Pompeo Overlooked Civilian Risk of Saudi Arms, Watchdog Says
- But the inspector general’s report said he followed procedures
- Pompeo denies Saudi inquiry led to firing of inspector general
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A long-disputed inspector general’s report found that Secretary of State Michael Pompeo didn’t “fully assess” the risk of civilian casualties or take steps to reduce it when he approved $8.1 billion in arms sales to Saudi Arabia and other Mideast allies over congressional objections.
The State Department’s watchdog office “found that the department did not fully assess risks and implement mitigation measures to reduce civilian casualties and legal concerns” in approving the transfer of precision-guided munitions -- weapons that use targeting systems to improve accuracy -- last year.