Carper Votes to End U.S. Military Involvement in Yemen, Condemn Saudi Crown Prince

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.) released the following statement after the Senate voted unanimously to condemn Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as responsible for the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. The Senate also voted, 57-38, to end U.S. military involvement in Yemen where a four-year civil war has killed tens of thousands of civilians, and pushed fourteen million more to the brink of famine.

“When it comes to guarding against potential threats or suspicious activity here at home, we have a saying: ‘If you see something, say something.’ We have seen Saudi Arabia wage a military intervention in Yemen that has led to the death of tens of thousands of civilians and the near starvation of millions more, including innocent children. We have seen the Saudi-led military operation refuse to improve its targeting in that conflict in order to minimize civilian deaths. We have also seen that the government of Saudi Arabia murdered Jamal Khashoggi – a journalist living in America – in cold blood. And in fact, our intelligence community has concluded that this particularly gruesome murder was most probably ordered directly by the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman.

“This is what we have seen. We have an obligation to say something. And today, the U.S. Senate spoke clearly and forcefully. The House of Representatives and President Trump have seen the very same evidence. They should also feel compelled to speak out and raise the alarm. The promise of doing business with any nation cannot be allowed to supersede our country’s commitment to standing up for human rights and condemning lawless, evil acts. I hope that with today’s vote, we have sent the world a clear message – that Saudi Arabia, and any other country who would violate our core values, must be held accountable for its actions.”