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Saudi Arabia rejects US Senate 'interference' in kingdom's affairs Saudi Arabia rebukes US Senate over Khashoggi resolution
(about 5 hours later)
Saudi Arabia has rejected as “interference” a US Senate resolution to end American military support for a Riyadh-led war in Yemen, and another holding its crown prince responsible for the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Saudi Arabia has issued an unusually strong rebuke of the US Senate, rejecting a bipartisan resolution that put the blame for the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi squarely on the Saudi crown prince and describing it as interference in the kingdom’s affairs.
“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia rejects the position expressed recently by the United States Senate, which was based upon unsubstantiated claims and allegations, and contained blatant interferences in the Kingdom’s internal affairs, undermining the Kingdom’s regional and international role,” the statement carried by Saudi Press Agency on Sunday said. It was the latest sign of how the relationship between the royal court and Congress has deteriorated, more than two months after Khashoggi was killed and dismembered by Saudi agents inside the kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul. The assassins have been linked to Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman.
“The Kingdom hopes that it is not drawn into domestic political debates in the United States of America, to avoid any ramifications on the ties between the two countries that could have significant negative impacts on this important strategic relationship.” On Thursday US senators passed the measure that blamed the prince for Khashoggi’s killing and called on Riyadh to “ensure appropriate accountability”. Senators also passed a separate measure calling for the end of US aid to the Saudi-led war in Yemen.
In a lengthy statement early on Monday, Saudi Arabia said the Senate’s resolution “contained blatant interferences” in the kingdom’s internal affairs and undermines its regional and international role. The resolution was based on “unsubstantiated claims and allegations,” the statement also said.
“The kingdom categorically rejects any interference in its internal affairs, any and all accusations, in any manner, that disrespect its leadership ... and any attempts to undermine its sovereignty or diminish its stature,” it said.
Such language is usually reserved for those who criticise the kingdom’s human rights record, such as Sweden in 2015 after the public flogging of a blogger, and Canada this year over the arrests of women’s rights activists.
Bu the statement was also tempered in saying the kingdom “reaffirms” its commitment to relations with the United States and describing the Senate as “an esteemed legislative body of an allied and friendly government”.
Donald Trump has been reluctant to condemn the crown prince, despite US intelligence officials concluding that Prince Mohammed must have at least had knowledge of the plot. Trump instead has touted Saudi arms deals worth billions of dollars and has thanked the Saudis for lower oil prices.
Saudi Arabia denies Prince Mohammed was involved in the 2 October killing of Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist who wrote critically of the crown prince. Under intense international pressure, the kingdom recently acknowledged that the plot was masterminded by top Saudi agents close to Prince Mohammed.
Khashoggi killer heard saying 'I know how to cut' on audio – ErdoğanKhashoggi killer heard saying 'I know how to cut' on audio – Erdoğan
On Thursday, the US Senate passed a resolution calling for an end to American military support to the Saudi-led coalition in the Yemen war, and asserted Congress’s right to decide on matters of war and peace. After shifting accounts about what happened to Khashoggi, Saudi Arabia said its investigations concluded that the crown prince’s aides had plotted to bring Khashoggi by force back to Saudi Arabia and that the agents on the ground exceeded their authority and killed him.
The measure, which passed by 56 votes to 41, marked the first time the Senate had invoked the 1973 War Powers Resolution to seek to curb the power of the president to take the US into an armed conflict. It marked a significant bipartisan rebuke to the Trump administration, which lobbied intensively against it. The Saudi statement said the Senate’s position will not affects the kingdom’s “leading role in the region” and the stability of international energy markets, its counterterrorism cooperation and its stand with the US in confronting Iran.It “sends the wrong messages to all those who want to cause a rift in Saudi-US relationship,” the statement added.
Though largely symbolic, the US Senate’s vote on Thursday dealt a fresh warning to President Trump, who has staunchly backed the Saudi regime, despite global uproar over the Yemen conflict and the murder of journalist Khashoggi.
The Senate also approved a resolution condemning Khashoggi’s murder and calling Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, “responsible” for it.
The passing of the bipartisan resolution was seen as a symbolic gesture reflecting lack of confidence in Trump’s handling of policy towards Yemen and Saudi Arabia, and in particular his personal support for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The Saudi ministry warned that the kingdom would not tolerate any “disrespect” of its rulers.
“This position by the US Senate sends the wrong messages to all those who want to cause a rift in Saudi-US relationship,” the ministry said.
“The kingdom hopes that it is not drawn into domestic political debates in the US to avoid any ... significant negative impact on this important strategic relationship.”
The Senate resolution acknowledged the US-Saudi ties were “important” but called on Riyadh to “moderate its increasingly erratic foreign policy”.
The resolutions cannot be debated in the House of Representatives before January, and would likely be vetoed in any case by Trump.
But the Senate votes send a strong message to the White House over anger on both sides of the aisle towards Riyadh.
Khashoggi, a Saudi contributor to the Washington Post, was killed on 2 October shortly after entering the kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul in what Riyadh called a “rogue” operation.
The murder has tarnished Riyadh’s international reputation, and Western countries including the United States, France and Canada have placed sanctions on nearly 20 Saudi nationals.
Rubio slams White House on Khashoggi after report Kushner counselled prince
UN chief Antonio Guterres on Sunday called for a “credible” probe into the murder.
Anger at the human cost of the war in Yemen has also prompted a harder line in Congress about the US military’s role in backing Saudi-led coalition strikes against Huthi rebels.
Since the coalition launched its campaign in 2015, the conflict has killed nearly 10,000 people, according to the World Health Organization. But some rights groups believe the toll to be far higher.
Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia
YemenYemen
Jamal KhashoggiJamal Khashoggi
Middle East and North AfricaMiddle East and North Africa
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