U.S. arms sales to Middle East needed to deter Iran: Pompeo
Updated 11:52, 25-May-2019
CGTN
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U.S.Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Friday the Donald Trump administration had decided to proceed with arms sales to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan in a move bypassing Congress because any delay could increase risk for U.S. partners at a time of instability caused by Iran.
"These sales will support our allies, enhance Middle East stability, and help these nations to deter and defend themselves from the Islamic Republic of Iran," Pompeo said in a statement, adding the decision to circumvent Congress was meant to be a "one-time event."
Some politicians and congressional aides had warned earlier this week that 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.
A screenshot of U.S.Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's statement.

A screenshot of U.S.Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's statement.

U.S. arms control law allows Congress to reject weapons sales to foreign countries, however, an exemption in the law allows the president to waive the need for congressional approval by declaring a national security emergency.
"I am disappointed, but not surprised, that the Trump Administration has failed once again to prioritize our long-term national security interests or stand up for human rights, and instead is granting favors to authoritarian countries like Saudi Arabia," Senator Bob Menendez said in a statement.
Menendez is one of the members of Congress who reviews such sales because he is a ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. 
He said that the administration, in explaining its intervention, "described years of malign Iranian behavior." But Menendez said the administration failed to meet the legal definition of an emergency and he vowed to work with legislators to counter the decision.
Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan attends the International Defence Exhibition & Conference (IDEX) in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, February 17, 2019. /Reuters Photo

Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan attends the International Defence Exhibition & Conference (IDEX) in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, February 17, 2019. /Reuters Photo

"The lives of millions of people depend on it," Menendez said.
Tensions between Iran and the U.S. mounted this month, a year after Trump pulled the U.S. out of the landmark 2015 nuclear deal. Many Democrats have expressed skepticism about the Iran threat, saying the Trump administration is blowing things out of proportion.
(With inputs from Reuters, AFP)
(Cover: U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (C) arrives at a closed briefing for House members on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, May 21, 2019. /VCG Photo )