State Department Approves Sales of Spare Aircraft Parts to Yemen
The State Department today announced that it has approved the sales of defense articles to Yemen for the first time in more than 12 years and that license applications to export defense articles to Yemen would be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. The U.S. has imposed significant restrictions on the export of defense articles and services to Yemen since 1992. See 57 Fed. Reg. 59852 (Dec. 16, 1992).
The State Department announced that it had recently approved a license permitting the export to Yemen of spare parts for C-130 cargo planes and is in the process of approving a license to permit the export to Yemen of spare parts for F-5 fighter jets. According to a State Department spokesman, "The reason for the modification is that it was deemed necessary to support Yemen's active role in the war on terror." The State Department's announcement coincided with a visit to Yemen by Lincoln Bloomfield, assistant secretary of state for political-military affairs.