A Biden Saving Grace-- Or A Fakeout?

 

I was talking with a friend of mine today-- a super-progressive-- about how the CIA and FBI seem so blatantly opposed to Trump. I don't want to start raging about the "deep state," but in my 7 decades on this earth I can't think of a time when I ever thought of the CIA and FBI as the "good guys." And then when I read about these hotshot monsters from those and other allied organizations endorsing Biden... well, it confirms all my worst fears about what a mess we're headed for in January.

However, Marianne Williamson hipped me to this posting in Middle East Monitor that hasn't gotten much play but that is actually a ray of sunshine in these dark times: Biden to end US support for Yemen war. Maybe he actually is listening to Bernie?

Democratic presidential candidate, Joe Biden, has pledged to end his country’s support for Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen if he becomes president.

“Under Biden-Harris Administration, we will reassess our relationship with the [Saudi Arabia] Kingdom, end US support for Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen, and make sure America does not check its values at the door to sell arms or buy oil,” Biden said in a statement on his campaign website.

The war in Yemen has been one of the main topics of debate between Biden and his rival, Republican candidate and current President, Donald Trump.

Trump has been supporting Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in their war in Yemen in return for large arms deals.

International human rights organisations have repeatedly criticised Washington’s role in the war in Yemen, and the continued sale of weapons to Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which have led to grave human rights violations.

Last month the Atlantic Council published a report by former Yemeni foreign minister Khaled Hussein Alyemany that I hope is influencing American policy-- Yemen: Enough Of War

After six years of war in Yemen, it looks like the world’s worst humanitarian crisis is being forgotten and treated with indifference. The international community is overstretched with many crises, and Yemen seems far from the highest priority.

The latest report by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) shows that only thirty United Nations (UN) member states pledged $1.35 billion in humanitarian assistance for 2020 at the virtual High-Level Pledging Event for the Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen on June 2, despite a call for $3.38 billion. The pledge is much lower than needed to meet the country’s humanitarian needs, which have been further exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic and the flooding and torrential rains of recent months.

In preparation for the UN high segment that will start next week, the United Kingdom-- the lead country for Yemen at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC)-- will organize a roundtable session to assess the situation in Yemen jointly with Kuwait, Germany, and Sweden. During the meeting, UN Secretary-General António Guterres will reaffirm his vision for ending the Yemen war by joining efforts to combat COVID-19 and sending a message to the Yemeni government and the Houthis to work on the Joint Declaration to end the conflict.

The gathering will paint a catastrophic picture of Yemen for the attendees. Widespread conflict with the Houthis’ constant attempts to take Marib, the last government stronghold in the north, threatens the lives of more than 1.5 million internally displaced Yemenis, who sought safe haven there. The death toll in recent confrontations is catastrophic and a waste of young lives.

Over the last few months, I have explained the importance of Marib in the overall approach to the conflict on multiple occasions. On the one hand, preventing the fall of Marib preserves hope that Yemen can be free of militias and maintains the high morale of the united Federal Republic and the establishment. On the other hand, the collapse of Marib would definitively consolidate the Houthi regime and change the conflict’s dynamics, putting an end to UN and international efforts to achieve peace and opening the door for further fragmentation of Yemen.

The economic crisis is deepening with the depreciation of the Yemeni rial, which lost 70 percent of its value against the US dollar in the last five years. During recent times, the huge supply of Yemeni currency reached six trillion compared to two trillion in 2014, spiking accumulative inflation to 110 percent. Today, 24 million Yemeni citizens depend partially or totally on international or regional assistance. Yemen’s economy depends on money from aid agencies, such as the Saudi deposit in the Central Bank of Yemen and expat remittances, but the sources are depleting. That grim picture is tied to the government’s inability to operate from Yemen, serve the people, and mitigate the drastic impact of the war by contributing to salary payments.

The Houthis have also been responsible for the depreciation of the Yemeni rial by looting of all the reserves from the Sana’a branch of the Central Bank, as have warlords from both sides in the oil and derivatives black market. But the most impactful element on the current economic situation lies in the government decision to float the trade of oil derivatives, which empowers and enriches warlords across the political divide, enabling them to invest millions in blood money in the neighboring countries of the Middle East.

For the last six months, UN Special Envoy Martin Griffiths has continued his efforts to reach a Joint Declaration between the Yemeni government and the Houthis, consisting of a national ceasefire, economic and humanitarian measures, and a resumption of political consultations to reach a sustainable and implementable political solution in Yemen. If the parties are not willing to take up the initiative this time, they still have the choice to opt for peace or continue down the path of war, destruction, human carnage, and suffering of the Yemeni people.

Today, the Security Council has an urgent call to action from all Yemenis living in total despair. It’s time to step up for war-torn Yemen by pushing for a resolution to the conflict. There is still a window of opportunity through the Joint Declaration, which the Council should seize by demanding in the strongest terms that the parties must compromise and work for peace. This will lead to the cessation of hostilities and send the right signal to the international community to be more generous with its pledges to Yemen, which, in turn, will save millions from the brink of famine. Once the government of Yemen and the Houthis move one step towards peace, worldwide donors will see the light at the end of the tunnel and will come to help.

Yemenis also urge the Gulf Cooperation Countries (GCC), our allies in the struggle for a more peaceful Yemen, to continue their generous contribution to the UN Humanitarian Appeal as they did during 2018-2019.

Finally, the Yemeni people will always remember the tireless efforts of the United Kingdom to pursue peace in Yemen, continued today by the kind, sustainable, and predictable support announced on September 17 by UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab.

Let’s work for peace to ensure hope for future generations.

  

Is Trump Going To Bomb The Shit Out Of Everyone?

A few days ago, Alex Kane wrote a post for In These Times, Here’s Exactly Who’s Profiting from the War on Yemen. As the poverty-stricken Yemenis and their children die, "U.S. arms merchants have grown rich." In one horrific bombing attack, "fragments of the bombs were documented by journalists and HRW with help from Mastaba villagers. An HRW munitions expert determined the bombs were 2,000-pound MK-84s, manufactured by General Dynamics. Based in Falls Church, Virginia, General Dynamics is the world’s sixth most profitable arms manufacturer. One of the bombs used a satellite guidance kit from Chicago-based Boeing, the world’s second-most profitable weapons company. The other bomb had a Paveway guidance system, made by either Raytheon of Waltham, Massachusetts., the third-largest arms company in the world, or Lockheed Martin of Bethesda, Maryland, the world’s top weapons contractor. An In These Times analysis found that in the past decade, the State Department has approved at least $30.1 billion in Saudi military contracts for these four companies."

