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

[ABX]

MSAGA

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....


https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-saudi-arabia-deal-bombs-uae-arms-trade-congress-yemen-a8929741.html?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook#Echobox=1558723707

[TomSea]

Trump to bypass Congress to sell arms to Saudi, UAE: senator
AFP

Washington (AFP) - President Donald Trump's administration is bypassing Congress to sell weapons to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, citing a threat from Iran, despite lawmakers' concerns about their possible use against civilians in Yemen, a senator said Friday.

Senator Robert Menendez, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, had used his powers to block sales of tens of thousands of precision-guided bombs to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, fearing they would contribute to the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, where the US allies are mounting an offensive.

But the administration informed lawmakers that it was going around a legally required review by Congress to approve the sales as part of a total of 22 arms transactions to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and other nations, Menendez's office said.

Read more at: https://news.yahoo.com/trump-bypass-congress-sell-arms-saudi-uae-senator-174309978.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly9uZXdzLnNlYXJjaC55YWhvby5jb20vc2VhcmNoP3A9VHJ1bXArdG8rYnlwYXNzK0NvbmdyZXNzK3RvK3NlbGwrYXJtcyt0bytTYXVkaSUyQytVQUUlM0Erc2VuYXRvciZmcj11aDNfbmV3c192ZXJ0X2dzJmZyMj1wJTNBbmV3cyUyQ20lM0FzYg&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAA3C-B9Offi714P65uM3300Gj_i4QWNoC75zQvC2lB3nyoXfLZX09WGbT_twf09BN7QmAfuKSo0986mDztk1ABDpMSrFytvfyZC93z_Hq9_ZbJ7nv93qPJdg26ZMIELSVcFn8_o_o5ZxJ5Uw81t4RN5aBfM5UgMjsUtlTAzU_iRR

I'd lean towards not selling these people these weapons. I think I saw elsewhere, the whole cost is very high, 11 billion or something.

[Rivergirl]

Trump's got an APP for that!

[corbe]

   I always thought the best strategy was to sell arms to all of them and sit back and reap the rewards of raghead self destruction, kinda like we did in the Iran/Iraq war. 

[ABX]

   I always thought the best strategy was to sell arms to all of them and sit back and reap the rewards of raghead self destruction, kinda like we did in the Iran/Iraq war.

They are going to do that anyway.

If you want to really change everything, arm the oppressed women, not the governments.

[corbe]

They are going to do that anyway.

If you want to really change everything, arm the oppressed women, not the governments.

   


   Now that is a very interesting proposition @ABX

[Mod5]

Topics merged.

[libertybele]

I'd lean towards not selling these people these weapons. I think I saw elsewhere, the whole cost is very high, 11 billion or something.

I absolutely agree with you.  No, we should not be arming them.  How is it that Trump can get his hands on 11 billion to arm people in a foreign country but can't get 11 billion to build a wall in our own country???   

[TomSea]

Lead in headline off of the Beeb's main page said a loophole is being used:

Mr Trump evoked a rarely used aspect of federal law to push through the $8bn (£6bn) deal, which would ordinarily need to be approved by Congress.

He did so by declaring that ongoing tensions with Iran amounted to a national emergency.

....

On Friday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo notified Congress of the administration's decision to make the sale. In a letter, widely reported in US media, he said that "Iranian malign activity" required the "immediate sale" of weapons.

"[Iran's] activity poses a fundamental threat to the stability of the Middle East and to American security at home and abroad," he wrote.

Read more at: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-48404923

I'm sure Pompeo and Trump have info; but I'm still not convinced, however, this is apparently, the reasoning.

[TomSea]

I absolutely agree with you.  No, we should not be arming them.  How is it that Trump can get his hands on 11 billion to arm people in a foreign country but can't get 11 billion to build a wall in our own country???   

It's a sale. That's pretty easy to see.  How does he get his hands on that money? They are selling them.

Maybe he should contract a sale to build the wall.

Yemen really is the only major decision so far on foreign policy I think Trump is messing up on, he did err in saying we were withdrawing all of those troops from Syria but that was somewhat rectified.

Maybe he's right on Yemen but congress seem to disagree with him. It's a bit impossible to see what truly is happening there. I have some ideas on it though. Houthi rebels have indeed, fired missiles into SA that have been blocked.

