Trump's cronies are in secret talks to sell nuclear tech to Saudi. The risks are clear

[DonViejo]

The congressional report on this multibillion-dollar scheme provides further evidence of attempts to monetise the Trump presidency

Simon Tisdall

Sat 23 Feb 2019 09.00 EST

The idea that the US might sell state-of-the-art nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia, potentially enabling Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s reckless regime to build nuclear weapons, sounds so far-fetched as to be almost grotesque.

After all the near-hysterical American and Israeli warnings about the risk of Iran, the Saudis’ arch-rival, acquiring the bomb, surely even Donald Trump would balk at such breathtaking – and dangerous – hypocrisy?

Apparently not. According to a congressional inquiry, senior White House officials, retired generals and Trump’s close relatives and business cronies have been secretly pursuing a multibillion-dollar scheme to cut a nuclear deal with Riyadh.

The talks are said to be continuing, despite increased public scrutiny and legal advice that a technology transfer lacking strict conditions could contravene US law, breach international counter-proliferation safeguards, and fuel a nuclear arms race.

The inquiry’s interim findings, published last week by newly empowered Democrats on the House of Representatives’ oversight committee, were based in part on testimony from “multiple” whistleblowers, its authors said. They focus in particular on two high-profile figures – Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and Middle East envoy, and General Michael Flynn, his former national security adviser. Both have featured prominently in Robert Mueller’s almost completed federal probe into Trump campaign dealings with Russia. The committee said it would urgently expand its inquiry “to determine whether the actions being pursued by the Trump administration are in the national security interests of the US or, rather, serve those who stand to gain financially”.

more
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/feb/23/trump-cronies-secret-talks-nuclear-tech-saudi-arabia

[Turbineguy]

1. Trump likes to think big.

Why destroy the US when you can destroy the whole World?

[dewsgirl]

2. So true.