Log in using your social
network account

OR

Try Independent Minds
free for 1 month

See the options

Close

Trump invokes emergency powers to sidestep Congress and sell arms to Saudi Arabia

Move comes after congress voted to end US support of Saudi military operation in Yemen

Andrew Buncombe Seattle @AndrewBuncombe
Friday 24 May 2019 15:41

Donald Trump has asserted rarely used emergency powers to sidestep congressional objections, and give the green light to an arms deal involving Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

The US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, told the leaders of several congressional committees the president was claiming a national emergency existed because of a purported threat from Iran and was, as a result, giving permission for 22 arms deals with around $8bn (£6.3bn).

A number of members of congress, which had already voted for the US to terminate its support for Saudi’s military operation against Yemen – a resolution Mr Trump vetoed – fear the weapons could be used in those bombing operations, which have resulted in widespread civilian injuries.

We’ll tell you what’s true. You can form your own view.

From 15p €0.18 $0.18 USD 0.27 a day, more exclusives, analysis and extras.

Some legislators had warned earlier this week that Mr Trump, frustrated with congress holding up weapons sales like a major deal to sell Raytheon Co precision-guided munitions to Saudi Arabia, was considering using a loophole in arms control law to go ahead with the sale by declaring a national emergency.

“I am disappointed, but not surprised, that the Trump administration has failed once again to prioritise our long-term national security interests or stand up for human rights, and instead is granting favours to authoritarian countries like Saudi Arabia,” said senator Bob Menendez, the ranking Democrat on the Senate foreign relations committee.

Food aid for Yemenis stolen

Show all 21

Republican senator Jim Risch, chairman of the committee, said he had received formal notification of the administration’s intent to move forward with “a number of arms sales”.

Video shows damaged buildings and homes in Yemen village hit by Saudi-led coalition airstrikes

“I am reviewing and analysing the legal justification for this action and the associated implications,” he said.

“President Trump is only using this loophole because he knows Congress would disapprove ... There is no new 'emergency' reason to sell bombs to the Saudis to drop in Yemen, and doing so only perpetuates the humanitarian crisis there,” said senator Chris Murphy.

The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The state department responded to questions with Mr Pomeo’s memorandum to members of Congress. It failed to respond to a question as to what the US was doing to prevent civilian deaths in Yemen.

In his memorandum to Congress justifying the sale, Mr Pompeo listed years of alleged actions by Iran. “Iranian malign activity poses a fundamental threat to the stability of the Middle East and to American security at home and abroad,” he wrote.

However, Andrew Smith of Campaign Against Arms Trade, a a UK-based activist group, told The Independent: “This unprecedented move shows the terrible depths that Trump and his administration will sink to in order to continue arming and supporting the brutal Saudi regime.

“Saudi forces have inflicted a terrible humanitarian catastrophe on Yemen. It simply would not have been possible without US-made weapons. The arms sales that Trump is pushing today could be used to commit atrocities and abuses for years to come.”

Additional reporting by Reuters

Comments

Share your thoughts and debate the big issues

Open Comments

Join the discussion

Please be respectful when making a comment and adhere to our Community Guidelines.

You may not agree with our views, or other users’, but please respond to them respectfully
Swearing, personal abuse, racism, sexism, homophobia and other discriminatory or inciteful language is not acceptable
Do not impersonate other users or reveal private information about third parties
We reserve the right to delete inappropriate posts and ban offending users without notification

You can find our Community Guidelines in full here.

Loading comments...

Loading comments...

Minds Comments

Join the discussion

Please be respectful when making a comment and adhere to our Community Guidelines.

You may not agree with our views, or other users’, but please respond to them respectfully
Swearing, personal abuse, racism, sexism, homophobia and other discriminatory or inciteful language is not acceptable
Do not impersonate other users or reveal private information about third parties
We reserve the right to delete inappropriate posts and ban offending users without notification

You can find our Community Guidelines in full here.

Loading comments...

Loading comments...

Article bookmarked

Find your bookmarks in your Independent Minds section, under my profile

Don't show me this message again