Trump administration approved 2 nuclear deals to Saudi Arabia after Khashoggi was killed in Istanbul
The authorizations had been kept secret despite Congress demanding answers.
ByConor Finnegan
June 5, 2019, 12:33 AM ET
The Trump administration has approved seven nuclear-related technology transfers to Saudi Arabia, including two after Saudi agents murdered a Washington Post writer.
abcnews.go.com
The Trump administration approved two nuclear technology transfers to Saudi Arabia after the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, according to Democratic lawmakers who reviewed documents related to the deals, which they oppose.
The news Tuesday is the latest outrage for Congress, which has grown increasingly frustrated with the Saudis and especially President Donald Trump's defense of the kingdom after its war in Yemen and Khashoggi's brutal slaying by Saudi agents inside its consulate in Istanbul.
In particular, lawmakers have expressed concern about Saudi Arabia's pursuit of nuclear weapons and a lack of oversight on these agreements. But much of the ire also is focused on the Trump administration for moving ahead on high-level deals with the Saudis after a U.S. resident was murdered.
"The alarming realization that the Trump administration signed off on sharing our nuclear know-how with the Saudi regime after it brutally murdered an American resident adds to a disturbing pattern of behavior," Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., said in a statement that condemned "President Trump's eagerness to give the Saudis anything they want, over bipartisan congressional objection."
President Donald Trump shows off posters as he talks with Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia during a meeting in the Oval Office, March 20, 2018.
These authorizations, known as Part 810s, are required for U.S. companies to export nuclear technology or to help develop nuclear facilities or material in foreign countries. Under Secretary of Energy Rick Perry, the Energy Department has approved seven such agreements, with the first inked in December 2017.
The first deal approved after Khashoggi's killing was a little over two weeks after he went into the Saudi consulate and just one day before the Saudis admitted he was dead. At that point, the Trump administration was urging caution, and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called for a "complete investigation" into his "disappearance."
The second was approved four months later, after Republicans and Democrats publicly questioned America's relationship with the Saudis, passed legislation to blame Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for Khashoggi's killing and demanded legislation to put more pressure on Riyadh. In response, however, Trump reiterated his support for the relationship, and Pompeo dismissed congressional concern as "Capitol Hill caterwauling" and a "media pile-on."
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Jared Kushner, a senior adviser to President Trump, in the background of a meeting in March at the White House.