British arms sales to Saudi Arabia upheld in court

Britain's High Court ruled Monday that the sales of arms to Saudi Arabia are lawful.


Saudi Arabia is the world's largest purchaser of British-made weapons and has bought $3.86 billion of armaments from British industries in the past two years. It has purchased, among other items, Typhoon and Tornado fighter planes, and precision-guided bombs.

The court ruled in a case brought by the non-governmental organization Campaign Against the Arms Trade. The group called for judicial review of the government's decision to continue granting weapons-export licenses to Saudi Arabia despite its involvement in the Yemen civil war.

The court handed down a closed judgement; although CAAT can appeal the decision, much of the testimony and evidence was presented in secret for national security reasons.
 [upi.com]
10/7/17