The war in Yemen has been particularly lucrative for General Dynamics, Boeing and Raytheon, which have received hundreds of millions of dollars in Saudi weapons deals. All three corporations have highlighted business with Saudi Arabia in their reports to shareholders. Since the war began in March 2015, General Dynamics’ stock price has risen from about $135 to $169 per share, Raytheon’s from about $108 to more than $180, and Boeing’s from about $150 to $360.

Lockheed Martin declined to comment for this story. A spokesman for Boeing said the company follows “guidance from the United States government,” while Raytheon replied, “You will need to contact the U.S. government.” General Dynamics did not respond to inquiries. The State Department declined to comment on the record.

The weapons contractors are correct on one point: They’re working hand-in-glove with the State Department. By law, the department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs must approve any arms sales by U.S. companies to foreign governments. U.S. law also prohibits sales to countries that indiscriminately kill civilians, as the Saudi-led military coalition bombing Yemen did in the Mastaba strike and many other documented cases. But ending sales to Saudi Arabia would cost the U.S. arms industry its biggest global customer, and to do so, Congress must cross an industry that pours millions into the campaigns of lawmakers of both parties.

...Saudi Arabia’s precision-guided munitions are responsible for the vast majority of deaths documented by human rights groups. In These Times found that, since 2009, Saudi Arabia has ordered more than 27,000 missiles worth at least $1.8 billion from Raytheon alone, plus 6,000 guided bombs from Boeing (worth about $332 million) and 1,300 cluster munitions from Rhode Island-based Textron (worth about $641 million).

About $650 million of those Raytheon orders and an estimated $103 million of the Boeing orders came after the Saudi war in Yemen began.

The ink was barely dry before $500 million of the deal was threatened by a bill, introduced by Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) in May 2017, to block the sale of bombs to Saudi Arabia. In response, Boeing and Raytheon hired lobbying firms to make their case.

In the end, five Democrats-- Joe Donnelly (IN), Claire McCaskill (MO), Joe Manchin (WV), Bill Nelson (FL) and Mark Warner (VA)-- broke with their party to ensure arms sales continued, in a 53-47 vote. [Donnelly, McCaskill and Nelson were subsequently all defeated for reelection due to low-than-expected Democratic turnout in their races.] The five had collectively received tens of thousands in arms industry donations, and would receive another $148,032 in the next election cycle from the PACs and employees of Boeing and Raytheon. Nelson and McCaskill pulled in $44,308 and $57,230, respectively. Weapons firms are aided by a revolving door with the Trump administration. Then-Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, a former General Dynamics board member, warned Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) that the Rand Paul bill would be a boon for Iran. Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan served as a senior vice president of Boeing prior to coming to the Defense Department, though it’s unclear whether he’s championed U.S.-Saudi arms deals.

...This spring, the Senate and House passed a bill championed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) requiring the United States to stop giving the Saudi coalition intelligence and to prohibit the in-air refueling of Saudi warplanes. It was the first time in U.S. history that both chambers of Congress invoked the War Powers Act, designed to check the president’s war-making powers by requiring congressional authorization to deploy troops overseas. Trump vetoed the bill on April 16.

We asked Ro Khanna, who-- with Bernie Sanders-- put so much effort into getting Congres to pass bipartisan legislation to prevent Trump from doing exactly this, what he thought about this newest developments. This is what he said, in a written statement, last night:

Every bomb sold to Saudi Arabia is another bomb for Saudi bomber jets to drop on Yemeni hospitals, weddings, markets, and school buses. President Trump’s claim that selling weapons to Saudi Arabia constitutes an ‘emergency’ is a farcical attempt to obscure the shameful reality that ‘made in the U.S.A’ bombs are killing innocent civilians and fueling the world’s worst humanitarian crises in Yemen.

If this happens, the Trump admin. is resorting to the most desperate of measures out of concern they don’t have the votes in Congress to approve such arms sales. The historic passage of the bipartisan and bicameral Yemen War Powers Resolution highlights that congressional opposition to U.S. backing for the Saudi-led coalition’s barbaric war continues to grow.

Congress must seize every available opportunity to stop the delivery and transfer of bombs to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and other coalition countries for their barbaric war in Yemen. Through this year’s National Defense Authorization Act, the Defense Appropriations bill, and other forms of legislation, I will continue to work with my colleagues in Congress and with peace and humanitarian groups to stop bomb sales and end all forms of U.S. participation in this war.

And now what? Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) was speaking for many Democrats (and some Republicans) when he warned this week that the Trump Regime (Bolton) is considering a move to bypass Congress and push through the sale of bombs to Saudi Arabia by declaring a national security emergency. "I am hearing that Trump may use an obscure loophole in the Arms Control Act and notice a major new sale of bombs to Saudi Arabia (the ones they drop in Yemen) in a way that will prevent Congress from objecting. Arms control law allows Congress to reject a sale to a foreign country. But Trump would claim the sale constitutes an ‘emergency’ which means Congress can't take a vote of disapproval. It would go through automatically."

Jim Himes (D-CT) is a senior Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee and chairman of the Subcommittee on Strategic Technologies and Advanced Research. He's closely allied with Murphy and he told me yesterday that "By any standard, the Saudi-led war on Yemen is a moral disgrace. Congress spoke loud and clear on the matter and despite his veto, the President would be wise not to thumb his nose at the Congress or at basic standards of decency."

Directly across the Long Island Sound from Murphy's and Himes' constituencies, Tom Suozzi is the congressman for most of northern Long Island. He was revolted by the same things Murphy was warning about. "Awful," he told me this morning. "There is an unmitigated humanitarian disaster of epic proportions taking place in Yemen. We should not be supplying weapons to the Saudi’s to make things worse. More important, the president cannot act as though he is a sole proprietor who can act based upon his sole discretion. He is the chief executive of a nation governed by a constitution that requires him to work with the Congress in matters involving federal funds (which is just about everything) and actions that involve war powers."

