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Trump Officials Rushed Nuclear Technology To Saudis

Rogue Valley

Rogue Valley

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Trump Officials Tried To Rush Nuclear Technology To Saudis, House Panel Finds

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Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman.

2/19/19
The Trump administration sought to rush the transfer of American nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia in potential violation of the law, a new report from the House Oversight and Reform Committee alleges. Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings' staff issued an "interim staff" report Tuesday, citing "multiple whistle-blowers" who raised ethical and legal concerns about the process. "They have warned about political appointees ignoring directives from top ethics advisers at the White House who repeatedly and unsuccessfully ordered senior Trump administration officials to halt their efforts," the report states. "They have also warned of conflicts of interest among top White House advisers that could implicate federal criminal statutes." The committee's report alleges that the major drivers behind the effort to transfer U.S. nuclear technology were retired Gen. Michael Flynn, who served as the president's national security adviser, and Thomas Barrack, who chaired Trump's inauguration committee.

For about seven months in 2016, including during the presidential transition, Flynn served as an adviser to IP3 International, a private company seeking to build nuclear plants in Saudi Arabia. The Atomic Energy Act requires that Congress approve any transfer of nuclear technology to a foreign country. The committee's report states that a senior director at the National Security Council (NSC), Derek Harvey, "reportedly ignored ... warnings and insisted that the decision to transfer nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia had already been made." Tuesday's disclosure of a plan to sell nuclear technology comes as the United States considers its relationship with the Saudi government in the wake of the killing of writer Jamal Khashoggi. Following his death, the House and Senate have both passed resolutions to limit U.S. involvement in the Saudi-led coalition fighting in the Yemeni civil war. The Senate also passed a resolution by voice vote — reflecting unanimity — that was fashioned to "hold Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman responsible for the murder of Jamal Khashoggi."
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Why does a civilian middleman - Thomas Barrack - who chaired Trumps inauguration, have any say whatsoever in the transfer of US nuclear technology to a foreign government?

Why didn't Trump mention this nuclear technology transfer during his State of the Union Speech that droned on for 82 minutes? Because it was illegal?

Why did the Trump administration do everything possible to sweep the Saudi murder of WaPo journalist Jamal Khashoggi under the rug? Because Trump was already compromised?

A quid-pr-quo. Saudi Prince Salman would keep quiet about the secret Trump administration's nuclear technology transfer if in turn the administration warded off any sanctions for the Khashoggi murder.

Trump seems to be acquiring quite an aptitude for ignoring the role of Congress, and disregarding the Constitution and US law.
 
Nukes for a failed murder cover-up doesn't sound very proportionate. I doubt very much that's what happened.

Sad and brutal as it was, the murder was small potatoes, more in the line of an embarrassment than anything serious. Their veil slipped a bit, but it's not like we didn't already know they were brutal b@stards. Certainly the journalist knew who he was reporting on.

I think we should fully embrace nuclear energy and do what we can to help our allies bring it online safely, but I think we're probably missing an opportunity to evolve toward Thorium reactors, with all their safety/proliferation/efficiency benefits.

Unless we are controlling/operating them on SA's behalf, they will eventually use uranium-based reactors for weaponry. It's just a given.

It seems clear Trump rushed this technology over there. I wonder what we got out of it? We were so chummy with them back in the Desert Storm days, I'm surprised to hear they don't already have this information, but if they didn't they sure as **** better have given us something of value for it.
 
Yep, he's gotta go in 2020. This is simply unacceptable.
 
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