International

Trump administration threatens to veto anti-Saudi resolution by Congress

FILE PHOTO.

The Trump administration had threatened to veto a bid by the United States Congress to end military support for the Saudi Arabia-led war in Yemen, a report by Reuters stated. On Monday, the administration called the resolution ‘inappropriate’ which harmed the country’s regional relations and efforts to curb ‘violent extremism’, the report said.

The administration also said that the military support underlines a security agreement with the Saudi government, which does not involve troops deployment and therefore technically not considered a “use of military force.”

According to Congress, US intervention in Yemen is an instance of use of force in a foreign conflict, giving the body constitutional power to authorize or block the administration’s measures.

Meanwhile, the Friday deadline provided by Congress to determine who ordered the assassination of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi and whether any sanctions would be imposed on the monarchial regime was ignored by US President Donald Trump.

Khashoggi was a Washington Post columnist and a critic of the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman. He was killed on October 2 after he entered the Istanbul Saudi consulate to collect documents regarding his marriage to his Turkish fiancee.

ALSO READ:  Crimes against Journalists: Who was Jamal Khashoggi and what his killing means for press freedom

According to U.S intelligence agencies, Khashoggi’s killing was reportedly ordered by the Crown Prince. His body has not yet been found.

Many Congress members, including Republicans and Democrats, urged for a strong response to Khashoggi’s killing as well as the Yemen war, which has lead to a humanitarian crisis.

Last Thursday, a group of senators reiterated their demand to penalise and hold Saudi Arabia accountable. However, in December, despite gaining bipartisan traction, the resolution vote was blocked in the House of Representatives, which was also dominated by Republicans.

Having gained House majority in January, Democrats intend to take up the resolution this week.

Click to comment
To Top