Himes and Suozzi are both New Dems and both Pelosi supporters. But I get the feeling that little by little, their support for her "no impeachment diktat" is beginning to crumble. If she loses backers like Tom Suozzi and Jim Himes, she's on her own with Steny Hoyer, a bunch of Californians and Hakeem Jeffries.

Mike Siegel is running for Congress in gerrymandered district that goes from Austin the the Houston exurbs. The incumbent is Trump rubber stamp Michael McCaul, the ranking Republican on the House Foreign Relations Committee-- and Trump's partner in enabling the genocide in Yemen. Since first being elected, McCaul has taken $478,100 from weapons makers. This cycle alone, McCaul has already taken $128,000 from arms manufacturers. He backs all of Trump's worst policies. Siegel, who came close to defeating him in 2018 pointed out that "Trump's threat to ignore Congress and facilitate the continuing massacre in Yemen is unconscionable and unconstitutional. I pray that Republicans and Democrats alike will take decisive action to ensure that the United States is not aiding and abetting war crimes."

Since 2012 Northrop Grumman has spent $32,163,165 bribing members of Congress with legalistic campaign contributions. Last cycle, the top recipients in the House (among those still saving in Congress) were:

• Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD)- $42,010
• Don Beyer (New Dem-VA)- $30,850
• Adam Smith (New Dem-WA)- $25,400
• Jim Langevin (D-RI)- $23,800
• Steve Scalise (R-LA)- $23,475
• Devin Nunes (R-CA)- $22,004
• Matha Roby (R-AL)- $22,000
• Mac Thornberry (R-TX)- $21,400
• Pete Aguilar (New Dem-CA)- $20,042

Boeing has spent nearly the same amount on legalistic congressional bribes-- $32,578,312 since 2012. And this past cycle the top recipients in the House were:

• Adam Smith (New Dem-WA)- $31,250
• Kim Schrier (New Dem-WA)- $27,690
• Debbie Dingell (D-MI)- $17,900
• Ann Wagner (R-MO)- $17,025
• Martha Roby (R-AL)- $15,500
• Vicky Harzler (R-MO)- $15,400
• John Katko (R-NY)- $15,400
• Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO)- $15,400

Since 2012 Lockheed Martin's congressional bribery bill has been more: $39,683,044. Top recipients in the House last cycle were:

• Kay Granger (R-TX)- $131,940
• Pete Visclosky (New Dem-IN)- $49,800
• Roger Williams (R-TX)- $20,400
• John Carter (R-TX)- $17,500
• Marc Veasey (New Dem-TX)- $17,500
• Steve Scalise (R-LA)- $17,000
• John Larson (D-CT)- $16,200
• Martha Roby (R-AL)- $15,000

Congressional bribes from General Dynamics since 2012 amounted to $23,530,163. Top recipients among House members:

• Jim Langevin (D-RI)- $41,000
• Joe Courtney (New Dem-CT)- $35,400
• Adam Smith (New Dem-WA)- $20,700
• Ken Calvert (R-CA)- $16,800
• Pete Visclosky (New Dem-IN)- $16,000
• Tom Graves (R-GA)- $15,400
• Martha Roby (R-AL)- $15,000

Last, but not least, comes Raytheon, which spent $26,268,302 in congressional bribes since 2012. Last cycle, their biggest recipients in the House were:

• Mac Thornberry (R-TX)- $36,900
• Richard Neal (R-MA)- $31,650
• Martha Roby (R-TX)- $16,700
• Pete Visclosky (New Dem-IN)- $13,700
• Jim Langevin (D-RI)- $13,250
• Tom O'Halleran (Blue Dog-AZ)- $13,010
• Seth Moulton (New Dem-MA)- $12,720

UPDATE: Murphy Was Right!

Disregarding the Constitution, Trump invoked a nonsensical "emergency" to sell billions of dollars of advanced weapons to the Saudis and the Emeratis. According to CNN, Pompeo formally told lawmakers Friday of the administration's plans. The overwhelming response on Capitol Hill was anger. "Once again the Trump Administration is subverting the constitutional authority of Congress," Ted Lieu told me today. "An overwhelming bipartisan bicameral message was sent that Congress opposes further U.S. support of the Saudi coalition in the war in Yemen. This includes the sale of munitions to be used in that conflict. Congress has a legitimate role to play in approving foreign arms sales-- and now the Trump Administration seeks to override Congress and sell advanced weapons to Saudi Arabia anyway."

Today The Senate Voted To End The War In Yemen

"This is a victory for progressives; this is a victory for conservatives," explained Bernie Sanders right after his War Powers Resolution passed the Senate 54-46, all the Democrats being joined by 7 Republicans-- Mike Lee (R-UT), Steve Daines (R-MT), Rand Paul (R-KY), Susan Collins (R-ME), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Jerry Moran (R-KS) and Todd Young (R-IN). While the voting was taking place, Trump was screeching that he would veto it, claiming it was taking away his power as commander-in-chief.

Alas, when someone gave Trump a copy of the Constitution to read, he nodded off after Article I, Section 7. For his sake and the sake of people who watch Fox Fake News, this is clause 1 of Article I, Section 8-- clear as a bell:

The Congress shall have Power To... provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States.

And just for good measure, here is clause 11:

The Congress shall have Power . . . To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress.

Bernie congratulated his colleagues and the American people: "We can finally begin the process of reasserting Congress’s responsibility over war making. As every school child should know, Article 1 of the Constitution clearly states that it is Congress, not the president, that has the power to declare war."

The House already passed a slightly different version, Ro Khanna's HJ Res. 37 on February 13, with 18 Republicans joining all 230 Democrats, giving Khanna an impressive 248-177 victory for a bill that was angrily opposed by the Trump, Kushner-in-law and the rest of the Trumpist Regime. The House will vote in a couple of weeks to reconcile the two versions.

How the War in Yemen Could End in a Matter of Days

-by Reese Erlich

The murder of dissident Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi has intensified Washington’s debate over the war in Yemen. On February 13, by a 248-177 vote, the House of Representatives passed a War Powers Act resolution to end U.S. participation in the war.

But officials in Washington, D.C. don’t generally know that under terms of a little noticed U.S. law, President Donald Trump could end the Yemen War in a matter of days.

U.S. arms manufacturers such as Boeing and Lockheed Martin supply 57 percent of the military aircraft used by the Royal Saudi Air Force. The U.S. corporations hire hundreds of U.S. civilian mechanics and technicians to repair, maintain and fuel fighter jets and helicopters. The Arms Export Control Act requires Saudi Arabia to use the military equipment for legitimate self defense.

