autocrat?" Lobelog, March 15.
Jeff Abramson Senior Fellow, Arms Control Association - March 16, 2018
“As an increasing number of countries are concluding that selling weapons to Saudi Arabia is irresponsible, Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman is visiting the United States and President Donald Trump, who last year bragged about massive arms deals to Saudi Arabia. The President is likely to again back Riyadh with arms and military support, continuing to misread the civil war in Yemen as a proxy fight with Iran. Instead, the Trump administration should use its influence to find a political solution to the disastrous war and human suffering in Yemen, rather than send more weapons into an unwinnable conflict and into the hands of a country that uses U.S. weapons against civilian targets. If the president remains on a disastrous course, Congress needs to step in, which it has the opportunity to do as it considers a measure to stop its military support of the Saudi-led coalition.”
“As an increasing number of countries are concluding that selling weapons to Saudi Arabia is irresponsible, Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman is visiting the United States and President Donald Trump, who last year bragged about massive arms deals to Saudi Arabia. The President is likely to again back Riyadh with arms and military support, continuing to misread the civil war in Yemen as a proxy fight with Iran. Instead, the Trump administration should use its influence to find a political solution to the disastrous war and human suffering in Yemen, rather than send more weapons into an unwinnable conflict and into the hands of a country that uses U.S. weapons against civilian targets. If the president remains on a disastrous course, Congress needs to step in, which it has the opportunity to do as it considers a measure to stop its military support of the Saudi-led coalition.”
Andrew Feinstein Executive Director, Corruption Watch - March 16, 2018
“Despite the recent purported ‘corruption crackdown’ in Saudi Arabia, many questions remain about the Crown Prince’s own personal wealth (estimated at above $3bn and including luxury yachts, rare works of art and a French palace which is ‘amongst the most expensive houses in the world’) and the on-going Saudi practice of using major arms deals to transfer money from the Saudi State Treasury into private, offshore accounts. This is particularly apposite as thousands of civilians have been killed in targeted Saudi airstrikes in Yemen, from which the Saudis, as well as US and UK companies, are making billions of dollars. Some suggest that the conflict in Yemen, in which according to the UN the Saudi-led coalition is violating International Humanitarian Law, has continued for so long with no diplomatic solution in sight, because too many people are making too much money from it.”
“Despite the recent purported ‘corruption crackdown’ in Saudi Arabia, many questions remain about the Crown Prince’s own personal wealth (estimated at above $3bn and including luxury yachts, rare works of art and a French palace which is ‘amongst the most expensive houses in the world’) and the on-going Saudi practice of using major arms deals to transfer money from the Saudi State Treasury into private, offshore accounts. This is particularly apposite as thousands of civilians have been killed in targeted Saudi airstrikes in Yemen, from which the Saudis, as well as US and UK companies, are making billions of dollars. Some suggest that the conflict in Yemen, in which according to the UN the Saudi-led coalition is violating International Humanitarian Law, has continued for so long with no diplomatic solution in sight, because too many people are making too much money from it.”
Iain Overton Executive Director, Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) - March 16, 2018
“Between 2015 and 2017 in Yemen, there have been 389 air strikes as recorded by English language media, resulting in 9,093 people being claimed killed or injured by such. Of these, 82% have been reported as civilians. It can only be concluded that the Saudi-led coalition responsible for these strikes continues its action without regard to the civilians cowering in fear under their flight paths. Countries that continue to arm the Saudis in the face of this harm do so with the full knowledge that their weapon systems will be used to take civilian lives. Any politician who argues differently argues against a substantial body of evidence.”
“Between 2015 and 2017 in Yemen, there have been 389 air strikes as recorded by English language media, resulting in 9,093 people being claimed killed or injured by such. Of these, 82% have been reported as civilians. It can only be concluded that the Saudi-led coalition responsible for these strikes continues its action without regard to the civilians cowering in fear under their flight paths. Countries that continue to arm the Saudis in the face of this harm do so with the full knowledge that their weapon systems will be used to take civilian lives. Any politician who argues differently argues against a substantial body of evidence.”
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