Pentagon to Bill Saudi Arabia, UAE $331 Million for Fuel and Flight Hours

The U.S. will seek reimbursement for $331 million from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates for the refueling and flight hours that the U.S. Air Force has provided during the last three years in the Yemen conflict.

Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, disclosed the request Thursday following a months-long inquiry into how the Defense Department is accounting for fuel and flight hours spent supporting the Saudi-coalition air strikes in Yemen.

Last week, U.S. Central Command, the overseeing body for Middle East operations, found errors in its auditing, according a report in The Atlantic.

"In November, the Pentagon acknowledged that, in response to your letter, U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) reviewed its records and found errors in accounting,'" Reed said in a statement.

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