Under terms of a little noticed U.S. law, President Donald Trump could end the Yemen War in a matter of days.

Saudi Arabia’s consistent pattern of disproportionate attacks on civilians belies any claim of self defense, according to Brittany Benowitz, an attorney and former Congressional staffer who analyzes arms control issues.

“The Trump Administration is currently not complying with the requirements of the Arms Export Control Act,“ she told me. The act requires the President to stop supplies of spare parts and maintenance of Saudi fighter planes if they violate the act.

Those measures would undermine Saudi military capability fairly quickly, much faster than banning new arms sales, according to William Hartung, a defense analyst at the Center for International Policy. “It would affect their ability to fight immediately,” he said in an interview.

Representative Ro Khanna, Democrat of California, a co-sponsor of the War Powers resolution against the Yemen War, told me, “We would never tolerate the U.S. military having this kind of civilian casualties. The war makes us complicit.“

Operations and Maintenance

Two U.S. laws, the Arms Export Control Act and the Foreign Assistance Act are supposed to strictly control use of American-made weapons. Third country nationals are prohibited from operations and maintenance of U.S. aircraft in Saudi Arabia. That means either Americans or Saudis must hold those jobs.

Lawrence Korb, senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and former assistant secretary of defense, explained that the laws aim to protect U.S. military secrets.

“We have the most sophisticated weapons in the world,“ he told me. The law “makes sure you don’t have someone from another country who would jeopardize our security.”

U.S. policy is also supposed to encourage training of Saudis as mechanics and in other skilled jobs so the country can diversify its workforce. But it hasn’t worked out that way. Saudis don’t have the desire or the educational background for those jobs, said Joel Johnson, an analyst with the Teal Group, a company that analyzes the aerospace industry.

“U.S. contractors are heavily involved in making those things fly,” he told me. “A good madrasa teaching the Koran does not provide students the skill sets needed to be trained on maintaining an F-15.”

Richard Aboulafia, a vice president at Teal Group, told me that operations and maintenance have become a very profitable niche market for U.S. corporations. Defense contractors can make as much as 150 percent more profit from operations and maintenance than from the original arms sale, he said. In 2017 Boeing cut a $480 million deal to maintain and repair Saudi F-15 fighters.

Arms manufacturers, Aboulafia said, “use the razor blade model.” They make money from the initial plane sales, but “parts and maintenance provides the real money.”

Yemen War

In early 2015, Houthi rebels were on the verge of seizing power in Yemen. Saudi Arabia, claiming the Houthis were Iranian proxies, began a widespread bombing campaign. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates sent ground troops to occupy the southern part of the country. Both the Saudis and Emiratis predicted quick victory. That was nearly four years ago.

The Trump Administration argues that the Saudis are backing the legitimate Yemeni government of Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi and protecting Yemen from Iranian aggression. But Hadi’s term expired in 2015, and he has so little popular support that he lives in Saudi Arabia and only sporadically visits Yemen.

The Houthis, a conservative Shia political movement, control the northern part of the country. They stand accused of many human rights abuses, including recruiting child soldiers and firing missiles indiscriminately at civilian areas.

“It’s not good guys here and bad guys there,” said Korb. “The Saudis are trying to restore the government. But it’s not exactly democratic.”

U.S. and European companies provide virtually all of the munitions used to attack both military and civilian targets. Lockheed-Martin sold the guided missile that caused the deaths of forty children and eleven adults in the infamous school bus attack in August last year.

The Pentagon argues that its advisors play a very limited role in Yemen, and that it encourages the Saudis to avoid hitting civilian targets. The U.S. military provides about 100 technicians to maintain Saudi planes in addition to the hundreds of American civilian contractors.

Critics point out that the United States plays a bigger role in the war than the Pentagon admits. The U.S. Army runs a classified program inside Yemen called “Operation Yukon Journey“ that helps locate Houthi missiles. The UAE has hired former U.S. special ops soldiers to assassinate members of the Muslim Brotherhood, who oppose the UAE but are not connected with the Houthis.

“The U.S. role is quite comprehensive in Yemen,” said analyst Hartung, “from supplying the weapons, to targeting, fueling, and equipment maintenance. It’s quite extensive.”

Efforts to Stop the War

In the aftermath of the murder of dissident Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the Trump Administration has come under increased pressure to stop participating in the Yemen War.

Congress is considering a number of bills to reduce the U.S. role. Senators Robert Menendez, Democrat of New Jersey, and Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, introduced legislation to end future sales of offensive weapons to Saudi Arabia, but would also sanction Iran for its support of the Houthis.

Late last year, the administration stopped U.S. mid-air refueling of Saudi planes. It could also stop selling precision munitions, as ordered by President Obama in 2016 but reversed by President Trump. The United States could also stop providing spare parts for U.S.-made F-15s, stop the maintenance work on Saudi aircraft and even refuse to transfer classified technology, such as computer programs used to strike enemy targets.

“The Arms Export Control Act requires the suspension in sales of articles and services to all members of the coalition involved in the misuse of U.S. origin equipment,“ said analyst Benowitz.

Senator Bernie Sanders, Independent of Vermont, and Mike Lee, Republican of Utah, reintroduced a War Powers resolution to prohibit all U.S. support for Saudi Arabia’s war against the Houthis. The resolution previously passed the Senate 56-41 and may well again in this session. However, the House and Senate bills would have to overcome a likely presidential veto.

But just taking a vote on the resolutions will help pressure the Trump Administration. Representative Khanna said there’s no excuse for the thousands of civilian deaths caused by Saudi bombing.

“We need to be clear: There should be no U.S. support for the civil war.”

57 Democrats Voted With The Republicans To Water Down Ro Khanna's Get-Out-Of-Yemen Bill

Trump water-carrier Ken Buck (R-CO)

Less-than-progressive members of Congress who are afraid of being primaried the way Crowley was, are happy to fork over $5,000 annually to the Congressional Progressive PAC so they can "join" the CPC, an important protection racket/insurance policy issuer for New Dems. And the latest New Dem who's joining the CPC is Eliot Engel. Does that mean AIPAC is a de facto CPC member now too?

