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| US Senate greenlights $1.15 bln arms sale to Saudi Arabia | US Senate greenlights $1.15 bln arms sale to Saudi Arabia |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The U.S. Senate gave the go-ahead for a $1.15 billion sale of tanks and other military equipment to Saudi Arabia by blocking the bill opposing the controversial transaction. | The U.S. Senate gave the go-ahead for a $1.15 billion sale of tanks and other military equipment to Saudi Arabia by blocking the bill opposing the controversial transaction. |
| The effort was led by Republican Senator Rand Paul and Democratic Senator Chris Murphy who argued that Saudi Arabia's role in the conflict in Yemen and its human rights record doesn't make it a good recipient of American arms. | The effort was led by Republican Senator Rand Paul and Democratic Senator Chris Murphy who argued that Saudi Arabia's role in the conflict in Yemen and its human rights record doesn't make it a good recipient of American arms. |
| The Senate voted 71 to 27 against the resolution to block the billion dollar sale of tanks, guns and other military equipment. | |
| The Pentagon announced last month that the State Department had approved the potential sale of more than 130 Abrams battle tanks, 20 armored recovery vehicles and other equipment to Saudi Arabia. | |
| Republican Senator Rand Paul and Democratic Senator Chris Murphy led the effort to block that sale stating concerns it may fuel an ongoing regional arms race. | |
| Murphy told Politico prior to the debate his aim wasn’t necessarily to pass the resolution, but rather to press Saudi Arabia on its role in the civil war in Yemen. | |
| Senator Rand Paul said during the debate that illegal wars are ongoing in Iraq and Syria as there was no congressional authorisation and this debate was an indirect vote on whether war should take place in Yemen. | |
| “It’s an indirect vote because they won’t allow a direct vote”, he said. | |
| Senator Paul argued the people of the US deserve to have a debate on “when and where we should be at war." | |
| He said it’s not about just selling arms it’s about whether or not we will be complicit in a war on Yemen. | |
| “ People say no big deal we are not really at war in Yemen well yes we are, we are refuelling Saudi bombers that are dropping bombs in Yemen,” he said. | |
| “We’ve given Saudi Arabia a hundred billion dollars worth of weapons.. So we do need to ask is Saudi Arabia a good ally?” |