US Senators Submit Resolution To Halt Arms Deal With UAE And Qatar (image-instagram/tamim)
Washington, DC, US: As Donald Trump completes his diplomatic three-day tour in the Middle East, a group of US senators are trying to halt the $3.5 billion weapon sales to the Arab nation in fear that these deals would personally benefit the family of US President Donald Trump.
US Democratic senators, including Chris Murphy, Chris Van Hollen, Brian Schatz, and Tim Kaine, along with Senator Bernie Sanders, an independent, submitted two resolutions of disapproval on Thursday. The legislators had issued statements accusing the President of actively enjoying the ‘corruption’ of US foreign policy over the timing of the sales and recent investment deals, reported Al Jazeera.
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As part of the diplomatic tour, Donald Trump had approved sales of $1.6 billion to the UAE of Chinook helicopters and equipment, F-16 aircraft components, and spare and repair parts to support Apache, Black Hawk, and Chinook helicopters.
The senators are also seeking to block $1.9 billion in sales to Qatar of MQ-9B Predator drones and associated equipment, which was approved by the State Department in March.
The Trump family is said to have made millions from niche cryptocurrencies like the $Trump “meme coin” since the President returned to the White House in January.
The senators also criticised Qatar’s gift of a Boeing 747 jumbo for the President to use as Air Force One. Both Democrats and Republicans equally expressed their protest, as this could be the most expensive gift ever exchanged between a foreign country and the US.
“There’s nothing Donald Trump loves more than being treated like a king, and that’s exactly why foreign governments are trying to buy his favour with a luxury jumbo jet and investments in Trump’s crypto scams,” Murphy said in a statement.
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However, when asked about the same to Trump, he pointed to Boeing’s lack of progress in building a new Air Force One and said he would be “stupid” to refuse a free plane. Further, he added that the aircraft is not a gift to him but to the Department of Defense.
In the meantime, it is unsure when a vote will happen on the joint resolution of disapproval.
