U.S. lawmakers criticize Saudi Arabia, ask about weapons restrictions

The chairman of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee said on Wednesday he was troubled by a report that Saudi Arabia transferred weapons to extremist groups in Yemen and questioned whether Congress should consider more restrictions on weapons sales to the Saudi-led coalition.
Later on Wednesday, the committee voted 25 to 17, along party lines, in favor of a war powers resolution that would prevent the U.S. military from providing any support to the Saudis and other countries waging war on Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen’s civil war.

CNN reported on Monday that Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, its main partner in the coalition, have transferred U.S.-made weapons to al Qaeda-linked fighters and other groups and that some of the weapons also made their way into the hands of Iranian-backed rebels, exposing sensitive technology to Iran.