Since when do Saudis do manual labor of any kind? What nationalities that the Saudis import will handle this technology? Who will ensure this technology isn't passed to a rogue state or terrorist organization? Trump is dangerous and people better wake up to that fact and figure out how to get rid of him.
34
You do not need the brains of Einstein to realise that if the Saudi's are co-operating with China for a factory to produce ballistic missiles, then allowing the patterns for Raytheon systems into Saudi hands will see them passed to China as well.
24
Remember that Saudi has a good relation with China, especially recently. Everything the U.S. gives to Saudi can go to China as it is.
23
Art of the deal, for the corrupt.
20
This should really raise the worlds eyelashes.
12
a quid quo to the Saudi's by the Trump administration for bailing Jared out of the terrible real estate deal @666 Fifth Àvenur
24
Manufacturing high tech bomb parts in the country who’s people were mostly responsible for 9/11. What could possibly go wrong?
25
Outrageous and clearly not in the national security interest of the U.S. the house should pass legislation immediately stopping this sale. The republicans in the Senate should support it. If they don't their position as Trump lackeys will be further cemented.
17
Try telling that to them...
7
Remember when critics warned by using presidential decrees to bypass a Republican Congress, Obama was setting a bad precedence and there will be blowback when a Republican is setting in the White House? I do because I was one of the critics while most commenters were celebrating Obama's sly move to stick it to the Republican.
I am not certain things will ever go back to the way it was because short of an impeachment, the Dems will be planning what decrees they want to declare when they finally sit in the House again. Congress will get weaker and weaker and soon we'll be electing dictators.
4
Electing?
‘National Emergency - We Cannot hod an Election until at least 2026, or longer - my son can have my seat’ - a Trump dream, a US nightmare
4
Well Trump has found a way to take his ill gotten financial gains to the afterlife. That is why he is so busy being in bed with Saudi / North Korean Murderers Trumps list goes on always adding another despot.
Trump has all the money in the world but will be forgotten by his new dictator friends when they realize democracy will not cave to a old white racist who yesterday spit on the graves of our military.
Ah the day of atonement is coming so be ready.
8
Does Trump believe 911 was fake news? Russia and now the Saudis? I thought he said he wanted to be the president of USA.
10
Without a doubt, this is the most corrupt WH since the since early part of the 20th century.
13
And Canadian steel and aluminium is a national security risk. Brilliant.
17
Makes sense. Since 1992 Saudis made an average 5 billon dollar annual consulting payments to Americans upto 2016. Now it’s single payee system. Jared is the paymaster. Watch Trump destroy Turkey with US powers (Saudi agitator) in full force.
1
We are scarcely friends with the hated Saudis since
9/11 so why are we weaponizing these odious fiends?
13
It is not just about building weapons, Saudi Arabia is trying to diversify its economy away from oil exports. They have been overstating their oil reserves for years. Their recently aborted float of Aramco indicates that there is more money to be made selling the company than pumping the oil. They pulled the float because they realised that telling lies to American investors is a more serious offence than murdering a journalist. Their interest in Qatar and its revenues is an indication of a coming shortfall also.
Morally, natural resources belong to the people that can mine and exploit them, not some tribes that happened to have their tents pitched over the deposit when it was discovered by western geologists. Saudi Arabia is a country born of bandit tribes that got lucky by petroleum discovery.
The US need to take a close look at what their real reserves are, because when the oil runs out Saudi Arabia will be useless to the world. As they approach exhaustion a decision is necessary, whether to continue to pay interest on their vast unearned capital, or take it off them somehow.
3
why are we even pretending to be all up in arms over these cozy deals passed as national emergencies? We assume that the USA has efficient vetting processes and the famous balance of powers to ensure that all is kosher under the star spangled banner .Yet we also have had plenty of evidence these past two years of the Trump administration paying little to no respect to due process between the executive and legislative branches.
Yet we express surprise that Raytheon signed lucrative deals with mr Trump's blessing ,regardless of massacres of civilians in Yemen and hair raising inhumane behavior perpetrated with the full knowledge of the ever smiling MBS.
I remember the pictures of mm Rumsfeld and Cheney paying friendly visits in the mid eighties to their friend Saddam Hussein.Unbeknownst to the public ,they were helping him to go to war against Iran .They were all good friends back then. Look at the mess they created and had to clean up later!
A proxy war against Iran may well be what lies beneath these emergency deals over which Congress is denied a say.
5
This makes total sense, brilliant plan. First, create tension in Iran. Then claim that we need the Saudi's help to fight Iran and provide them the technology to build the bomb. Then collect the reward from the Saudi's after he leaves the Presidency.
5
John Kerry proposed to allow the Russians similar access to military plans until he was stopped from doing so.
The American people must realize that we have a government that has betrayed us.
5
Growing up I was taught to judge actions much heavier than words; it was a saying that was common. As a society I think we’ve lost that outlook today, and instead are far too interested in the drama of the story and pay too little attention to what’s really happening.
We are trying to aggravate Iran into a conflict, we are supporting the de-legitimization of Palestine, we already supported an atrocious war in Yemen, and now we’re destroying our own historical standards by selling the Saudi’s weapons and related technologies. Our global reputation is worse than after the Iraq war, which was a new low at the time, and escalation of any of the above activities will certainly destroy any moral standing we ever thought we had with the rest of the western world.
Congress can stop this at any time, and they’ve had the power since the day this administration pulled out of the Iran Nuclear deal. The painful reality is that Congress supports these actions, and anyone or anything stating otherwise is merely politics. That’s the truth, and given that truth, I don’t expect much to change our present course.
102
@RS
A very articulate and in my opinion,, accurate summary of what is unfolding and the damage being done worldwide to the reputation of the U.S. in the last 2+ years.
16
Raytheon is a despicable company.
6
Except when the built the Patriot Missiles that stopped Saddam's SCUDS.
2
Trump kills. Everything he touches dies. He is as loathsome as McConnell, and that is as low as humanity can get. Can't wait to not visit the Rotunda.
13
This is one of many deadly consequences of the refusal to Impeach. How many deaths will come while those who have the power to stop Trump/Pence do nothing?
It's better to impeach and lose, than never to impeach at all.
16
Raytheon jobs being shipped to Saudi Arabia? Trump is doing the outsourcing?
Congress needs to declare a national emergency, slapping immediate 25% tariffs on every source of income in the trump and kushner portfolios, and on all Rayteon products.
13
Saudi citizens haven't caused much harm to the US since 9/11/2001 ... so what could go wrong?
11
This is what blind, uncontrolled capitalism looks like - we are sowing the wind and we will reap the whirlwind.
10
And which of his family members, or himself, are profiting from this? No one has ever lost following the money with politicians. And anyone who believes that 45 is not a politician, well, have I got a deal on a bridge for you.......
4
Is this a quid pro quo? Buy a couple of my condos and we'll work out an arms deal? It'll be a great deal! Even if it didn't go down that way there is always suspicion with this guy. Little to nothing is above board and honest, just one more episode of sick behavior in the White House that is more like the Black House. Yet Pelosi has to think about impeachment.
10
We started building things in China and now what is everyone screaming? "They are stealing our technology!!"
So, let's create another similar scenario and wonder why 20 years from now some president will think slapping tariffs on MBS will solve today's blunder.
5
Isn’t that, like, super dangerous for us?
12
When all of the ugly truths have been revealed about this amoral administration, just imagine how much money Donnie, Jared, Mrs. Mitch McConnell and all of the other criminals surrounding this administration will have made off of our nation. What a sad and pathetic moment in American history.
22
No worries about precision bombing technology leaking to Pakistan.
Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are not close. Never were. Never will be.
Saudis might support Pakistan's nuclear program, but that's it. Precision guided bombs are a different matter altogether. No way no how will Saudis let that technology go to Pakistan. Nor will the two technologies ever be combined.
And no way will Pakistan let our sniper training of its soldiers leak to the Taliban or the Saudis either (or the billions in arms we fill its coffers with - our allies!).
We're safe guys. No worries.
4
Who wants war between Saudi Arabia and Iran? Bolton, he says so. Pompeo apparently has a scary belief that Armeggedon is the gateway to Jesus’ return. So too the end of days evangelicals. But Netanyahu? He might consider Iran enemy #1 - but if there’s a hot war between Saudi Arabia and Iran, how can the land and people of Israel not be at risk?
3
Is congress going to let him get away with that? Emergency???? Oh please. A trump emergency where he can’t just do whatever he wants.
8
Trump has announced that the moon is part of Mars. Following that reasoning, should we assume that Saudi Arabia is now part of the United States?
4
Grab Huawei founder's daughter off plane because she might have sold telecomm equipment to Iran. Give Saudi advanced weaponry for an UN condemned illegal war. Is it any wonder most of the world sees the US for what it is?
10
@Amateurhistorian
It’s not America it’ll get straightened out. Criminals worldwide will be the same. Next administration better be stacked with Uberzealous CIA and FBI career pros
Economic considerations...that's what it comes down to, Pompeo even admitted as much. Trump is quite literally selling out American security and foreign civilians' safety.
7
History repeats itself. The last Republican administration told lies to start a war in the Middle East (the Iraq War) that is not yet over. Now this administration is preparing to start another war in the Middle East. They are rearming the Saudis, they have started telling lies about Iran. Bush did not like that his father did not remove Safal,so to feed his ego, he started the Iraq War. The 45th does not like President Obama, and Obama signed the Iran Denuclearization Agreement, so now to satisfy his BIG EGO, the 45th is going to start the Iran War. When are we ever going to learn? Does any one in the Congress has the guts to say NO? I don’t think so. History will repeat itself. We will be in another war in the Middle East.
2
I understand why Trump might not conclude this was a bad idea. It's because he doesn't understand any subject whatsoever at a deep level. (If you disagree, please point me towards an interview in which he demonstrates a command over any subject whatsoever.)
I have a guess as to why Trump might think this is a good idea. My guess is that he's getting paid off by the Saudis.
He's treating the USA the same way he's treated everything else in his life -- something to be milked for cash. You might recall that NYS shut down his charity because of malfeasance.
8
The US Saudi relation has always been one of quid pro quo for oil and power. Now it’s not US power interests, it’s just Trump they need to pay. The amounts of money set aside for Trump are so much no American will be able to comprehend even when it’s known.
4
Treason pure and simple. The next Saudi 9/11 will be most impressive.
11
But he worries about all those terrorists coming across the Mexican border!
8
Why is that not treason and why doesn’t somebody speak out and stop him!!!
12
Thank you Norma Clyde! Why wasn't this mentioned in the article, NYTimes???
norma clyde
SW Utah7h ago
@waldo
"Nuclear is in the works under the guise of "nuclear power technology" transfer, again bypassing Congressional oversight. Energy Secretary Rick Perry gave it the green light."
13
here's the simple math -
Saudis + Kushner + Netanyahu =
unmitigated damage to any idea of peace in the mideast +
grotesque numbers of innocent people killed +
decades of hatred for the U.S. in the region
this alone is enough to remove Trump -
to the republicans:
when is it time ?
17
Trump Is a sellout. He never was for make America great again. He was for making his family great again. Those that voted for him are so blind and xenophobic that hatchet put him in place thinking he would protect them by changing the demographics. The red states are dead wrong.
12
What would John McCain do? Or Jesus?
9
The Saudis will pass the intel to Russia, meanwhile the GOP and congress is silent as well as our “National Security” Advisor. All this for 💰
13
@TL
Pretty certain Russia, China and NATO colonies are already ahead technically than what the US is giving to the Saudis. The weapon are "advanced" by middle East standards, not global powers standards.
1
Is Trump also selling them equipment to dismember folks they don't like after they kill them? Surely, there is a buck in that, which is all Trump cares about.
9
Can you imagine the din from the conservative side of the aisle if Obama and H Clinton had dreamed up this little scheme?
15
Good point - where is fake outrage from Tom Cotton?
4
It seems that every day there is a headline in this newspaper concerning what the president has done or decided to do.
What happened to the system of checks and balances we all learned about in high school and college?
How is Trump unilaterally able to do all of this crazy stuff?!?
This is still the United States of America, right?
12
@Tom W Wrong. This is no longer the United States of America. Our government has been bought and paid for by a hereditary oligarchy.
3
Kusher and Trump have a financial interest in this, I'm sure.
16
Follow the money, follow the money...
15
This is a non-story for those of us who have been aware of these trends for years.
Who do you think is making the electronics for our smart bombs and missiles?
Who do you think makes the small caliber ammo for our troops?
Who do you think makes our vaccines?
Who do you think makes our drugs?
Pelosi, Ocasio-Cortez and others are not worried about this so why should I be concerned?
One must question if the majority of Trump supporters even understands the geopolitical consequences of this president's uninformed and ignorant foreign policies pronounced in tweets without any discernable long term strategies? Do they just follow blindly his "We're #1 USA" bluster and shout it out with no knowledge of what we are doing in Saudi Arabia, what we have been doing for years in Afghanistan or why we are provoking Iran? Their stalwart allegiance to this erratic person posing to be a commander-in-chief is dangerous not just for this country's future but also for the long-term balance of power around the globe.
15
One must question if the majority of Trump supporters even understands the geopolitical consequences of this president's uninformed and ignorant foreign policies pronounced in tweets without any discernable long term strategies? Do they just follow blindly his "We're #1 USA" bluster and shout it out with no knowledge of what we are doing in Saudi Arabia, what we have been doing for years in Afghanistan or why we are provoking Iran? Their stalwart allegiance to this erratic person posing to be a commander-in-chief is dangerous not just for this country's future but also for the long-term balance of power around the globe.
3
For a guy who ran three Casinos and an airline into the ground, this is just par for the course.
15
Don’t forget his marriages
4
The Saudi's are not our friends and are in fact just as bad an actor in the region as Iran.
It's time we flush military support for the Saudis and put them on a short leash. Instead.. Trump is doubling down on selling them arms, and now enabling them to be self sufficient in advance arms manufacture.
I don't totally blame Trump though.. because the military industrial complex has been pulling these strings for decades now.
4
I don't believe the Saudis would have proceeded with killing Khasoogi without confidence that the U.S. wouldn't chastise him when the assassination was discovered. The Saudis did not take great care to avoid detection. I also can't see Trump--with his strongman envy-- oopposing the assassination if he were informed of such plans. I consider this circumstantial evidence of that.
9
Saudi Arabia’s vision 2030 program contains an aggressive plan of increased defense spending and production.
“Our aim is to increase the amount of military spending within the Kingdom - currently at 2 percent of our total defense spending - to more than 50% by 2030.” Vision2030.gov.sa.
They are actively creating “deals” wherever they can. Talks in the US with Raytheon, Boeing, google, Amazon, Microsoft, Harvard, mit, apple, Richard Branson and Snapchat took place in April.
MBS vision will likely succeed since money is no object and principles donor seem to matter.
I wonder if we will impose tariffs on our military hardware that we buy from Saudi Arabia in the future. Wouldn’t that be ironic?
Clearly there will be a shift in the balance of military power in this region but I don’t think Saudi Arabians have citizen warriors. They will have to rely on contractors to fight and manufacture for them.
2030 SAMI ( launched) in 2017 aims “to become one of the world’s top 25 defense companies.”
I guess we are one of their venture capitalists.
1
There is just no good that can come from this. The Saudis are not a stabilizing force in the Middle East. A perfect example is their little war in Yemen fought with weapons that we sold them. And we should not forget that 15 of the hijackers on 9/11 were Saudis, or forget to mention OBL, who was funded by Royal Saudis and the US originally. The cost of supporting Saudi interest has cost trillions and caused the death of hundreds of thousands, if not millions. More weapons, or giving the technology to produce more weapons, is a formula for disaster on a global scale.
7
How does this support the "America first" policy? What is Trump or his family getting for this? It really does not make any sense.
21
He is owned by Israel, Saudi Arabia and Putin. Its really getting serious.
31
Absolutely shocked by all the Times readers who are blaming the Saudi's for the 9/11 attacks.
The facts are simple. The organization that was behind the 9/11 attacks - al-Qaeda - wasn't started up by the Saudi's - it was a creation of our own CIA.
All the Saudi's did, was to pay the bills for the operation. After the Russians were forced out of Afghanistan, the CIA lost interest in al-Qaeda, and dumped them. The Saudi's followed our lead, and stopped providing al-Qaeda with money. As a result, Bin Laden and his gang went "rogue", and put both United States, and the Saudi's, on the top their extremely long "hate list".
The Saudi's are no more responsible for the 9/11 attacks than our own CIA. Of course, our FBI, who knew exactly who the attackers were, and did nothing to stop them, deserves a big share of the credit as well, for the 9/11 disaster which is still killing our 1st responders as I write this.
If my neighbor's dog bites me, I don't blame the dog, I blame my neighbor. Since the CIA is our dog, the person we should be blaming for 911, is the person we see in the mirror every morning.
Is there something positive we can do to take responsibility for our collective neglect? Yes - be sure that we replace our current leaders, starting in 2020, with people who are intelligent, well informed, at least moderately honest, and not puppets of our Military Industrial Complex.
Who you choose is up to you - but think about the consequences of a bad decision.
5
@Peter Zenger
While I was reading your comment, I couldn't stop hearing circus music in my head.
10
@Peter Zenger And your proof is???
Bolton, Pompeo, Netanyahu, MBS, need I say more?
It's time for Americans to march against this war that has been hanging over us for too long. We march for womens' rights, let's see a big turnout for an end to these predatory wars. It's the only way to stop them.
7
How is this in our national security interest? Interesting that his in-law is all buddy buddy with the Sauds at our expense and others as well.
10
September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the United States.
Origins of the 19 hijackers
Nationality Number
Saudi Arabia 15
United Arab Emirates 2
Egypt 1
Lebanon 1
Aiding and abetting our enemy is pure treason. Lock Trump up till he dies.
20
Add to the despotic, illegitimate "president's" list of crimes: Aiding and abetting a state sponsor of terrorism. Never thought the USA would sink so low again, but here you are: Enemy of the free world.
