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Senate Resolution on Yemen Much Ado About Nothing

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Senate Resolution on Yemen Much Ado About Nothing

by Stephen Lendman

On Thursday, Senate members approved a resolution by a 56 - 41 majority to cut off US military support for the Saudis in or “affecting” war in Yemen.

The legislation calls for the Trump regime to withdraw US troops from the country related to the ongoing conflict.

Separately, the body unanimously approved another measure, blaming Saudi crown prince Mohammad bin Salman (MBS) for Jamal Khashoggi’s murder. His regime’s “misleading statements undermined trust and confidence” in the kingdom, the resolution said.

GOP House members blocked a vote to end US military support for the Saudis in Yemen through the remainder of the year.

Speaker Paul Ryan’s-led GOP action was supported by enough undemocratic Dems for adoption - by an amendment inserted in the congressionally passed farm bill, the unseemly way unpopular measures become the law of the land when enacted.

House speaker-elect Nancy Pelosi concurred with Ryan, opposing sanctions and other congressional actions against MBS until the so-called investigation into Khashoggi’s murder is completed - turning truth on its head, saying “(o)ur decisions are evidence-based.”

Indisputable evidence proves MBS’ responsibility for ordering the murder. Pelosi supports stonewalling actions against the crown prince and the kingdom instead of responsibly demanding both.

A separate article explained that throughout the post-WW II era and earlier, Congress and the White House supported dirty business as usual with the kingdom. What’s going on now won’t change things. 

If Republicans and undemocratic Dems were serious about ending US military support for the Saudis, they’d approve veto-proof House and Senate legislation, including in Syria where the kingdom is involved.

The vast majority of House and Senate members support all US wars of aggression, overwhelmingly passing legislation financing them.

When the new Congress convenes in January, legislation to cut off funding for the Saudis in Yemen short of a veto-proof margin will assure dirty business as usual with the kingdom continues unchanged.

Not since the anti-Vietnam war movement, publication of the Pentagon papers by the NYT and Washington Post, a historic half million people rally in Washington against the war in November 1969, teach-ins and other anti-war activism on US college campuses nationwide, and numerous other events to end the war did Nixon announce the end of US involvement in January 1973.

In June, the Case-Church amendment followed, cutting off all congressional funding for the war after August 15. A decade of Southeast Asia war finally ended with a humiliating Saigon embassy rooftop pullout on April 30, 1975.

Ending involvement against Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos was the last time Congress and the Executive ceased US aggression anywhere instead of initiating it - notably the rape of Yugoslavia, in the Middle East, Central Asia and North Africa.

Yemen is Washington’s war. The Saudis, UAE, Britain, France, and Israel are junior partners in what’s going on.

As long as US policymakers support continued war in the country, it’ll rage endlessly, the horrendous human toll of no consequence.

Senate action against the Saudis was much ado about nothing. US/Riyadh relations remain unchanged.

Sustained furor over the killing of a Saudi national, while ignoring the kingdom’s horrendous human rights abuses internally and abroad, is all about opposition to MBS’ reckless rule.

The CIA and Britain’s MI6 consider him unstable, unreliable, untrustworthy, and a regional menace. They want him prevented from succeeding his father as king.

That’s what congressional action reflects. Whether it’s enough for king Salman to replace his favorite son with another crown prince remains to be seen.

Whichever way it goes, US relations with the kingdom remain solid. Trump regime hardliners and congressional leaders consider Saudi Arabia the key Arab country in the region, a longtime partner in Washington’s Middle East wars.

The relationship won’t change over Khashoggi’s murder nor MBS’ responsibility for ordering it.

US/Saudi relations are firm whether he remains crown prince or is replaced.

VISIT MY NEW WEB SITE: stephenlendman.org (Home - Stephen Lendman). Contact at [email protected].

 

My newest book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III."

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

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