#7: Made in the USA: Arms Sales & Civilian Harm

On April 22, 2018, planes belonging to the Saudi- and Emirati-led Coalition dropped a bomb on a wedding celebration in Al-Raqa village, in Yemen. The attack killed 21 civilians, including eleven children, and injured 97 people. And it did so using a bomb that was made and sold in the United States. In this episode, we explore the US arms trade system and policies that made this, and so many incidents like it, possible.

Guests: 

• Ali Jameel (Accountability and Redress Director, Mwatana for Human Rights)
• Tony Wilson (Founder & Director, Security Force Monitor at Columbia Law School Human Rights Institute)
• Joyce Sohyun Lee (Visual Forensics Video Reporter, The Washington Post)

This podcast is brought to you by CIVIC and PAX. This episode was written by Annie Shiel with assistance from Marc Garlasco, Tate Musinahama, Ari Tolany, John Ramming Chappell, Selma van Oostwaard, Erin Bijl, and Frank Slijper.

This episode included a clip from Al Jazeera. 

To learn more about arms sales and civilian harm, see: 

• Day of Judgment, a report from Mwatana for Human Rights, PAX, and University Network for Human Rights on the role of the US and Europe in civilian death, destruction, and trauma in Yemen.
• A Washington Post piece outlining the findings of their joint investigation with Security Force Monitor into US support for the Saudi- and Emirati-led Coalition in Yemen; the Security Force Monitor methodology; and additional analysis from the Monitor.
• With Great Power, a report by CIVIC and the Stimson Center on civilian harm risks in US arms transfers. 

Bonus materials:

• Full interview with Ali Jameel (Mwatana for Human Rights) and with Joyce Soyhun Lee (The Washington Post) and Tony Wilson (Security Force Monitor) will soon be posted on the CIVIC and PAX website.