11
The Saudi government has killed tens of thousands of innocent people in its Yemeni holocaust, although the killing of Jamal Khashoggi captured disproportionate public attention. How many innocent people must the Saudi government kill before Trump and his his coterie of warmongers recognize that it is illegitimate? Why is Trump and his entourage abetting the Saudi government in Yemen?
In dealing with illegitimate organizations, we must realize that members of such organizations have a responsibility to immediately disband. If they do not, we are justified in using correct force against them, including deadly force, especially for their top officials. Mohammed bin Salman and his associates are running an organization that has crossed the red lines. We must never rest until they receive their just deserts.
Why isn't this obvious to Trump and his coterie of warmongers?
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/06/senators-seek-block-trump-arms-sales-saudi-arabia-190605154958283.html
11
If you are not outraged, you are either not paying attention, or you really apathetic to the country and the Constitution.
Either way, you are part of the worldwide problem of dying democracies.
Vote 2020 to sane, centric, liberal politicians. Yes, liberalism is the cure.
20
Had Obama or a Clinton administration done this, I could hear the howling for their arrests and imprisonment all the way down here in Georgia and Fox would be running "Breaking News", ad free non-stop calling for extreme measures... use your imagination.
He uses emergency authorization to sell our most secretive defense technology to an enemy, who can in turn give it to Russia or anyone else.
This is insanity.
Impeach these traitors - trump, mcconnell, barr, pompeo.... all of them are corrupt to the bone.
15
Donald Trump needs to be impeached. He obstructed justice ten times. He fights Congress in their duty to control monetary expenditures to build his wall. Now he has soldiers painting the wall. Trump sold top secret bomb technology to Saudi Arabia; along with bombs; declaring a fake National Emergency. Trump refuses subpoenas to everyone in his administration. Impeach Donald Trump. Ray Sipe
18
To be fair, the Saudis are having the US make their next generation of bone saws.
9
If Trump has an opportunity to do something destructive, he will: imprison children in cages. Pollute the environment. Sell the latest military technology to a murderous dictator. Make the planet uninhabitable.
I am beginning to think the extremist evangelicals are right, and Trump is God's instrument for bringing about the End Times and killing us all off.
10
Talk about jobs going overseas!!
120
The threat to our national security is coming from our own White House.
236
Lord, please save us from the sins of well-meaning but very stupid voters that elected another equally stupid person as President - and a man that is also an amoral, self-absorbed, vicious, vituperative conman.
Please give his supporters the strength to see the truth about him and recognize the great harm he is doing to the entire world on climate, trade, nuclear proliferation, environmental degradation, and international alliances and security.
7
So next time, the Saudi's can just send their own version of American precision-guided bombs instead of 15 men armed with box cutters.
12
When will the time come to impeach this crooked, self serving criminal? Wait for Pelosi’s retirement?
9
NYT reader: would you please call your senators now and ask for a hearing in the senate ASAP.
11
SC,
Mitch McConnell, who is proudly calling himself the "grim reaper" because he refuses to allow any votes in the Senate, will continue holding the entire country hostage to his partisan agenda (there are over 100 bills waiting on his desk to be voted on).
Trump isn't the only problem we have. McConnell and the entire Republican Party are co-conspirators in the corruption of our democracy.
Vote them all out in 2020.
13
Selling bomb tech to the Saudis! What could possibly go wrong
9
Yep. Draining the swamp.
Yep bringing back manufacturing jobs
Yep
So many yeps
11
Supposedly Trump is all worked up about Iran so he feels it is a good idea to make Saudi Arabia more dangerous.
I doubt if this stupidity will even wake up the Republicans about how dangerous this President really is.
Is there anyone awake in Washington?
11
This is why they hate us.
6
Oh the marvelous fruits of "Senior Adviser" Jared's chumminess with the always delightful MbS! Do the bombs include a really small version useful for blowing off journalists' hands, splitting their whole bodies in pieces? Probably much quicker than those cumbersome old bone cutters.
6
In a world that should seek peace, nowadays most powerful governments continue increasing defense spending
http://nuevaeconomiaycompartir.blogspot.com/2017/05/una-vision-de-los-gastos-en-defensa-la.html
When the world gets peace in a high grade, there will be access to a great knowledge, unthinkable at this time. This will begin to happen in a few years, after the emergence of the world's instructor.
The fact that will initiate the change will be: http://nuevaeconomiaycompartir.blogspot.com.ar/2012/08/la-ayuda-de-maitreya-esta-muy-cerca.html. The moment is near.
I leave a link about how I see the current problems: http://nuevaeconomiaycompartir.blogspot.com.ar/2016/03/resumen-del-blog-el-desafio-de-crear-un.html
1
Trump has totally hijacked America...while every day he is called what he is, a lying, racist homophobic, misogynistic, infantile criminal...who flies in the face of every value this country has been promoting since the creation of its inception. The denial is why...that white people can see the tsunami of multiculturalism which is a threat to their power and they will fight to keep it by any means necessary But it will prove to be the proverbial "throw the baby out with the bathwater."
5
Everyone knows Trump is being paid under the table. They bailed out 666 street, killed civilians while we looked the other way, killed an American journalist, killing children and families in concentration camps at our border.
How long Nancy do you think you will have to wait for him to go to "prison" for being a traitor and mole for not just Russia; or do you think our Justice System still belongs to the people and will oblige you in your question while Mitch McConnell still stacks the judicial system with horrid people.
" No impeachment" just leaves Americans being hung out to dry. Hope your $$$$ backers get their money worth..the American people will keep getting little or nothing for their trust in the Democratic party "that no one is above the law". Evidently they are!!!
5
Ugh! might as well just send the IP straight to China....that's where Saudi is gonna have all this stuff built...
4
Empowering a murderer with end-of-the-world technology is a dumb idea. Exactly what you would expect from Trump and his handpicked, inexperienced sycophants. And irreversible come 2020.
7
We sure are punishing them for assassinating a Washington Post columnist.
9
Yo trump voters.How ya feeling about all those jobs going to Saudi Arabia??And I'm sure you haven't a clue that they are the very same people that blew up the twin towers.I hope you're pleased with yourselves cause you're sure making Russia happy.
7
Trumps stupidity is only exceeded by his selective -ignorance.
2
No access to abortion in America but it's okay to help the Saudis bomb babies in Yemen!?!?!?
10
Dear Saudi Arabia: you won’t need to hijack planes for your next 9/11 type attack. We will freely give you the parts
Signed Unbelievably Stupid America
8
https://oversight.house.gov/sites/democrats.oversight.house.gov/files/Trump%20Saudi%20Nuclear%20Report%20-%202-19-2019.pdf
Treason.
3
Would President Trump have sold the blueprint for the A-bomb to Hitler for a permit to build a casino in Berlin? Probably.
14
Why on earth is it taking sooo long to get his tax records because it seems all too apparent that he is beholding to Putin and MbS for any number of possible reasons. Can the Dems get their act together and connect these dots so we can confirm what most already suspect?
5
Neil,
Trump could be stopped immediately if the Republicans would finally stand up to him.
How can you blame the Democrats when the GOP is aiding and abetting Trump across the board?
7
@L. Leave it the to the Dems to gab defeat from the jaws of victory. They should have issued a supoena to Mueller the week following the release of his report, but instead allowed trump and Barr to grab the narrative for well over a month. So many other investigations but with a White House telling former aides, who are now private citizens
, not to cooperate, the Dems are like a deer in headlights.
The republicans? They’re a lost cause. They are accomplices in the destruction of the USA, led by McConnell.
1
Now I'm really getting scared. Every day there is something worse in the news about this uncontrollable maniac. How can he have such unbridled power? Who can stop him? What can stop him?
7
Was the package of our high-tech bomb 'stuff' given to the Saudis with MSB's 'side order' of a new bone-saw -- and a note signed "Love (on the down-low) … Don & Jared"?
6
@Thomas Murray
Note to self: Make that MbS's.
Selling nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia? Transferring manufacturing technology to Saudi Arabia? Transferring the actual manufacture of US bomb components to Saudi Arabia?
Donald J. Trump is a Traitor and MUST be arrested and thrown in jail, regardless of any OLC opinion. Every individual, family member, including Jared Kushner, corporation and its executives participating in this act of treason MUST also be tried and prosecuted for Treason!
6
The Saudis are not our "friends." Their brand of Wahhabi Islam is hostile to Western modernity, and is the foundation for militant fundamentalism. Their treatment of women and gays is antithetical to our values. Their draconian punishments, based on a warped Sharia law interpretation condemns its citizens to extreme barbarity. I knew there was a reason why Trump liked them. There needs to be a thorough investigation of the Trump organization, as well as Jared Kushner's business dealings with the Saudis. Smells like quid pro quo.
9
@Stephen Holland It just smells like a good 'ol fashioned case of treason and felony conspiracy to commit treason to me.
7
I guess we need to do all we can for the Saudis, because the next time Saudi citizens attack us, like they did on 911, we have to be prepared to attack Iran in retaliation, and we’ll need to use their bases. Can you imagine what would have happened if Obama did something like this? Because Trump is white and hugs the flag while hating Latinos, he’s allowed to sellout this country in all kinds of ways.
6
We knew that it was Saudi terrorists who led the 9/11 attacks. Our response was to hurry high level Saudis out of the U.S. and start wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Now we have evidence that not just Saudis but the Saudi government is a terrorist organization, so what do we do? We sell them the most advanced weapons so they can kill more doctors and innocent people. I see a great difference in the people of Iran and the Saudi people. The Iranian government may be controlled by religious fundamentalists and may fund Hezbollah and so on, but the people are educated. I worked with some of them at a National Laboratory. Why not a war against Saudi Arabia instead of a war against Iran? These are the people who attacked us. Iran foments problems in the middle east perhaps, but they haven't attacked America, nor did Iraq. It was the Saudis. Trump loves them, but he is a fool.
9
It's an emergency to sell bomb designs to Saudi arabia? what is the emergency? trump crime family needs money?
11
If there was ever any doubt that Trump is unfit for the office—this is it. He is putting our country at risk, once again. How can someone provide bomb making technology to the same people who supported the 9/11 terrorists? It’s like giving matches the guy who lit your house on fire some time back.
There will be no signs outrage on Fox and his base will remain blissfully unaware what he is doing and the danger he is putting his own country in.
7
Trump and Kushner are selling out our country to line their pockets.
The Saudi government aided the 9/11 terrorists, have been willfully bombing civilians in Yemen, torture their own people, and brutally murdered a Washington Post journalist. They must not be allowed to have this technology.
Congress has to stop Trump from bypassing them to do whatever he wants. He's endangering our national security and that of the entire world.
9
I’m with Rand Paul state sponsored murder terrorism, ethnic cleansing etc etc etc.
The current head of the Saudis is a spoiled murderer, who has essentially gotten away with worse than what Trump is doing.
No more support to Saudi Arabia until they hold the JK murderers AND the guy who ordered it to face justice. Khashoggi was a US citizen lured to Turkey with premeditated murder on the agenda.
2
The lack of Congressional oversight has gone on too long. The Executive, non-elected public officials, corporations can do anything and make policies in their interests without a nod to detrimental consequences at home or abroad. Some of these illegitimate overreaches against the civil rights of others even become lawful.
9
@Eleanor N.:US politics tests for seeing no evil, hearing no evil , and speaking no evil. If you have all of these disabilities, you're qualified. You want to be so empty that other people project their own souls on you.
1
For far too long Congress has ceded authority to Presidents, and this deal with the Saudis is a great example of where Congress must draw the line, preventing any part of this deal from happening. Congress must exert its authority. Pass new legislation, stopping this deal. Act. Protect US Secrets.
9
Finally Lindsey Graham is doing something right, weak though it may be: "expressing disapproval of the deals." How long will that last, given his love of all things Trump and his vulnerability in the 2020 election? Too little, too late.
7
We have hard evidence of abuse from countries that were extended manufacturing capacity of sensitive weapons. When these countries enter into disputes/ skirmishes with other countries where one side is throwing rocks, for example, the country with the tech advantage will launch an asymmetrical response that kills children playing soccer at the beach or worse.
Neither China nor Saudi Arabia should be given advanced technology for obvious reasons.
6
How much you wanna bet Trump opens a huge resort in Saudi Arabia when he’s out of office?
And how much you wanna bet the Saudi’s fund it?
Trump is doing these deals looking for a payout down the road. This isn’t for his donors or inner circle. It’s for him.
14
I must admit that this is a good deal for president Trump .Total unreliability .Total chaos.
3
It is time for Congress to step up and put limitations and conditions on when a President can declare an emergency.
The President must make a showing to Congress of why action is needed to stop an imminent threat or prevent imminent disaster, what the action will be and Congress must approve the declaration by majority a vote of both houses.
6
It appears that Trump will sell anything that is not nailed down to whomever he wishes without regard for the long range consequences.
No doubt he has already set aside the murder of Mr. Khashoggi. Clearly the violation of human rights for women and others would not bother him.
But giving technology to the Saudis while trying to stop the Chinese from taking it makes no sense at all.
6
Sell bombs to the Saudi Arabian murderer Mohammed bin Salman who will drop them on Yemen hospitals and schools with greater precision.
Thanks to Kushner who probably made a deal with Salman so Trump Inc. could put signs throughout the oppressive kingdom.
Salman tortures maims and kills his own people and is responsible for the murder of an American journalist.
Yeah, give this killer more weapons so he can rain death on innocent people with pinpoint accuracy.
5
Block it. These people will sell it to Russia and China.
8
@Robin Foor Russia probably already manufactures these things, and China is probably well along that road. Ours is no doubt better, and likely works more reliably -- but why give either of them anything at all ?
What chafes my hide is, it is just as moronic to give it to Saudi Arabia as it would be to give it to North Korea. They are both violent stone age countries trying to work themselves into the bronze age. Why would we want to give either of them the recipe and the tools to make bronze ?
5
“The greatest purveyor of violence in the world : My own Government, I can not be Silent.” Martin Luther King Jr.
Seems little has changed in 50 years.
8
..So much for keeping jobs in the USA. apparently Trump is now exporting jobs to the Saudi Arabians. So much for America first.
8
All people from all parties should be alarmed about this. most of the 9/11 terrorists came from saudi arabia originally. dont we ever learn?????
5
That’s right up there with giving laser weapons and artificial intelligence to robot soldiers. Bound to backfire.
Just wondering how much Trump will receive from the Saudis in 7 year....
I guess will never know because if the wimps that we have in Congress and the House who don’t subpoena Trump’s finances disclosure....
3
How much did Kushner pocket from the deal with is BFF the Crown Prince?
8
@Casual Observer. Actually the Saudis royals dont descend from the Bedo tribes. They trace their lineage to Yemen. You are right in pointing out their modern attributes, but don’t forget they gave us Algebra, among other things, and took the west out of the dark ages by conserving, and later sharing with the west the Classical Greek knowledge, such as philosophy. The Saudis just do what the US tells them to do. Don’t forget we launched the Gulf War vs Iraq from Saudi territory.
1
@George Hawkeye
Yes and then religion took, free thinking was suppressed by theocratic rulers and their great contributions to the world pretty much ended.
1
The word algebra was coined in Persia by the author whose name gives us the word “algorithm” and Aristotelian thought was preserved mainly by Persian and Iberian thinkers. Both centers of learning were thousands of miles from Arabia.
2
@Larry O. Check Wikipedia for “Algebra (from Arabic "al-jabr", literally meaning "reunion of broken parts"[1]). I ignore that in Farsi there is the “al” as in Arabic. There are scholarly opinions about his real name, but the thing to remember is that his contributions were a compendium of ancient knowledge as known to Arab intellectuals of the time. By “Iberian thinkers” you certainly mean those of Arab and Jewish origin who lived in what is now the Iberian peninsula. Few Persians ventured that far west, unless under the aegis of Arab caliphs. As far as it is known, it was in Córdoba, Malaga, and Granada where Algebra was taught by Arab teachers. Bottom line, the west owes much to the Arabs.
Saudi has spent tons of cash purchasing Kashner and Trump. Of course they expect returns on their investments. Unlike Trump, Saudi’s deals don’t result in bankruptcy. American foreign policy is up for sale to the highest bidder.
20
Could someone remind me what a person who gives away secrets that are guarded for national security reason is called?
30
They’re called traitors.
4
Hmm the Rosenbergs we're found guilty of committing the same sin and what happened to them?
5
" the arrangement raised security concerns among lawmakers, who were seeking assurances that the Saudis could prevent the American technology from falling into the wrong hands." ... as in Bin Laden types?! I guess to Trump Saudis are the ones who helped him having the tallest building in NY due to 9/11.
8
How is this different from Russia supplying lethal weapons and military support to the murderous Assad Regime in Syria? If you want to the world to listen to you, it helps to occupy the high ground. This certainly is not it.
14
Trumps cannot be trusted – all of them.
No one know what is their real motivation, how they make money using their top government positions (with papa Donald himself in the oval office flanked by Ivanka & Kushner ‘senior advisers’) to cash on commissions for placing US government-restricted deals in the hands of their real estate financiers, like Saudis, Russians, Chinese, etc.
We also don’t know whether transferring this high weapon technology to Saudi’s is not a way to effectively provide it to the Russians as means for the Trumps to secure financing of the Trump Hotel in Moscow, which almost certainly will materialize soon after the Trumps are out of office.
There is an urgency to stop asap the possible criminal and/or treasonous activities by the Trumps who are clearly using the Presidency to at least enrich themselves. Sadly, no one can exclude a possibility that Trumps would not hesitate to sell even the US nuclear bomb-lunching code to the highest bidder.
This urgency could be immediately addressed by the Democrats stop arguing whether to label their upcoming House inquiry as ‘Impeachment’ or anything else and announce their inquiry into possible CRIMINALITY as per the 10 likely obstructions of justice within the Mueller’s fining.
