US Senate votes to end military support for Saudis in Yemen

The U.S. Senate voted on Wednesday to advance a resolution to end U.S. military support for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen’s civil war, setting the stage for a possible final vote on the measure within days.

Underscoring bipartisan unhappiness with President Donald Trump’s response to the humanitarian crisis in Yemen and the murder of a journalist at a Saudi consulate, many of Trump’s fellow Republicans joined Democrats to advance the measure by a vote of 63-37.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defence Secretary Jim Mattis had urged Senators not to back the motion, saying it would worsen the situation in Yemen.

The vote comes in the wake of the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a US resident.

Criticism of Saudi Arabia has grown since the prominent Washington Post columnist was killed while visiting the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in Turkey on 2 October.

The US Senators, who met in a closed session on relations with Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, also strongly criticized the non-appearance of the director of the CIA at their hearing.

Gina Haspel has heard a recording of Khashoggi's murder provided by Turkey and has studied evidence in the case.

The Senate's vote is seen as a rebuke to President Trump who has described Saudi Arabia as a vital ally and resisted calls for sanctions against the kingdom's leadership.

Last week Trump dismissed a reported CIA assessment that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was to blame for Khashoggi's death.

The vote in the Senate means further debate on US support for Saudi Arabia is expected next week.

However, correspondents say that even if the Senate ultimately passes the bipartisan resolution it has little chance of being approved by the outgoing House of Representatives.

The conflict between Saudi-led military coalition and Houthi rebels has killed thousands of people and pushed millions more Yemenis to the brink of starvation.

The US provides intelligence support to the coalition and sells weapons used by the Saudis in Yemen.

The conflict began in 2014 when the Houthi Shia rebels seized control of the north of the country and went on to take the capital Sanaa, forcing the president to flee.

In recent weeks Houthi leaders have said they are ready to move towards a ceasefire if "the Saudi-led coalition wants peace".