Under shroud of secrecy US weapons arrive in Yemen despite Congressional outrage - CNN

The distinctive shape of the US-made Oshkosh armored vehicle stands out in the early morning darkness, a piece of military hardware that is currently at the heart of a standoff between some American lawmakers and President Donald Trump's administration.

Aden is controlled by the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, whose main partners are continuing to ship American-made weapons into the country despite bipartisan outrage in Congress over the way the US is backing Riyadh in this bloody and bitter conflict.

This footage showing the unloading of a variety of US-made arms -- which was filmed illicitly at the offloading site, then obtained and verified by CNN -- is itself contentious. Multiple witnesses told CNN that Yemeni authorities, backed by the Saudi-led coalition, have been arresting and questioning those they suspect of leaking it to the media.

Using whistleblower accounts and port documents CNN has identified the ship which offloaded the US weaponry in Aden last week as the Saudi-registered Bahri Hofuf. Looking at tracking data, the vessel's last recorded location was in the Saudi port of Jeddah on September 17, before it sailed to Port Sudan, arriving the following day.

After this, the boat's tracking system was switched off, before it appeared again under the cover of darkness in Aden on October 29.

Secrecy surrounds the flow of weaponry to Yemen's conflict that as of October 31 has killed more than 100,000 people since 2015, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project.

Related Article: Sold to an ally, lost to an enemy

The fighting has divided the country's north from south. Iranian-backed Houthis rebels control the capital of Sanaa, while the US-supported, Saudi-led anti-Houthi forces hold Aden. Infighting in the south this summer -- between Saudi-supported forces of the internationally recognized government and UAE-backed separatists -- further splintered territorial control, threatening to plunge the entire country into a protracted and multi-sided war.

A peace deal between government forces and the separatists was signed on Tuesday in the Saudi capital of Riyadh. It aims to end the power struggle around Aden and defer the issue of whether the south will secede until after the battle against the Houthi-controlled north has been won.

Violating US arms agreements

In February, a CNN investigation revealed that Saudi Arabia and the UAE -- key US allies -- had transferred American-made weapons to al Qaeda-linked fighters, hardline Salafi militias, and other fighting factions in Yemen, in violation of their agreements with Washington.

Oshkosh Defense, the manufacturer of one of the armored vehicles (MRAPs) seen in the latest shipment, told CNN that the firm "strictly follows all US laws and regulations relating to export control."

Last month, CNN revealed that US MRAPs had been distributed, in contravention of arms deals, to militia groups including the UAE-backed separatists. The separatists were using this equipment in the fight against government forces, who are also armed with US weapons.

Following the initial reporting the Pentagon said it had launched its own investigation, in conjunction with the State Department, into the unauthorized transfer of US weapons in Yemen, which a Pentagon spokesperson says remains "ongoing."

US lawmakers, citing CNN's investigations, have since moved to ban weapons sales to Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, passing the War Powers Resolution against a sitting President for the first time in a bid to end US military support for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, and also tried to sanction the Saudis for the alleged murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The War Powers Resolution was approved by the House and Senate but was vetoed by Trump in April.

Trump again invoked his veto rights in late July to block a trio of Congressional resolutions banning $8.1 billion in weapons sales to various countries, including Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The President argued that maintaining the flow of weapons to the two US allies was necessary, citing national security issues and fears of Iranian aggression.

The 2014 deal signed by the UAE with the US was worth $2.5 billion and required the delivery of 4,500 MRAPs.

Under the UAE and Saudi Arabia's arms sales agreements with the US, American-made MRAPs are considered "proprietary technology," which neither party was supposed to let out of its control.

Recipients of US weaponry are also legally obligated to adhere to end-use requirements which prohibit the transferring of any equipment to third parties without prior authorization from the US government. That authorization was never obtained.

A State Department official told CNN that the American government takes all allegations of the misuse of US weaponry very seriously but insisted "there is currently no US prohibition on the use of US-origin MRAPs by Gulf coalition forces in Yemen." A spokesman for the Pentagon, Lt. Col Uriah L. Orland, told CNN "we cannot comment on any potential or ongoing investigations of claims of end-use violations," but also reiterated there was currently no prohibition on the use of US MRAPs in Yemen.

CNN has found multiple instances this year where that weaponry was diverted, in defiance of end-user agreements.

In response to CNN's request for comment a spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition Col. Turki Al-Maliki said "the information that the military equipment will be delivered to a third party is unfounded." He went on to say that "all military equipment is used by Saudi forces in accordance with term and conditions of Foreign Military Sales (FMS) adopted by the US government and in pursuance of the Arms Export Control Act."

US hold on arms to UAE

Speaking exclusively to CNN, multiple congressional sources now say the US government has placed a hold on the latest outstanding MRAP delivery to the UAE while the Pentagon continues its investigation.

