MONITORING DESK
WASHINGTON
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday again defended US ties with Saudi Arabia on national security grounds after the Senate voted to end support to the kingdom\u2019s war in Yemen.
In a rare rebuke of President Donald Trump, the Republican-controlled Senate voted Thursday to end US backing for the Saudi-led coalition whose campaign in Yemen has contributed to what the UN calls the world\u2019s worst humanitarian crisis.
\u201cWe certainly have great respect for what the legislative branch does and we\u2019re in constant contact with members on Capitol Hill so we understand their concerns,\u201d Pompeo told reporters.
He said the administration was trying \u201cour level best to articulate why our policies are what they are and how we can ensure the right policy for the United States of America and to keep our country safe.\u201d
US Senate votes to end Yemen war support, terms Saudi prince responsible for Khashoggi murder
He said there was a \u201creal risk to the United States of America\u201d from Iran, which is allied with Houthi rebels who control Yemen\u2019s capital Sanaa.
The Senate voted to invoke the Vietnam War-era War Powers Act, which reasserts the power of Congress rather than the White House to enter armed conflict.
But the House of Representatives has not yet voted and the margin in the Senate vote was not high enough to override a potential veto by Trump.
The Senate separately denounced Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as responsible for the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, the US-based Saudi dissident writer who was dismembered inside the kingdom\u2019s consulate in Istanbul.
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, joining Pompeo in the joint news conference with their Canadian counterparts, noted that the Senate vote came amid progress in Yemen peace talks.
Mattis said the US \u2013 which has called on but not forced the Saudis to halt their air campaign \u2013 contributed to the diplomatic effort in \u201cending that war that has gone on too long.\u201d
Saudi Arabia\u2019s bombing campaign has hit hospitals and a school bus, while a blockade has contributed to widespread starvation, with the United Nations saying that one child is dying every minute from preventable causes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
MONITORING DESKWASHINGTONSecretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday again defended US ties with Saudi Arabia on national security grounds after the Senate voted to end support to the kingdom\u2019s war in Yemen.In a rare rebuke of President Donald Trump, the Republican-controlled Senate voted Thursday to end US backing for the Saudi-led coalition whose campaign in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-40595","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-world"],"yoast_head":"\n