Saudi Arabia to Pay US $1.29B in Massive Arms Deal

Saudi Arabia will pay $1.29 billion to the United States as part of a massive arms sale which includes as many as 13,000 so-called smart bombs, NPR reports.

The huge deal — which is unlikely to be blocked by Congress — was announced by the State Department after being hammered out by the Obama administration in a bid to help boost military support for Gulf states.

But the big money agreement remains controversial.

Human Rights Watch, an international humanitarian watchdog headquartered in New York City, claims recent Saudi airstrikes in Yemen "have indiscriminately killed and injured civilians," according to NPR.

Pentagon officials say the sale will help stockpile the Middle East nation's military supplies to "sustain strong military-to-military relationships between the United States and Saudi Arabia."

NPR reports the sale will include several advanced precision weapons, including Joint Direct Attack Munitions, which are more sophisticated than the unguided firepower the Saudis currently have.

Human Rights Watch has asked Congress to block the sale.

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