As the facts are publicly heard, the Republicans would slowly chip in their support, likely quicker than they did during the Nixon’s era as Trump’s actions are far more destructive to the whole nation than were those of Nixon.
14
"It would take an act of Congress....." is now a total absurdity.
"It will take a "national emergency".. has replaced it.
9
Can someone explain to the individuals handing over arms tech, including nuclear, to Saudi Arabia that they will be held personally, criminally liable when this is over?
Congress has made it explicit that these transfers are not authorized by the American people.
If you are taking money from this regime, and handing them our defense tech, including nuclear, in exchange, you need to go to prison for decades.
Defensive arms to deter Iran are one thing, but recent transfers especially nuclear, invite blowback.
Saudi arabia is a terror threat, a piece of work country that feels safe
murdering US journalists, with a regime that is cruel, out of touch, brittle, and could be overthrown by the next ISIS at any moment. We don’t want our defense tech in such unsteady hands.
Congress knows this, has forbidden the transfer, and Trump is proceeding with the unauthorized transfer anyhow, probably for personal, financial reasons.
13
The deal maker in the WH could be looking to the future when whatever happens after he is out of the presidency, either by impeachment, or loosing the election, he will continue to have contact and relations with Putin and MBS and Emiratis to start negotiating for trump towers being built in their countries. He's been wanting to extend his corrupt empire for years.
3
This a very bad idea. What will keep the Saudis from sharing the technology with other countries. This could leave Israel in danger in the future and destabilize the entire middle east area to a greater extent. I hope Congress can find a way to stop this executive king like power grab.
7
It's not just selling bomb designs, but supervising every phase of design and construction. That means a few more jobs in that hellish place for Americans. The Saudis can't do anything by themselves.
3
FYI Boeing also sends a great deal of their engineering and supplier work overseas - Russia, the UAE, India and many other countries. It is a sweetener in the trade deals. They pay large $ for our killing machines and get some of that back in pay for labor and the chance to steal technology. While the US MIC stockholders see dividends on the savings through using cheap foreign labor.
4
The US has been the leading supplier of weapons across the globe for a long time. Our War profiteer .1% class receives vast amounts of government subsidies and enrich themselves by selling all over the world. This is long before Trump, he is just particularly crass about it. This is blood on our hands.
6
This reinforces the United States’ erratic and hypocritical foreign policy, a danger to our own national security. It is also one more attempt to destroy congressional power.
Kushner is unfit to be in any public office and was turned away by our own security forces for being compromised.
We should demand to know what “Snapchat” conversations with MBS and MBZ he has engaged in, as his decisions have cost thousands of lives and could cost tens of thousands more. He came close to bankrupting his family if it were not for strong arming Qatar to lease 666 Fifth Avenue; so WHAT else does this grifter of a family have to show us before we legally kick them out of the White House? The Republican Party has blood on their hands.
9
How much are the Kushner getting out of the deal?
11
Obviously the Trumps are getting a kickback out of this. Empty condos at Trump Tower will suddenly be sold.
7
Congressional reaction has been swift and silent.
16
When Saudi goes rouge the USA and allied troops will have the same advantage they had in the wars against Iraq and in Afghanistan - they will have the receipts and so know exactly what weapons they are up against.
1
While it may seem strange to say, perhaps Iran would be a better partner than SA. They educate women, let them drive and are a real country...and they are not complicit in bombing us. The value of an inherently corrupt SA regime that stands in opposition to US values is a puzzle.
10
The cover picture of this article tells it all. I wouldn't buy a used car from Mohammed bin Salman, let alone give him access to our classified munitions.
And there's Trump ... showing off shiny toys from our Defense Department, like; "you can have one from this page, and 2-for-1 from this page. Sick.
Rather than Bombs, lets sell them well-drilling equipment and tractors. We need clean water and food. Not bombs.
I do not trust Saudi Arabia. And I certainly don't trust Trump.
8
The prince is laughing in the photo because Trump just said, "I like this boat. Will you give me one if I give you our military secrets?"
5
Trump is really into "buy America" and "nationalism" ... unless there's an economic advantage for him personally ... then he doesn't care if the vendor/customer is dealing with one of America's most rabid adversaries who is currently in the process of actively attacking our country.
Trump is NOT an "American President", he's a self-serving opportunist, period.
7
It seems that Trump is selling our country piece by piece to the highest bidder.
9
What was it 45 said about bringing jobs back to the US? Was it via Saudi Arabia?
8
I guess one way to crack down on the illicit arms trade is to sell anything to anyone with cash no matter what they will or might do with it. We have gone past shameless and reached sadistic.
6
Why you haven't stormed the White House gates is beyond me. That's what the American Revolution was based upon.
5
Too busy. Comments sections and facebook take a lot of work.
Give a man a bomb, and he will kill people today. Teach a man how to make a bomb, and he will kill people forever. The problem is that you don’t know if this man will be your friend forever, especially considering the Saudi lineage of many of the most important anti-US terrorists. Other than bromances with the crown prince, it’s not clear to me why the administration is willing to bend so far backwards for the Saudis and their allies, but it certainly is not because it is in our national interest.
10
You are right. A Wahabi revolution would put this in the hands of dangerous extremists. All risk and no benefit to the US.
5
Hey, why not.
With that outstanding tradition of meticulous historically fine Saudi bomb craftsmanship,
how could bomb making possibly go wrong?
3
And as Paul said below, only 15 of the 19 911 terrorist were Saudi. What could possibly go wrong?
2
The French people did something about shipping arms to the Saudis. They blocked the ports where the Saudi ships were to load the weapons.
We as a people can do the same and block the shipments of arms to Saudi Arabia. The question is will we? Venting on the New York Times comment board will not get the job done.
Also, write to your congressperson and let them know that you are against this delivery.
3
All because the gave him a medal and let him touch the orb.
6
Next “beautiful” deal: Sell ICBMs to Rocket Boy in exchange for the right to build Trump Tower Pyongyang
3
Disgusting, defense contractors included. Taxpayers need to be outraged.
4
Brilliant, sell weapons plans to people who obtained a different governments help in missile production without telling us. It's not like the weapons plans won't simply be passed on to the third government. I think our president mistakes the meaning of brilliant and naive.
10
Trump's sole reason for being is to line his pockets. The Saudis do a very nice job of that. He has boasted how they are wonderful customers, so let's not let our national security stand in the way of Trump's profiteering.
16
The Saudis probably threatened to buy from Russia if we didn't share weapon production and secrets with them. In order not to loose a sale and make tons of $$$, the companies got DT to make the deal and share in the booty. Good old American capitalism at work again. It is another win-win situation, except that we might loose some day but you can be sure that all today's winners will likely be gone by then. Nothing new!
10
And the Trump Administration is worried about Iran?
What sane human being would trust the Saudi's at this point. It was Saudi citizens who were responsible for 2001, and the murder of Khashoggi. It is insane to even entertain the thought of allowing Raytheon to help the Saudis in anyway, let alone to build weapons over there. Is this the hair-brained idea of the Army Secretary along with Pompeo and Bolton?
It is time that Congress exercise their oversight duties, which they have not lived up to yet.
The Military-Industrial Complex are at it again, much to the detriment of these United States.
24
Two key questions:
1. Are the Saudi's getting access to the design of the electronics and the software or are they just doing basic final assembly? Is it possible that the Saudi's can now reverse engineer the chips and software but were unable to previously when they got the bombs fully assembled? Seems like an important distinction.
2. Are more civilians going to die if the Saudis have more smart bombs or fewer? Dumb bombs are obviously more likely to result in collateral damage. Like Assad doesn't have smart bombs, so lots of civilians die. The question is when the Saudi's run out of smart munitions, do they stop bombing or just used dumb bombs?
2
@Mmm; 1) yes. It's not like they can't get help from others to reverse engineer once they have them 2) yes! It's not like they're going to use only the smart ones! They would use them additionally. Who is stopping them? Their human kindness?!!
3
What is to stop the Saudis from sabotaging the parts they build so that when the bombs are used they will fail to operate?
1
Y'all, this just feels like a bad idea.
[Said by Captain Obvious, who is currently renting construction equipment and searching the interwebs for DIY bomb shelter plans]
8
Who manufactures the parts isn't a concern to me, but once the technology has been given away, it is gone forever. What prevents it from being sold or stolen by an enemy? In that part of the world, enemies to the United States are easy to find. As others have said, the Saudis financed the 9/11 attackers, who were also Saudi nationals.
11
Is there nothing left of ethics in American business or American government?
Trump has finally led our capitalistic democracy to its nadir. There is nothing but corruption left.
In this deal - between Raytheon greed ruling over patriotism and national security and Pompeo's phony emergency about Iran and Congress's impotence, Trump is winning for sure.
He will destroy our nation and the world.
13
Why do we keep selling everything (including the kitchen sink) to our adversaries?! When will the US realize that part of our downfall will be the military industrial complex?
We cannot allow Saudi Arabia to have access to our nuclear secrets but it’s already been done. So many questions. Top of mind: Who will they sell them to? How will they use it against us/U.S.?
The “royal” family hasn’t changed. They’re still ruthless and will do nothing to take out their enemies— does 9/11 nineteen years ago not matter? BinLadin was given weapons by the US & was Saudi. Why do we have to be screened at the airport? 9/11. Why were we subject to green, orange & red levels of security announcements for the majority of the 2000’s? Every day, all day - heightened alert orange! The tragedy of 9/11 was executed by 15 (out of 19) Saudi highjackers who killed over 2,799 people + 16k & growing dead or sick. Have we forgotten our boys & men who sacrificed themselves to protect our freedom, who proved we were “home of the brave”? D Day was to remind us. I’m sorry but Saudi Arabia has changed our country from “land of the free” to one step closer to loss of our democracy, our beloved republic.
Honestly, I’m not for wasting time & tax dollars for impeachment proceedings re:Mueller report, but I would 100% approve for impeachment based on the President’s actions. How can you circumvent Congress with self-appointed positions (DOE)? To me, it is treasonous. This my friends, is worthy of impeachment.
11
Graham, Paul, and Menendez will introduce a bill expressing displeasure over Saudis building arms in their country. So what? Graham is a toady who will fold when Trump tells him to, Paul is ineffective, and Menendez is in the minority party. President Bone Spurs continues to drive his party into oblivion while endangering the safety and well-being of our country and there is nothing we can do. What a revolting development.
9
Trump is selling out the US for his own gain. Plain and simple.
10
Congress: Trump declares an emergency and sells our secrets to another government? Wake up and Impeach, already!
14
Congress needs to block this sale and investigate its back story. It reeks of corruption and Trump self-dealing. It also paves the way for a possible inferno in the Middle East. And it caters to Saudi murderers. And it loses American jobs.
Another day in TrumpWorld.
Vote blue 2020. All blue, all elections.
14
At least the NY Times has the guts to mention this in their news and keep the public informed so they can make informed decisions on election day.
This beggars belief and I see the NY Times as the 'Tank Man' of the USA.
4
What a surprise. The entire US arms program for the price of a few cheesy condominiums.
9
On a brighter note, aren’t the Saudis thinking about ‘allowing’ women to drive?
2
As a private corporation, Raytheon's primary objective is profit, not national defense. It should not be referred to as a "defense firm", but rather as an arms contractor, period. We know that with Republicans in charge, our government policy is being dictated by corporations, and this is one more frightening example.
23
@Matt,
Raytheon is a publicly held corp in the U.S.
But I could not agree with you more.
2
Publicly held or private corporation, it makes no difference in this context.
1
Money has always talked. Power has always talked.
They are fully symbiotic, and have been since the beginnings of every culture and civilization.
They will continue to be so.
4
And how does his buddy Bibi view this move? I have trouble believing the majority of Israeli voters, regardless of political bent, would be on board with this maneuver.
4
@Meem: Bibi sees that Sunni Muslims are much more numerous. He does not bet against numbers.
2
@Meem. It’s all part of the charade. The Saudis support Trump’s Israeli deals, turn a blind eye to the plight of Palestinians; bomb Yemen; support sanctions vs Iran, and they get their high tech weapons. Bibi is on it as well as the entire Knesset. Trump/Kushner are demonstrating how to apply The Art of the Deal.
4
@Meem
I don’t doubt that Israel has already been consulted.
1
Iran is a true civilization with a three thousand year pedigree. Land of 10,000 indolent "princes", the Saudis are the Beverly Hillbillies of the Mideast, having to import anything of intellectual or material sophistication. We, and the world world have much more to gain by coming to an accord with Iran than by coddling Mr. Bone Saw, who has nothing to offer the world except some fleeting oil bucks. We cannot free ourselves of fossil fuels soon enough to rid ourselves of this albatross.
Also, let's not kid ourselves, a war with Iran would be a catastrophe. They are an inventive people, all the more so since they have had to labor under sanctions for so long. They have been preparing for battle in ways ordinary Americans cannot imagine, including attacking our infrastructure and internet backbone. We've already seen how vulnerable we are just through the fecklessness of our own companies.This time around, it might be us who experience "shock and awe".
6
@stan continople: Nobody in the entire Saud family wants to be caught working. This is thousands of people.
3
The Saudis are the descendants of Bedouin tribes and they simply have never accepted the principles of the modern liberal world, and they aren’t even accepting of the culture of the city a lot of the time having strong inclinations to revert to the ways of nomadic tribes. We as a nation that seeks a liberal world order ought not to give them this technology. We do not have the slightest idea whether they will not use it to commit war crimes including starting wars across the region.
5
@Casual Observer
Some research is in order on Bedouins, the House of Saud and the history of the people and area.
As for "We do not have the slightest idea whether they will not use it to commit war crimes including starting wars across the region."
Same can be said of all countries with mega stock piles of weapons and military might. There are many examples,
@Casual Observer: You can take it to the bank that "Boko Haram" means that Allah disapproves of western techno-culture.
Something should be done to keep U.S. Classified Information-- secrets necessary to preserve our security---from Trump, who has shown himself in his infantile immaturity to be unable to restrain himself when sharing conversation or trade with the pals he likes--people like Putin and his cronies and the Saudis. Putin and his cronies might have helped Trump when he was stuck on the verge of bankruptcy; this group seems to have some hold on him. At one point after firing Comey , he met with Russians, maligning Comey, and revealed things he should have kept to himself.
The Saudis gave him a red-carpet welcome and drowned him in undeserved flattery. They also have an abundance of money which they are willing to spend in our country and in Trump's hotels--emoluments, which should be illegal.They also are willing and able to spend lavishly on buying the most expansive and expensive military hardware.
Feed Trump money and flattery and he will reveal everything. He would not object to Saudis gaining advanced military technology. (But have they not shown themselves in murdering Khashoggi and bombing Yemeni civilians to have no respect for decency or for human rights of others?) It would be both wise and necessary not to let Trump know much about our national secrets.
3
@shimr: There are no secrets to US presidents. All doors must be opened to them. And they have discretion to declassify anything.
Frankly irresponsible beyond belief. Short term gains for long term problems.
The youth of America should rise up in revolution for the world their parents are leaving them, full of geo-political messes, further proliferation of lethal weapons, and environmental destruction.
We are supposed to leave a better world for our children, not drive it off a cliff.
10
@J.Q.P. We were older back then too.
1
What could go wrong selling nuclear technology and high-tech weapons to the Saudis. Only 15 of the 19 9/11 terrorists were Saudis. It's not like they were all Saudis.
8
I’m trying,, hard.. not to laugh at what passes for american leadership these days...and can’t help myself.
6
As a native New Yorker who witnessed 9/11, this sickens me, especially since trump is a native New Yorker too.
Chalk up another impeachable offense than no one does anything about. Guess we’ll just have to wait for the Saudis to nuke us to stop voting for Republicans. Republicans protected the Saudis after 9/11 and are now selling them nukes? Traitors.
14
@Kat: Trump hates New York most of all because the Silverstein level real estate players consider him a punk. He will show them who is boss.
3
The terrorist hijackers of Sept. 11, 2001 were Saudis. They were because despite making money from trading with the West, they hate the modern world order created by the West, which makes their culture seem weak and unable to preserve itself without eliminating the West.
Saudi Arabia is not part of nor do they wish to be part of any liberal world order. They are fine with a world of nations at war with each other and people living under rulers who are proudly oppressive. The Saudis consider us their existential enemies no less than the Mullahs ruling Iran. The Saudi put up with us because the oil and we them for the same reason.
Any weapons given to them could be used agonist countries friendly to use or provided to people who would use them against us. If any employee of Raytheon discovers a nefarious plan to use these weapons, the Saudis are as likely to kill them as they were Khashoggi, to hide it from us.
The Saudis are trading partners, not friends nor reliable allies. Jordan is a country that is infinitely more reliable than the Saudis and Qatar far more welcoming of our military than are the Saudis, and we do not make policies that give them as much blind support as Saudi Arabia. But it seems that Trump and Kushner are lost when it comes to international relations.
4
More Republican corruption creating a massive threat to national security.
Business as usual for the party of crime and graft.
5
How can we let him get away with this? What he's doing is so transparent. Senators, congresspeople, this is our country's values that are at stake. You must do something. Trump and Kushner must be made to understand that whatever they are hatching up with the world's strongmen is absolutely unheard of in a free society. Dismantling our government, bad enough, is one thing. But putting arms in the hands of murderers is another thing altogether.
9
If MbS and Putin were laughing, high-fiving and shaking hands before, what are they doing now?
3
Ah. I presume another example of our president playing 3D chess?
2
There is something rotten in Denmark, I mean DC.
This corrupt, incompetent poor excuse for a human being is putting our country at increasingly greater risk each day he remains in office.
He has done nothing but line his pockets and the pockets of the 1%. He has shown a preference for the Saudis because they have money to throw at him, and they do.
The fact that he made Saudi Arabia the first stop over out allies on his first overseas trip as president says it all.
Trump and Kushner are selling America to the highest bidder.
It's time to send them both packing.
I only hope Congress has the ability and the stomach to stop the deal.
8
Wouldn't these be good manufacturing jobs for the mid-west instead of the mid-dle-east.
