US State Department approves $670m arms deal with Saudi Arabia
Washington: The US State Department has approved the sale of an estimated $670 million in anti-tank missiles to Saudi Arabia, just hours after Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met US Defence Chief James Mattis.
A statement from the State Department on Thursday confirmed approval of "TOW 2B (BGM-71F-Series) missiles for an estimated cost of $670 million" to the Kingdom. Congress was notified of the proposed sale and lawmakers have 30 days to try to stop it, the New York Times said.
The proposed package included up to 6,700 missiles made by Raytheon Missile Systems as well as spare parts for American-made tanks and helicopters that Saudi Arabia already owns.
The statement said the sale "will support US foreign policy and national security objectives by improving the security of a friendly country which has been and continues to be an important force for political stability and economic growth in the Middle East".
The proposed sale is bound to be questioned by Congress where the Senate this week rejected a bipartisan effort to halt US military support for the bombing campaign in Yemen.
The Trump administration strenuously protested the effort and sent Pentagon and State Department officials to Capitol Hill last week to lobby against its passage.
In the end, the administration prevailed and lawmakers from both parties shelved the measure for further debate by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, according to the Times.
Hours earlier, Prince Mohammed met Mattis, who characterized Saudi Arabia as "part of the solution" in Yemen, which has been ripped apart by civil war.
He said Saudi Arabia supported the government in Yemen's capital Sana, which is recognized by the UN. "We are going to end this war. That is the bottom line," Mattis said.
"And we are going to end it on positive terms for the people of Yemen but also security for the nations in the peninsula."
Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White said Mattis did not bring up the mounting civilian casualties in Yemen during his discussion with Prince Mohammed.
Instead, she said, the Defence Secretary discussed the continued cooperation between the US and Saudi Arabia through additional training and military education.
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Minister Muniyappa asks hotels to wait for a week to overcome LPG crunch
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Food and Civil Supplies Minister K H Muniyappa on Wednesday said the state is facing an acute shortage of LPG cylinders for commercial use, with limited supplies forcing the government to prioritise essential sectors while asking hotels and eateries to temporarily switch to alternative arrangements.
He said the crisis has arisen due to supply constraints at the national level, with shipments stuck overseas, and that the state is making efforts to manage distribution until the situation normalises.
“We have very limited supply for restaurants, dhabas, hotels and industries, only about 1,000 cylinders. It has become very difficult to decide who should get how much from these 1,000 cylinders,” Muniyappa said in the Karnataka Legislative Council.
Citing the reason behind the shortage, he said, “The Central government is making efforts and is in constant touch with Iran. Around 16 ships are in queue and are not being released. If they are released, the situation will ease and return to normal.”
The minister said the government has urged commercial establishments to adjust operations.
“I have called a meeting of hotel owners and told them that for a week they must adjust, even if it means using electricity. This is a difficult situation, a war-like scenario, and the hoteliers should manage by using electricity for the time being,” he said.
Muniyappa said the state plans to streamline supplies by pooling available stock over a week.
“We will consolidate these 1,000 cylinders over a week and increase them to around 10,000 to 15,000 cylinders. I will call the association and discuss how to distribute them,” he said, adding that further consultations will be held next week.
Emphasising that domestic consumers remain the top priority, he said household supply will not be disrupted under any circumstances. “Priority is for domestic use. Household supply cannot be stopped at any cost. Every day, about 3,52,921 cylinders are being consumed,” he said, noting that oil marketing companies are continuing daily distribution.
The minister said the main challenge lies in commercial allocation, which has been capped by the Centre.
“The central government has allowed only 20 per cent allocation. The daily requirement for commercial cylinders is 44,000. Arrangements have been made to supply about 9,000 cylinders,” he said.
He detailed the prioritisation plan evolved in consultation with oil companies.
“We are providing 4,200 cylinders to educational institutions, student hostels, hospitals and other essential institutions,” he said.
In addition, about 1,200 cylinders are being supplied to government-run facilities and key public service points.
“For government PHU institutions, canteens located at airports, railway stations and bus stations, as well as Indira canteens, we are supplying about 1,200 cylinders as per their full requirement."
According to Muniyappa, certain sectors critical to the economy are also being supported.
“For seed processing, food processing, agriculture and allied sectors, pharmaceutical industry, fisheries, zoological parks, sports and sports hostels. Around 500 cylinders are being provided,” he said.
Responding to concerns raised by legislators, he said temporary relief measures have been extended during the ongoing Assembly session.
“As long as the Assembly session continues, we will provide about 50 per cent of their requirement. We cannot provide more than that, but considering the urgency, this arrangement has been made,” he added.
