America: According to an Iran Press report, General Dynamics Corp's branch in Canada in reaction to Canadian Prime Minister's decision to stop arm sales to Riyadh said in a statement: "Terminating the contract would have a significant negative impact on Canadian defense sector."
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on 16 Dec, said he was looking for a way out of the $13 billion agreement for armoured vehicle sales to Saudi Arabia.
He previously acknowledged that there would be “huge penalties” if Ottawa turned its back on the the largest arms deal in Canadian history worth US$11.5 billion signed by former prime minister Stephen Harper with Saudi Arabia.
This month the US Senate unanimously voted to hold Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) accountable for the murder of journalist and critic Jamal Khashoggi and halt Washington's assistance to the Saudi war in Yemen.
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Senate puts Trump under pressure to stop supporting Saudi in Yemen war
Khashoggi, a 59-year outspoken critic of Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi crown prince, disappeared after he entered the Saudi diplomatic mission in the Turkish city of Istanbul on 2 October, in order to obtain various documents for his upcoming marriage. He was never seen again.
But Riyadh has been heartened by US President Donald Trump's position that Washington will continue to remain a "steadfast partner" of the kingdom.
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Trump strongly defends ties with Saudi Arabia
On November 21, ignoring the CIA’s conclusion that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the brutal killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, US president Trump declared his strong support for Saudi Arabia.
The US Senate resolution also calls the war in Yemen a 'humanitarian crisis' and requires that the president withdraw any troops in or 'affecting' Yemen within 30 days 'unless they are fighting al-Qaeda.'
Last month, Denmark stopped selling weapons to Riyadh, joining Germany and Norway to suspend arms exports to Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia launched its devastating military campaign against Yemen in March 2015, with the aim of bringing the government of former president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi back to power and crushing civilians.
The US itself generously provides arms to Saudi Arabia and its allies involved in the war, besides lending logistical support to the invasion.
According to a new report by the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED), a nonprofit conflict-research organization, the Saudi war has so far claimed the lives of around 56,000 Yemenis.
The war has also taken a heavy toll on the country’s infrastructure, destroying hospitals, schools, and factories.
The UN has said a record 22.2 million Yemenis are in dire need of food, including 8.4 million threatened by severe hunger. 205/ 211/103
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Infographic: The World's Biggest Arms Importers in 2017
Infographic: Arms Sales and the Militarization of the Middle East
US arms sales show significant increase in 2018
