American-made MRAP Photograph:( AFP )
CNN: The US cleared the way for a new arms sale to the UAE, despite evidence it violated the last one
The Trump administration has cleared the United Arab Emirates of wrongdoing and approved a possible sale of thousands of armored vehicles to the Gulf state, US government officials told CNN, despite evidence that the country made unauthorized transfers of American military hardware to armed groups in Yemen.
Yemen is embroiled in a civil war that has pitted a coalition backed by Saudi Arabia and the UAE -- both key US allies -- against the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, and the presence of American-made weaponry has only helped to fuel the fighting.
A CNN investigation in February last year revealed that both American allies had given US-made equipment to al Qaeda-linked fighters, hardline Salafi militias, and other fighting factions in Yemen, despite their agreements with Washington.
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Update: US oks more arms to UAE despite violations (Nation/Anadolu)
WNU Editor: This is why the Middle East is a quagmire. Too many sides with disputes going back generations, and outsiders like the U.S. hoping to profit from it.