What this latest Saudi delivery of American weaponry to Aden proves is US military hardware is still flowing into Yemen.

The UAE has not responded to requests for comment.

In February, the UAE told CNN that there was no violation of end use requirements "in any manner." Responding to CNN's evidence in October, a UAE official said: "There were no instances when US-made equipment was used without direct UAE oversight, except for four vehicles that were captured by the enemy."

The US House Foreign Affairs Committee is demanding an urgent briefing from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defense Secretary Mark Esper after CNN's reporting in October, seeking ways to stop the flow of weaponry into Yemen's chaos once and for all.

Peace deal

An agreement between the Saudi-backed forces and the UAE-supported separatists was signed in Riyadh on Tuesday. The text of the deal requires militias to return troops by mid-November to locations under their control prior to the breakout of fighting in August. The deal also designates that "medium and heavy weapons" are placed in camps under coalition supervision. It's unclear what this will mean in practice as there is no requirement for the militias to disarm.

No specific measures in the deal address the illicitly distributed US-made weaponry, whose advanced technology has proven decisive on the ground.

Sources close to the talks told CNN that the internationally recognized government had sought assurances from the UAE that it would cease arming separatist forces -- but none was forthcoming.

Meanwhile, the broader conflict between the Iran-supported Houthis and the US-backed Saudi-led coalition still remains unresolved.

CNN's Oscar Featherstone, Jennifer Hansler, Sarah El Sirgany, Barbara Starr and Ryan Browne contributed to this report.

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2019-11-06 10:18:00Z
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A suspect has been arrested in the massacre of a family from a Mormon community in Mexico - CNN

The Ministerial Agency for Criminal Investigations (AMIC) said it has detained an individual who was holding two bound and gagged hostages in the hills of Agua Priests in the state of Sonora. The suspect had several rifles and a large amount of ammunition, including a number of large-caliber weapons, the agency said in a statement posted to its official Facebook page.

The arrest comes just a day after women and children were brutally attacked by criminal groups while driving near the US-Mexico border, Mexican authorities said. The victims appear to be a fundamentalist sect separate from the mainstream Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Three women, four small children and two infants -- all dual US-Mexican citizens -- were killed in their vehicles Monday, according to family member Alex LeBaron. The victims and eight surviving children were ambushed by criminal groups Monday evening while traveling between the states of Sonora and Chihuahua, Mexican authorities said.

The Attorney-General for the neighboring state of Chihuahua, Cesar Peniche Espejel, confirmed the arrest in an interview with Mexico's Imagen Radio on Tuesday, but could not confirm details of the suspect's involvement. "We are waiting for some more intelligence in order to issue an official statement," he said.

Peniche Espejel said he believes the newly-formed "Los Jaguares" cartel, an off-shoot of the Sinaloa cartel, may be behind the massacre. But earlier Tuesday, a US official said a rival cartel called La Línea is under focus.

"These very cartels of Sinaloa, after the arrest of Guzman 'El Chapo' have suffered fragmentations," Peniche Espejel said. "They have been growing near the border with the United States and are heavily involved in trafficking of immigrants into the United States and drug-trafficking."

Cars ablaze and full of bullets holes

Each of the three cars held mothers driving their children to see family: one to pick up her husband, another to meet her husband and move to North Dakota and the third to visit family in the neighboring state of Chihuahua, said family member Kendra Lee Miller.

At one point, one of the cars got a flat tire, Kendra Lee Miller said. The driver, Miller's sister-in-law Rhonita Maria Miller, left the car behind and went back with the others to get another family car to continue the drive.

Kendra Lee Miller said her brother Andre was on the mountain road near La Mora when he saw a fire in the distance where the caravan of three cars was attacked.

"My brother was fixing Rhonita's broken-down vehicle, saw a fire, didn't think anything of it," Kendra Lee Miller said.

"Then (he) saw the explosion, went to check it out, saw it was my mother's vehicle, full of bullet holes, completely ablaze," she said.

"My dad, Andre and couple of uncles and relatives went to check up on the vehicle. All they found was charred remains, ash and bones," Kendra Lee Miller said.

"There were remains inside and outside of the vehicle."

A family member said a 13-year-old boy who was unharmed in the attack walked about 14 miles for help, after hiding his bleeding siblings in the bushes and covering them with branches.

Seven children injured in the ambush were flown from Mexico to Douglas, Arizona, for transport to Tucson hospitals, LeBaron said.

The family may have been targeted

The LeBaron family had a history of conflict with Mexican drug cartels, which indicates that they may have been targeted, former Mexican Foreign Minister Jorge Castañeda told CNN on Tuesday evening.

