Whether this resolution truly issues a rebuke to the White House remains to be seen but it is clear that future dog-wagging will test the resolve of Congress.
The House has approved a resolution that would force the Trump administration to withdraw U.S. troops from involvement in the war in Yemen, a rebuke of the president’s alliance with Saudi Arabia.
The House passed the measure Wednesday, 248-177. It now goes to the Senate, where it also has support. The White House has threatened a veto.
Passage would be the first time Congress has relied on the decades-old War Powers Resolution to remove U.S. troops from military action.
Lawmakers in both parties are increasingly uneasy over the humanitarian crisis in Yemen and skeptical of the U.S. partnership with the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, especially after the kingdom’s alleged role in the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
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Aside from US troops, the transfers of US weapons from Saudi-Arabia to potential threats to US national security remain problematic.
Hodeidah, Yemen (CNN) – Saudi Arabia and its coalition partners have transferred American-made weapons to al Qaeda-linked fighters, hardline Salafi militias, and other factions waging war in Yemen, in violation of their agreements with the United States, a CNN investigation has found.
The weapons have also made their way into the hands of Iranian-backed rebels battling the coalition for control of the country, exposing some of America's sensitive military technology to Tehran and potentially endangering the lives of US troops in other conflict zones.
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, its main partner in the war, have used the US-manufactured weapons as a form of currency to buy the loyalties of militias or tribes, bolster chosen armed actors, and influence the complex political landscape, according to local commanders on the ground and analysts who spoke to CNN.
By handing off this military equipment to third parties, the Saudi-led coalition is breaking the terms of its arms sales with the US, according to the Department of Defense. After CNN presented its findings, a US defense official confirmed there was an ongoing investigation into the issue.
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The Trump administration seems less concerned about civilian deaths especially considering the famine now prevalent in the conflict.
Frustration on Capitol Hill over the White House’s support to Saudi Arabia in Yemen has only intensified following the October murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The White House failed to meet a congressional deadline to answer on potential Saudi culpability in the Washington Post contributor’s death last week, angering both Republicans and Democrats.
Failing to issue a new Yemen certification would “make it twice in one week that the administration has ignored what is required by law,” said Kate Kizer, the policy director for Win Without War, an alliance of activist groups pushing the United States to withdraw military support in Yemen. “That’s sure to inflame tensions with Congress and drive further action.”
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Experts say the Trump administration’s silence on Saudi Arabia since the beginning of the year, after top US officials defended Riyadh despite Khashoggi’s killing, indicates that the White House is no longer willing to risk support within the Republican Party over the relationship.
“It’s been radio silence,” said Scott Anderson, a former State Department official during the Barack Obama administration. “My sense is that the administration is trying not to talk about their relationship with Saudi anymore. They don’t want to spend the political capital or risk upsetting members of their own party.”