Skip to main content
Image
Cityscape

Rep. Omar Questions Arms Sales to Saudi Arabia at House Foreign Affairs Committee Hearing

September 17, 2020

WASHINGTON—Yesterday, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) questioned top aides to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at the House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on President Trump's abrupt firing of Steve Linick on May 15, 2020. Linick probed the Trump Administration's decision to approve billions of dollars in military sales to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates—despite clear opposition from Congress. Rep. Omar questioned Marik String, Acting Legal Adviser for the State Department and Clarke Cooper, Assistant Secretary for Political-Military Affairs about the continued arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the UAE by the United States.

"The abrupt firing of Steve Linick should raise alarm bells," said Rep. Omar. "This firing was a tactical decision to stop Mr. Linick from further investigating the wrongdoings of this Administration abroad. Back in May 2019, this Administration allowed $8 billion in military sales to Saudi Arabia after the Saudi government admitted to targeting and murdering civilians. Make no mistake, this Administration is knowingly providing weapons of war to a country that has repeatedly and intentionally killed civilians in Yemen. These are war crimes. Yesterday, I held the State Department accountable and demanded that officials answer questions on why we continue to sell weapons to Saudi Arabia."

You can watch the video of her remarks here.