Chairman Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-SC)
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said on Wednesday he would withhold his vote on any key issue, including upcoming spending bills, until the CIA briefs senators about the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
"I am not going to be denied the ability to be briefed by the CIA, that we have oversight of, about whether or not their assessment supports my belief that this could not have happened without MBS (Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman) knowing," Graham told reporters.
If the briefing supports his view the crown prince knew about it, "there will be no more business as usual with Saudi Arabia."
"I'm talking about any key vote, anything that you need me for to get out of town, I ain't doing it until we hear from the CIA," Graham said, adding "I just did" when asked if he had told President Donald Trump.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee passed a resolution Wednesday to end U.S. support for the Saudi-led coalition's war in Yemen, thwarting efforts by the Trump administration to convince lawmakers to vote against it.Senators voted 63-37 in favor of the resolution spearheaded by Senators Bernie Sanders, Mike Lee and Chris Murphy. The vote marks a victory for its supporters and a reversal by the Senate, which only managed to garner 44 votes in support of the same resolution back in March.“In my mind, it is imperative today that the United States Senate tell Saudi Arabia and tell the world that we are not going to be continuing to be part of that humanitarian disaster,” Sanders said. “We have to make the decision as to what happens in the war in Yemen and our role in that, and that’s what the vote today is about.”The resolution will now move on to the Senate floor, where it will be debated on next week.The vote marks a blow to efforts by the Trump administration to bolster support for U.S. backing of the war after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis were both sent to brief senators on Yemen behind closed doors.Pompeo told reporters that the vote was "poorly timed" when the U.S. was working to create a ceasefire between the parties currently battling in Yemen.Trump has been facing heavy criticism in Washington for his decision to maintain relations with Saudi Arabia after the CIA reportedly concluded that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the killing of Jamal Khashoggi.Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist and columnist for The Washington Post, went missing after entering the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2. After initially saying he had left the consulate alive, Saudi Arabia admitted weeks later that he was killed there.
Senate advances bid to end support for war in Yemen
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Wednesday he was ready to meet Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the G20 summit in Argentina to discuss stopping the war in Yemen and beginning peace talks. In an address to reporters, Guterres said he will travel to Argentina to attend the summit that will take place Friday and Saturday."I think we are close to create the conditions for the possibility for peace talks to start, and that will be an extremely important objective. And, of course, Saudi Arabia is absolutely crucial for that purpose, and I'm ready to discuss it with the Crown Prince or with any other Saudi officials," Guterres said.The secretary general noted Saudi Arabia is an important part of peace talks to stop the war in Yemen which has been wracked by violence since 2014, when the Houthis overran much of the country, including capital Sanaa.War crimes allegations filed against Saudi crown princeThe conflict escalated in 2015 when Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies launched a devastating air campaign aimed at rolling back Houthi gains."I believe it is a very important objective at the present moment. If we are able to stop the Yemeni war, we will be stopping the most tragic humanitarian disaster we are facing in today's world."Guterres, however, did not answer whether he would raise the issue of conducting a transparent and independent investigation into the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, after reports surfaced the CIA concluded with high confidence that bin Salman ordered the killing.Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist and columnist for The Washington Post, went missing after entering the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2.After initially saying he had left the consulate alive, the Saudi administration admitted weeks later that he was killed there.Tunisians protest planned visit of Saudi crown prince
UN chief says ready to meet Saudi crown prince at G20