Foreign Policy

Bipartisan Bill Calls For US To Suspend Weapon Sales To Saudi Arabia

The legislation also calls for more accountability for the death of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Bipartisan Bill Calls For US To Suspend Weapon Sales To Saudi Arabia
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A bipartisan group of senators want to suspend U.S. arms sales to Saudi Arabia. 

The group of six senators introduced a bill Thursday that aims to bring a peaceful end to the civil war in Yemen and demands accountability for the death of Jamal Khashoggi.

Yemen has been embroiled in a civil war since 2015. A coalition led by Saudi Arabia has been supporting efforts to restore government control. And the U.S. has been supporting that coalition with refueling, intelligence and weapons. 

The new bill calls for a suspension of those weapons sales and refueling efforts. 

But it also targets the kingdom's human rights record, and that's where Jamal Khashoggi comes in. The Saudi national was killed inside the country's consulate in Istanbul. The bill calls for sanctions against anyone responsible for, or complicit in, his death. 

In announcing the legislation, Sen. Bob Menendez called the sanctions the Trump administration already handed down "a welcome step," but he said they're far from sufficient.