10
The country that begat the perpetrators of 9/11? The most oppressive and medieval country in the world, where people are routinely executed, stoned, etc. Where women are just property? This is the result Jared Kushner in unbelievable position of power. How did this happen? A completely unqualified “family member” in charge of Middle East policy?
6
Pure and simple, the best salesman doing what he does best - selling his country for a pittance while his companies try to get a Jeddah hotel and other properties off the ground.
Treason is word that comes to mind.
6
With Trump, flattery will get you nuclear codes.
7
Is this part of Kushner's Middle East Peace Plan?
25
@Mark Buriq
The plan is to secure long term financing for big beautiful buildings with "Trump" on it.
5
@Mark Buriq
Kushner's Middle East PIECE Plan..for the Saudis...
2
@Mark Buriq
Yes. Catch phrase: "Peace by demolition".
Anyone remember 9/11? Fifteen of the nineteen terrorists that attacked America were Saudi's.
15
So, just living in a country that merely _permits_ abortion makes you morally complicit in (what you consider) sin; but living in one that _actively sells bombs_ to immoral actors doesn’t?..
22
Why don't we just hang a big
"GOING OUT OF BUSINESS-Name-Your-Price" sign around the neck of Lady Liberty.
19
@Candlewick We need to dismantle the Statue of Liberty and store the pieces away safely until we come to our senses as a nation. We should be required to EARN her back.
1
If the average US citizen did that they would be accused of treason! How is it that our embarrassing president got away with this? The Saudi members should be tried as war criminals, including our illustrious president. After he leaves office, he should be tried as a traitor!
8
America First, huh?
15
Has an investigation started on whether Trump, his family members, or administration hold shares in Raytheon?
It is within Trump's playbook that a profit from this, in one way or another, is behind his ill-thought out Executive Order. He is profiting from this in some way and I believe it should be looked into.
15
It was reported in December 2018 that the Saudi government reserved over 500 rooms at Trump's DC hotel shortly after the November 2016 election. They spent more than $270,000 for the rooms, for the purpose of lobbying against the "Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act".
Trump is bought an paid for.
Both our House AND SENATE need to be unified as co-equal branches of our government and put a stop to this.
13
Where is the Republican voice in any of this? Not just our politicians, the readers here. Reading through the comments here I can't find any response, no attempt to rationalize this weapons sale, not even a flimsy excuse that it is for (our) national security interests.
13
Colonel Michael Flynn, National Security Adviser to Trump, did confess to attempting to develop nuclear facilities as a joint venture with the Russian government either before, or while he was in the Trump appointed office.
Colonel Flynn's son was also part of these plans to build nuclear energy sites to allegedly provide energy sources to the Saudi people. MBS touted these planned sites as a sign of a " progressive government" for the benefit of all the Saudis.
So, now these arms sales along with the close ties developed by Trump "adviser" Jared Kushner with MBS, a man who has been charged with the planning of the assignation of Jamal Khashoggi.
This all has a very bad smell.....
13
Where is Congress, Senate and Mitch McConnell on this? Are they selling-out to Trump, Inc. What happened to our Republic being first and foremost?
14
Can Trump not foresee the problems that this sale could bring in the near future when this technology is placed in the hands of a dictatorship that is violently aggressive against its enemies at home and abroad? And once again, the GOP stands idly by while Trump recklessly pursues an agenda whose purpose can only be to court favor with other dictators.
8
Nothing like taking good American jobs and exporting them to Saudi Arabia. How does this advance US interests.
I am sure there are Americans who can do the job of fabricating plane parts better than the Saudis.
One more example of Trump not protecting American workers.
6
But thank God Hillary is NOT president.
According to Susan Sarandon, Hillary would have been MUCH worse than Trump.
12
Well, if the Saudis contract China to clone US missile technology, and then turn the missiles on Americans or their allies, the US can always rise in wounded indignation and attack Afghanistan and Iraq again in reprisal.
5
Wow how much money will flow to Trump/Kushner families. No wonder Kushner arranged for Trump to go to Saudi Arabia first that is where the money is, as they asked a bank robber why banks and he said that is where the money is, same mentality.
8
Trump is obviously looking out for his family's interest. However his emergency decision is yet another example of how unhinged he's become. I still am processing the whining interview with Laura Ingraham." Why me?". Maybe because you make the wrong decision every time.
Nice signature on the D Day document by the way. That was a true indicator that you are oblivious, to everything.
4
Outrageous! Not only must this move be stopped, Secretary of State Pompeo must resign immediately and the House needs to move ahead with consequences for the current White House "Resident" and his administration's flagrant disregard for the all but the overlords of war - the munitions makers who thrive on eating the dead.
This is a horrific display of devotion only to profit. It represents the final nail in the coffin so to speak and the swallowing of the last dose of poison of even the idea of a United States and such a an idea as "America."
4
The bomb making technology will fall in the hands of third world countries because saudi Arabia do not have manpower they will hire people from bangladesh, pakistan, India. and other Asian countries.
5
Also, not in the news, America is going to build nuclear power plants up to 20 in Saudi Arabia ,
I believe it’s already been approved.
25 million people need that many.
5
@D. DeMarco The money trail may be difficult to follow. It may appear later down the road. The only certainty is that it’s there and it leads to
Trump.
10
This administration and its enabling GOP makes the Teapot Dome scandal from the Harding years look like a church picnic. I am continually disgusted and dismayed by the way "our" government kowtows to foreign despots at the expense of the American people and way of life.
Wake Up America! Before we are well and truly "Amerika". Or perhaps Trumplandia.
11
"This is concerning."
- Susan Collins
15
Susan continues, "but darned if I'm going to do anything to act on it except vote in favor of it if asked."
9
@Blue in Green
She may have been talking about the fact that someone was asking for her opinion.
6
Must be part of Jared Kusher's BFF program.
To heck with humanitarian and security concerns!
7
@Joel Sanders
If I was Ivanka, I'd be jealous. Jared certainly seems to have a man-crush on Mr. Bone Saw.
3
Why on earth would we do this? The Saudi's are the most corrupt regime imaginable and they have no ability to do this type of work. The typical "Saudi" factory is imported whole from other countries and built and operated by foreigners. The Saudi' s just take the money. This is just a sop from a corrupt "president" to a corrupt royal family.
12
This begs the question:
" Did Benjamin Netanyahu give his blessing?"
8
Trump aids 9/11 bombers.
Cool eh?
13
What is this "Trump allows" this and "Trump allows" that? Trump is not the US government. We need to smack down this "I alone" attitude of us. His ideas are NOT in the nation's best interest. He only acts on what benefits him.
16
Was supposed to be "this 'I alone' attitude of HIS."
So this is why we are in bed with assassins and butchers. Big bomb bucks. Too bad the evangelical trump base will never hear anything about this on their propa-news show. I'd like to think they would have some moral objection. But then again, I'm from another era.
16
You gotta love this man's
a. Moxie
b. Greed-potential
c. Insouciance
d.Wink to Raytheon shareholders
e.World dictators & potentates
f. Add your own items...
4
Sharing our technology and innovation with rogue countries has been one of our biggest mistake since WWII.
Only advanced countries, i.e. safe havens with high quality education and human development produce fundamental innovation and breakthroughs. It isn't hard to see why: in brutal regimes, smart people don't grow to become great scientists or engineers.
Allowing as a country that our companies sell technology and weaponry to just any customer has allowed brutal, misogynistic countries like Saudi Arabia to bypass creating an environment that fosters innovation first.
We have made similar mistakes with China, which could continue to trade on the terms that were agreed upon in return for opening their market after Xi has started walking their end of the deal back (continued forced joint ventures with IP theft, reneging on company investments after they're committed, police and local government extortion of small and medium foreign companies, no access to Internet companies, etc.).
It's not bad that Trump confronts China, but in a complete lack of policy cohesion, expanding trade with human rights offender and unreliable partner MBS is a big mistake. We should keep nuclear and weapons technology far away from there.
6
@Liz: People who understand this stuff get creamed in US politics.
4
He gives dictators personal favors. Apparently it's a good investment for his family business now and in the future.
5
"Emergency" Trump's magic wand to disappear Congress.
6
I don't think this is a good idea and, as some other comments have pointed out, the Saudis had a role in the 9/11 attacks. At any rate how is this any different from the shame of a deal Obama made with Iran to only postpone their development of nuclear weapons?
@Southern Boy
If you don't know the difference between giving weapons, know-how and technical ability and making a deal to stop someone from creating weapons ...
14
@Southern Boy For sure /s Obama could have continued to starve millions and let them build nukes right away. Instead the U.S. and a number of other nations, including Iran worked hard on making a deal on collaboratively agreed upon outcomes. Key words here: worked hard.
9
@Southern Boy
Do you prefer the alternate route of tearing up Obama's agreement and then starting a murderous war with Iran?
1
OMG, i am so exhausted! Do we the people have to March on Washington DC to get our government to stand up to this despicable President and constituents on EVERY freaking issue? He has been wearing us ALL down since the day he took the office! Is everyone willing to throw up their hands and say, “Oh Well! There goes the national security of our freedoms and rights as we once knew them?”
15
'' Saudis could gain access to technology that would let them produce their own versions of American precision-guided bombs ''
Technology that is already up for bid to our enemies in the land of Saud.
Contact your representatives an get this stopped stone cold.
Today's nightmare. Saud financed Pakistan's atomic weapon program. North Korea will sell technology to anyone.A guidance system.
This is a suicide cult , not a government, running our nation. Believing all the gold in the world will protect them from unforeseen circumstances.
1+1+1=
5
What is Trump Inc. making on the deal? The one consistant aspect of all the chaos that Trump creates, is that everything, yes everything is somehow based on his own personal wealth, power and prestige. Nothing, no nothing is based on the needs of this country or its people.
9
Well, just because they were behind 9/11 must not mean they are ALL bad, right?
2
@Scott S. Of course not, but Saudi Arabia has used a significant part of its petro dollars to successfully spread a version of Islam (Wahhabism) that is misogynistic and very difficult to integrate in Western countries as it imposes its own culture.
Moreover, MBS is a repeated human rights violator with atrocities in Yemen and let's not forget the murder of Jamal Khashoggi.
We need to keep nuclear and weapons technology away from there.
2
@Scott S. "There are 'very fine people on both sides'
1
When is the Senate going to do more than "express disapproval" over the deal?
We know the emergency is Trump's way of thanking Saudi Arabia and the UAE for their help in the 2016 election. We know Russia isn't the only foreign power where Trump sought election help in 2016. The campaign had direct contact them.
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/5/19/17372344/donald-trump-jr-saudi-arabia-russia-meeting
That's before we start discussing shady financial back deals. It's corruption, if not treason, in broad daylight. And Lindsey Graham is standing around expressing displeasure. Give me a break. Feckless isn't nearly strong enough a word.
9
Doesn't this have the potential to move US manufacturing jobs to SA. Hey MAGA Make Arabia Get Ahead.
8
They must have given Trump more money than the Russians or the Chinese.
5
So much for 9/11 never forget.
6
The Apprentice is ill prepared to deal with the Saudi murderer. He barely got through playing condo salesman with the Russians.
5
So rather than dismembering dissidents, they can blow them up with bombs resulting from American-taxpayer-funded technology. World peace, here we come!
4
How will Israel react to this Failure Trump stupidity? Talk about creating confusion,tension and extreme anxiety between the Arab states and Israel. Failure Trump’s decision will further heighten tensions in the area. Mr.Kushner, please tell the people of US,Israel and others in the region how you will rationalize and explain this disastrous action by your father-in-law?
2
At least our government is keeping us safe from Cuban cigars.
11
When is this traitor of a president going to be removed??He should be handcuffed,put in straitjacket and perp walked out of the WH.Who gave him permission to make all these deals with the Saudis??This is outrageous.He has completely bi passed congress and the GOP does nothing.How much money is involved?Who'd it go to, jared?What say you McConnell,you're just as evil if not worse?
8
Is trump a rogue president??.He's already sold nuclear info to SA.
Who authorized this?How much money was involved?Who pocketed the dough..trump and jared??Did he completely go around congress on this.?What does Russia have to do with this?Does trump even realize that it was SA that brought down the twin towers?Who is going to stop this president?He seems to do exactly what he wants, answers to no one and none of this is in our interest.I call this treason...what do you call it McConnell??
4
Saudi involvement in Sept. 11 attacks:
— 15 of the 19 September 11, 2001 attackers were Saudi citizens.
— In July 2016, the U.S. government released a document, compiled by Dana Lesemann and Michael Jacobson, known as "File 17", which contains a list naming three dozen people, including Fahad al-Thumairy, Omar al-Bayoumi, Osama Bassnan, and Mohdhar Abdullah, which connects Saudi Arabia to the hijackers.
Given this and other past Saudi hostility toward the US, this agreement to give Saudi military access to advanced American missile technology should be immediately revoked.
5
If you engage in corruption without conscience, is it really corruption?
6
@WS: Trump feels neither guilt nor shame.
4
This makes sense when you view it from the Trump perspective. The Saudis demonstrated that they know how to get rid of the enemy of the people (the press), so they should be rewarded. We know what they can do with bone saws so just think what they can do with bombs.
All will be revealed in the new non-existent Kushner Peace Plan.
6
Apparently there is no one in leadership in DC who has any common sense, intelligence, or patriotism otherwise this would not be happening. We all know it's about the money. As Bob Dylan wrote--money doesn't talk it swears--which is the language trump and his swamp dwellers speak. Imagine not even 20 years since 911 and we have this "deal'. I'm sure at some point the Times or WAPO or other reliable media source will do a deep dive into the money and tech exchanging hands and they'll win some type of award and we'll all shake our heads and wring our hands over this outcome.
5
@Citizen 0809
It will be too late
This is all just a part of Trump & Kushner co. LLC. The Saudis hate Jews, but they're more than willing to buy bombs from a Jewish "representative" of the US Government. He brokered the deal. Even as an official representative of the US government Jared will still pocket tens of millions. And he's leveraging that somehow behind the scenes and we'll probably never know how.
In Plain Sight.
6
The critical sentence in this article is "...Secretary of State Mike Pompeo notified congressional leaders of the emergency declaration, waiving congressional review of the weapon sales...". Again, we see the chipping away of the checks and balances our democracy used to hold dear. Under the Arms Export Control Act, this manufacturing license agreement between Raytheon and the Saudis REQUIRES "Congressional Notification" and approval. Stop cruise ships from docking in Havana and build a wall on our southern border - these are national emergencies in Trump's (and Republican followers) world; yet aggressive moves to safeguard our elections from hacking and transferring technology to the murderous Saudis - not so much.
7
A great nation such as ours must choose between strength and decency; and between sacrifice and greed. If this is a big, bad world, how do we contribute to it?
"... lawmakers, who were seeking assurances that the Saudis could prevent the American technology from falling into the wrong hands."
Saudi hand ARE the wrong hands.
Saudi hands are built for bone saws.
5
Well, if Mr. Pompeo said he took into account “political, military, economic, human rights and arms control considerations” before the President declared this Saudi-weapons-manufacturing Emergency,
then la-ti-da, case closed, Congress. Or as the President likes to tweet: “The case is closed! Thank you.” -29May.
Mr Pompeo was asked by Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) at his confirmation hearing (22 Apr 2018) about his statements, 5 years earlier, accusing American Muslim leaders of being complicit in the Boston Marathon attacks because they didn't denounce (except they did). Pompeo could not muster a direct 'No, they were not complicit', let alone an apology.
My question to Mr Pompeo, on this eve of the President's so-called emergency to transfer smart bomb assembly to the murderous MBS:
Will American Christian leaders be “potentially complicit in violent acts for failing to speak out”?
6
Another chapter in the ongoing saga of
Republicans - No morals... No Character... “What’s in it for me?”.
We’ll return tomorrow with another true story, so stay tuned.
11
America, you are being sold to the highest bidder! Wake up!
9
Saudi Arabia killed an American journalist and used a hack saw to cut his body into pieces.
Selling America's national security secrets to the country that killed over 2,996 people in the Twin Towers is inexcusable.
Congress needs to act to control this President before he gets us all killed.
11
The Republican Party, in its current form, is the greatest threat to the Constitution.
Not China or Russia, not ISIS, not Ebola or the plague, not climate change or a rogue asteroid. It’s the Republican Party.
How a party so capitulate its values to serve one corrupt man is breathtaking to watch. Turn your back on Canada and Western Europe? Disrespect military hero’s for a guy who laughs about skipping his service? Salute North Korean Generals and show contempt for the rule of law and equal rights. Shocking that 60 million Americans just take it all in. What does this guy have on you?
Are race fears so powerful that you literally throw everything away for it?
15
Welcome to the GOP under mitch mcconnell!
Enough said.
Vote November 2020!
10
Does nobody remember that 15 of the 19 terrorists on 9/11 were from Saudi Arabia? It is really a good idea to be selling and providing that much weaponry to the Saudis?
I sure hope that the Mossad has a very strong presence in the Kingdom as well. Methinks that the Saudi's have more in common with Palestinians than with Jewish Israelis.
I hope and pray that what is being done thoughtlessly and for greed doesn't come back and haunt both the US and Israel.
2
One could hear the conversation “Ahmad forget the flight school, come make these new bombs.”
6
It won't come soon enough that this con man/grifter and his crime family are exposed and stopped.
6
@hw Nancy Pelosi is on the right track, "I'd rather see him imprisoned than impeached." This way he cannot benefit from his ill-gotten gains and the vast network of tyrants and oligarchs he has built up, and la familia will go down with him.
4
Lining up the proxies to attack Iran? Why?
4
@MEH
"U.S. President Donald Trump may use Europe’s increased appetite for LNG to promote his country’s fuel in the region when he visits the U.K. in June.."
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bloomberg.com/amp/news/articles/2019-04-29/britain-brimming-with-natural-gas-as-lng-imports-hit-a-record
Is this simply another example re. a potus who has no idea what he is doing?