"Cartels have taken too many of our family members," said Kendra Lee Miller, adding those killed Monday were "not the first."

Miller told CNN her family has recently been threatened by cartels over where it can travel.

The former minister also said the larger LeBaron community had been receiving the protection of 90 federal police stationed around the community since 2011 because of tensions between the family and cartels.

That protection was withdrawn to some extent by the current government earlier this year, according to Castañeda. It's unclear whether all 90 policemen were withdrawn or just some of them, he added.

In a news conference earlier Tuesday, Mexican Security Minister Alfonso Durazo said the attack may have been a case of mistaken identity of "conflicting groups in the area."

But Castañeda told CNN that he finds that theory unlikely, especially as two cars in two different locations carrying members of the same family were attacked in the same manner.

The community

The Mormons who were attacked appear to be members of a sect that is separate from the mainstream Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, an LDS church spokesman said.

"We are heartbroken to hear of the tragedy that has touched these families in Mexico," spokesman Eric Hawkins told CNN. "From what I can tell, these were members of a polygamist sect, and not members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."

Family members describe themselves as part of a Mormon community of about 3,000 members, living in their own agricultural community in Mexico.

Generally, the community is fundamentalist. One of the victim's relatives said some members practice polygamy.

Despite some differences between individual beliefs, "we are a massive family," Langford said.

"We love and support each other no matter what our individual beliefs. I've never seen such a strength of unity and love in a family as large as ours. This is the tragedy of our lives."

A region marred by violence

In 2009, a member of the LeBaron family living in Chihuahua state was abducted and returned unharmed a week later. His brother, Benjamin LeBaron, became an anti-crime activist but he and his brother-in-law were killed two months later.

The number of killings in the country has soared recently.

Last year, Mexico witnessed its highest number of homicides -- 33,000. And 2019 is on course to break that record.

Just last month, 13 Mexican police officers were killed in an ambush in the western state of Michoacan.

Now, grief from the latest high-profile massacre has spread across two countries.

CNN's Natalie Gallon and Fidel Gutierrez in Mexico City and CNN's Gianluca Mezzofiore, Samantha Beech, Ana Melgar Zuniga, Sarah Chiplin, Bethlehem Feleke, Gerardo Lemos, Maija Ehlinger, Valeria Longhi, Chandler Thornton and Daniel Burke contributed to this report., Gianluca Mezzofiore

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2019-11-06 10:16:00Z
52780427403041

Under shroud of secrecy US weapons arrive in Yemen despite Congressional outrage - CNN

The distinctive shape of the US-made Oshkosh armored vehicle stands out in the early morning darkness, a piece of military hardware that is currently at the heart of a standoff between some American lawmakers and President Donald Trump's administration.

Aden is controlled by the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, whose main partners are continuing to ship American-made weapons into the country despite bipartisan outrage in Congress over the way the US is backing Riyadh in this bloody and bitter conflict.

This footage showing the unloading of a variety of US-made arms -- which was filmed illicitly at the offloading site, then obtained and verified by CNN -- is itself contentious. Multiple witnesses told CNN that Yemeni authorities, backed by the Saudi-led coalition, have been arresting and questioning those they suspect of leaking it to the media.

Using whistleblower accounts and port documents CNN has identified the ship which offloaded the US weaponry in Aden last week as the Saudi-registered Bahri Hofuf. Looking at tracking data, the vessel's last recorded location was in the Saudi port of Jeddah on September 17, before it sailed to Port Sudan, arriving the following day.

After this, the boat's tracking system was switched off, before it appeared again under the cover of darkness in Aden on October 29.

Secrecy surrounds the flow of weaponry to Yemen's conflict that as of October 31 has killed more than 100,000 people since 2015, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project.

Related Article: Sold to an ally, lost to an enemy

The fighting has divided the country's north from south. Iranian-backed Houthis rebels control the capital of Sanaa, while the US-supported, Saudi-led anti-Houthi forces hold Aden. Infighting in the south this summer -- between Saudi-supported forces of the internationally recognized government and UAE-backed separatists -- further splintered territorial control, threatening to plunge the entire country into a protracted and multi-sided war.

A peace deal between government forces and the separatists was signed on Tuesday in the Saudi capital of Riyadh. It aims to end the power struggle around Aden and defer the issue of whether the south will secede until after the battle against the Houthi-controlled north has been won.

Violating US arms agreements

In February, a CNN investigation revealed that Saudi Arabia and the UAE -- key US allies -- had transferred American-made weapons to al Qaeda-linked fighters, hardline Salafi militias, and other fighting factions in Yemen, in violation of their agreements with Washington.

Oshkosh Defense, the manufacturer of one of the armored vehicles (MRAPs) seen in the latest shipment, told CNN that the firm "strictly follows all US laws and regulations relating to export control."

