The U.S. is engaging in escalating military actions and fueling conflict through increased arms sales. Here's what we're reading to learn more.
'Galling': US Lifts Human Rights Restrictions on Arms Sales to Bahrain, by Nadia Prupis via Common Dreams
"The State Department notified Congress of its intent to proceed with the sale of F-16 fighter jets and other weapons to the Gulf kingdom without the human rights conditions, according to Senate Foreign Relations Committee spokeswoman Micah Johnson. Congress now has two review periods to examine the trade and raise any objections."
"Craig said the only winner is the defense industry. 'Well, it's good business," she said. "In the first year of the war [in Yemen], the U.S. sold $20 billion worth of arms to Saudi Arabia, and Saudi Arabia has been buying more and more weapons as a result of this war, and the same goes for the British government as well,' she said. 'Really it all boils down to financial gain and that's the greatest win really for the U.S., but it's an extremely costly one obviously for the civilian population of Yemen.'"
Donald Trump chases arms sales – whatever the human cost, by Simon Tisdall via The Guardian
"The sale of 19 advanced Lockheed Martin F-16 fighter jets fits an emerging pattern since Donald Trump took office in January, indicating a new US willingness to pump hi-tech weaponry into global trouble spots and fuel lucrative but destabilising regional arms races."
Under Trump, U.S. Military has Allegedly Killed Over 1,000 Civilians in Iraq, Syria in March, by Jason Le Miere via Newsweek
"U.S.-led coalition airstrikes in Iraq and Syria may have already killed 1,484 civilians in just Iraq and Syria this month alone, more than three times the number killed in President Barack Obama's final full month in office, according to British monitoring group Airwars. For the first time, the number of alleged civilian casualties in events carried out by the U.S.-led coalition has exceeded the death toll of attacks launched by Russia."
Yemen: Trump Expands U.S. Military Role in Saudi War as Yemenis Brace for Famine, via Democracy Now
"What We’re Reading" is a weekly feature on AFSC’s News and Commentary blog, where we share a curated collection of recent articles on timely issues. "What We're Reading" is meant to spark discussion, debate, and knowledge sharing, and the articles we highlight do not necessarily reflect the official organizational positions of AFSC. We encourage you to tell us what you're reading on these issues in the comments below.