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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/sep/15/crispin-blunt-report-foreign-affairs-committee-says-arms-sales-to-saudis-yemen-judged-high-court
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| Courts must decide on UK arms sales to Saudis, says MPs' committee | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| An intervention led by the Tory chair of the foreign affairs select committee has dashed expectations that a powerful joint committee will call for a suspension of UK arms exports to Saudi Arabia over its airstrikes in Yemen. | An intervention led by the Tory chair of the foreign affairs select committee has dashed expectations that a powerful joint committee will call for a suspension of UK arms exports to Saudi Arabia over its airstrikes in Yemen. |
| On Thursday a report by the business and international development committees urged the government to call a halt to arms sales, saying: “It seems inevitable that any violations of international humanitarian and human rights law by the [Saudi-led] coalition have involved arms supplied from the UK. We believe that an independent, United Nations-led investigation of alleged violations by all parties to the conflict is necessary to supplement the internal Saudi investigation.” | On Thursday a report by the business and international development committees urged the government to call a halt to arms sales, saying: “It seems inevitable that any violations of international humanitarian and human rights law by the [Saudi-led] coalition have involved arms supplied from the UK. We believe that an independent, United Nations-led investigation of alleged violations by all parties to the conflict is necessary to supplement the internal Saudi investigation.” |
| But the foreign affairs select committee, chaired by Crispin Blunt, has produced a counter report, saying the issue of the legality of arms sales to Saudi should be decided by the high court. | But the foreign affairs select committee, chaired by Crispin Blunt, has produced a counter report, saying the issue of the legality of arms sales to Saudi should be decided by the high court. |
| The committees on arms export controls consist of the four select committees covering foreign affairs, defence, business, and international development. The refusal of the foreign affairs select committee to endorse the call for a suspension of arm sales means the joint arms export control committee has been unable to come to a collective view. | The committees on arms export controls consist of the four select committees covering foreign affairs, defence, business, and international development. The refusal of the foreign affairs select committee to endorse the call for a suspension of arm sales means the joint arms export control committee has been unable to come to a collective view. |
| The parliamentary clash shows the huge sensitivity surrounding UK arms sales to Saudi and the depth of the controversy over UK co-operation in the Saudi coalition bombing campaign in Yemen. | The parliamentary clash shows the huge sensitivity surrounding UK arms sales to Saudi and the depth of the controversy over UK co-operation in the Saudi coalition bombing campaign in Yemen. |
| Last week, as the arms controls committees met to discuss a draft calling for the suspension of arms sales, Blunt led foreign affairs committee members out of the room, ensuring the meeting could not be quorate and could not press ahead with the call for an end to the highly profitable sales. | Last week, as the arms controls committees met to discuss a draft calling for the suspension of arms sales, Blunt led foreign affairs committee members out of the room, ensuring the meeting could not be quorate and could not press ahead with the call for an end to the highly profitable sales. |
| His critics claimed it was improper to make a meeting inquorate to disrupt a properly constituted committee. | His critics claimed it was improper to make a meeting inquorate to disrupt a properly constituted committee. |
| On Thursday the foreign affairs committee report passed with two votes of dissent. Arguing that the high court is the proper place to decide on the sales’ legality it states “the courts are the most appropriate body to judge whether the government has broken the law”. | On Thursday the foreign affairs committee report passed with two votes of dissent. Arguing that the high court is the proper place to decide on the sales’ legality it states “the courts are the most appropriate body to judge whether the government has broken the law”. |
| On the other hand, the business and international development committees’ report states: “Given that the UK has a long history of defence exports to Saudi Arabia and its coalition partners, and considering the evidence we have heard, it seems inevitable that any violations of international humanitarian and human rights law by the coalition have involved arms supplied from the UK.” | On the other hand, the business and international development committees’ report states: “Given that the UK has a long history of defence exports to Saudi Arabia and its coalition partners, and considering the evidence we have heard, it seems inevitable that any violations of international humanitarian and human rights law by the coalition have involved arms supplied from the UK.” |
| It says that the government has obligations under the arms trade treaty, as well as European and domestic law, “to ensure there is no risk that arms it has licensed might be used in contravention of international humanitarian law”. | It says that the government has obligations under the arms trade treaty, as well as European and domestic law, “to ensure there is no risk that arms it has licensed might be used in contravention of international humanitarian law”. |
| It states: “We therefore recommend that [the government] suspend sales of arms which could be used in Yemen to [sic] Saudi Arabia until the independent, UN-led, investigation has come to its conclusions, and then review the situation again.” | It states: “We therefore recommend that [the government] suspend sales of arms which could be used in Yemen to [sic] Saudi Arabia until the independent, UN-led, investigation has come to its conclusions, and then review the situation again.” |