The U.S. is turning the heat up on Saudi Arabia after senators voted Thursday to pass a resolution condemning the murder of Jamal Khashoggi and held Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman responsible for the heinous act.
Now, the Pentagon has told Saudi Arabia and its close ally, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), to cough up $331 million for the refueling of Saudi warplanes in Yemen.
“Due to errors in accounting by the Pentagon, the United States had not properly charged Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates for those services,” said Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island.
He continued and said this was “good news for U.S. taxpayers, and underscores the need for strong oversight of the Department of Defense.”
The U.S. had been refueling Emirati and Saudi warplanes in Yemen since March 2015, and on Thursday, a resolution was approved suspending the Pentagon’s support.
Pentagon also confirmed that the Saudis have not paid a penny of the bill that American taxpayers have footed for years, whereas the UAE “has provided some repayment for refueling services.”
The Saudi’s later said that they were reviewing the charges, and Abu Dhabi in its turn stated, “The U.A.E. will cover its bills.”
Yemen fell into civil war in 2014 when the Shia Houthi group overran much of the country, including capital Sanaa, forcing the government to flee to Saudi Arabia.A year later, Saudi Arabia and several Arab allies launched a massive air campaign aimed at rolling back Houthi military gains.
