Senate rejects bid to block arms sales to Bahrain

The Senate rejected an effort on Thursday to block $300 million in weapons sales to Bahrain, despite growing unease about the US role supporting the Saudi Arabia-led coalition's bombing campaign in Yemen.

Senator Rand Paul forced the vote to send a message to President Donald Trump that the United States is "done with the war in Yemen". Facing a veto threat from the White House, the resolution failed 77-21.

But Paul, who remains close to Trump, is not alone in raising concern about the toll the war is taking in Yemen.

In the House, Democratic lawmakers voiced frustration Wednesday after Republican leaders blocked debate on a resolution that would direct the president to end the US military's support of Saudi-led forces within 30 days, and until Congress authorises such support.

"It is long overdue that we end US complicity in Saudi Arabia's atrocities," said Representative Tulsi Gabbard. "We must end all US support for Saudi Arabia's genocidal war in Yemen now."

Bahrain is a member of the Saudi-led coalition at war with Iran-aligned rebels in Yemen since March 2015. The conflict in Yemen, the Arab world's poorest country, began with the 2014 takeover of the capital, Sanaa, by the Houthis who toppled the internationally recognised government.

The Saudi-led coalition has been fighting the rebels since 2015 in an attempt to restore that government to power.

The focus on the Yemen conflict comes amid fresh scrutiny of Saudi Arabia after the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at Riyadh's consulate in Istanbul.

Turkey alleges the Saudis were responsible for his death and the US announced Thursday it was imposing punitive sanctions on 17 Saudi officials who it said were responsible for or complicit in the killing.

Paul's effort followed his pledge to block a pending US arm sales to Saudi Arabia, saying he has the votes to stop it. A previous effort against Saudi arms sales last year fell just a few votes short. The Trump administration has not yet notified Congress it's ready to proceed with the next sale of Saudi arms, delaying a showdown over the issue.

On Thursday, the White House issued a veto threat against the Bahrain resolution, saying the sales of 120 Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System pods and 110 Army Tactical Missile System pods are intended for the defence of Bahrain, which is home to a US naval base with 7,800 US service members .

"The utilization of this ground-based system would enhance Bahrain's ability to protect itself against threats to territorial sovereignty, particularly from Iran," the White House wrote.

Members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee largely sided with the administration even as they expressed concern over the Yemen conflict, saying ending arms sales to a coalition partner would do little to end the war in Yemen.

Paul said he would like to vote directly on the US's involvement in the war in Yemen, but he could only get an indirect vote on a coalition partner.

"I'm not asking that we end our alliance," Paul said. "I'm only saying stop one sale of arms to send the message that we are done with the war in Yemen."