WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia, and Counterterrorism, released the following statement regarding the U.S. State Department’s decision to sell $1.29 billion in arms and ammunition to Saudi Arabia to be used in the fight against ISIS.
“I continue to have serious concerns about the Administration’s decision to proceed with a $1.3 billion arms sale to Saudi Arabia. This sale was announced amidst reports that the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen was indiscriminately bombing civilian targets and blocking humanitarian aid from reaching opposition-held areas. While the coalition has made some improvements in both these areas, more needs to be done before this sale is finalized. This is why it’s important that Congress has invoked a provision of the Arms Export Control Act to further review the sale 30 days before delivery.
“In Yemen, the continued violence and instability have empowered both ISIS and al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, which can now operate more freely amid the chaos. Moreover, the Gulf countries have pulled out of active operations against ISIS as they have focused all their resources on defeating the Houthi rebels. U.S. participation in the Saudi-led military effort in Yemen does not advance our national security interests if it results in the strengthening of extremist groups or the weakening of the anti-ISIS coalition.
“It is time for Congress to ask some hard questions about the U.S. relationship with Saudi Arabia, and I plan to focus my attention on this issue in the coming weeks. No doubt, this alliance has formed the bedrock of U.S. strategy in the Middle East for decades. But we need the Saudis to be full partners in the fight against ISIS and the efforts to address the humanitarian crises in the region. Today, they are more interested in fighting Iran than countering extremism or averting humanitarian disasters. Our relationship with Saudi Arabia can't be one way - it's long past time to demand more from our Saudi partners.”
