“This deal has President Trump throwing gasoline on a house fire and locking the door on his way out. There is damning evidence that war crimes have been committed by the Saudi-led coalition and continuing to arm Saudi Arabia fuels serious human rights violations that are causing overwhelming civilian suffering in Yemen. President Trump finalizing this deal while simultaneously banning travel to the U.S. from Yemen is an unconscionable move.”
Amnesty International previously voiced concern about the absence of human rights on Trump’s Saudi agenda and on his foreign trip as a whole:
“The world will be watching as President Trump meets with leaders of other states with records of trampling on human rights in the name of national security. We fear this ‘new partnership’ could lay the foundation for further erosion of human rights in the region and far beyond,” said Margaret Huang, Amnesty International USA executive director.
“President Trump will also meet with leaders of countries who are hosting huge numbers of refugees from Syria. They must use the opportunity to voice their concerns about Trump’s attempts to slam the door on people fleeing violence and persecution, and demand that the USA does its fair share to alleviate the global refugee crisis.”