US Senator Rand Paul Seeks Backing For His Proposed Block On Arms Sales To Bahrain Ahead Of Thursday’s Vote

Local Editor 

US Republican Senator Rand Paul is asking his colleagues in the Senate to back his “one-time action” against Bahrain and block the sale of offensive weapons to the kingdom. 

Paul introduced his joint resolution last month, which seeks to halt the delivery of missile systems to Manama, arguing that the exports are “prohibited”.

The Senate is expected to vote on the resolution on Thursday. 

In the lead up to the vote, Paul told his fellow senators that the measure “is about more than weapons; this is a vote against the war in Yemen.”

Bahrain is a member of the Saudi-led coalition, which has been bombing Yemen since March 2015. 

The conflict has killed tens of thousands and many others have died from starvation and disease.

“This vote will send a message to the Saudi coalition that the Senate will not support further destruction in Yemen, and that further arms sales to participants in the Saudi coalition will be restricted until the war in Yemen is ended,” Paul wrote in a letter to US lawmakers. 

“Blocking this sale is a small step that could nonetheless serve as the beginning of the end for the war in Yemen,” Paul adds. 

However, the republican senator explains that the legislative measure will not translate into “an open-ended ban on arms sales to Bahrain” but would be restricted to the currently proposed purchase of rockets. 

Source: News Agencies, Edited by Website Team