BRITISH campaigners urged new US President Joe Biden today to stick to his promise on ending the country’s support for the Saudi-led war on Yemen through arms sales.
The bombing and blockade of Yemen, which began in March 2015, has created the worst humanitarian crisis in the world and US-made weapons have played a key role in the war.
Mr Biden repeatedly promised to end arms sales and military support to Saudi Arabian forces throughout his presidential campaign.
In 2019, in a submission to the Council on Foreign Relations, Mr Biden wrote: “I would end US support for the disastrous Saudi-led war in Yemen and order a reassessment of our relationship with Saudi Arabia.
Letters
These weapons of mass destruction are completely useless against the biggest threats we face, such as global pandemics and the climate emergency IT is shocking that even as the country is in lockdown, we are seeing convoys transporting nuclear materials across Scotland. There is nothing essential about this travel. What this shows is the totally inappropriate priorities of the UK Government and the failed militaristic mindset at the heart of its policies. Covid has shown how interconnected our lives are. It should lead to a rethink about what we mean by foreign policy and security. These weapons of mass destruction are a moral abomination and are completely useless against the biggest threats we face, such as global pandemics and the climate emergency. You cannot use a nuclear weapon on a virus.
By Bethany Rielly
THE government’s decision to splurge £550 million on supersonic missiles during the pandemic is an “insult” to Covid-19 patients, NHS staff and key workers, campaigners have said.
Under a multimillion-pound contract announced by the Ministry of Defence today, arms manufacturer MBDA will produce “new-generation” missiles for Britain’s fleet of fighter jets.
Once in operation, the weapons will have a range of more than 80 miles and travel at supersonic speeds, with the MoD boasting of their “unrivalled lethality.”
Andrew Smith of Campaign Against Arms Trade said that the decision “emphasises how wrong and how totally inappropriate Downing Street’s priorities are” during the coronavirus crisis.