Paul to push for halting arms sales to Saudis

9 Oct 2018; AP: Republican Sen. Rand Paul says he’ll try to force a vote in the Senate this week blocking U.S. arms sales to Saudi Arabia over the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Paul told local radio in Kentucky he wants to end the arms shipments if there’s “any indication” the Saudis are “implicated in killing this journalist that was critical of them.”

Khashoggi disappeared last week after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul for routine paperwork ahead of his marriage.

The Kentucky Republican, who’s close to President Donald Trump, has long been a critic of the Saudi government.

Paul acknowledges he and Trump differ on their views of Saudi Arabia. “But who knows,” he said, “the president may come around on this if there’s any evidence they killed this journalist.”