[Peace] Foreign Policy: Senators to Introduce Measure Opposing $1B Arms Sale to Saudis

[Robert Naiman]

http://foreignpolicy.com/2016/09/07/senators-to-introduce-me
asure-opposing-1b-arms-sale-to-saudis/

Senators to Introduce Measure Opposing $1B Arms Sale to Saudis
BY JOHN HUDSON
SEPTEMBER 7, 2016 - 4:54 PM

A bipartisan push against a $1.15 billion arms deal to Saudi Arabia is
gaining steam in protest of Riyadh’s bombing campaign in Yemen — but
remains split on whether to oppose the sale or block it outright.

Multiple congressional aides tell Foreign Policy that Republican Sen. Rand
Paul of Kentucky and Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut are
preparing legislation, to be filed this week, opposing the U.S. package of
tanks, ammunition, and machine guns to Saudi Arabia.

It follows a letter last week from more than 60 House lawmakers who sought
to delay the arms sale after a series of Saudi-led airstrikes reportedly
killed civilian targets in August.

 Democratic Rep. Ted Lieu of California, who helped lead the House’s letter
campaign, praised his Senate colleagues for “taking action” against the
arms sale. “Once the public learns the facts of the Saudi military’s
atrocities in Yemen, they will call for this arms sale to be rejected and
for the U.S. to withdraw its support of the Saudis in this conflict,” he
told FP on Wednesday.

Spokespeople for Paul and Murphy declined comment.

The measure is expected to take the form of a non-binding resolution of
disapproval that would receive a floor vote in about two weeks. But the two
senators are also considering binding legislation that would block the
proposed sale if they sense that the measure would pass, according to
congressional aides.

The 18-month conflict in Yemen has killed at least 6,000 people and
displaced 2.5 million more as Saudi Arabia and its Sunni-majority allies
battle Houthi rebels for control of the country. The chaotic fighting has
also allowed Islamist militants to deepen their foothold in Yemen;
meanwhile, Houthi rebels have fired
<http://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-security-saudi-idUSKCN0Y021U> missiles
into Saudi Arabia.

The White House did not respond to multiple requests for comment. A State
Department official declined to say if the Obama administration would cede
to congressional demands and delay the proposed sale.

However, the official said State is reviewing last week’s letter, which
cited August reports of a Saudi airstrike
<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/yemen-school-airstrike_us_57b1938fe4b007c36e4f2f67>
on
a school in Yemen that killed 10 children and another strike
<http://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-security-idUSKCN10Q1E0> that hit a
Médecins Sans Frontières hospital and killed 11 people.

Generally, Congress has 30 days to block the sale of similar military
packages of this type, meaning the clock technically could run out as soon
as Thursday, as House parliamentarians believe. But Senate experts say the
30 calendar-day deadline does not apply to the upper chamber because it was
adjourned for the summer recess.

The House letter sent to the White House earlier this month explicitly
complained about the timing issue and congressional staff in both parties
remain incensed.

“Whether or not it was done intentionally, the administration is setting a
dangerous precedent by starting the 30-day review clock while Congress is
adjourned for the summer recess,” a Democratic congressional aide told FP.

The U.S. officially backs the Saudi-led coalition against the Shiite Houthi
forces in Yemen. U.N.-sponsored talks aimed at finding a political
resolution to the conflict imploded last month and Saudi-led forces resumed
their bombing campaign.

The relief group Médecins Sans Frontières announced
<http://www.voanews.com/a/doctors-without-borders-pull-staff-after-yemen-hospital-bombing/3470756.html>
last
month they were pulling out of six hospitals in northern Yemen because of
the “indiscriminate bombings and unreliable reassurances” from Riyadh and
its Arab allies.
===

Robert Naiman
Policy Director
Just Foreign Policy
www.justforeignpolicy.org
naiman at justforeignpolicy.org
(202) 448-2898 x1
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.chambana.net/pipermail/peace/attachments/20160908/fa1917f5/attachment.html>