"When Human Rights Watch accused Saudi Arabia of dropping US-made cluster bombs near residential areas in northern Yemen, Washington refused to join rights groups in condemning the use of the high-risk weaponry. Instead, it argued that the high impact weapon could be “appropriate” for the Yemeni campaign, despite reports that many of the bombing targets are in civilian areas. Ninety-one states worldwide have long agreed to ban cluster bombs, which comprise sub-munitions liable to detonate long after they are dropped. But the US, Saudi Arabia and Yemen are not among the signatories. US jets have also been refuelling US-made fighter planes (owned by the UAE and Saudi Arabia) that are involved in the bombing campaign in Yemen."