Last month, CNN revealed that US MRAPs had been distributed, in contravention of arms deals, to militia groups including the UAE-backed separatists. The separatists were using this equipment in the fight against government forces, who are also armed with US weapons.

Following the initial reporting the Pentagon said it had launched its own investigation, in conjunction with the State Department, into the unauthorized transfer of US weapons in Yemen, which a Pentagon spokesperson says remains "ongoing."

US lawmakers, citing CNN's investigations, have since moved to ban weapons sales to Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, passing the War Powers Resolution against a sitting President for the first time in a bid to end US military support for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, and also tried to sanction the Saudis for the alleged murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The War Powers Resolution was approved by the House and Senate but was vetoed by Trump in April.

Trump again invoked his veto rights in late July to block a trio of Congressional resolutions banning $8.1 billion in weapons sales to various countries, including Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The President argued that maintaining the flow of weapons to the two US allies was necessary, citing national security issues and fears of Iranian aggression.

The 2014 deal signed by the UAE with the US was worth $2.5 billion and required the delivery of 4,500 MRAPs.

Under the UAE and Saudi Arabia's arms sales agreements with the US, American-made MRAPs are considered "proprietary technology," which neither party was supposed to let out of its control.

Recipients of US weaponry are also legally obligated to adhere to end-use requirements which prohibit the transferring of any equipment to third parties without prior authorization from the US government. That authorization was never obtained.

A State Department official told CNN that the American government takes all allegations of the misuse of US weaponry very seriously but insisted "there is currently no US prohibition on the use of US-origin MRAPs by Gulf coalition forces in Yemen." A spokesman for the Pentagon, Lt. Col Uriah L. Orland, told CNN "we cannot comment on any potential or ongoing investigations of claims of end-use violations," but also reiterated there was currently no prohibition on the use of US MRAPs in Yemen.

CNN has found multiple instances this year where that weaponry was diverted, in defiance of end-user agreements.

In response to CNN's request for comment a spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition Col. Turki Al-Maliki said "the information that the military equipment will be delivered to a third party is unfounded." He went on to say that "all military equipment is used by Saudi forces in accordance with term and conditions of Foreign Military Sales (FMS) adopted by the US government and in pursuance of the Arms Export Control Act."

US hold on arms to UAE

Speaking exclusively to CNN, multiple congressional sources now say the US government has placed a hold on the latest outstanding MRAP delivery to the UAE while the Pentagon continues its investigation.

What this latest Saudi delivery of American weaponry to Aden proves is US military hardware is still flowing into Yemen.

The UAE has not responded to requests for comment.

In February, the UAE told CNN that there was no violation of end use requirements "in any manner." Responding to CNN's evidence in October, a UAE official said: "There were no instances when US-made equipment was used without direct UAE oversight, except for four vehicles that were captured by the enemy."

The US House Foreign Affairs Committee is demanding an urgent briefing from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defense Secretary Mark Esper after CNN's reporting in October, seeking ways to stop the flow of weaponry into Yemen's chaos once and for all.

Peace deal

An agreement between the Saudi-backed forces and the UAE-supported separatists was signed in Riyadh on Tuesday. The text of the deal requires militias to return troops by mid-November to locations under their control prior to the breakout of fighting in August. The deal also designates that "medium and heavy weapons" are placed in camps under coalition supervision. It's unclear what this will mean in practice as there is no requirement for the militias to disarm.

No specific measures in the deal address the illicitly distributed US-made weaponry, whose advanced technology has proven decisive on the ground.

Sources close to the talks told CNN that the internationally recognized government had sought assurances from the UAE that it would cease arming separatist forces -- but none was forthcoming.

Meanwhile, the broader conflict between the Iran-supported Houthis and the US-backed Saudi-led coalition still remains unresolved.

CNN's Oscar Featherstone, Jennifer Hansler, Sarah El Sirgany, Barbara Starr and Ryan Browne contributed to this report.

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https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/05/middleeast/yemen-saudi-us-arms-footage-intl/index.html

2019-11-06 08:37:00Z
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Trump's impeachment defense splintered by new revelations - CNN

A dramatic reversal by Republican donor turned diplomat Gordon Sondland, who now says that a quid pro quo was needed from Kiev to free up military aid, rocked Washington Tuesday and undercut GOP strategy.

In testimony released by impeachment investigators, the US ambassador to the European Union also testified that he assumed it would be "illegal" for Trump's fixer and personal attorney Rudy Giuliani to push Ukraine to investigate the President's political opponents.

Sondland's adjusted testimony did much to dismantle the President's core and repeated defense: that he did not hold up aid to Kiev to force it to open a probe into Joe Biden and that any suggestion to the contrary is simply the "crazed" delusion of "Never Trumpers."

