The Republican-controlled Senate on Thursday rebuked Saudi Arabia and dealt an embarrassing blow to President Trump, brushing off appeals from the administration and voting with a strong bipartisan majority to withdraw all U.S. support from Riyadh’s ongoing war in Yemen.
The measure, which passed 56 to 41, faces little chance of coming up for a vote in the House, but senators said the move was still a necessary act to reassert its authority over American military engagement and to publicly rebuke Saudi Arabia over the death of U.S.-based dissident Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was murdered inside the Saudi consulate in Turkey in October.
The Senate also unanimously passed a separate resolution formally declaring Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the oil-rich kingdom’s de facto leader, “responsible” for Mr. Khashoggi’s death — a determination the White House, State Department and Pentagon have not embraced publicly despite U.S. intelligence assessments pinning the blame on the Saudi leader.
Taken together, the two moves by the Senate on Thursday represent an unusually direct condemnation of an American ally, a country the administration argues is vital for regional stability and as an indispensable counterbalance to Iran in the Middle East.
Senators of both parties argued it was time for Congress to show Riyadh that the U.S. will no longer stand for its human rights violations and its military campaign in Yemen, which has claimed thousands of civilian lives and sparked a massive humanitarian crisis.
“Today we tell the despotic regime in Saudi Arabia we will not be part of their military adventurism,” said Sen. Bernard Sanders, the Vermont independent who was a leading sponsor of the resolution.
All Democrats in the chamber backed the resolution on Yemen, as did a handful of Republicans, such as Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, a longtime critic of U.S. logistical and intelligence support for the Saudi-led Yemen campaign.
“In an historic vote, the Senate sent a clear message to Saudi Arabia that we will not turn a blind eye to their abuse of human rights, killing of dissidents and innocent Yemenis, and fueling of a humanitarian crisis,” Mr. Paul said on Twitter after the vote.
The resolution to end American support for Saudi Arabia’s military operations in Yemen has been on the table since February, but it gained momentum in recent weeks after the death of Mr. Khashoggi. While the crown prince has denied personal involvement in the killing, and has taken steps to punish those he says acted without his approval, lawmakers rejected his claims.
“We absolutely know the Saudi royal family is still lying,” said Sen. Patrick Leahy, Vermont Democrat.
Most Republicans in the chamber — along with Mr. Trump and leaders in the Pentagon and State Department — urged the Senate to reject the resolution, saying it would endanger the vital U.S.-Saudi relationship and send the wrong signal to allies at a delicate time in the region and the world.
Critics also warned that the measure would embolden Iran, which is backing Houthi rebels in Yemen in the years-long fight against a Saudi-led coalition. They also pointed to a U.N. announcement Thursday of a partial cease-fire in Yemen as proof that the U.S. should not change course now.
“We’re actively pushing the players to the table to resolve this,” said Sen. James Lankford, Oklahoma Republican. “This is the worst possible moment for this body to start arguing about whose side we should be on.”
“I actually think it makes things worse,” added Sen. Marco Rubio, Florida Republican.
While the administration hasn’t publicly blamed the crown prince and opposes the Senate measure, the Pentagon last month announced it would no longer refuel Saudi planes involved in the conflict — a tangible step that shows the U.S. may be dialing back its support for Riyadh.
Meanwhile on Thursday, U.N.-sponsored peace talks in Sweden produced long-awaited cease-fire in a key area of the war zone. The truce would halt hostilities in the key Red Sea port city of Hodeida.
The end of hostilities in Hodeida could help ease Yemen’s growing humanitarian crisis by allowing food and desperately needed medical supplies to reach the port, and ultimately be transported inland.
• Ben Wolfgang can be reached at bwolfgang@washingtontimes.com.
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