It's gotten so bad, that when Sarah Lazare and Michael Arria wrote up the out-of-Yemen victory, the title of the In These Times piece was Here Are the “Progressives” Who Watered Down the House Measure Ending Support for the Yemen War. They list 13 CPC members (including 9 freshmen) who voted with the GOP to water down the import of the resolution. And, although, technically 4 of those freshmen-- Gil Cisneros (CA), Angie Craig (MN), Katie Hill (CA) and Steven Horsford (NV)-- are members of the CPC, each has joined the New Dem Coalition and is no more progressive than fellow New Dem freshmen like Max Rose, Abigail Spanberger, Mike Sherrill, Elissa Slotkin and Ben McAdams.

There are already 11 members of the CPC with ProgressivePunch over-all "F" scores: Antonio Delgado (NY), Jared Golden (ME), Katie Porter (CA), Donald Norcross (NJ), Steven Horsford (NV), Jimmy Panetta (CA), Adam Smith (WA), Lisa Blunt Rochester (DE), Brendan Boyle (PA), Tulsi Gabbard (HI) and Darren Soto (FL). Something's wrong here, although it's nice that CPC boosters can still brag that they have more members than any other Democratic caucus in Congress. Does anyone still take that boast seriously???

I had lunch today with an old friend who is often the biggest Democratic donor in Southern California. Before I could even sit down he started talking about how "moderate" Democrats have been all about telling us what's too difficult to accomplish. "They've done this for decades," he said. "And now they're doing it with the Green New Deal and Medicare-For-All. Thank God for those new freshmen who are holding their feet to the fire." He was talking about AOC, Ilhan, Rashida and Ayanna, but I'm thinking Jose Neguse belongs in that grouping too.

Thursday, in the run up to the vote to get the U.S. out of the Saudis' Yemeni genocide, right-wing Republican Ken Buck offered an amendment to water it down. Although most Democrats (175-- including the 5 heroes we just mentioned) voted against Buck's amendment, it passed 252-177. How did that happen? The Democratic leadership team voted against it. Why did 57 Democrats vote with the GOP? Fair question-- and an important one. First let's look at who crossed the aisle. The only Republicans to vote NO were libertarian-types Justin Amash (MI) and Tom Massie (KY). These are the Dems who they passed on the way across:

• Cindy Axne (New Dem-IA)
• Anthony Brindisi (Blue Dog-NY)
• Cheri Bustos (New Dem-IL)
• Ed Case (Blue Dog-HI)
• Gil Cisneros (New Dem-CA)
• Lou Correa (New Dem-CA)
• Angie Craig (New Dem-MN)
• Jason Crow (New Dem-CO)
• Henry Cuellar (Blue Dog-TX)
• Joe Cunningham (Blue Dog-SC)
• Sharice Davids (New Dem-KS)
• Antonio Delgado (D-NY)
• Abby Finkenauer (D-IA)
• Jared Golden (D-ME)
• Josh Gottheimer (Blue Dog-NJ)
• Josh Harder (New Dem-CA)
• Alcee Hastings (D-FL)
• Katie Hill (New Dem-CA)
• Kendra Horn (Blue Dog-OK)
• Steven Horsford (New Dem-NV)
• Chrissy Houlahan (New Dem-PA)
• Marcy Kaptur (D-OH)
• Andy Kim (D-NJ)
• Anne Kuster (New Dem-NH)
• Conor Lamb (D-PA)
• Susie Lee (New Dem-NV)
• Dave Loebsack (D-IA)
• Elaine Luria (New Dem-VA)
• Stephen Lynch (D-MA)
• Ben McAdams (Blue Dog-UT)
• Lucy McBath (New Dem-GA)
• Joe Morelle (D-NY)
• Seth Moulton (New Dem-MA)
• Stephanie Murphy (Blue Dog-FL)
• Tom O'Halleran (Blue Dog-AZ)
• Jimmy Panetta (D-CA)
• Chris Pappas (New Dem-NH)
• Ed Perlmutter (New Dem-CO)
• Collin Peterson (Blue Dog-MN)
• Dean Phillips (New Dem-MN)
• Katie Porter (D-CA)
• Max Rose (Blue Dog-NY)
• Harley Rouda (New Dem-CA)
• Raul Ruiz (New Dem-CA)
• Bobby Rush (D-IL)
• Kurt Schrader (Blue Dog-OR)
• Kim Schrier (New Dem-WA)
• Bobby Scott (D-VA)
• Brad Sherman (D-CA)
• Mikie Sherrill (Blue Dog-NJ)
• Elissa Slotkin (New Dem-MI)
• Abigail Spanberger (Blue Dog-VA)
• Haley Stevens (New Dem-MI)
• Xochitl Torres Small (Blue Dog-NM)
• Jeff Van Drew (Blue Dog-NJ)
• Maxine Waters (D-CA)
• Jennifer Wexton (New Dem-VA)

Early this morning, Ro Khanna was still rejoicing that the overall War Powers Resolution passed. But... "I was disappointed," he told me, "that the Buck Amendment was added to water down our Yemen resolution and allow for limited intelligence sharing with the Saudis. It was unnecessary, and it gives the Administration a small loophole. That said, the main event of passing the WPR should not be diminished. That is the first time it has happened since 1973. The signal is very clear to the Saudis-- they need to stop the bombing in Yemen and let in food and medicine."

The way Buck, the GOP and what amounts to most of the Republican wing of the Democratic Party (list above) watered down Ro Khanna's out-of-Yemen bill was by allowing Trump to share U.S. intelligence with any country he deems appropriate. That goes right to the heart of Khanna's bill and I;'ve been reaching out to some of the ostensibly progressive members who voted for it so I could find out why. So far none of them have responded.

No one was surprised that "ex"-Republican Tom O'Halleran voted with the still-Republicans for the Buck Amendment. O'Halleran has one of the most persistently-Republican voting records of any Democrat in the House and voting with his old cronies in the GOP is his safe space/comfort zone. Fortunately, actual Democrats in AZ-01 are fielding a progressive, Eva Putzova, for next year's primary. Blue America has endorsed her and you can contribute to her campaign by clicking on the thermometer on the right. This morning she told us that she opposes the Buck amendment because it "allows the Trump administration to continue sharing intelligence with the Saudi regime in their war on Yemen. Over the past three years the Saudis have used the information provided to them by American intelligence services to attack civilians in areas under Houthi control in Yemen. Neither the Trump administration nor the Saudis can be trusted to conduct themselves otherwise. I support the original resolution sponsored by Rep Ro Khanna that 'directs the President to remove U.S. Armed Forces from hostilities in or affecting Yemen within 30 days unless Congress authorizes a later withdrawal date, issues a declaration of war, or specifically authorizes the use of the Armed Forces.' Tens of thousands of civilians have died in this war and millions more are in the middle of a growing cholera epidemic as a result of the unsafe water supply. The American people never authorized the President to assist the Saudis in this war against Yemen and it is time to end it."