But his deposition was still punctuated by admissions that he could not remember what happened or did not know the motivations of key players -- signs of a potential attempt to protect the President.

Yet given the ossified political partisanship in the Congress, there were also signs that no disclosures, however damaging to the President, are likely to turn a party in thrall to his faithful political base against him and lead it to contemplate ejecting him from office.

Still, Sondland was not the only senior diplomatic figure to contradict the President's version of events on the second day of releases that threaten to turn into slow moving political torture for the White House.

The former US envoy to Ukraine, Kurt Volker, threatened another pillar of Trump's defense -- that the July 25 call with the Ukrainian President that Trump has said was "perfect" was in fact a "surprise" and "extremely unfortunate."

Tuesday's developments were a critical twist in an investigation that is on the cusp of new and public phase that could further imperil the President and his 2020 election plans.

The disclosures appeared to significantly weaken the White House case that there was no quid pro quo with Ukraine and therefore no abuse of presidential power worthy of impeachment.

'A very grave day'

Democrats immediately seized on Tuesday's events to argue that a devastating hole had been blown in Trump's defense.

"This is a very grave development for both Ambassador Sondland and frankly for President Trump and his Republican defenders," Virginia Rep. Gerry Connolly told CNN's Wolf Blitzer.

"The entire defense by President Trump and his Republican acolytes in Congress that there was no quid pro quo has now collapsed."

A growing list of witnesses, including the top diplomat in Ukraine William Taylor and National Security Council aide Tim Morrison have testified that Ukraine opening political probes was linked to $400 million in aid and a potential meeting between Trump and Ukrainian President Vlodymyr Zelensky.

Further damaging revelations are possible in the coming days as Democrats preside over the release of testimony taken behind closed doors as they prepare for public impeachment hearings.

The evidence from Sondland and Volker was far from the only damaging development over the last few days for Trump and his loyal troops on Capitol Hill.

Hundreds of pages of transcripts show that GOP lawmakers and counsel spent hours cross-examining witnesses in days of hearings, despite claims they were shut out of the process -- another pillar of the GOP objections to impeachment.

Growing evidence meanwhile of a shadow foreign policy scheme masterminded by Giuliani and stretching over months undermines Trump's focus on two events -- the call with Zelensky and a whistleblower report -- as the only significant data points in the scandal.

At one point, Sondland deepened the political plight of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who appears to have been aware of the Giuliani scheme but done nothing to stop it: "Pompeo rolled his eyes and said: 'Yes, it's something we have to deal with.' "

The White House responded to Tuesday's events in characteristic fashion, with press secretary Stephanie Grisham ignoring the existence of newly disclosed facts.

"No amount of salacious media-biased headlines, which are clearly designed to influence the narrative, change the fact that the President has done nothing wrong," she said.

But Grisham also seized on Volker's statement that he was not aware of the existence of a quid pro quo and belief that the new Kiev government did not know aid was held up. She also pointed out that Sondland did not directly tie Trump personally to the demand for a quid pro quo.

"Both transcripts released today show there is even less evidence for this illegitimate impeachment sham than previously thought," she said in a statement.

Grisham's commentary was undermined by Sondland's new testimony itself since he now says he told a Zelensky aide that the security assistance an announcement of a public investigation were in fact linked.

McConnell stands firm

Sen. Chris Coons, D-Delaware, said on CNN's "Situation Room" that Sondland's profile made his revised testimony even more significant and damaging to the President.

"This is not some anonymous whistleblower. This cannot be argued to be some action by a deep state opponent of President Trump," Coons said. "Gordon Sondland, the ambassador to the EU, was a major Republican donor and a supporter of President Trump."

Still, while Tuesday's disclosures seemed to wound Trump in the fact-based environment of an impeachment probe, his political future is playing out in front of diverse audiences. While Democrats see further proof of guilt, Republican lawmakers seem likely to simply fall back on a new set of arguments.

They can make the somewhat implausible case that since Sondland did not implicate the President in the quid pro quo, he could have been acting on his own initiative or the orders of someone else.

They can try to repurpose the argument that a quid pro quo is not illegal and a fact of foreign policy -- a point made last month by White House acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney that was quickly withdrawn.

Or they can reach a last resort position that Trump's conduct may not be acceptable but is not impeachable -- however much that might anger a President who insists he did nothing wrong.

Whatever they say, Tuesday's developments, while changing the legal and logical context of the impeachment inquiry are unlikely to shift the locked in political dynamics imposed by America's tribal partisan environment.

"I'm pretty sure how it's likely to end. If it were today, I don't think there's any question it would not lead to removal," GOP Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday, speaking about the prospects for an impeachment trial in the Republican-led Senate.

