Senate rebukes Trump’s Saudi policy after ‘inadequate’ briefing

Nov. 29 (UPI) — The Senate on Wednesday overwhelmingly advanced a resolution to end U.S. involvement in the Saudi Arabian-led war in Yemen after bi-partisan dissatisfaction of a closed-door briefing by Cabinet members on Saudi policy.

By a 63-37 vote, the Senate moved forward on a vote to direct the removal from hostilities in the Republic of Yemen that have not been authorized by Congress. Nine months ago, the Senate rejected the same measure by six votes.

Fourteen Republicans joined all the Democrats in supporting the measure.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., was among the senators who changed his mind because of the Trump administration’s handling of Saudi’s involvement in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Graham was particularly upset about an “inadequate” briefing by Defense Secretary James Mattis and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. CIA Director Gina Haspel nor any representative from the CIA, who have the best intelligence assessment of Khashoggi’s murder, appeared before the senators.

“I changed my mind because I’m pissed,” said Graham, often a strong ally of President Donald Trump. “I don’t think the War Powers Act is one, constitutional, [and] two, the aid we provide to Saudi Arabia and Yemen would require an authorization to use military force. Having said that, the way the administration has handled the Saudi Arabia is just not acceptable.”

Graham said he expressed his concerns to the White House earlier Wednesday. “I said, listen, it’s pretty obvious to me that we’re a co-equal branch, you’ve made your assessments about what the intelligence shows, I’d like to make my own. The only way I can make that assessment is to be briefed. If it is credible that the crown prince was complicit, then I will take action consistent with that.”

Suspending arm sales is one possibility.

CIA press secretary Timothy Barrett said his agency already briefed the Intelligence Committee and congressional leadership.

He added: “The notion that anyone told Director Haspel not to attend today’s briefing is false.”

Pompeo, speaking to reporters after the briefing, said “there is no direct reporting connecting the crown prince to the order of the murder of Jamal Khashoggi.”

President Trump said in a statement last week that “our intelligence agencies continue to assess all information, but it could very well be that the Crown Prince had knowledge of this tragic event — maybe he did and maybe he didn’t!”