My red hat suggestion would say....DON"T BLAME ME!
Lets not forget former Pres. Obama attended the funeral of the late Saudi King. Sending a clear message round the world of the closeness of the alliance between the despotic Saudis and America - bastion of the free world !
Maybe we should stop calling companies like Raytheon “defense” firms and start calling them what they really are: suppliers of terroristic weapons.
5
Manufacturing war against Iran, 101.
8
once again, personal (or corporate, in the case of Raytheon) financial interests over national security.
just as we collectively readily gave up our know-how to China for money, and now complain about it, this will come back to bite us when it’s too late and the horse has left the barn
10
@ml: Most mainland antipathy towards the US devolves from US support for the independence of Taiwan, which had been the Province of Formosa before being occupied by the Kuomintang government Mao chased off the mainland, with its remaining arms, and all the money and valuables it could transport there by air and sea, in 1949. Now the US and Taiwan are as tight as Mitch McConnell and his lovely wife.
He's acting like someone who is forced to sell their property because of debt, and the real estate agent (the Saudis) telling you what a great deal you are doing, and how they got you so much over the asking price, all the while they're fleecing you blind.
His ego has got the better of him and he is desperate for trade deal because of all the government debt. The government should be doing an internal audit of their spending expenses instead of being unpatriotic and selling defence intellectual property that is there to keep USA citizens safe from outside attacks.
The Saudis will steal the intellectual property and sell to the highest bidder; the only god religious theocracies have is money.
The Saudis have no debt and always have their begging bowls out for international money, for their poor, instead of taxing their own citizens and providing welfare for them like western world Democracies do.
USA should be moving away from oil use then they wouldn't be helping their enemies increase their surpluses.
Abuse of emergency powers needs a law change as well.
10
Is Trump bent on destroying the world?
9
@operacoach Only our world not his.
8
This is due solely to the fact that the Saudis have, as Trump said in his rallies, given him millions of dollars. They continue to fund him and his son-in-law, rescuing the latter from bankruptcy. Until we get Trump out of there, this is a pay-to-play government.
17
I have a sickening feeling that the photo accompanying this article will become historically infamous. Given our current energy surplus and hopefully reduced reliance on fossil fuels, Saudi Arabia has no strategic importance to the United States. Of the endless list of idiotic decisions made by this administration, this arms deal may prove to be the one we regret the most. In hindsight, Bush's rush to defend Saudi Arabia in 1990 was a tragic mistake.
10
So much for populism! Exporting jobs overseas and supplying unlimited weapons to a monarchy that doesn't tolerate dissent to the extent that it murders American residents for writing for the WaPo. Trump has very similar thin skin which I assume comes with a sense of infallability/superiority.
It came through loud and clear this weekend with the family visit to see the Queen of England. He hoped some class would rub off onto the Trumps.
Trump loves monarchies around the globe, even defacto ones like North Korea's. His goal is to accumulate wealth and power for his nobility (the 0.1%) so they can lavish praise and stay loyal to his family. I wonder if Baron knows why he was named that.
3
The fact that this she it show continues is further proof that the GOP are treacherous as well as feckless hypocrites.
2
What insidious role in this foolish move is being played by Jared Kushner, who is a strong supporter of the Saudis and Mohamed bin Salman, despite Salman's role in the assassination of journalist Kashoggi. Is Netanyahu involved as well? We need to know about these factors. Donald Trump has made it clear that his ignorance of world affairs and lack of concern for US national security make him a serious threat to our nation that goes well beyond his extensive Russian links.
8
Before getting all distressed about these developments note that facilitating Saudi acquisition of advanced bomb technology will enable Saudi Arabia to resist Yemeni desires to sweep across the entire Arabian Peninsula. We must assist Saudi efforts to avoid Yemeni conquest not only of Arabia but the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Kuwait. Do we really want to find Iraq caught in a pincer between Iran on one side and an emerging Yemeni super-state on the other? Most Americans have limited awareness of the geopolitical realities of the Middle East and so have little understanding of how permitting Yemeni control of Saudi Arabia leaves only tiny Jordan as a buffer protecting Israel from attack from the south. Israel deploys its armed forces toward Syria and Lebanon to the north, leaving it vulnerable from the south. Its informal alliance with Saudi Arabia offers some protection but if that country loses its potential of self-defense with smart bomb technology that buffer could be lost!
Undoubtedly there are critics inclined to wonder whether providing perpetrators of the 9/11 attacks with sophisticated weapons technology is a wise idea but for the most part these are the people who question the Trump administration's global strategy on other grounds. Helping Saudi self-defense prevents a Yemen-Iran axis threatening world peace. We must embrace this undisputed lunacy.
All about trump making $ for himself and friends .... continue to cover this fraud until he ends up in jail.
4
Congress, for god's sake, please do your jobs and stop the insanity. please.
11
My question is can this reckless- inhumane-buck making deal be stopped by Congress??? The emergency is to kowtow to the Saudi's, post haste, because of what ever they have hanging over the Trump's head...
5
With deals like this, we no longer have to worry about Trump going bankrupt again. He is setting himself up for sweet deals after he leaves office. He is always thinking about number1, himself.
3
It's like they are being rewarded for killing a journalist and repressing freedom of the press; not what America is or should be about.
8
This kind of “deal” will lead to ever increasing proliferation of dangerous weaponry. And, needless to say, China and Russia have probably throughly penetrated Saudi and are going to be the main beneficiaries of this kind of idiocy. Putin must be pleased.
4
15 of the 19 terrorist that attacked New York City were from Saudi Arabia. Of course sell them whatever they want including the White House.
4
Ah, yes, Congress "expressing disapproval" of national security measures - and, as usual anymore, actually doing nothing about it.
Congress has the power to change the laws, and one general category that needs to be revisited is the very notion of "emergency" and "emergency declaration", as in, "I'm the president and if I say something is an emergency, then it is, and that's all there is to it, and Congress can just butt out.".
We certainly need to be able to respond to actual emergencies quicker than Congress may be able to act, thus the idea that a president can and should be able to respond quickly in our national security interest is rational. But it is, apparently, too one sided, leaving Congress to impotently stamp its collective feet and "express concern" if that power is abused or not actually an emergency. Congress has made itself an after-thought.
Congress needs to put in place set time limits, after which they must expressly approve of such actions. If Congress does not approve it must trigger things like blockages of export permission that the president cannot override.
Legislative action always takes time, and so we do need to retain the ability for the president to take immediate action in a rapidly changing threat situation. We must tread carefully to not harm ourselves down the road. But allowing the presidency to essentially say "an emergency is whatever I say it is" is foolhardy and an affront to the constitution.
5
So, that Saudi/UAE investment in the Cadre real estate startup, co-founded by Jared Kushner, came through, perhaps?
http://www.businessinsider.com/jared-kushner-real-estate-100-million-investment-saud-uae-2018-5
Of course, Trump has his own reasons, aside from Kushner‘s connections.
“Saudi Arabia, I get along great with all of them. They buy apartments from me. They spend $40 million, $50 million. Am I supposed to dislike them? I like them very much.”
Presidential Candidate Donald Trump Rally in Mobile, Alabama,
https://www.c-span.org/video/?327751-1/donald-trump-campaign-rally-mobile-alabama&start=856
5
Funny, no mention of this over on Fox....
5
The US POTUS ‘deal-maker’ duped again by his ‘friends.’
3
This is what selling out your country looks like.
First you start with a small wedge.
(of treason)
5
This is far worse than handing over key to a thief. God save America.
5
Trump will sell out America and it's secrets to anyone or any country that gives millions to him or his family! Through his ignorance and greed, he has the ability to single-handedly destroy our country and the world order ! Impeach now !
5
Re: "...It also raised concerns that the Saudis could gain access to technology that would let them produce their own versions of American precision-guided bombs — weapons they have used in strikes on civilians since they began fighting a war in Yemen four years ago..."
How many civilians...aka. 'collateral's, damaged', to borrow some prolife_jihadist rhetoric...will be acceptable within 'Alabama_Trump's', (on, again / off, again...), support for the fascist foetel-heartbeat abortion bans?
Why is this latest of many outbreaks of war-profiteering always overlooked by those who DARE equate healthcare with murder?
5
Treason! Trump needs to be impeached! The congress needs to act fast.
3
I wonder if he'll get pushback from his conservative Jewish supporters? He's probably counting on big campaign donations from Sherman Adelson. This is maybe his worst decision among bad decisions.
4
The Saudis and Israelis are buddies, United against Iran. So don't expect any resistance from pro Israel groups.
3
What else would you expect from a Russian agent in the White House?
BTW: You hear that? That's the sound of the GOP's complicit silence.
9
At least we know what Trump and Macron will be bonding over during the D-Day celebrations... "Mon Ami Donald, I sell truckloads of weapôn to the Arabie Saoudite!" "Well, buddy, I sell 'em the weapons AND the technology." "Oh, you and your one-upmanship, you are vraiment incorrigible!" There's no way this will end badly, is there?
2
Oh good. Trump is giving the Saudis high tech weapons of mass destruction to use against the Iranians and the people in Yemen. Could Trump get any more stupid and evil? Unfortunately the answer seems to be "YES."
5
Murder a journalist and get rewarded for it. How very Trump. How very Republican.
9
good Lord! Did Eric get a casino deal in Mecca in exchange?
4
Let us give Saudi Arabia, the country that caused 9/11, the technology to build precision guided bombs. Trump and Bolton want to give these Salafists, these Wahhabi jihadists, the ability to do real damage to Western society.
With an ignorant moron like Trump, and a war monger like John Bolton, and an Evangelical like Mike Pompeo, friends are now our enemies, and our enemies have become our friends.
This transfer of advanced military technology is like the genie in the bottle. Once he is out, he can never be put back in the bottle.
Trump, Bolton and Pompeo are unleashing great evil here, with a GOP Senate that is helping and abetting them.
America and Europe, beware!
6
P.S.
Speaker Pelosi THIS can not be allowed!!!!! DO something!
8
Giving this technology to a country that had a hand in 9/11 is treasonous!
5
Why do I feel more and more that our democracy is slipping away?
Trump gets away with whatever he wants. Anyone who disagrees with him or doesn't offer constant praise is subjected to his full-blown lunacy - being subjected to his bullying, vindictive, dishonest, rage-filled tweets sent in the wee hours of the morning. Bypassing congressional authority by declaring an "emergency" whenever he feels like it. Hiding facts while describing himself as "the most transparent president ever." Refusing to hold meetings on matters of substance to all Americans, until congress yields to his whims of stopping congressional oversight. Calling himself a "very stable genius." Sycophantic staff covering for his every bizarre outrageous act with indefensible spin.
What is so alarming and should never be tolerated barely gets a nod by the press these days. They just carry on as if this is the new normal we all have to just accept. This is ALARMING. WAKE UP!
9
Extremely alarming! Another clearly thought-through idea from the extremely stable genius.
7
Is it that Congress does not have the power to stop this or is it that they won't?
If the latter, we need to limit the powers of our presidents to, in effect, sell secrets to any de stabilizing country such as SA.
trump is laying the groundwork for personal business with the Saudis when he is no longer pres.
11
Maybe in order to save the planet from carbon dioxide emissions we need to help Saudi Arabia wean itself from its economy from exclusive reliance on oil production. What could be more beneficial to the planet instead than bomb production?
1
Trust the Saudis with our most sensitive weapons systems and then let Raytheon join with them to create their own devestating weapons? How can that be allowed to happen?
Are the Saudis, murderers that they are, that close to trump and kushner that there is nothing they can be denied if they only ask for it?
Trump as been terrifying from the beginning. This is a new and more lethal manifestation of his self-dealing and disregard for our country and its safety and standing in the world than one could have imagined. But there are no limits apparently to his venality.
Hope the hapless GOP Senators stiffen their spines at last. There must be a shred of honor somewhere among them.
3
Is there no way Trump is NOT undermining American democracy AND making the world a more dangerous place? I've looked, I've read, I've listened...and I can't find one.
7
Trump is a national security threat and a threat to global security and peace. This authorization in contempt of Congress and the Constitution must be reversed, punished, or thwarted. Trump must be opposed by all means including impeachment even if it doesn’t lead to a Senate conviction by the Vichy Republicans. Resist, remove, restore.
6
Enough of the cabal (Russia, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, USA) working together to increase nuclear armaments around the globe-whom are they arming themselves against?
First, trump claims “Everybody can now feel much safer [about North Korea] than the day I took office[.]” Today, NK is busy arming itself, unfettered.
Second, trump announces that the US would share nuclear plant designs with Saudi Arabia. A few GOP members gave it lip service saying that was a bad idea. No action. Just lip service.
Third, in his 2019 SOTU speech trump announced the US was leaving the INF treaty and then trump gave Russia the "go ahead" to a nuclear arms race; the objective of Russia (and trump) all along.
Before the GOP finds its spine, trump is making his move by using his emergency powers authority to quickly arm Saudi Arabia. The silent GOP will sputter and do nothing.
The disturbing pattern.
1. trump has all but severed ties to our global allies in favor of dictators.
2. trump is increasing our military budget.
3. trump, et.al. displays a flagrant rejection of the rule of law, behaving dictatorially.
4. The GOP has yielded to trump, enabling trump to ignore subpoenas and court orders without fear. What's next?
5. trump willfully shares US military (& probably Intelligence Community) secrets to dictatorial powers.
6. trump and the GOP is willfully attempting to secure their power by subverting minority voting rights and adding a census citizenship question.
We are in trouble.
7
Rest assured, Trump and co. are getting kickbacks from these deals.
7
The key reason for helping the Saudis is they are the only nation large enough to take on Iran, the main sponsor of terrorism.
Remind me again, how many Iranians were involved in 9/11?
5
But it's Canadian steel that's a threat to national security.
3
Yemen is small potatoes. These bombs are for attacking Iran, a war John Bolton, along with others, has long sought.
7
@TJG
My thoughts exactly.
Follow the money. Trump lied about not having business deals in Russia, then explained that he didn’t want to miss a business opportunity if he lost the election. That might explain why he always seems to be favoring the big money people abroad. He changed a Chinese tariff when Chinese “investors” put major money behind one of the Trump building projects in SE Asia. I don’t think anyone doubts that Donald Trump is capable of selling out his country.
6
What is the basis for the declaration of an emergency? Why are we outsourcing to Saudi Arabia. Trump has been bought off by the Saudis.
9
@jinx
Make that "bought off by the Saudis, among many others. . . "
1
the trump family appears to be under control of foreign influence from many directions. It appears that they overlook the murder of the reporter Kashoggi because they are required to for reasons yet to be determined. As long as republican senators continue to enable them, the American people are forced to wait to learn the underlying reasons, but they will eventually be revealed.
6
mitch?
Well?
mitch? Hello!?
Tariffs imposed on Mexico get you concerned but a weapons technology exchange program with Saudi Arabia is ok?
mitch???
Where is mitch hiding???
This is a matter of national security and mitch just lets it happen. Congress is the check/balance on the executive branch.
mitch???
6
Sell some bombs
And make some bucks
Leave your ethics on the doorstep
Just direct your feet
To the Saudi side of the street
Can't you hear a ching cha ching?
And that happy tune is profits
Life can be so sweet
On the Saudi side of the street
9
Wow, the guys what hit America at 9/11 getting the top secret weapons technology?
What for a treasonous act from this President/ Kushner to America.
Lock them up asap
12
Wait till Bibi finds out
he will go nuts over this
@c p Saudi Arabia and Israel have a relationship. No doubt he is well aware of it, and possibly even party to it.
3
Is this going to be the final straw? The president is representing himself and those in the club at the top. How many more times does he need to act against America? If we are a country of laws start impeachment or better yet screw the can't indict a sitting president arrest him! This particular greed is a very dangerous threat to the world.
10
Would someone please rise to this occasion and defend the Declaration of Independence as follows: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, ( Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to abolish it and to institute new Government, laying foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. )
5
Don't put all the blame for this on Trump. He can only do this under his powers under a declared state of emergency ( btw, he is the one who can make the declaration.) Congress can vote to block such a declaration, which Trump can veto. And still, the veto can be overridden by a two-thirds vote of Congress. They haven't done it, no matter how loudly they squawk and posture for the press. Congress, being hand-in-glove with the military-industrial complex, bears just as much blame. Are we all complicit in keeping this system in operation?
11
Don't blame Trump? Are you paying attention to what this guy does? Says? Hides? Bizarre proclamations? Of course I blame Trump! Dishonesty and exploitation and working around the laws are just ok with you? No thanks.
1
Given the high level of corruption in the Kingdom .How long will it be until every country has this ability even their enemy Iran. The selling of America to the highest bidders . I wonder what else Trump and Kushner are getting for this deal. Real Estate developments rights in the Kingdom.
4
I wonder when a Trump Tower goes up in Saudi Arabia.
3
It is clear that Trump, and the other hawks in his foetid nest, are provoking a transparent confrontation with Iran as means of justifying arm sales to Saudi Arabia. It is a wholly despicable and duplicitous policy that has already killed thousands of men, women, and children in Yemen. The Democrats should examine whether or not the US arms lobby are contributors to Trump or the Republican cause, thus mutually enjoying the spoils of each other’s support. By arming tyrants like MBS, the US further causes itself incalculable moral harm while enriching merchants of death.
Trump supporters applaud their man for running the country like a business, so they should be delighted that the US business model of killing Middle Eastern innocents is continuing unchecked.
2
I think a rogue Saudi bomb is scarier than a spying Chinese chip.
8
Congress needs to rescind the various emergency powers granted to the President. As Trump demonstrates time and time again, these powers are ripe for abuse. Every time Congress attempts to halt an Executive action, Trump just declares an emergency and gets around them. Emergency powers are a loophole that is far too large, especially with an authoritarian wannabe dictator in the White House.
7
"When you go home, tell them of us and say,
For your tomorrows these gave their today."
It cannot be repeated often enough.
