U.S. Senator Todd
Young (R-Ind.) joined Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), as well as Senators
Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), and
Chris Coons (D-Del.) yesterday to introduce a Senate Resolution that holds
Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman accountable for
contributing to the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, the blockade of Qatar, the
jailing of political dissidents within Saudi Arabia, the use of force to
intimidate rivals, and the abhorrent and unjustified killing of journalist
Jamal Khashoggi.
“The failure over
the last year and a half to utilize all available U.S. leverage with respect
to Saudi Arabia’s actions in Yemen has left the Crown Prince with the
mistaken impression that the United States will turn a blind eye to his
increasingly brazen atrocities. Those who suggest we must sacrifice our
principles for security will have neither,” said Sen. Young.
“I believe it’s
vitally important to U.S. national security interests to make a definitive
statement about the brutal murder of an American resident--Mr. Khashoggi--
who has three American citizen children,” said Senator Graham. “This
resolution-- without equivocation-- definitively states that the Crown
Prince of Saudi Arabia was complicit in the murder of Mr. Khashoggi and has
been a wrecking ball to the region, jeopardizing our national security
interests on multiple fronts. It will be up to Saudi Arabia as to how to
deal with this matter. But it is up to the United States to firmly stand for
who we are and what we believe.”
The
Graham-Feinstein-Rubio-Markey-Young-Coons Resolution:
¥Condemns in the
strongest possible terms the murder of Jamal Khashoggi;
¥Finds that as
Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman was in control of the security forces at
the time of Jamal Khashoggi’s murder;
¥Based on evidence
and analysis made available to this institution, the Senate has a high level
of confidence that Mohammed bin Salman was complicit in the murder of Jamal
Khashoggi;
¥Urges the United
States Government and the international community to hold all parties,
including Mohammed bin Salman, involved in the murder of Jamal Khashoggi
accountable;
¥Calls on the
Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to negotiate directly with
representatives of the Houthi movement in order to end the war in Yemen,
agree on a political resolution, reverse the humanitarian crisis, and
refocus efforts on defeating al Qaeda and ISIS in Yemen;
¥Calls on the
Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to negotiate a political solution
to its dispute with Qatar expeditiously and in a way that restores
diplomatic relations with Qatar; and
¥Urges the Kingdom
of Saudi Arabia to immediately release Saudi blogger Raif Badawi, the Saudi
women’s rights activists, and other detained political prisoners.