The United States Congress has passed measures aimed at preventing President Trump from authorizing arms sales to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states without Congressional approval. POTUS approved a recent $8.1 billion arms sale to Riyadh based on emergency authority against the Islamic State of Iran, angering Congressional leaders.
The House of Representatives voted in favor of three joint resolutions of disapproval of the sales. The House vote comes after the Senate passed the same resolutions in June, along with 19 others that were also designated as emergency transfers by the Trump administration, reported The Globe Post.
Democrats in the House voted unanimously for the resolutions and were joined by four Republicans. The three measures passed by the House pertain mostly to Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
The arms restrictions are based on legislator's anger over the killing of Saudi activist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Turkey last year.
"Remember, in Saudi Arabia, every week the Saudi government carries out these public executions that they don’t need to do in the streets, but to cut people and behead them in the street is intended to spread fear among the population. And what happened to Mr. Khashoggi is just another example. It’s almost a public beheading of a loyalist-turned-critic to scare those loyalists in the palace from doing the same. And that message is intended—and premeditated murder of Khashoggi—is intended to do that effect. And the West and the international community in general has enabled this by supporting this dictatorship for 60 years. And this is the result, what you have," declared Saudi dissident Ali al-Ahmed last year on an interview on 60 Minutes.
President Trump will likely veto the Congressional restrictions on arms sales to the Gulf. Recent tensions in the Persian Gulf and the seizure of two British tankers by the Mullahs in Tehran will likely prevent any override of such a veto.
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