News
Show news feed

The US House of Representatives supported resolutions blocking the sale of precision-guided munitions to Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

President Donald Trump promised to impose a veto, CNBC reported

Earlier, the Senate supported 22 resolutions disapproving of Trump’s plan for billions of dollars in weapons sales despite Congress’ objections, the House passed three of the 22, two on a vote of 238-190 and the third by a 237-190 margin.

“The three resolutions would block the sale of Raytheon Co precision-guided munitions and related equipment to the two countries. The House’s Democratic leaders opted to take up those three before the others because the PGMs could be delivered quickly, aides said. Some lawmakers also suspect that the PGMs have been used against civilians in Yemen’s civil war,” the source said.

Senate support for these resolutions was one of the few instances when a Republican-led chamber opposed the president’s foreign policy.

Lawmakers want Washington to push Riyadh to improve the human rights situation and do more to avoid civilian casualties in the war in Yemen.

Frustration grew after the murder of Saudi journalist and Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, a U.S. resident.

“This is a strong message, I think, that our values must guide our foreign policy,” said Representative Eliot Engel, the Democratic chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, urging support for the resolutions before the vote.

Trump wants to maintain close ties with Riyadh, considering it to be an important partner in the Middle East and a counterweight to Iran’s influence.

Trump announced in May that he intends to bypass the consideration of military deals in Congress, citing an emergency in connection with the ‘threats’ from Iran.

!
This text available in   Հայերեն and Русский
Print
Photos