3
He's probably desperate for a trade deal; any deal by the sounds of it. Should not have given tax cuts to the wealthy and the deficit would not have increased - it's called corporate welfare. Pure greed! How much wealth does a person need or is it a sickness like an addiction wanting more and more.
Someone needs to write an article on wealth addiction. Maybe wealth and power addiction because wealth gives you power.
2
Just another day in the Trump administration's efforts to support tyranny.
5
I think there’s a highly non-zero chance that Saudi Arabia goes to war with Israel, once it gets its nuke tech and bombs from Kushner and Trump. Not sure what the reasoning is here, except fast, easy money at the expense of peace in the Middle East.
The people who walk here to pick fruit are our enemies.
The people who hijack our planes and fly them into skyscrapers, they are our friends.
16
It is becoming increasingly clear that Trump will use Emergency Declarations to do whatever he wants, no matter how major, no matter how trivial. This is dictatorship, and it is not clear (particularly after the appointment of Kavanaugh, the most avid proponent on the Supreme Court for the “unitary executive” idea) what can be done about it.
15
@Tristan T said "This is dictatorship, and it is not clear (particularly after the appointment of Kavanaugh, the most avid proponent on the Supreme Court for the “unitary executive” idea) what can be done about it."
Read history.
Dictators usually come to very bad ends.
When they force a large enough number of the population into utter poverty (or threaten that to be the case), the population acts up.
Look at France in 1789, or Italy in 1945.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benito_Mussolini
@Joe From Boston
Yeah but look at the horrors inflicted on their people in the interim. Hitler came to power in 1933 or so and wasn't defeated until 1944. Eleven years of death and destruction. Is that what we should passively accept? That he'll get his comeuppance in the end?
Far better for republicans to do the job they were elected for. to protect the Constitution and our democracy. Sadly 2020 may be too late.
So we can simply hand over sensitive weapons systems to the Saudis, but we need a trade war with China because it's stealing our IP? Guess it helps to be an oil-rich oligarchy. Apparently, Trump and his Republican enablers will do business with anyone, no matter how despotic or cruel, as long as they play the game of capitalism by our rules, and give those rich men more of what they already have: our taxpayer dollars.
17
Want to get some action from Congress, start the recall process in each state. If that doesn’t wake them up then they each need a physical and mental check-up.
10
What the Trump administration envisions for their final moments on earth:
They all luxuriate upon piles of money and lobster tails, as all around them, there are rivers of oil, and you can just barely see the dozens of mushroom clouds through the majestic haze of smog. They are the last people. After them there will be no more. They have won.
11
Let's cross our fingers that after all this technology is transferred there isn't an Islamic revolution in Saudi Arabia somewhere down the road. I'm not sure the average Saudi citizen likes the United States.
5
@Fred I'm sure. I remember 9/11, unlike the traitor in the WH. He's disgracing us, and all for which we once stood.
3
Donald Trump... isn't he the one who was elected president of Saudi Arabia by the oil companies?
6
This article is sickening on so many levels: the humanitarian disaster perpetrated with US weapons; the craven kow-towing of our president to a murderous authoritarian ruler; the cynical corporate calculations of Raytheon, outsourcing jobs & disseminating lethal technology to increase its bottom line. One thing is certain: there will be blowback. Nobody (particularly Republicans who have enabled this administration) should be surprised.
15
"National security," anybody?
Trump's antics with arms for investment in Trump properties (and probably huge financial transfers into off-shore account for Trump) are the most egregiously corrupt and nation-endangering actions in US history.
Cam anyone think of anything comparable, ever?
And that's leaving aside the fact that Trump repeatedly claims that nations seeking nuclear capabilities (Iraq, N Korea) are "rogue" nations to be punished (or threatened with destruction).
Ah, how a huge amount of lucre changes Trump's ideas of threats, friends, an rogues.
8
Awakening to injustice and political/social reprehensible behavior is a good thing. Why, I ask you, is it OK to dismiss the largest and most prominent pervasive practitioners?
Don't bother!
The answer is they provide continued control and profit to the international elite.
4
Does anyone else wonder how much money the Saudis have invested in Trump's many businesses? Based on everything he's doing to help him, I would say a lot.
23
It goes back to the agreement Nixon made with SA -petrodollars for weapons. Trump is amplifying it due to SA’s unspoken alliance with Israel, 45’s real puppeteer.
2
Is anyone really surprised by this. I'm not...
but what i say doesn't matter
it is what the house and senate should be saying that is relevant..and all I hear is silence.
16
The only silent ones are the treacherous GOP
2
This is outrageous! That Trump made this unilateral deal, without benefit of Congressional approval, should cause ALL Americans (even Republicans in Congress) grave concern. Why are we just hearing about this deal, and how many other shady deals has Trump managed to push through that we don't know about yet?
Outsourcing these kinds of jobs to Saudi Arabia, of all countries, seems incredible - not only are Americans perfectly capable of creating "smart bombs" ourselves - that we are arming the Saudis with our technology and weapons is incredibly short-sighted.
And how could THIS happen: "Raytheon’s former vice president for government relations, Mark T. Esper, was confirmed as Army secretary in 2017." More than inappropriate, it's reminiscent of Bush choosing Halliburton CEO, Dick Cheney, as his VP, just before we went to war with Iraq. Halliburton earnings during the period 2003-2013 are estimated to have been $39.5 billion.
Wake up, Congress, and do something about Trump. You know what must happen - do it!
16
This egregious announcement by Trump is in direct conflict with the U.S. agreement in November 2018 to begin peace talks in Sweden to end the war in Yemen in early 2019. There was growing global pressure to stop the bombing campaigns by a Saudi-led coalition that unleashed conditions amounting to possible war crimes, according to a UN report in August 2018.
The world-wide aid agency Save the Children underscored the horrific nature of the conflict: An estimated 85,000 children might have died of hunger since the bombings began in 2015.
How can Trump live with himself knowing that he will have more blood of innocent children on his hands as collateral damage for another of his money-making "deals?" He and his team should be condemned and acknowledged as complicit in war crimes.
9
First it was the transfer of nuclear technology and now precision guided missile technology. I am sure Pakistani and Egyptian experts will be all over this and within five years you know where these technologies will end up. Tel Aviv, New Delhi and Tehran are targets with high probability. Through Pakistan even the Chinese may get their hands on this and potentially this technology could be used against the US itself. Money trumps national security. This administration has exposed weaknesses in separation of powers. On the other it is hoped that Raytheon and other defense companies stop or undermine transfer of sensitive weapons technology to unreliable countries because it is against national interest and it was the public that subsidized the development of these technologies.
9
SA is an under-the-table ally of Israel (common enemy Iran). Israel always prefers that others fight its battles because overt Israeli aggression would unite the entire Arab world against them ( even though they have the ultimate deterrent with their 300 nukes). So SA isn’t going to target Tel Aviv.
1
@Charles
Typical Netanyahu short-sightedness. If Tehran or New Delhi is bombed is all good? Humans no longer care for their kind, unfortunately.
Fastracking sale of more arms to Saudis "did more than "anger members of Congress"?
So then what did our "more than angry" Congress do about it?
Nothing.
When are the American people going to wake up and realize Republicans have sold their souls to this devil. Donald Trump.
The GOP continuously enables Dictator Donald to rule by "emergency" power and render Congress completely useless.
And where is our Democratic House Pitbull, Pelosi?
Cowering in the corner worried that Donald is "goading her' and that Mueller's 10 counts of Obstruction of Justice might not be enough?
So, dithering Nancy, if you can't decide, let the American people decide.
Start impeachment inquiry.
The American people have not and will not read the Mueller Report, so Congress must present it to them in hearings.
Such hearings will get blockbuster coverage by the press.
Lay out the details of the 10 obstruction charges for the American people and the whole world to be informed.
Expose Trump's team's lies and extraordinary efforts to hide their conspiring with a hostile adversary to win the election.
Add in any new evidence from Donald's Deustche Bank financial dealings and IRS tax fraud investigations.
Then let the American people decide how truly despicable Trump is.
They may not want to impeach Trump but after being fully informed of his lying, cheating and treacherous behaviors they certainly won't want to re-elect him.
Perhaps Senate Republicans won't either.
15
America's key export has become weapons of war. Eisenhower warned about this and yet here we are.
14
It’s worth noting that Bin Laden left his of homeland of Saudi Arabia and moved his operations to Afghanistan because he was unhappy with their policies. And then took his frustrations out on us.
4
Does history show us another case of a democracy's citizens willingly surrendering their freedoms to a a self-imagined dictator?
10
@Lewis M Simons
Yes. Germany in 1933.
Read William Schirer's book "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich", at least chapters 6 and 7, pages 150 to 230.
2
@Joe From Bostonb
I rest my case.
1
As a 9/11 survivor, I’m absolutely aghast by the outré and “beyond the pale” decision by Trump to allow Raytheon to manufacture top secret bombs in Saudi Arabia. Let’s not forget that majority of the 9/11 terrorists were from Saudi Arabia. Therefore, this latest act is definitely the “Ne Plus Ultra” of the shambolic foreign policy of this administration and it also reeks of being totally bereft of any form of rectitude.
Apart from creating a viable threat to our national security, this action also constitutes a callous disregard to innumerable instances of human rights violations in Saudi Arabia. It also symbolizes a vicious insult to the memories of innocent victims of 9/11 and the brutal murder and dismemberment of Jamal Khasoggi. Finally, this act may further imperil the already volatile power struggle in the Middle East, including the current situation in Yemen.
Notwithstanding the current promise of legislative fulmination against the above decision by some legislators including Senator Lindsey Graham, I seriously doubt anything will come out of it. Let’s put things in perspective, Senator Graham is a fawning sycophant of Trump - he is also notorious for his unctuous demeanor of endless ingratiation.
It’s tragic to view the specter of the potential dissolution of our venerable democracy into a dysfunctional dystopia by virtue of the above kind of thoughtless and immoral decision making by this administration to bolster despotic regimes like Saudi Arabia.
9
The Trump-Kushner-Pompeo-Bolton-Saudi criminal conspiracy raises the normal corruption within our military-industrial complex to an entirely new level. Missing from this report is the role played by Raytheon lobbyist and recently Acting Assistant Secretary of State, Charles Faulkner, who overruled staff concerns about support for the war in Yemen, arguing that it would endanger billions in arms sales to the Saudis. Before his stint at State, Faulkner was a highly paid lobbyist for Raytheon on defense procurement issues. It doesn’t get any more blatantly corrupt than this.
If Congress wants to impeach Trump it should begin looking into his abuse of power and his reckless aid and support of war crimes by the Saudis in Yemen.
12
There’s one additional name in that conspiracy, the one who explains why all this is happening without objection:
Bibi
Jared's plan is working well for both himself and the Trump family. Not so sure how this will work for the US in the future.
7
@John McLaughlin I'm sure.
2
Trump : choose your friend because of what they have, not they are.
even murderers.
want a nuclear bomb ? no problem.
3
Ah, the Paveway again. That's the bomb that narrowly missed Khadafi the first time. The laser designator was misaligned to the targeting site (cross hairs), which meant the bomb veered off course. This was shown on CBS TV at the time. To get that right, you need highly trained engineers and technicians, which Raytheon has, but not sure that skill is readily exportable.
3
Why has Trump approved nuclear technology transfers and smart bomb technology transfers to Saudi Arabia?
The country is being run by Presidential emergency order.
Is there really no mechanism to stop this corruption and madness?
6
Selling bomb technology to the Saudis? What this comes down to is that Trump ultimately works against American security interests and therefore represents a threat to the American people.
8
Hopefully congress will get their act together and kill it! Stealing sensitive military technology is one thing, trump giving it away isn't hard to imagine anymore. A real simpleton, all to build his personal fortune.
5
call a spade a spade: President Trump is not giving American secret bomb making technology away. he is SELLING it. the Saudis are among those who are in a position to make Trump an offer he can't refuse, because he is in hock to them, as is Kushner. even if he were better at being president, and the bar is now extraordinarily low, Trump has way too much baggage to occupy the Oval Office. let him just sell a couple of national monuments, given him some kind of bribe/pension, and relegate him to some outer borough where he belongs - perhaps the moon. they probably need an exclusive, Saudi-financed country club up there where he can hobnob with rich aliens.
Donald Trump and his administration are the biggest national security threats. They are also the greatest threats to the dignity of life from conception to death. All they do is lie lie lie.
5
This is absolutely ridiculous, the US should not do this. Saudi Arabia does not deserve access to the tech.
4
This, to a country that is financing building new mosques throughout Africa, Asian and the Middle East every week.
These new mosques teach the hate of Wahhabism to children starting a 4 years old.
What could possibly go wrong.
4
Once in Saudi Arabia, this technology will undoubtedly shortly make its way to Pakistan, North Korea, and China.
Great strategic thinking there, Donny!
6
@A Bierce It may already be on those tables as a 'negotiating strategy'. No idea is too far-fetched for this admin.
Perhaps DJT will use a small portion of personal profits gained via these transactions to convert a wing of Mar-a-Lago into a medical rehabilitation ward for those Yemeni children shrapnel- shredded by Saudi missiles using US-labeled ordnance.
3
Sharing this technology with the Saudi thugs is reprehensible in itself, but it's also strategically stupid. Given the ratio of Saudis to their foreign workers, who do you think will actually be handling--and learning--the technology? Workers from the Philippines, Vietnam, and all over SE Asia. So where do you think this tech knowledge will drift to? China, perhaps? ISIS, now dug in in SE Asia?
Another dumb and dangerous deal from our deal artist.
3
When will the Republican Senate and Mitch McConnell grow up and quit being the mice following the Pied Piper?
It is equally important to get rid of McConnell as it is to vote Trump out of office. The scars these two will leave on our democracy will not heal for years.
44
The entire GOP should be voted out at every level of government
9
@derflh: They're all so tight with Mitch that they look like a ring of Prairie schooners surrounded by a coalition of angry native warriors.
2
what would it take to declare the GOP a foreign-financed terrorist organization dedicated to undermining the safety and security of the United States?
5
There was a time when Israel and Iran were friends, for example, during the 6-day war when Iran supplied Israel with desperately needed fuel. This changed when Mossad felt Iran was becoming militarily so strong that it could one day become a genuine existential threat. The Israelis could not rely on Iran's peace-keeping role forever.
The recent U.S. arms deals with the Saudis could prove to be their undoing. Yes, today they and the Israelis are friends, but the Saudis, whose religion preaches death to all non-believers -- and in particular to the Jews -- presents a far greater existential threat to Israel than Iran ever was or is.
This 3-way love affair between the U.S., Israel and Saudi Arabia will not end well. I'm convinced Mossad takes a far dimmer strategic view of Saudi Arabia than of Iran which boasts 200 churches and synagogues. In case you have forgotten, the punishment for importing Talmuds and Bibles into Saudi Arabia is death by beheading. That's where ISIS derived its inspiration, and many Westerners suffered as a result, beheaded in public simply for the crime of being 'non-believers'.
The U.S. and Israeli focus on short term goals will come back to haunt them both.
16
@Hamid Varzi
I suppose the US, and possibly the Israelis, are not concerned about "weapon technology transfers" to Saudi Arabia because they believe the Saudi royal family and its police are in firm control of the country.
Of course, we never learn from the history. According to Pierre Salinger's book "P.S.: A Memoir", before Iran's Islamic Revolution, President Jimmy Carter once called that country "an island of stability in Middle East". At the time, Shah's secret police, armed and trained by the US, was ready to suppress any opposition to the monarch. Not long after that, the Shah of Iran was running to Tehran's airport to escape the revolution!
1
@Hamid Varzi: Israel is just a pawn in the Sunni-Shiite schism, isn't it? Jews have historically coexisted congenially with Persians.
2
@Hamid Varzi
“This changed when Mossad felt Iran was becoming militarily so strong that it could one day become a genuine existential threat.”
So Brits andthe CIA overthrew Mosadegh, installed Shah. Once Shah was too powerful then Israel and France felt threatened or left out, they probably helped Mullahs come to power. By and large, destiny or well being of Iran has been at hands of these power centers. With these sanctions the saga continues. With so much abuse by worldview powers it is hard to blame Iran for seeking nuclear weapons.
1
We no longer have 3 co-equal branches of government.
We no long save “checks and balances”.
We have an autocrat who does as he pleases, takes what he wants, and leaves destruction and misery in his path.
The Republican Party supports and benefits from this autocracy. The Democratic House is supine, afraid, trembling.
And the Republic is dead. 75 years after D Day, we died from self-inflicted wounds - suicide. What Hitler couldn’t destroy, the Republican Party has obliterated.
And Americans join the long list of societies that have rotted from within and left a stinking carcass in their wake.
26
@Space needle its not the just republicans its the democrats, its the special interest groups, its the 1% and finally its us who let it happen in the first place. Should have never had cheney, bush jr in the white house. Obama should have taken a harder stand instead of taking part in the same shill war machine.
This is the time to save the republic not take part in blame games. The US is lucky to have a govt which the citizens can voice up against. I hope that power is used well
2
@Space needle: Congress holds the high cards, but the players are putzes, stooges, and people with interests so conflicted, they don't even know who they are.
1
@Space needle
republicans, using the Electoral college, and Russia's attacks caused this illegitimate imbecile, and the accompanying stink and rot.
Not "We The People"...... Have heart !
Even though the light of Lady Liberty grows dimmer with each day, and is flickering dangerously ,........There is still hope that "We" can make her torch shine bright again.
1
Important technology used in the Saudi's baby-seeking missiles. Trump is going to find a way to kill more Moslems no matter what it takes.
8
Lucre: n. "money, especially when regarded as sordid or distasteful or gained in a dishonorable way."
"officials getting their hands grubby with filthy lucre"
It all boils down to this.
Shameful & Evil.
12
It is obvious that the financial entanglements between Trump and the Saudis are endless to the detriment of the world. When will the damn break?
17
@Lawrence Garvin, The entanglements extend all the way to the marital chambers of the Senate Majority Leader.
