US Senate to vote on ending Washington’s role in Saudi war on Yemen

Yemenis check the damage in the aftermath of a reported air strike by the Saudi-led coalition in the Yemeni capital Sana'a on March 8, 2018. (Photo by AFP)

The US Senate has teed up a vote on ending the US military involvement in the Saudi war on Yemen.

Spearheaded by Senators Bernie Sanders, Mike Lee and Chris Murphy, the resolution would not include the US alleged targeting of al-Qaeda elements in the impoverished country.

Once the Senate reconvenes on Tuesday, the lawmakers could have up to four hours of debate; therefore, a vote is expected at approximately 4:15 pm.

If passed, the measure would require all US forces to leave the war-ravaged country within 30 days.

"You know it's a new precedent. ... I think a lot of members on our side are trying to figure out what a yes vote means and what a no vote means," Texas Republican Senator John Cornyn told The Hill.

Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have already voiced opposition for the US support for Riyadh, implicated in war crimes in the neighboring country, but it is still unclear whether the effort could garner enough votes.

Saudi Arabia has been incessantly pounding Yemen since March 2015 in an attempt to crush the popular Houthi Ansarullah movement and reinstate former president, Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, who is a staunch ally of the Riyadh regime.

At least 13,600 people have been killed since the onset of Saudi Arabia’s military campaign against Yemen. Much of the Arabian Peninsula country's infrastructure, including hospitals, schools and factories, has been reduced to rubble due to the war.

The United Nations says a record 22.2 million people are in need of food aid, including 8.4 million threatened by severe hunger.