[LegalAmerican]

Senator Robert Menendez, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, =ARTICLE

MENENDEZ....has been on corrupt list many time by JUDICIAL WATCH and is a pedo.  I don't care what he thinks or any DEMON-RAT.  IRAN IS THREATENING...OTHERS.  TALK TO IRAN...MENENDEZ...or JOHN KERRY= HEINZ,  Stooge...who has an islamist son- in law from Iran.   

[TomSea]

Menendez was smeared by the Obama machine just the way, Kavanaugh was smeared by the Democrat machine.

That stuff isn't proven.

Menendez bucked Obama on the Cuba deal and on the Iran nuke deal. They sent out a smear machine on him, they didn't get jack on him despite a lengthy trial. Menendez was against us going into Iraq in '03. Actually, for foreign policy, he's pretty sharp.

[TomSea]

Senator Robert Menendez, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, =ARTICLE

MENENDEZ....has been on corrupt list many time by JUDICIAL WATCH and is a pedo.  I don't care what he thinks or any DEMON-RAT.  IRAN IS THREATENING...OTHERS.  TALK TO IRAN...MENENDEZ...or JOHN KERRY= HEINZ,  Stooge...who has an islamist son- in law from Iran.   

Talk is cheap, they haven't gotten Menendez on anything.

Menendez was against the Iran deal to begin with, that's why the Democrats have smeared him.

https://www.nj.com/politics/2015/08/njs_menendez.html

He's bad on domestic but he is good on foreign, if Judicial Watch has something, they need to bring it to court, Obama went after Menendez and failed. Smear machine.

You've got nothing on Menendez in a court of law, just like they got nothing on Trump per the investigation.

[LegalAmerican]

I absolutely agree with you.  No, we should not be arming them.  How is it that Trump can get his hands on 11 billion to arm people in a foreign country but can't get 11 billion to build a wall in our own country???   

Why not?  Saudi Arabia IS BUYING THOSE....not being given by president.  Saudi Arabia HAS 11 BILLION TO GIVE  TO...USA.    The WALL is being built, as we speak. 

You don't know about..."obstruct, resist"  DEMON-RATS? 

[InHeavenThereIsNoBeer]

I absolutely agree with you.  No, we should not be arming them.  How is it that Trump can get his hands on 11 billion to arm people in a foreign country but can't get 11 billion to build a wall in our own country???   

Because the $11B is coming from KSA, not the USA.

[TomSea]

Because the $11B is coming from KSA, not the USA.

Yes, that's what I was trying to say.

[rustynail]

Only a Crazy Man would do this.  A 25!

[Sanguine]

Senator Robert Menendez, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, =ARTICLE

MENENDEZ....has been on corrupt list many time by JUDICIAL WATCH and is a pedo.  I don't care what he thinks or any DEMON-RAT.  IRAN IS THREATENING...OTHERS.  TALK TO IRAN...MENENDEZ...or JOHN KERRY= HEINZ,  Stooge...who has an islamist son- in law from Iran.   

Don't do that.  We're supposed to be the good guys, not the ones who spread unproven and incendiary smears.  That's what the left does. 

[libertybele]

Because the $11B is coming from KSA, not the USA.

Got it ... I misread ...

[TomSea]

Got it ... I misread ...

Still, not a bad talking point, we would be willing to forego $8 billion in sales in weapons and that amount apparently would be enough to build a wall.

Or another talking point, we build these weapons for the Saudis and do get paid for them, why not build the wall?

Still, not bad points to think about.

And these weapons destroy, they've destroyed a lot in Yemen, I'm personally not sure we should be doing this. Maybe later, I can read up on this.

[Bigun]

Good move Mr. President!

[Chosen Daughter]

Is Saudi Arabia driving war with Iran?

[corbe]

Is Saudi Arabia driving war with Iran?

   To the last American Soldier and $$$$.

[Sanguine]

   To the last American Soldier and $$$$.

What Corbe said.

[ABX]

As a reminder, Saudi Arabia quite often arms terrorist groups with the arms we supply them.


https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/02/saudi-arabia-uae-gave-weapons-al-qaeda-linked-groups-cnn-190205055102300.html

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-02-05/cnn-finally-discovers-where-all-those-us-saudi-coalition-weapons-end

https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4778185/ksauae-arming-al-qaeda

https://www.salon.com/2016/10/11/leaked-hillary-clinton-emails-show-u-s-allies-saudi-arabia-and-qatar-supported-isis/