3
Perhaps it would be constructive if the NYTimes were to do an article discussing the rights of individuals in Saudi Arabia (particularly women) and the rights of individuals in Iran (particularly women). Maybe also the history of the relationship of the US with the two countries -- being sure to include the US overthrow of the Iranian government.
Iran has it's social issues, but Saudi Arabia in several ways is worse. Both of them export and fund their own ideologies.
The only difference is Saudi Arabia has been more friendly toward supplying oil to the US and in exchange the US heavily propagandizes that the Saudi's are the "good guys". Also, the US never angered the Saudi's by overthrowing their government and imposing a Shah so the US could exploit their oil.
11
Just off the top of my head, in WWII the Germans used captured M-1 carbines against the US Army, in Korea the Communist Chinese used captured Thompson sub-machine guns against the Marines at Chosin, and in Vietnam the Viet Cong used any captured supplies they could against the US Military. I guess Trump's rationale is why get killed by our own captured equipment when his buddies could make a few bucks selling them to our enemies first.
8
So, exactly what is, and where is this “emergency” Trump declared that allows him to once again work around the oversight of Congress?
What kind of “emergency” presents itself with enough time to ramp up a international manufacturing deal, anyway?
Never mind the Mueller Report. Trump must be impeached for the sake of national security alone.
18
The emergency is Trump and his bizzaro world.
We are letting those behind the 911 attacks access to high-tech bomb information?? Am I missing something here? It's ironic that a day after the D-Day remembrance we get to read about the war machine continuing to proliferate.
24
Now if ever there was an unconscious wish to blow up the world as we know it,
It would definitely be an angry narcissist,
Filled with hate,
Flexing his muscles, .we’ve seen this rendition before.
9
Why is Congress doing nothing?! Impeach the man, remove him from office. He belongs in prison or an insane asylum. The corruption of Trump, his family and inner circle, the GOP, the conservative masters of the universe and their sycophants is truly breathtaking. Every day is another step too far. Yet no one in a position of power has done anything for over 2 years. Doing nothing emboldens this sociopathic megalomaniac narcissist illegally occupying our White House.
9
Does anybody remember what Eisenhower said when he left the presidency about the military industrial complex ?
Anybody?
Please somebody, what did he say?
Look it up.
14
Eisenhower would roil in his grave if he knew what has happened over the years
4
These are American bombs being made in Saudi Arabia.
Trump routinely criticizes American companies for manufacturing overseas, yet here he is sending jobs overseas.
Doesn’t anyone see the hypocrisy!!!
“Meet the new boss, same as the old boss”
21
Three things that worry me:
a. The Saudis will get their version of the arms. They will use that in the Middle East. Do they have any measures or credibility that they will not use them against US or US allies? We have not forgotten 9/11, have we?
b. Who gains from this? Why the need to bypass Congress and strike a deal with them? We will not be surprised if financial opportunities for Mr. Trump and his family spring up during or after his presidency is over.
c. Is there anyone to check this process? Congress, republicans, anyone?
14
Unacceptable. Congress has been successfully blocking such arrangements for several years and now needs to claw back trade and tariff authority by repelling these false emergency declarations and by amending the legislation which permitted the executive to act in this manner.
Email, call and otherwise contact every senator and representative to make it clear this cannot be allowed.
10
Time for the Senate repubs to lead and block this. The tech will be shared with China, etc plus don't forget who killed thousands of Americans on 9/11: many Saudi citizens.
7
Trump is as beholden to Saudi Arabia as he is to Russia. Maybe selling arms and military technology to Riyadh is less treacherous than revealing state secrets to Moscow.
“I love the Saudis,” Trump said when announcing his presidential run at Trump Tower in 2015. “Many are in this building.”
“Saudi Arabia, I get along with all of them. They buy apartments from me. They spend $40 million, $50 million,” Trump told a crowd at a rally in August, 2015, the same day he created a few entities.
“Am I supposed to dislike them? I like them very much.”
He hadn't forgotten the Saudi creditors, who came to his rescue when he faced bankcruptcy.
Shortly after he announced his 2016 run, he began laying the groundwork for possible new business in the kingdom. He registered eight companies with names tied to the country, such as “THC Jeddah Hotel Advisor LLC” and “DT Jeddah Technical Services,” according to a 2016 financial disclosure report.
Since he took office, the Saudi government and lobbying groups have been lucrative customers for the Trump hotels in DC and New York.
A public relations firm working for the kingdom spent nearly $270,000 on lodging and catering at his Washington hotel through March 2017, according to filings to the Justice Department.
His ties with the kingdom run even deeper, since Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman usurped power in 2017, and befriended Jared Kushner. Perhaps he hopes to get a slice of the Aramco cake when it goes public in 2021.
15
American war machine at its finest. Bravo
1
The guy who is giving a foreign country our bomb technology is holding a giant picture book. No wonder they are smiling. This looks just like the picture of Bush reading to a kindergarten class on 9/11. Irony is not best word for this.
4
There clearly is no brotherhood in the rulers of Muslim countries - the the torturing of citizens, the enslavement of women, the destruction of their neighbors, the corruption, the wealth of a country in the hands of a few who live on obscene luxury. The Arab Spring became the Arab wasteland abetted by the Russians. And the US? Salivating at the arms deals - to the Saudis. Trump is not making theUS great - he’s making us the vassals in exchange for 30 pieces of gold.
6
This national emergency run around the Congress has to be stopped. Trump is using it as his ticket to be Henry VIII.
Weapons, tariffs, the wall, what next. btw: What's his kickback?
4
I more liken Trump to Louis XVI. Henry VIII was at least a realist.
1
@Indy1
Interesting, wonder if things will go the same way: Louis's indecisiveness and conservatism led some elements of the people to view him as a symbol of the perceived tyranny of the Ancien Régime, and his popularity deteriorated progressively.
As for Henry VIII, by the power invested in him, he made his 'reality' the stark and destructive reality for everyone else.
Even odds.
What happens when you put a failed businessman with no morals in charge of a country.
14
Trump sycophants that would have been appalled by such actions if carried out by previous administrations will still line up lock step behind him and his random actions.
Knowledge is power....but lack of knowledge is becoming more powerful.
6
Come on Nancy, we need over-site . You want him behind bars, this is your chance. Giving away national security technology to a foreign govt., collusion of the Republican Party to transfer national security technology to regime committing human rights violations,. Violation of constitutional separation of powers. Violation of Presidential Power . Get the whole gang in there, put them on TV for hearings. Make nightly news every night and troll on twitter, as only you can do. Build your case.
6
Saudis won’t have to pay for flight schools now...
10
very good
1
More than any other mid-east nation the Saudis with their vast oil wealth funded modern Islamic terror groups. We’ve further disgraced ourselves by selling them weapons to destroy Yemen. Now we transfer current bomb making technologies.
Where is the Congress ? Arise !
2
"Trump Allows High-Tech U.S. Bomb Parts to Be Built in Saudi Arabia"
The Saudis have neither the technical expertise nor the industrial infrastructure that is required to make any advanced weapons. What will happen is that the weapons will be made in the US and shipped to Saudi Arabia as components. Once there, they will be minimally assembled and tested - most probably by Pakistani and Filipino Gastarbeiter (guest workers) - and labelled "Made in Saudi Arabia."
It is a simple shell game of moving parts around, with the end goal of "re-branding" the US manufactured bombs "Made in Saudi Arabia". This "re-branding" - which is Mr. Trump's specialty - will serve several purposes:
1. The G.O.P. no more needs to explain to the US public why it has no qualms selling advanced weapons to a country that was behind the 9/11 terroristic attack on the US;
2. The Trump administration no more needs to go to the Congress to get approval for the sales of these advanced weapons to Saudi Arabia. For Republicans, that is probably the most important aspect of this move. There will be no more debates about weapon sales to Saudis on the Senate floor, with their negative implications publicity for the Republicans;
3. Saudis will get the weapons, whether there is a Republican or a Democrat in the White House;
4. In the UN, the US will be able to claim it has nothing to do with savage, murderous, bombings of schools and hospitals in Yemen and elsewhere, since the bombs are "Saudi made"!
14
It all makes sense. Trump knows all about branding.
4
Even if nothing else was wrong about this - how do we/they guarantee that the technology stays there - and only there? And if it is stolen by some other foreign actor what real remedy is there?
10
At long last… Is there no one in Congress who will stand up and rally their compatriots to stop this catastrophe unfolding in slow motion.
Lord have mercy on the United States of America.
9
This one is just plain incomprehensible. Who came up with the idea and how hard did they have to sell it to Trump, who apparently sees wealth as a virtue? He seems to think all that glitter of Middle Eastern wealth makes them peers. And by all reports, the Prince is brutal. Wealth, power, cruelty, and now US bomb technology? I'd rather see the contract in the hands of the Russians. At least then the power shift would be recognizable and not fully unpredictable.
5
Every day brings more news of how Trump is selling this country out for his own benefit. For I am sure he is benefiting in some way from this deal. And we cannot count on any of the gutless republicans, fearful of losing their jobs and not caring they are losing the morals and values of this country, to do anything about it. They make me sick every single day of the week.
17
I don't understand how Trump can go against the Congressional resolution to halt arms sales to Saudi Arabia, and then have the capability to give away closely held US bomb making technology. If Trump can authorize declassification of anything, and give away state secrets, do we really trust him with this power? Sure Trump was found to not collaborate with Russia, but many of us still have lingering suspicions that he is not a patriot. How can we trust Trump to do the best for our country? This is the single best reason to impeach him. He seems to be damaging the country with his actions and policies. It may not work on an indictment, but it must be impeachable.
5
@Debra "I don't understand how Trump can go against the Congressional resolution to halt arms sales to Saudi Arabia"
Easy. Declare a national emergency, same as he's done with tariffs and his wall and anything else he can't get by democratic process. In essence it gives him the power to become absolute monarch and do as he wishes. So many loopholes and less than robust laws and firm limits that allow for a president in the US to so easily become a tyrant. Trump has used them all instead of leading or governing. His m.o. is me first shaft the rest. It is also the m.o. of many Republicans and Corporations.
1
Aside from the complete insanity of such a deal.
What happened to made in America.
What happened to bringing back industry to America and preparing future generations for a changing world.
It's crazy that jobs such as coal mining that wreck havoc on health are enthusiastically applauded as the saving of Americans, but jobs in the hi-tech sector, a sector that is the future, are outsourced!
6
I spent the early years of my career as an engineer designing and building precision-guided munitions like those about to be sold to Saudi Arabia. At the time, I thought I was a patriotic contributor to the US’ technology advantage against formidable foes. With this latest revelation of high-tech arms sales to Saudi Arabia, I feel like part of my soul has just been sold off to the highest bidder. Par for the course, Mr. tRump.
10
Selling bombs and parts to make bombs for the warfare against the very people we were trying to save in the prior US Administration makes no sense. Then of course Trump makes no sense. Follow his statement after the Prince was found by Intell Agents to have ordered the brutal assassination of the Washington Post story: Trump: He's a really, really great guy, and he contributes a lot of money for weapons (Bomb parts etc). This is our President of the USA?
6
Not surprising the degree of Trump's audacity and selfishness by ignoring the danger to this country allowing Saudis access to restricted information as long as he stands to benefit from future business dealings when he is no longer president.
6
On the one hand, with trump and Pompeo (who is like Barr), it is inconceivable. On the other, once trump's finances are known, it will be clear.
5
Why isn’t this stopped? Are the Democrats really that weak? Or is it really about funding for the upcoming elections?
I am so disappointed.
1
Viewpoint of a regular European,
Saudi Arabia is a dictatorship, who is in a war where they bomb civilians without mercy. They have killed journalists and activists, and now are in a verge of executing an 18 year old man for a crime of being an activists when he was 10 years old.
It is really hard to see United States being on a "good" side here. In reality these deals with Saudi's mean that you are willing to sell all the principles if the price tag is high enough, which is morally something what a Bond villain might do, not a "leader of the free world".
Let your thoughts to be in this fact for a moment.
8
There are just so many ways this can go down wrong, that I can't believe I am reading it. I mean Russians also assist murderous tyrants like Assad and Khamenei, but they at least are not moving the production of their Kalibr missiles to Syria or Iran...
4
Just a matter of time these weapons are used against USA soldiers fighting in that area of the world, but we will never hear about it in the press. Inexplicable and non-rational of our President.
"Mr. Trump took the rare step of declaring an emergency to push these weapons out the door."
What emergency is that exactly?
8
Where is Mitch McConnell on this issue?
Where is the Republican majority in the Senate or even the Republicans in the house, to stop this kind of sleazy business practice that is obviously going to benefit the Trump and Kushner, personal business enterprises.
I find it really problematic that we would allow such critical military items to be built in a country that is corrupt and had some involvement in the 9/11 attacks via citizens from Saudi Arabia.
This should never be allowed.
7
The United States should be a force for good. How many corrupt regimes has the U.S. Government aligned itself with? Let's see: The Shah of Iran; President Diem, South Vietnam, executed during a U.S. supported coup on 11/1/1963; Saudi Arabia today. How will those starving children in Yemen feel 20 years from now when they look back on the U.S supported war? Will they be haters of the United States? You bet.
We should use our resources to improve the lives of people around the world and stop worrying about "our interests."
"America First (and Always)." Yeah, right.
1
Yes but doesn't this allow Trump donors to make a lot of money?
4
"A Raytheon spokesman said there was nothing unusual about the production arrangement."
Is that supposed to comfort us?
4
I believe the Saudis are the #2 supplier of medium and heavy grade of crude oil, with Canada #1. The US shale oil boom produces only light grade crude which is not good for gasoline and jet fuel. The US military needs a steady supply of jet fuel. The Saudis power is because it can control the rate of its oil exports to the US and threaten to cut production, which it probably has threatened in private.
2
If people are upset with U.S. companies handing over their intellectual property to Chinese manufacturers for access to Chinese markets, then we should be screaming mad at anyone—especially our own government—who is willing to share high tech weapons IP with an authoritarian regime. Congress had better be doing something now to stop this.
5
This is actually a very smart move on Trump's and Bolton's part.
Once the Saudis copy the secret bomb technology and start building bombs for themselves, they can be even more precise in killing the people they don't like in Yemen, in starting a war with Iran without directly involving the US, and in ensuring that only the most radical, misogynist forms of Islam survive in the Middle East.
And if there is another mid-east war involving Israel, the Saudis will have the military means to take over there as well, so that the US will still have a reliable ally in the area.
And as a bonus, perhaps this giveaway of American security will also hasten the arrival of Armageddon and the Second Coming, thus satisfying Vice President Mike Pence and the right-wing Evangelicals who--as things stand now--have to be satisfied with supporting Israel.
No wonder Putin said that Trump is a genius.
6
We never seem to learn from our mistakes. Why do Iranians hate the United States? Because the United States supported a brutal and repressive regime led by the the Shah, and when the Shah was overthrown, the United States became the Great Satan. Page forward to the present to see the United States supporting another repressive regime in Saudi Arabia. Giving this repressive regime the keys to our military weaponry is opening the door to trouble.
3
As so many other commentators have pointed out, this is gobsmacking, mind-boggling, stupefying, this-must-be-a-nightmare insanity.
The real emergency here is the threat the Trump administration poses to our national security.
Someone, please play reveille in the Senate.
4
Trump would sell the United States, heart and soul, to the highest bidder among hostile foreign powers for a flattering comment and the appearance of him "playing" with the murderous dictators. How is every American soul not taking to the streets, waving placards, and changing "Impeach"? Are we just going to end up a black spot on the global map and Trump saying, "Oops"?
5
Just one more clear confirmation that greed will destroy us all.
3
Now that as one representative had said Trump cannot distinguish between the United States' interests and Saudi and Emirates', and the Congress seems incapable of doing anything, people should act to prevent sales and transfer of military technology to war criminals: Boycott Raytheon.
3
I never realized in my 60 plus years of political awareness, how much power a sitting president can have. When trump says jump, both his administration and his Congress jump. The Dems grumble a bit. Congress rolls over and trump rubs their collective bellies. On and on it goes, pollution, declaring scientific research fake, the fake media, the name calling, the selling of public lands...and the list goes on.
It is time to impeach before our so called democracy implodes!
5
This finally establishes the Republican Senate as the
Board of Directors to the trump Corporation and its business
dealings throughout the world......
Won't the Senate be surprised to find that there is no Board of Directors at trump inc......that their imaginings about their gains
will accrue only to donald and ivanka.......
Just another bill not paid......and this time, no possibility of a lawsuit........
Don't make me think about those technologies in the hands of a man who ordered the dismemberment of world famous journalist.. What would or could he do if the world isn't watching?
1
yep, conservatives hated "war mongering" HRC, yet they continually seek to benefit the military industrial complex by selling arms throughout the world.
1
What could possibly go wrong?
3
Trump, the deal maker, will sell the US to highest bidder.
Looks like Saudi Arabia has figured that out.
3
Oh, I used to be disgusted
Now I try to be amused
No, actually I am disgusted. Very.
5
More strategic brilliance from the man who was “not a fan” of the Vietnam War.
3
How large is the Kushner/Ivanka investment in Raytheon and the Saudi facility?
7
Thanks to Trump and his spineless Republican enablers, the country that brought us the 911 terrorists will have even greater sources of weapons for its terrorists. Shocking and unacceptable.
4
Selling out U.S. jobs and taxpayer funded technology (developed under defense contracts) to the wealthy murderers of Saudi Arabia again shows Trump is all talk, no walk - -when his own interests are involved.
We voters and taxpayers deserve to know those interests. How will this sellout further enrich and empower the Trump grifters and their oligarch pals? What’s the back story here?
A worthy, effective Congress would block, then investigate this deal. It would rescind all legislative grants of unilateral power to the president on the pretext of “emergency” or “national security”. McConnell is a disgrace, Pelosi waits and sees, so nothing will happen.
