The Gulf nation has sold 23 23 billion worth of advanced weapons, a strategic ally of the United States that recently signed a peace deal with Israel that was brokered by the Trump administration. Senior defense officials have already begun lobbying legislators to oppose a series of bilateral measures that could soon come to the floor, according to congressional aides.
Top Pentagon and State Department officials also briefed senators Monday night about the sale of weapons, including 50 F-35 aircraft, a large stockpile of missiles and 18 rapper drones – a significant improvement in the country’s military capabilities as it deploys proxies around it. Middle East. The Trump administration is in the midst of a major foreign-policy move during the President’s transition period, which has contained bilateral fires in Afghanistan, including troop reductions.
The Senate aide, familiar with the classified briefing, said there were “major issues” that had to be addressed regarding specific transfers as part of the UAE’s deal. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had previously said that the purpose of the transfer was “to prevent and defend against growing threats from Iran.”
Menendez, a top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, called Monday’s briefing “unsatisfactory” and said he plans to move forward with the December 11 deadline set by the legislative 30-day review period. The four resolutions, each of which addresses a specific military sale, are “privileged” in the Senate, meaning they can be voted on without the consent of the majority party leadership. Menendez said it was possible he would only call “a few” of them.
But both the time of success and the obstacles are not towards them. Even if resolutions pass through both chambers of Congress, Trump is determined to veto them, and a two-thirds majority is too small to override the president’s veto. Moreover, Congress is working very quickly this week and next week to pass government funding measures and an annual defense bill.
President-elect Joe Biden cannot be completely weakened. He could use his executive powers in January to prevent a potential sale when he takes office. Biden’s nominee for secretary of state, Anthony Blinken, said in October that as part of the deal for the F-35 aircraft, the Biden team was “concerned about what commitments it could make to the UAE.”
Among the unanswered questions, senators said Monday attended a classified briefing, whether the UAE agreed to normalize relations with Israel was a reward for arms sales to the UAE. They also said that the state’s sophisticated technology ultimately puts the risk in the wrong hands.
“I want to make sure there are some ironclad defenses,” Sen. Said Tim Cain (D-Va.), A top member of the Foreign Relations Committee. “We cannot give that technology to the UAE if we are concerned about endangering the security of that technology.”
Although most Republican senators are expected to block arms sales, some are pointing to concerns with the framework, including how it will affect Israel’s security.
“We are interested in ensuring that the qualitative advantage is protected by the sale,” said Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee. “We’ll wait to learn more about that.”
Trump’s presidency has been marked by a number of battles with Congress, but the president’s foreign-policy decisions have become a little more contradictory than the ones involved – many of which have been run without consulting Capitol Hill, where the Trump administration’s strategy is deeply skeptical. Disorder with respect to Iran.
“I don’t think you buy peace with guns,” the leading GOP of the resolutions said. Sponsor Paul said in an interview. “I do not think it is advisable to send sophisticated military weapons to the Powder CAG in the Middle East. I think that makes it more likely that Iran will continue to develop its surgery. “
Other concerns include the UAE’s poor record on human rights issues, the possibility of the surgery being mishandled, and the potential arms race in the Middle East threatening Israel.
“Do you think that by selling these armed drones and F-35s to the UAE, Iran is saying, ‘We probably don’t need more missiles now?’ No, they think they need more, “said Paul.
Senators also reacted to the timing of the deal, with some suggesting that the Trump administration is moving into transfers to undermine the Biden team’s efforts to build a new path in the Middle East – particularly with Iran.
Sen. Jean Shaheen (DNH), a top member of the Foreign Relations Panel, said, “I have real concerns about this kind of deal, especially in this late administration when the new administration comes.”
Most senators are not weighing in on the issue at the current stage, which is believed to support Menendez-led efforts. Sense. Todd Young (R-Ind.) And Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), for example, said they were still studying the issue and declined to say how they were swayed.
The PL predicted that it would be more difficult to attract GOP support to overturn UAE arms sales, than was the case for the proposed sale in Saudi Arabia recently. Last year, the House and Senate passed resolutions blocking equal sales to Riyadh, following the targeted assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi by the government and bilateral opposition to U.S. support for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen’s civil war.
Five GOPs, including Young and Murcocci, were sold, he said. Senators voted with Democrats to stop that sale – which eventually happened when Trump vetoed the move – in part because “the spirits were further inflamed” after Khashoggi’s assassination, Paul Lee said.
“I think it will be harder to get 500 votes than Saudi Arabia.” “But the debate is still worth keeping.”