Out-Of-Yemen Bill Passes-- Trump Vows To Veto It-- One Step Closer To Proving Foreign Cash Financed Trump's Campaign

Tom Barrack, knee-deep in Trump's criminal shit

Today, the House voted overwhelmingly, 248-177, to approve a resolution authored by Ro Khanna that direct the removal of US armed forces from hostilities in Yemen that have not been authorized by Congress. All the Democrats voted YES, along with 18 Republicans. Justin Amash (R-MI) voted "present" and 177 other Republicans voted to continue aiding the Saudi genocide in Yemen. Central Valley Blue Dog Jim Costa, who has been heavily pressured by Blue America to stop voting with the Republicans on this-- as he had done twice before-- finally did vote against the war.

It was definitely time for a victory lap for Khanna. He issued a statement acknowledging the success of grassroots activism in the successful outcome on the floor, calling victory "historic. This is the culmination of several years of legislative efforts to end our involvement in the Saudi war in Yemen. I’m encouraged by the direction people are pushing our party to take on foreign policy, promoting restraint and human rights and with the sense they want Congress to play a much larger role."

Ted Lieu, who got this out-of-Yemen ball rolling before Khanna-- or Trump-- was elected said e-mailed his constituents to say that he has been "gravely concerned about the catastrophe unfolding in Yemen since 2015, and have worked to stop U.S. military involvement in this bloody civil war. The Saudi-led coalition was dropping bombs on civilians and we were helping fuel those planes. Millions of people were becoming aid-dependent in what was turning into, and now is, the worst humanitarian crisis in the world. The U.S., despite Democrats’ calls for answers and actions for change, continued to support the coalition’s efforts. Every step of the way, the Republican-controlled House obstructed debates on Yemen because it was uncomfortable to shame our partners and make tough choices about ending our support in order to protect civilians. After nearly four years of conflict, Congress finally took action on the House floor. I commend Congressman Ro Khanna for authoring this legislation. I’m proud that we’ve passed this bill, which I coauthored, to send a clear message to the Administration that we must end all U.S. military support in Yemen." The ball is now in Trump's court-- or Miss McConnell's. The Senate passed the bill 56-41 in December but-- thanks to Paul Ryan and Kevin McCarthy-- it was never voted on in the House. Noe that it passed the House, it has to pass the Senate again. It's unlikely McConnell will allow a vote and if he did it would be unlikely it would pass again. In any case, Trump already said he would veto it if it ever got to his desk.

I'm going too take a little jump now-- but just a little one, despite how it's going to sound at first. You probably remember-- back before most of America was accustomed to hear Trump lie all day and all night every single day-- that he was spouting some bullshit about self-funding his own presidential campaign and that in any case he wouldn't accept any money from SuperPACs. That's always been a very conscious lie and one of his few friends, uber-crooked real estate mogul Tom Barrack, set up the Rebuilding America Now SuperPAC in June 2016. Leading up to the election, Rebuilding America Now reported raising $22,610,717 and spending $22,763,915 (leaving them-- in magic math-- with $841,772 "left over").

This is a list of their 15 biggest contributors, many of whom have since been handsomely rewarded with public money doled out by Trump.

• Linda McMahon- $6,000,000

• Geoffrey Palmer- $5,000,000
• Bernard Marcus- $5,000,000
• Ronald Cameron- $2,000,000
• Stephen Feinberg- $1,475,000
• Peter Zieve- $1,000,000
• Walter Buckley- $500,000
• Beverly Elliott- $450,000
• Hamilton Company- $300,000
• Geo Corrections- $275,000
• Boyd Smith- $275,000
• Murray Energy- $200,000
• Llwyd Ecclestone- $200,000
• Frank Caladra- $150,000
• Anthony Scaramucci- $100,000

Those were the reported contributions. It is also widely suspected that Trump's campaign was soliciting highly illegal foreign contributions-- presumably from the Kremlin and the Saudis and Emiratis-- through the PAC, contributions that have no been accounted for. One of the big donors, Geoffrey Palmer-- another Trump-like real estate crook-- is suspected of laundering foreign money into the Trump campaign at the request of Paul Manafort. At least a million, and probably more, was put into the Barrack SuperPAC and made to disappear. It has now reappeared and Mueller is on the case in a big way. Money from the SuperPCA went into Trump's pockets and as kickbacks for his top aides, all completely illegal.

I'm fairly certain that Trump's White House sojourn will eventually result in Barrack going to prison for a long time. Tuesday-- so a day before Khanna's Yemen resolution was voted on-- Barrack was in Dubai, speaking at the Milken Institute MENA Summit. He said that America is in no moral position to criticise Saudi Arabia (over the crown prince's brutal and premeditated murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi. "Whatever happened in Saudi Arabia," he told CNN, "the atrocities in America are equal, or worse. He referred to the murderous and primitive crown prince-- and Kushner-in-law amigo as "a young man and regime that is trying to push themselves into 2030," and that lecturing them about a moral code (i.e., torture and murder) "is a mistake."

Barrack went on to launch a lengthy defence of Saudi Arabia, accusing Western countries of failing to understand the kingdom.

“The problem that has happened with the Khashoggi incident,” he said, “is the same problem with the West misunderstanding the east that has existed since Sykes-Picot.”

“So, the West is confused, it doesn’t understand the rule of law in the kingdom, it doesn’t understand what succession in the kingdom is, it doesn’t understand how there can be a dilemma with a population that has 60 per cent of people under the age of 20.”

He later added that the West had always been confused about the Middle East.

“The corrupt hand of the West has been the primary instigator in the kingdom, and in the resource curse across the region forever.”