We the people need to vote in unprecedented numbers in 2020 to rid the Republic of this corrupt administration and its enablers.
5
If this does not turn the military against trump, nothing will
3
Well, Uncle Sam has never been known to exhibit any good sense in his policies regarding anything Middle East. Nor has he exhibited any sense at all in whom he sells arms to. So this latest 'news' shouldn't come as a shock to anyone.
2
If he's not busy undoing world relations, delivering an insult, he's busy making the world less safe by escalating an arms race and now spreading war technology to those who were in on the 9/11 attacks on the Word Trade Center. This is the reason that people with narcisism personality disorder are found inside forensic mental health prisons - they are dangerous to the world and society. He belongs there.
6
Sure national security, state secrets, proprietary technology all given away blah blah blah, but how bout that new Trump Hotel soon to be going up in SA.
2
Is this Kushner’s peace plan? When are we going to give them access to our infrastructure systems too? Isn’t that the plan with Trump and his buddy from Blackstone with MBS?
2
So many things wrong here I can only make a partial list, not in any particular order.
1 Trump creates tariffs on enemies, China in particular, in an effort to stem proprietary information from leaving the country, but grants it willy nilly to the unstable untrustworthy Saudis for anew hotel perhaps?
2 We in giving Saudis this power sanction the complete destruction of Yemen and its people which Saudi Arabia treats like a vassal state.
3 An authoritarian president declares once again an 'emergency' to circumvent the power of Congress. See the fall of the Roman Empire.
4 The president says he is for the creation of jobs here, but deliberately outsources military manufacturing to another country.
5 The president sanctions general war in the middle east by sending the Saudi attack dog against Iran, sanctioning a personal vendetta that has gone on for centuries.
There is no end to this man's stupidity and arrogance.
3
Now would be a good time for congress to do something for the nation however....ugh
2
All Americans, with the exception of the Trump cabal, should be horrified.
America should be leading the world in solving the climate crisis, not the leading arms dealer to murderous, dictatorial regimes.
Yes, we have met the enemy and it is us - in the Oval Office and Republican Senate.
61
This is conflict of interest in action. Congress, please do something!
37
Trump could achieve his ends in a far easier fashion if he simply pushed that nuclear button after having ensured the crosshairs pointed directly upon us, the people he seems to hold in such bitter contempt and loathing, the American people.
17
it is interesting to note that trump is doing all that he can to restrict Iran's ability to arm itself yet letting the saudis build up their arms. the saudis are tribal and will use these sophisticated weapons on them.
6
The subtle but very real distinction between "partners" and "friends" is lost upon someone who has no friends but only partners in one off transactions.
5
@Ray Stantz
It will not be a "one off transaction." Other "transactions" are in the pipeline. After Mr. Trump leaves the office, he and his family (Mr. Kushner, in particular) will be princely (pun intended) rewarded for his services to Saudi Arabia.
3
I suspect there will be personal financial gain for trump and kushner in this deal.
21
When the next 9/11 happens we know where to look. All these decisions being made without deep thought will come back to hunt the country.
10
I believe that Trump does business with Saudi Arabia. This position Trump has taken is Trump using his presidency to line his own pocket.
14
Come on now. What could go wrong?
4
Didn't Trump claim to believe that the Saudis were behind 9/11?
How much has he "borrowed" from them to think this is a great plan?
5
It is hideously apparent that Trump has no skills in remembering matters such as the current situation in Yemen or what happened in Trump’s hometown, NYC, on September 11, 2001 when a team of terrorists that included Saudi nationals attacked that city. And Trump is using his emergency act to have bomb parts built in Saudi Arabia??
11
Donald Trump, America's's entrepreneur has turned his current office into his business office. When our country ships him back to Fifth Avenue, Trump will turn to his friends, the Saudis, for payback in the form of huge 'consulting' fees and open door funding for sweetheart deals wherever he wants them.
America is for sale to all sleazy comers.
11
More rotting fish from a corrupt Trump administration.
Meanwhile Senators Graham, McConnell, and others, continue to spew their own sort of air pollution.
We will not forget.
14
@Paul McConnell et al are all making money. vote.
1
The reason people in this country are not protesting in the streets is because no one believes that things can get worse; i.e., nothing will effect their day-to-day much. They may loathe this president of course (I sure do), but in the long run, people don't believe this presidency will effect their lives much. As long as the majority of people can watch their favorite television shows or stream the latest movie or documentary, download their favorite music, buy coffee, donuts, or whatever, there will be no major protesting in the streets. People are comfortable and believe that most of what they want, need, or believe they need will always be available. So, until we begin to resemble Venezuela, we will continue to complain via NYT, Twitter, etc. And as much as people complain, voter turnout will not be as high as it should be in light of what is happening in our country. I for one have renewed my passport, and review my options fairly regularly, but I have the means and the flexibility to do that.
15
@writer the type of complacency you write of is the same complacency Winston Churchill complained of before WW II. he did not think people were paying enough attention to what was going on. recall what happened......
@writer We are all inert due to shock which, by human nature, leads to submission.
If the Israeli intelligence agencies (who I trust more than our own these days) are okay with it, so am I.
They have a better sense of what the intentions of their neighbors are than anyone I suspect.
Why do you think Israel has decided to ally with the Saudis and UAE?
@SDDoc: Yeah, but the Israelis have about as much interest in preserving American national security as does Donald Trump. Which is to say not much.
1
@SDDoc
It makes one wonder if the Israeli-Saudi’s Arabia alliance is behind this?
Okay ... when are the GOP and Trump supporters going to finally "get it"?
9
This is appalling on many accounts, not the least of which are national security alarms, lack of congressional oversight and approval, fueling a murderous regime, and blatant corruption. On top of all this the administration wants to sell nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/02/opinion/sunday/saudi-arabia-jared-kushner-nuclear.html?searchResultPosition=1
4
How is it that he can just do that? When will Congress stand up to this guy already? And what kind of quid pro quo is Trump getting from Raytheon?
8
We sell F-15s to the Saudis but won’t let them maintain them for a reason, to limit their access to the knowledge of the systems. They are guarded and maintained by US personnel for that reason. Has Donnie lifted this restriction too?
The Saudis never had a problem with terrorists because they finance them.
We should be dragging these murderous criminals into court at The Hague, not arming them. They financed 911.
6
This is why we need to see Trump's taxes. He could be paying off his Saudi debts with American military secrets.
7
I would think, it is about time for Jared to take one of his unaccompanied trips to SA, for another plane load of cash. I'm sure his buddy, who said he had Kushner "in his pocket," will be happy to see him.
8
How could this possibly go wrong?
3
Saudi Arabia spread Wahhabism by spreading its extreme doctrine in schools the Saudi established in Muslim countries. From the schools ISIS built their numbers and hate and murderous violence. And we are selling not only weapons but the technology to build weapons to the Saudis that can be turned against us? Trump and his republican cult are making the refrain “and the enemy is us” come to life.
3
Donald J. Trump has set our country and the world on a path towards anarchy. The Republican Senate is responsible for the looming catastrophe. It's incumbent upon them to either vote to stop Trump's insane, self-indulgent, narcissistic behavior immediately.
9
"... “In recent years, they have fomented human atrocities, repeatedly lied to the United States and have proved to be a reckless regional pariah. It is concerning and irresponsible for the United States to continue providing them arms.” Ditto for Israel who persistently and consistently bomb civilian targets
1
Trump (and Kushner) are playing the long game. They know that by giving the Saudis what they want will ensure them a deep money pipeline for years to come, after they have left Washington and gone back to their gilded condos.
3
@Jeanne Prine
Let us pray (and I'm not much of a prayer), that they rot in jail after 2020.
3
Isn't this exactly what we are whining about with the chinese. The hypocrisy is truly mind-blowing.
5
I want to know two things. What’s Trump’s cut? And why on earth do the Trump cultists support the transfer of USA manufacturing jobs to Saudi Arabia?
6
This is Trump laying the groundwork for expanding his post presidency real estate footprint. Do favors now for autocratic regimes, get paid later with rights to build and operate hotels and resorts.
3
Forget the fact that this poses a significant threat to the Yemeni people, the general unbalance in the Middle East and possibly a national security threat if Trump ever decides he's not making enough of a profit or the Prince decides to insult him one day.
That said -- it must be serious indeed if Lindsey Graham and Rand Paul decide to break ranks with the rest of the Republicans to speak out against this deal.
5
Trump is transferring technology of death to the Saudis just so he can make a buck. Did they award him a golden bone saw for this?
5
Nero fiddled while Rome burned and Congress is fiddling while the country and everything it stands for is going up in smoke. What will it take for the country at large to understand the danger?
7
After reading Michelle Goldberg's column and upon looking at the picture, I couldn't help but think, 'Oh, this is murderous monarch story hour.'
3
Perhaps this was one of the conditions in which Jared got bailed out of the 666 building in NY. They get him out of money trouble and the U.S. gives bomb technology.
Trump realizes that the Saudis were involved in 9/11 right?
Can the Democrats see their way to impeaching this criminal, or will they just shrug and say the Senate won’t support it? Time to do your job!!!
6
Why do I think that the friend of the Saudi's, Russia, is a partner in this?
1
What is wrong with America that trump could get away such a deal with the murderous Saudis, using such a flimsy rationale?
4
Kushner must have received a nice deal for himself from his BFF.
2
Oh my god... this is why the liberals are so disappointed with the republicans in Congress, particularly in the Senate.... they have allowed this monstrosity of a President to sell our country out.... give an inch, take a mile.
5
At the point, Trump and many in his Administration, are guilty of treason and absolutely must be removed from office; they are willfully destroying our country.
3
What's in the deal for the Trump family? Follow the money.
3
This is truly ironic. Donald Trump says he wants to create jobs here. What fools we are.
2
“Never forget”....unless you’re a Trumpster.
3
The Saudis are not our friends and we cannot trust Mohammed bin Salman to be a rational player unless you think that predatory behavior is rational.
3
The photo says it all. Arms sales are fun.
3
NYT: won't you please unravel the intertwining and overlapping connections of the Saudi families that control KSA??
We, the people, will not understand the import of Pres. Trump's latest move without a complete backstory on how this land operates and who their enemies are.
1
Trump is relentless, isn’t it?
Just when you thought, he had thrown his last major punch, he rolls in with one to the epigastrium. His capacity to spread mayhem seems to be infinite.
During my psychiatry rotations as a Resident, one of my Attending had worked with Dr Robert Hare. He use to say, if you suspect someone to be on a scale of narcissistic psychopathy, watch their environment... and if you find chaos, drama, and new kerfuffles ever so often, people walking around on eggshells or commenting, so what’s the new disaster... be sure to investigate, high likelihood is, your hypothesis is right.
Secondly, does ME need this infusion of weaponry?
It’s almost like, to be in bed with Israel on one hand, but doing adultery with SA on the other? I see no good coming out of this.
3
The only thing that motivates trump is gold; the love of money is the root of all his stupid evil. This alone should disqualify his presidency among Christians, but they're going to get their national religion, so they will, to their peril, conveniently forget God's sage warnings. Oh, and that warning about liars is a really important thing for.....look, a liberal! Get em!
And then there's the patriotism part. trump crushes every lovely American thing under his lying, narcissistic, hateful, divisive tweets of rage. He and his base have narrowed the 'vision' of America down to a mass murderer's weapon wrapped in a flag.
Kickbacks, big donor money and foreign influence; these motives really speak to trump and his grifter family. It's as if republicans suddenly forgot what corruption looks like! They had a clear bead on patriotism, don'tcha know, but now it's just all muddy because money.
The Saudis were behind 9/11. I've seen lots of right-wing "We will never forget" tshirts and bumper stickers. But now those patriots cheer the president who tells us that the Saudis are misunderstood, Putin wants the best for us, and Mexico is our real enemy.
Now we have to look at our president in that photo, pointing out weapons for sale, like a happy kid pointing out flavors of ice cream.
Corruption, how does it work? 9/11 who? Saudi terrorism where? Nothing to see here but dollars for donnie (and Dick Cheney too! Halliburton, et al are right in the middle, shhhhhhh.)
2
As usual, all for the press coverage, but this is disgustingly shortsighted, with the Middle East as unstable as it is and also with the recent blatant killing of a US Citizen by the prince. Another capitulation by Trump to the world's dictators.
1
I have a simple question: What do we get out of this?
Trump being Trump, my guess is that he has a personal economic benefit. Nothing as crass as a bribe or kickback but the financing of Trump Org endeavors at favorable rates. Trump has hosed everyone else. He needs lenders.
1
Does NYT really believe that Saudis are capable of making smart bombs, these guys are hiring teen ages from Sudan and Somalia to fight in Yemen as the Saudi Army refuses to fight.
1
Let’s ratchet up the tensions in the area even more. One would think that the Saudis are planning to attack someone soon. Once again the tail wags the dog. At least the accompanying picture shows Trump in his natural state selling refrigerators to Eskimos. What a con man. If Trump is pushing the bombs then they are probably defective.
2
LOL. But Canada (the country that harbored grounded flights on 9/11, and sent troops to die in Afghanistan fighting ISIS) was considered part of a national security threat that required POTUS to slap tariffs on Canadian made steel and Canadian smelted Aluminum.
5
This is outrageous!!! Does anybody in the Senate & congress approved of it?
I would not be surprised if Trump & his family are getting kickbacks on the deal.
2
What? Hijackers, 9/11, human rights, ok- now build our bombs for us?
4
Hey Republican women, do you like driving? How about showing your face in public? Freedom of the press, what does that mean to you? How about Osama Bin Laden? Remember him? Where'd he originate? National security?.....anything?
I guess it doesn't matter because, hey, let's be prudent. Our terrific deal maker in chief is on the case. It doesn't matter what happens there...that's not here....so, it's OK. As long as our own bombs don't get used on our own buildings, right? Of course that could never happen...
4
Trump foams at the mouth about Mexico and China. He told many companies they should just ship the jobs back to the U.S. if they didn't like tariffs.
Hey repubs? Sending our defense secrets to the authoritarian regime that murdered an American journalist is okay with you all?
Sad.
3
Maybe I'm just a worrier, but doesn't Saudi money comprise a significant percentage of the funding for ISIS?
And what about bringing jobs and manufacturing back to the U.S.?
22
Be worried! Saudi money goes into Trump and Kushner pockets.
1
The government of the nation of Saudi Arabia acted to kill a journalist and resident of the USA who was critical of the Saudi government.
America became America in a revolution based on the right to criticize any government, and the founders made it the very first of our Constitutional amendments because it is that important.
Trump has made plain what he thinks of the pillars of our democracy, our rights and how much he loves Saudi money.
McConnell and the feckless GOP will bow to Trump once again as Trump bows to Saudi cash.
19
@rich: The nation founded on strict privatization of religion is mixed up in an end-of-times scenario out of a comic book.
2
@Steve Bolger
There are many comic books that are not at all comic.
1
The Movie about the Transformers was merely a prediction about what happens when profit overtakes well everything.
5
Some one, some day, for some horrifying reason will again ask " Why do they hate us?"
4
If anyone thinks all these basically secret trips by Kushner to see the prince has anything to do with "national security", is delusional.
And now Trump is handing this dictatorship who is using US weapon for its own civil war, our proprietary technology.
Believe me folks, there more an a few numbered bank accounts around the world with Trumps corrupt name attached, filling up nicely.
Trump is a criminal and needs to be removed from office.
24
And put to hard labor in prison.
1
One must wonder if President Trump uses Saudi Royals and North Korean mad boys as double-edged swords in a worldwide game of "War or me" chess? Add up the power of every world leader who takes to him including Japan, South Korea, Vlad Putin, several EU nations, and even a few old SSRs. Think about that. A plan so complex and delicate it has to be someone else who is a tutor to the willing presidential student. Add to this, his well-known enemies and you come up with some who fear his departure. Yes?
Maggie Haberman might see it as well?
1
The one thing I never thought we would be outsourcing to other countries would be defense contracts. Duh!
10
"A group of senators that includes Lindsey Graham, the South Carolina Republican, Rand Paul, the Kentucky Republican, and Robert Menendez, the New Jersey Democrat, announced on Wednesday that they would introduce 22 separate measures expressing disapproval of the deals."
It would be far simpler to come out in favor of impeachment.
This has reached the level of insanity. This allowance to Raytheon crosses a Big Red Line. Congress, do your job.
20
The Republican Senate will do nothing.
1
I see the hand of the first son in law; Jared, in all of this. This looks like payoff for bailing out his family's underwater real estate investments. What happened to 'build it in America'? Losing control of these critical technologies will also endanger our troops as the Saudis sell them to the Chinese and other rivals of ours. Not that anyone in the White House cares.
12
Where is Congress in stopping this president? He declares national emergencies at will over anything he doesn’t like and Republicans just sit back and don’t even blink. Democrats don’t do much either. Where are both parties in denouncing decisions like this and telling the public what a danger this is to our future national security. Saudi Arabia is home to the most extremist forms of Islam and has fostered many of the world’s most violent jihadists. Imagine the greater damage the 9/11 terrorists could have caused if they had had access to bombs. Trump is a menace and needs to be stopped from carrying out crazy decisions like this. I simply do not understand the reluctance of Congress to protect this country.
12
I think the Democrats are trying to do something but Trump and his followers are working against them. The GOP and others who are doing whatever Trump tells them to do need to support the American public; not Trump and his family.
1
Yes, how big is Trumps kickback?
And why are Republicans allowing this to happen? How big is there kickbacks?
8
"The United States has closely guarded such technology for national security reasons."
This is what happens when we have a ignorant president who adores dictators. Who cares about national security? That only matters when ‘hoards of raping, drug dealing, criminals" come from south of the border.
Trump is more afraid of mothers with children who are starving than the Saudi's who manipulated Trump by giving him the royal treatment when he visited. The Saudi's are mostly responsible for 9/11 and the murder of Washington Post journalist Kashoggi. They fund radical schools and mosques around the world that have set many people on the path towards extremism. This doesn't matter.
13