But the wider politics of impeachment are still tough to call. No revelations, however damning, are likely to shake Trump's hold on his political base glued together by his claim, last made in Kentucky Monday night that the Democratic tactics are the "crazed" actions of a party seeking to overturn an election.

And new polls show that in the swing states that will decide whether he wins a second term, public opinion is closely divided on whether he should be impeached and removed from office.

But Sondland's testimony offered a preview of how damaging testimony by witnesses close to the President could undermine his narrative on Ukraine and wrong doing. That could have the potential to reshape wider public opinion among more moderate voters Trump also needs a year from now.

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2019-11-06 05:34:00Z
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Under shroud of secrecy US weapons arrive in Yemen despite Congressional outrage - CNN

The distinctive shape of the US-made Oshkosh armored vehicle stands out in the early morning darkness, a piece of military hardware that is currently at the heart of a standoff between some American lawmakers and President Donald Trump's administration.

Aden is controlled by the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, whose main partners are continuing to ship American-made weapons into the country despite bipartisan outrage in Congress over the way the US is backing Riyadh in this bloody and bitter conflict.

This footage showing the unloading of a variety of US-made arms -- which was filmed illicitly at the offloading site, then obtained and verified by CNN -- is itself contentious. Multiple witnesses told CNN that Yemeni authorities, backed by the Saudi-led coalition, have been arresting and questioning those they suspect of leaking it to the media.

Using whistleblower accounts and port documents CNN has identified the ship which offloaded the US weaponry in Aden last week as the Saudi-registered Bahri Hofuf. Looking at tracking data, the vessel's last recorded location was in the Saudi port of Jeddah on September 17, before it sailed to Port Sudan, arriving the following day.

After this, the boat's tracking system was switched off, before it appeared again under the cover of darkness in Aden on October 29.

Secrecy surrounds the flow of weaponry to Yemen's conflict that as of October 31 has killed more than 100,000 people since 2015, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project.

Related Article: Sold to an ally, lost to an enemy

The fighting has divided the country's north from south. Iranian-backed Houthis rebels control the capital of Sanaa, while the US-supported, Saudi-led anti-Houthi forces hold Aden. Infighting in the south this summer -- between Saudi-supported forces of the internationally recognized government and UAE-backed separatists -- further splintered territorial control, threatening to plunge the entire country into a protracted and multi-sided war.

A peace deal between government forces and the separatists was signed on Tuesday in the Saudi capital of Riyadh. It aims to end the power struggle around Aden and defer the issue of whether the south will secede until after the battle against the Houthi-controlled north has been won.

Violating US arms agreements

In February, a CNN investigation revealed that Saudi Arabia and the UAE -- key US allies -- had transferred American-made weapons to al Qaeda-linked fighters, hardline Salafi militias, and other fighting factions in Yemen, in violation of their agreements with Washington.

Oshkosh Defense, the manufacturer of one of the armored vehicles (MRAPs) seen in the latest shipment, told CNN that the firm "strictly follows all US laws and regulations relating to export control."

Last month, CNN revealed that US MRAPs had been distributed, in contravention of arms deals, to militia groups including the UAE-backed separatists. The separatists were using this equipment in the fight against government forces, who are also armed with US weapons.

Following the initial reporting the Pentagon said it had launched its own investigation, in conjunction with the State Department, into the unauthorized transfer of US weapons in Yemen, which a Pentagon spokesperson says remains "ongoing."

US lawmakers, citing CNN's investigations, have since moved to ban weapons sales to Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, passing the War Powers Resolution against a sitting President for the first time in a bid to end US military support for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, and also tried to sanction the Saudis for the alleged murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The War Powers Resolution was approved by the House and Senate but was vetoed by Trump in April.

Trump again invoked his veto rights in late July to block a trio of Congressional resolutions banning $8.1 billion in weapons sales to various countries, including Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The President argued that maintaining the flow of weapons to the two US allies was necessary, citing national security issues and fears of Iranian aggression.

The 2014 deal signed by the UAE with the US was worth $2.5 billion and required the delivery of 4,500 MRAPs.

Under the UAE and Saudi Arabia's arms sales agreements with the US, American-made MRAPs are considered "proprietary technology," which neither party was supposed to let out of its control.

Recipients of US weaponry are also legally obligated to adhere to end-use requirements which prohibit the transferring of any equipment to third parties without prior authorization from the US government. That authorization was never obtained.

A State Department official told CNN that the American government takes all allegations of the misuse of US weaponry very seriously but insisted "there is currently no US prohibition on the use of US-origin MRAPs by Gulf coalition forces in Yemen." A spokesman for the Pentagon, Lt. Col Uriah L. Orland, told CNN "we cannot comment on any potential or ongoing investigations of claims of end-use violations," but also reiterated there was currently no prohibition on the use of US MRAPs in Yemen.