Barrack then praised the strong leadership across the Arabian Gulf in the face of this perceived Western ineffectiveness, especially in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

“The leadership in the UAE is brilliant,” he said, adding: “The English manipulated the region for decades.”

The private equity investor also defended Saudi Arabia’s transformation, saying that “in a transition, bold action is required for bold places.”

Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Riyadh represented some of the “most organised leadership regimes” in the world, he added.

Time to bring our truck home from Fresno-- mission accomplished

Want To Know Who Voted For/Against Genocide? (This Isn't A Post)

This is how the vote to get the U.S. out of the Saudi genocide in Yemen went yesterday in the House Foreign Affairs Committee. You will probably have to click on the image if you want to see who wants peace and who wants war (war on women and children, by the way.) The pattern is unmistakable:

American Weapons Transfers Blowback-- Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Iran, al Qaeda, Trump, UAE...

Right now, Blue America has a mobile billboard riding up and down the highways of two adjacent California congressional districts, CA-22 and CA-16, both centered in the Fresno area. Those are Devin Nunes' and Jim Costa's districts, the first a corrupt reactionary Republican and the second a corrupt reactionary Blue Dog Democrat. Both have backed continued U.S. arms sales and logistic support for the Saudi/Emerati genocide in Yemen-- the reason for the mobile billboard:

When Ted Lieu (D-CA) first began working to end the U.S. participation in the civil war in Yemen, it wasn't a popular decision. Most Republicans like wars in general and Democrats only oppose wars when Republicans are leading them. When the U.S. first got involved in Yemen, Obama was president but in 2015 Lieu was already calling attention to the beginnings of what has turned out to be a 21st Century genocide. Long before Trump was elected he had already introduced the first resolution (H.J. RES 90) to provide limitations on the transfer of air-to-ground munitions from the United States to Saudi Arabia and stating flatly that "The United States needs to send a clear message to Saudi Arabia: the continued civilian casualties in Yemen are completely unacceptable. The Saudis need to do everything in their power to eliminate the risk to innocent civilians in this conflict and until they do the U.S. should not be supporting their military actions there." It was a beginning. By 2017 he had introduced legislation to place conditions on all air-to-ground munitions sales to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The three conditions relate to avoiding civilian casualties, facilitating humanitarian aid, and targeting U.S.-designated terrorist organizations such as AQAP and ISIS. The 2018 National Defense Authorization Act signed by Trump includes two of Lieu's provisions on Yemen, one to bring congressional oversight to the conflict there, requiring the Departments of Defense and State to report to Congress on whether the Saudis and Emiratis are abiding by their commitments in Yemen and another one requiring Trump to submit a detailed report that contains a military and diplomatic strategy for Yemen. Last month he followed up with a bill to prohibit the U.S. from conducting aerial refueling of Saudi-coalition jets in support of the Yemen conflict. On top of that, his 2018 bill to give Congress more oversight of arms sales was just reintroduced by Lieu and Jim McGovern as H.R. 332. This morning he told me that "The fact that US weapons have been found in the hands of al-Qaeda terrorists and Iranian-backed rebels should infuriate every American. This is exactly why the US should not be engaged in the Yemeni civil war-- certainly not without congressional authorization. I fail to see how U.S. personnel supporting possible Saudi war crimes in Yemen is in our national interest. Over the past 50 years Congress has slowly and consistently ceded its  war-making power to the Executive Branch. It is long past time we took some of it back."

CNN reported yesterday that the U.S. is, far and away, the top supplier of weapons systems to both countries and without U.S. support, the war against Yemen, now the site of the world's worst humanitarian crisis, would end rapidly. CNN's team reported that "US lawmakers are trying to pass a resolution ending the Trump administration’s support for the coalition. But there is scant evidence that the White House wants to listen, despite evidence that the actions of a key US ally may be making Americans less safe. In the wake of the murder of Jamal Khashoggi murder last year, Trump said it would be foolish for the US to cancel multi-billion dollar arms deals with the Saudis. 'I don't want to lose all of that investment being made into our country,. he said."

The point of the blockbuster CNN report, Sold To An Ally, Lost To An Enemy, addresses an urgent American national security threat that has come to light in regard to these weapons transfers-- the Saudis and Emeratis have been giving U.S. weapons to al Qaeda in violation of their agreements with the United States.

The weapons have also made their way into the hands of Iranian-backed rebels battling the coalition for control of the country, exposing some of America's sensitive military technology to Tehran and potentially endangering the lives of US troops in other conflict zones.

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, its main partner in the war, have used the US-manufactured weapons as a form of currency to buy the loyalties of militias or tribes, bolster chosen armed actors, and influence the complex political landscape, according to local commanders on the ground and analysts who spoke to CNN.

By handing off this military equipment to third parties, the Saudi-led coalition is breaking the terms of its arms sales with the US, according to the Department of Defense. After CNN presented its findings, a US defense official confirmed there was an ongoing investigation into the issue.

The revelations raise fresh questions about whether the US has lost control over a key ally presiding over one of the most horrific wars of the past decade, and whether Saudi Arabia is responsible enough to be allowed to continue buying the sophisticated arms and fighting hardware.  Previous CNN investigations established that US-made weapons were used in a series of deadly Saudi coalition attacks that killed dozens of civilians, many of them children.

...[S]ome of America's "beautiful military equipment," as U.S. President Donald Trump once called it, has been passed on, sold, stolen or abandoned in Yemen's state of chaos, where murky alliances and fractured politics mean little hope for any system of accountability or tracking.

Some terror groups have gained from the influx of US arms, with the barrier of entry to advanced weaponry now lowered by the laws of supply and demand. Militia leaders have had ample opportunity to obtain military hardware in exchange for the manpower to fight the Houthi militias. Arms dealers have flourished, with traders offering to buy or sell anything, from a US-manufactured rifle to a tank, to the highest bidder.

And Iran's proxies have captured American weapons they can exploit for vulnerabilities or reverse-engineer for native production.

...Amid the chaos of the broader war, al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) made its way to the frontlines in Taiz in 2015, forging advantageous alliances with the pro-Saudi militias they fought alongside.

One of those militias linked to AQAP, the Abu Abbas brigade, now possesses US-made Oshkosh armored vehicles, paraded in a 2015 show of force through the city.

Abu Abbas, the founder, was declared a terrorist by the US in 2017, but the group still enjoys support from the Saudi coalition and was absorbed into the coalition-supported 35th Brigade of the Yemeni army.

