Members of Congress prospect a one-year ban on arms sales unless the kingdom revokes OPEC’s resolution to cut output
Congressional Democrats issued a new ultimatum to Saudi Arabia, giving the kingdom weeks to oppose an OPEC resolution to cut oil output or face a one-year freeze on all arms sales.
The risk arose when Joe Biden reiterated his pledge to take action against Riyadh’s resolution last week to cut oil production by 2 million barrels per day, which Democrats say would “fuel Vladimir Putin’s war machine” and hurt American consumers at the fuel pump.
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters that the U. S. president was also contemplating a possible halt to arms sales as part of a broader reassessment of U. S. -Saudi relations, but that no resolution was imminent.
On Capitol Hill, anger over the Saudi resolve is much more palpable, as is a preference for quick and express retribution for what was seen as a startling mistake by a key friend in the Middle East.
Tensions with Washington and a promise to “rebalance” relations between the two countries may have a ripple effect beyond oil prices, determining the long-term apparent alliance between Russia and the Saudi heir, negotiations with Iran and Moscow’s monetary strength in its continued attack on Ukraine.
Some analysts have said Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman may have tried to tip the scales of next month’s critical midterm elections in favor of Republicans, but Democrats downplayed the accusation that Riyadh seeks to interfere at the polls.
Instead, Democratic lawmakers noted that Prince Mohammed’s move strengthened Russia and ultimately hurt all American consumers in what they called an impetuous betrayal after decades of support from Washington.
“We supply both only in weapons, but in defense, cooperation and joint defense projects to the Saudis. They get almost 73 percent of their guns from the United States,” said Ro Khanna, a Democratic congressman from California and longtime critic. of the kingdom
“If it weren’t for our technicians, their planes literally wouldn’t be flying. . . We are literally guilty of their entire air force.
“What infuriates so many of us in Congress is ingratitude. “
Richard Blumenthal, the Democratic senator from Connecticut who is running with Khanna on the bill to reduce sales, pointed to broader safety concerns.
“We are promoting highly sensitive technology, state-of-the-art technology, for a country that has allied itself with an adversary, Russia, which is committing terrorist war crimes in Ukraine,” he said. “So there’s an ethical imperative, but there’s also a national security imperative. “
In particular, he highlighted sales of Patriot and anti-missile systems, air-to-air missiles, complex helicopters, fighter jets, radars and air defenses.
“These continued sales pose a national security risk, and I look forward to the President’s action . . . and exert its strength on sales,” he said.
Blumenthal also said his bill served as a stick to push Riyadh into action.
“We hope this law will make the Saudis reconsider this and back down,” he said. “We still have time. The cuts in oil sources will take effect until November.
If the Saudis did not change course, Blumenthal warned that the effect of defense cuts on American jobs and businesses would be negligible.
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Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry downplayed Washington’s complaint in a Twitter post that expired Wednesday and warned it would continue to provoke in the face of calls to oppose the trend. He said he had read and rejected messages suggesting he was “taking sides in foreign conflicts. “and was “politically motivated opposed to the United States,” adding that all decisions had been made by consensus with other OPEC countries “based only on economic considerations. “
The State Department also said it didn’t have to settle for an alleged suggestion from the U. S. government. UU. de delay its resolution for one month for economic reasons.
“The kingdom underlines that while striving to maintain its strength with all friendly countries, it affirms its rejection of any diktat, action or effort aimed at distorting its noble objectives of protecting the global economy from oil market volatility,” he said. .
Any resolution through Washington to reduce arms sales would likely have a ripple effect on other allies, adding the UK and France, which are Saudi Arabia’s main defence suppliers.
“There are interoperability issues of other weapons systems,” Blumenthal said. A sales freeze in the U. S. ” It will have an effect that can also be complemented by decisions by other countries. Ciertamente. Se are affected by the economic effects of. . . cuts of oil sources. They will make their own decisions. . . our allies like the UK and France may need to sign for us.
It’s unclear whether Democrats will get Republicans to pass the bill once Congress returns to the poll next month, but Blumenthal said he reached out to Republican colleagues who were “receptive” and “barred by comments that want to have consequences” for Saudi Arabia’s actions. .
The comments underscore that while his tenure will ultimately be America’s position on Saudi Arabia, Biden faces great pressure from allies in Congress to move beyond rhetoric and take a tougher stance against the kingdom.
Robert Menendez, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said Wednesday in an interview on MSNBC that Saudi Arabia still had no options to reconsider its OPEC decision if it sought its security from regional enemies.
“Who are they going to depend on for greater security from Iran, which is an existential threat, than on the United States?Russia? Russia is in bed with Iran,” he said.
“After all, Russia is the bulwark opposed to Iran. . . They want to realize that their movements have consequences. “