Posted on 11/17/2021 4:42:46 PM PST by RandFan
Rand Paul’s office told RS today that the Republican senator is readying a joint resolution of disapproval to stop the Biden Administration’s expected sale of $650 million worth of “defensive” air-to-air missiles or AMRAAMs, as well as 596 missile launches to Saudi Arabia, as announced on Nov. 4
“A message needs to be sent to Saudi Arabia that we don’t approve of their war in Yemen,” Paul said in a statement to Responsible Statecraft.
The news was also confirmed in an Intercept report this afternoon in which Paul said he aims to file a privileged motion to stop the export, which would guarantee an immediate floor vote on whether to disapprove the sale. That vote could occur within the next two weeks, according to the Intercept’s Sara Sirota.
Interestingly, the article centered around Paul’s interest in generating support from his Democratic colleagues, particularly those who have typically been on the same page when it comes to U.S. arms sales to Saudi Arabia and its Gulf state neighbor, UAE. But as the report suggests, Biden’s fellow Dems aren’t hopping on the bandwagon right away, at least not yet.
Sen. Bernie Sanders did not show outright skepticism. He told the Intercept that he has yet to see the details, but he’s “not unsympathetic” to what Paul is trying to do. (UPDATE: According to Sirota, Sanders’ office now says it will co-sponsor Paul’s resolution).
Other comments speak to what could be the sticking point for many others — the difference between “offensive” and “defensive” weapons. At the beginning of his term, President Biden pledged to end all assistance to Riyadh for its “offensive” operations in Yemen. In the months since, analysts have scratched their heads over what that really means and whether the administration would find loopholes through which to drive new arms sales to Saudi Arabia anyway (there is one, approved by the Trump administration, still on hold).
The State Department has justified this latest deal of AMRAAMs by saying they would be used to “defend” the Saudis from cross-border attacks by the Houthis. Critics have responded by saying Riyadh could easily use to the missiles to enforce the economic blockade on Yemen — a form of offensive warfare as it’s put tens of millions of Yemenis at risk of starvation and disease.
So far, it sounds like Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., normally a Saudi arms critic, is not sure. “My position generally has been to support truly defensive weapons sales to the Saudis, while opposing sales that could be used in offensive operations, particularly in Yemen,” he told Sirota.
Paul’s action would follow a joint resolution of disapproval introduced by Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Mich.) last week. Meanwhile, Sanders and Sen. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) have introduced an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would end all military assistance to Saudi Arabia for its war in Yemen (defensive, offensive, or otherwise). Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) passed similar language in the House version of the NDAA.
He’s right
Don’t forget the 15 of 19 hijackers on 911 and Kobar Towers.
We rebuild the World Trade Center exactly as it was and they pay for it. Turn it into a prison just in case they do it again. Moozlem prisoners.
The MIC will defeat it but will be interesting to see which Dems side with Biden.
Murphy is already waffling...
Get out of that stinking ME sandbox, except to help Israel, and let them fight it out. No more American Blood & Treasure.
Why don’t we approve of the Saudi war in Yemen? They are fighting the Houthi rebels who have attacked Saudi targets, and are Iranian proxies, about like HezBollah. If Houthis prevail, Iran will have a solid foothold on the Arabian peninsula and advance bases for terrorism against the west.
What’s wrong with the war in Yemen? They’re killing jihadis.
Sell them the missiles anyway. Presumably we are making a profit on this.
At least they are buying them instead of us just giving them away.
The Saudis use the AMRAAM to take down Yemeni drones. That’s the most expensive way imaginable to deal with a helpless drone but I’m sure the Saudis don’t care.
One clarification, air to air missiles can be used in either offensive or defensive roles. If enemy aircraft are engaged in hostile operations - attacking your aircraft, ground positions, naval assets.... Then using air to air missiles to stop that is defensive use. But if you're escorting a strike package into contested territory and preemptively take out any air assets that come up to oppose you - that's offensive use or use in support of offensive operations.
I say make the sale. We need the money, it can get folded back into R&D to make our stuff better. Besides, if they're doing the fighting great, not our blood getting spilled.
I honestly don’t really care what they do in Yemen. It may be terrible. I certainly do not want to pay for it or have my country littered with Yemeni.
Great idea, Rand!
The USA and Israel will be so much more secure when the Muslim Brotherhood is running Saudi Arabia instead of that dreadful Royal Family.
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