“Oshkosh Defense strictly follows all US laws and regulations relating to export control," the firm told CNN.

And there are deadlier forms of weaponry that have made their way into the city. In October 2015, military forces loyal to the government boasted on Saudi- and UAE-backed media that the Saudis had airdropped American-made TOW anti-tank missiles on the same frontline where AQAP had been known to operate at the time.

Local officials confirmed that the airdrop happened, but CNN's attempts to conduct further interviews were blocked and the team was intimidated by the local government. A local activist joked that the weapons had probably been sold on.

..."The United States has not authorized the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates to re-transfer any equipment to parties inside Yemen," Pentagon spokesman Johnny Michael told CNN. "The US government cannot comment on any pending investigations of claims of end-use violations of defense articles and services transferred to our allies and partners."

Last October, Ro Khanna and Elizabeth Warren penned a joint OpEd about the Trump Regime's complicity in the unfolding catastrophe in Yemen. They wrote that "in August, the world watched in horror as a Saudi-led coalition airstrike in Yemen claimed the lives of 40 innocent children. The boys, many under the age of 10, were killed when their school bus was bombed during a class trip. The weapon used in that deadly bombing was made in America."

It was not the first time. In June, airstrikes hit a cholera treatment center run by Doctors Without Borders, even though it was clearly identified as a medical facility.

In April, 20 civilians, many from a single family, were killed while celebrating a wedding in a village in northwest Yemen.

As a result of this conflict, at least 10,000 Yemenis have died, 2 million more are displaced, and 22 million are in need of humanitarian assistance. To make matters worse, a man-made famine has brought nearly 8 million people in Yemen to the brink of starvation.

This humanitarian catastrophe didn't happen overnight. For more than three years, a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates has been bombing Yemen as part of a proxy war to counter the Iran-supported Houthi militias.

During this period, the United States has been quietly providing intelligence and military advice to the Saudi-led coalition. Our government refuels Saudi coalition warplanes in midair. Our government provides advice and assistance. Our government authorizes the sale of US-made bombs and missiles the coalition uses to conduct this war.

There is no doubt that Iran's actions in Yemen are destabilizing. Iran's government supports militias that attack Saudi territory and undermine the internationally recognized central government of Yemen. But we can no longer turn a blind eye to the actions of the Saudi coalition-- or our own role in the suffering of the Yemeni people.

There is a growing push in Washington to seek an end to this civil war. In this year's defense authorization bill, Congress threatened to cut off US support for the Saudi-led coalition's operations in Yemen until the Trump administration certified the coalition was making "an urgent and good faith effort" to reduce civilian casualties, alleviate the humanitarian crisis, and negotiate an end to the civil war.

But rather than using this opportunity as leverage to hold our partners accountable, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo rubber-stamped the Saudi-led coalition's actions. Secretary of Defense James Mattis asserted that the coalition was making "every effort" to prevent civilian casualties-- even as the United Nations reported that the coalition was responsible for the majority of the children killed in Yemen last year.

The administration's decision to double down on US support for the bombing campaign makes a mockery of congressional oversight authority. Overlooking the Saudi-led coalition's apparent disregard for international norms and laws of armed conflict does nothing to improve US standing in the world. And continuing to support an ill-conceived proxy war in Yemen does not make America safer.

The framers of our Constitution believed that the decision to involve ourselves in a conflict like the one in Yemen requires the consent of the people, expressed through their elected representatives. But Congress has never authorized our involvement in this conflict. That's why we have supported bicameral, bipartisan efforts to end the US involvement in Yemen's civil war unless Congress specifically authorizes it.

While counterterrorism operations against al Qaeda and its affiliates would continue, support for the Saudi coalition's military operations against the Houthis would stop.

The crisis in Yemen is worsening, and the United States can do something about it. We can hold the Saudi coalition accountable. We can demand that all parties cease the violence. We can support UN Special Envoy Martin Griffiths' peace negotiations.

The Yemeni people are suffering. Instead of supporting more bombing, the United States can help bring peace to the region. Congress has an urgent responsibility to act.

Time Magazine's report about Trump's lack of interest in and ability to comprehend U.S. intelligence reports-- coupled with his kleptocratic self-interest in the name of U.S. foreign policy-- makes these weapons transfers even more dangerous to American national security. John Walcott reported that intelligence officials, citing multiple in-person episodes, say "Trump displays what one called 'willful ignorance' when presented with analyses generated by America’s $81 billion-a-year intelligence services. The officials, who include analysts who prepare Trump’s briefs and the briefers themselves, describe futile attempts to keep his attention by using visual aids, confining some briefing points to two or three sentences, and repeating his name and title as frequently as possible. What is most troubling, say these officials and others in government and on Capitol Hill who have been briefed on the episodes, are Trump’s angry reactions when he is given information that contradicts positions he has taken or beliefs he holds. Two intelligence officers even reported that they have been warned to avoid giving the President intelligence assessments that contradict stances he has taken in public."

Ro Khanna has taken the lead on Yemen de-escalation in the House. When I spoke with him yesterday morning about the the revelations of what the Saudis have been doing with American weapons, he seemed quietly angry and eager to prevent more of that from happening. He jotted me a note a could share here:

One of my first major op-eds as a congressman was with Senator Rand Paul. In our broader case for restraint, we cautioned about the the Saudi-led war in Yemen. In addition to highlighting the awful humanitarian catastrophe the war created, we made the case this war was making the US less safe. We wrote, "What makes matters worse is that the Saudis have formed a temporary alliance of convenience with Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, also known as AQAP, to fight the Houthi rebels. AQAP is our enemy. The group claimed credit for the attack on the USS Cole in 2000, the "underwear bomber" in 2009 and the intercepted plot to send bombs to Jewish organizations in Chicago in 2010."

Today, we learned that not only are the Saudis allied with AQAP, but they are actively giving our weapons to them. This is unconscionable and confirms our original reservations that the Saudis are not to be trusted. They showed their blatant disregard for the truth and human rights when they murdered Khaghoggi and lied to us about what happened. This is just more proof of why we cannot trust them.

I think this news and realization will give our war powers resolutions great momentum and show why we need to end all US involvement with the Saudis in this war. This will be the first time in our nation's history that Congress will take back its war-making powers and pass a war powers resolution through both chambers.