The U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo mentioned on Wednesday that his department did everything legally in relation to the arms sales to Saudi Arabia in 2019 after a government watchdog discovered the risk of civilian casualties in Yemen was not fully evaluated.
The comments of Pompeo came after a State Department Inspector General report previously this week concluded the state department did not properly evaluate the risk of the civilian casualties in Yemen when it pushed through a big 2019 precision-guided munitions sale to Saudi Arabia.
Pompeo on Arms Sales to Saudi
"We did everything by the book," Pompeo told reporters during a news conference with the Czech prime minister. "I am proud of the work that my team did. We got a really good outcome. We prevented the loss of lives."
Congress had requested an investigation into the Trump administration's May 2019 decision to move ahead with $8 billion in military sales to Saudi Arabia and other countries, sidestepping the congressional review process by declaring an emergency over tensions with Iran. The secretary of state did not sit down for an interview for the report, instead of submitting a written statement.
(With agency inputs)