CNN has found multiple instances this year where that weaponry was diverted, in defiance of end-user agreements.

In response to CNN's request for comment a spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition Col. Turki Al-Maliki said "the information that the military equipment will be delivered to a third party is unfounded." He went on to say that "all military equipment is used by Saudi forces in accordance with term and conditions of Foreign Military Sales (FMS) adopted by the US government and in pursuance of the Arms Export Control Act."

US hold on arms to UAE

Speaking exclusively to CNN, multiple congressional sources now say the US government has placed a hold on the latest outstanding MRAP delivery to the UAE while the Pentagon continues its investigation.

What this latest Saudi delivery of American weaponry to Aden proves is US military hardware is still flowing into Yemen.

The UAE has not responded to requests for comment.

In February, the UAE told CNN that there was no violation of end use requirements "in any manner." Responding to CNN's evidence in October, a UAE official said: "There were no instances when US-made equipment was used without direct UAE oversight, except for four vehicles that were captured by the enemy."

The US House Foreign Affairs Committee is demanding an urgent briefing from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defense Secretary Mark Esper after CNN's reporting in October, seeking ways to stop the flow of weaponry into Yemen's chaos once and for all.

Peace deal

An agreement between the Saudi-backed forces and the UAE-supported separatists was signed in Riyadh on Tuesday. The text of the deal requires militias to return troops by mid-November to locations under their control prior to the breakout of fighting in August. The deal also designates that "medium and heavy weapons" are placed in camps under coalition supervision. It's unclear what this will mean in practice as there is no requirement for the militias to disarm.

No specific measures in the deal address the illicitly distributed US-made weaponry, whose advanced technology has proven decisive on the ground.

Sources close to the talks told CNN that the internationally recognized government had sought assurances from the UAE that it would cease arming separatist forces -- but none was forthcoming.

Meanwhile, the broader conflict between the Iran-supported Houthis and the US-backed Saudi-led coalition still remains unresolved.

CNN's Oscar Featherstone, Jennifer Hansler, Sarah El Sirgany, Barbara Starr and Ryan Browne contributed to this report.

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2019-11-06 05:28:00Z
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Iran takes new step away from nuclear deal by activating sensitive Fordow enrichment facility - The Washington Post

Ho Iranian Presidency/AFP/Getty President Hassan Rouhani speaking during the opening of a factory in Tehran on Nov. 5.

ISTANBUL — Iran will begin injecting gas into centrifuges at its Fordow uranium-enrichment facility in its latest step away from the 2015 nuclear accord it struck with world powers, President Hassan Rouhani said Tuesday.

Speaking live on state television, Rouhani said that he would instruct Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization to begin the new measures on Wednesday, feeding gas to more than 1,000 centrifuges installed at the plant.

Under the nuclear agreement, Iran is allowed to maintain 1,044 empty IR-1 centrifuges at Fordow and is banned from enriching uranium or even bringing uranium to the site for 15 years from the start of the accord.

“We know how sensitive they are to the Fordow facility,” Rouhani said in his address, referring to Western powers that negotiated the deal.

The site was revealed as a secret enrichment facility by Britain, France and the United States in 2009. It was constructed deep inside a mountain near the Iranian city of Qom.

“When they begin living up to their commitments [under the agreement], then we will stop feeding gas to the centrifuges,” Rouhani said. He added that the International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog, would be allowed to monitor the new activities.

The measures marked the fourth step Iran has taken this year to reduce its nuclear obligations under the pact, which curbed Iran’s atomic energy program in exchange for widespread sanctions relief. The landmark accord was negotiated between Iran and world powers, including the United States under President Barack Obama.

[Iran now operating advanced centrifuges in breach of nuclear pact ]

President Trump, however, withdrew the United States from the agreement last year, reimposing a near-total trade embargo on the Iranian economy. The economic restrictions are part of what the administration has called a “maximum pressure campaign” against Iran to force it to renegotiate restraints on its nuclear activities, as well as its support for proxy forces in the region and ballistic missile construction.

AP

Three versions of domestically built centrifuges are shown in a live TV program from Natanz, an Iranian uranium-enrichment plant, on June 6, 2018.

Instead, Iran in recent months has exceeded caps on the size and purity of its enriched uranium stockpile and doubled the number of its advanced centrifuges, in what Iranian officials say is a bid to persuade European nations to offset the effects of U.S. sanctions.

Iran has given Europe a series of 60-day deadlines to reset the terms of the deal, including facilitating the sale of Iranian oil, which is blocked under the U.S. embargo.

