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US approves $500 million defense deal for Saudis
It was the first major defense agreement for Saudi Arabia sent to Congress since President Joe Biden took office on Jan. 20. It comes after criticism of US ties to the kingdom over its human rights record and involvement in the civil war in Yemen, Reuters reported.
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US troops patrol as a US Army C-47 Chinook helicopter flies over the village of Oreij, south of Mosul where a temporary military base has been established for an assault on the city's west bank. The White House on September 11, 2018, warned it would hold Iran accountable for any violence attributed to Tehran-allied militias in Iraq that results in damage to US facilities or injures American personnel. (AFP/Ahmad Al-Rubaye)
T
he US State Department has approved a potential agreement covering up to $500 million in military support services for Saudi Arabia, and has sent the agreement to Congress for review, the Pentagon said on Thursday.
It was the first major defense agreement for Saudi Arabia sent to Congress since President Joe Biden took office on Jan. 20. It comes after criticism of US ties to the kingdom over its human rights record and involvement in the civil war in Yemen, Reuters reported.
The package would provide continued maintenance support services for a wide range of helicopters, including a future fleet of CH-47D Chinook helicopters. The announcement said the vendor was not yet known.
Under the deal, the US will provide 350 contractor technicians and two government officials over two years to handle the maintenance of the Saudi military's Apache and Black Hawk attack helicopters, as well as the Chinook transports, AFP reported.
"This proposed sale will support US foreign policy and national security objectives by helping to improve the security of a friendly country that continues to be an important force for political stability and economic growth in the Middle East," the State Department said in a statement.
Before his election Biden had promised to make Saudi leaders "pay" for the murder of US-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was killed by a team closely tied to the court of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
In late January Biden ordered a review of all arms contracts concluded by his predecessor Donald Trump with Saudi Arabia and other countries.
