Amnesty International: US-made bomb used in Yemen hospital strike

A leading human rights group says it has confirmed a U.S.-made bomb was used in a Saudi-led airstrike in Yemen that struck a hospital.

“It is outrageous that states have continued to supply the Saudi Arabia-led coalition with weapons, including guided and general purpose aerial bombs and combat aircraft, despite stark evidence that those arms are being used to attack hospitals and other civilian objects and in other serious violations of international humanitarian law,” Philip Luther, research and advocacy director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International, said in a statement.

{mosads}A Saudi-led coalition has been battling Houthi rebels in Yemen since March 2015. The United States has supported the effort by providing limited intelligence, helping with logistics such as air refueling and selling the Saudis billions of dollars of weapons.

In August, a Saudi-led strike hit a Doctors Without Borders-supported hospital in Yemen’s Hajjah governorate, killing at least 19 people.

In a Monday report, Amnesty International said an independent weapons expert analyzed pictures of a bomb fin at the site and determined that it was part of a U.S.-made precision-guided Paveway-series aerial bomb.

“This attack highlights, yet again, the desperate need for a comprehensive embargo on all weapons that could be used by any of the warring parties in Yemen and for an international investigation to bring those responsible for unlawful attacks to justice,” Luther said.

Amnesty’s report comes ahead of an expected vote in the Senate this week on blocking the United States’ latest planned arms sale to Saudi Arabia.

The State Department approved a $1.15 billion sale of tanks and other equipment last month, but a bipartisan group of senators introduced a joint resolution of disapproval that would block the sale.

The resolution was introduced earlier this month by Sens. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Al Franken (D-Minn.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah).

It’s unclear whether the resolution has enough support to pass, but lawmaker criticism of U.S.-support for the campaign has grown in recent months in the wake of the hospital bombing and others that have killed civilians.

The Saudi coalition has said it is investigating reports of civilian causalities, and U.S. officials have said they encourage avoiding civilian harm.