White House to experience Legal Action over Sale of Arms to United Arab Emirates

Listen to this article

The administration of US President Donald Trump is experiencing legal action over the rushed sale of $23 billion worth of arms to the United Arab Emirates, amid concern the weapons could be used indiscriminately in the ongoing Yemen civil war. The NYCFPA (New York Center for Foreign Policy Affairs) has decided to file a lawsuit against the Department of State and secretary Mike Pompeo. The move came after the US Senate defeated efforts to block the transfer of advanced fighter jets, drones, and munitions to the UAE. The NYCFPA claims the sale fails to meet the most basic requirements under the law and should be deemed invalid. The statement says, “In just a few months, the Department rushed a review process that normally takes years, to authorize and finalize a sale of roughly $23bn worth of the most technologically advanced weapons in the world”.

The constitution provides the sitting president major powers to conduct foreign policy and national security matters. Moreover, US law also requires a congressional review of major arms deals that have been secured by the White House. These sales need to be blocked by a two-thirds majority in the Senate and House of Representatives to overcome a presidential veto. Traditionally, certain factors must be taken into consideration when authorizing a sale of this kind, including its impact on world peace and US security. The US State Department is also expected to provide a clear explanation for its decision making and address any change in foreign policy that is connected to these deals, according to the Administrative Procedures Act. The NYCFPA claims the US government failed to dedicate enough time to the review process and hasn’t provided suitable evidence to justify the sale of arms to the UAE.

The CAAT (Campaign Against Arms Trade) said the arms sale was “dangerous” and “will provide political support for the Emirate dictatorship while fuelling tensions in the region and the brutal bombardment of Yemen.” The Trump administration first told Congress on 10^th November that it had approved the sale to the UAE of weapons made by General Atomics, Lockheed Martin Corp, and Raytheon Technologies Corp. The US Congress was given a month to consider the deal and voted narrowly on 9^th December against 2 resolutions that sought to invalidate it. The sale includes 50 F-35 jets (one of the world’s most advanced fighter planes), more than 14,000 bombs, and munitions. It would be the 2^nd largest sale of US drones to a single country.