“We should be able to sell our oil, we should be able to make banking transactions, and all sanctions on other sectors should be lifted,” Rouhani said Tuesday. “Then we will return to our previous commitments.”

Despite the recent moves, Iran continues to enrich uranium far below the 90 percent level needed to produce a nuclear weapon, according to the IAEA. In its latest report in September, the agency said Iran was enriching uranium at 4.5 percent, sightly above the 3.67 percent cap established under the nuclear agreement.

In June, the agency reported that Iran had not conducted any uranium or related research at the Fordow plant.

“There has not been any nuclear material at the plant,” the report said.

Read more:

Iran displays new anti-U.S. murals on the 40th anniversary of the U.S. Embassy seizure

Iran will ‘set aside’ curbs on nuclear research and development, Rouhani says

Today’s coverage from Post correspondents around the world

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2019-11-05 11:11:00Z
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US citizens killed, kidnapped in cartel shootout in Mexico - Fox News

At least six children and three women living in a Mormon community of U.S. citizens in Mexico were shot to death Monday and several others were reportedly kidnapped after their convoy came under fire during a brazen daylight ambush believed to have been carried out by gunmen affiliated with organized crime in the country.

Those attacked were members of the LeBaron family, a well known American clan who have lived in the fundamentalist community in the northern part of the country for decades, according to the New York Times. Kenny LeBaron, a cousin to several of the victims, told the Times he feared the death toll could increase.

“When you know there are babies tied in a car seat that are burning because of some twisted evil that’s in this world,” LeBaron said, “it’s just hard to cope with that.”

More than a dozen other members of La Mora — a decades-old settlement in Sonora state founded as part of an offshoot of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — were missing after the attack on the convoy of three SUVs, a relative told The Associated Press.

Rhonita Maria LeBaron (left), along with 4 children, Dawna Langford (center) and Christina Marie Langford (right) were among those killed (Facebook)

Early reports indicated the tragedy could have been a case of mistaken identity. But recent history also raises the possibility the LeBaron family was the intended target: only a decade ago two members of the family opposed to local drug trafficking groups were kidnapped and murdered, according to the Times.

MEXICO CITY POLICE REPORTEDLY FIND DOZENS OF SKULLS, FETUS AROUND ALLEGED DRUG DEN ALTAR

Lafe Langford Jr., another relative, shared a video on Facebook that showed a burned-out, bullet-ridden SUV where the bodies of a woman—identified as Rhonita Maria LeBaron—and her four children-- twin 6-month-olds and two others aged 8 and 10—were reportedly found outside the town of Bavispe, where the settlement is located. The LeBarons were American citizens,  according to the New York Times.

Early reports indicated the tragedy could have been a case of mistaken identity.<br> (Reuters)

Relatives claim that cartel members kidnapped surviving church members after the initial shootout.

Langford Jr., who grew up in the settlement but now lives in the U.S., told the Salt Lake Tribune the bodies of the two other mothers in the group—43-year-old Dawna Ray Langford and 31-year-old Christina Marie Langford—were found in a separate location later Monday. A third relative said a 4-year-old girl and a 6-year-old boy were also killed, bringing the death toll to at least 9.

BOTCHED CAPTURE OF EL CHAPO'S SON STEMMED FROM US WARRANT; DRUG LORD'S FAMILY TO COMPENSATE VICTIMS' FAMILIES

Mexico's federal Department of Security and Citizens' Protection said security forces were reinforced with National Guard, army and state police troops in the area following "the reports about disappearance and aggression against several people." The troops were searching for the missing community members, believed to include 11 children or more.

According to Langford Jr.’s Facebook post, one of the older boys in the group managed to escape with six of his siblings from the ongoing shootout and run back to his home at La Mora settlement, which is located about 70 miles south of Douglas, Ariz. He said he left other children who were injured hidden on the side of the road. It was unclear how many children were ultimately rescued as of Monday evening.

Many of the church's members were born in Mexico and thus have dual U.S. citizenship. The three SUVs left Bavispe and were traveling on the outskirts of Sonora, near the neighboring state of Chihuahua, when they were reportedly attacked.

Claudia Pavlovich Arellano, the governor from Sonora, tweeted in Spanish her determination to find the killers.

"As a mother I feel courage, repudiation and deep pain for what cowards did in the mountains between Sonora and Chihuahua," she wrote. "I don't know what kind of monsters dare to hurt women and children. As Governor, I will do everything to make sure this does not go unpunished and those responsible pay."

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The U.S. State Department issued a statement saying, “The safety and welfare of U.S. citizens abroad is among the Department of State’s top priorities. When a U.S. citizen is missing or passes away overseas, we engage with local officials at multiple levels and provide all appropriate consular assistance," according to Salt Lake City, Utah’s KSL-TV.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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2019-11-05 10:37:20Z
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