Chairman of the Committee on Supervision and Government Reform of the Lower House of Congress, Democrat Elijah Cummings announced the launch of an investigation against some senior White House officials. The trial began after the publication of the results of the preliminary report on the proposed transfer of US nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia.

"Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Supervision and Government Reform Elijah Cummings presented a preliminary report in connection with reports from several sources in the White House at once about attempts by some members of the presidential administration to hastily lobby for the transfer of Saudi Arabia’s strategically important nuclear technologies in violation of atomic energy law and without such cases are negotiated with congress. It is possible that such attempts are being made to this day, ”the committee’s press release says.

The US Atomic Energy Act provides for tight controls on the export to other countries of technologies that can be used to manufacture nuclear weapons. At the same time, paragraph 123 of the law states that their transfer to another state is impossible without the approval of the congress, as well as without signing the relevant bilateral agreement, which establishes nine special requirements for their non-proliferation.

Secret contacts

The report’s authors indicate that the Trump administration’s negotiations with Saudi Arabia are shrouded in secrecy, which raises “big questions about their nature.” So, the senior adviser and son-in-law of US President Jared Kushner personally organized the visit of Donald Trump to Saudi Arabia in 2017. Then he held a tete-a-tete meeting with the country's crown prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, who later boasted that Kouchner was "in his pocket."

The report notes that the White House project for the construction of nuclear power plants in Saudi Arabia is lobbied by IP3 International. Its leadership includes retired US military and National Security Council personnel. Brookfield Asset Management, one of IP3 International's contractors, is closely associated with the Kouchner group of companies, the document indicates.

The drafters of the report concluded that Trump's entourage is acting for personal enrichment and is promoting a deal with Saudi Arabia to the detriment of US national security.

“These companies can count on multibillion-dollar profits in the case of contracts for the construction and operation of nuclear facilities in Saudi Arabia. Apparently, they are in constant and close contact with President Trump and his administration, ”the document says.

Michael Flynn and Derek Harvey, a former member of the National Security Council who oversaw the Middle East and North Africa, initiated the idea of ​​building a nuclear power plant in the kingdom. After Flynn’s resignation in early 2017, Harvey continued to lobby for the deal, despite the ban by the new leadership of the board. In the summer of 2017, he also left his post.

  • globallookpress.com
  • © Sebastian Gollnow / dpa

"Cold Civil War in the USA"

US plans for the possible transfer of nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia are remotely related to the problem of the proliferation of nuclear weapons. Since there is no chance that such weapons will be created in the kingdom in the near future, there is no, said Dmitry Evstafyev, HSE professor, in an interview with RT.

“The maximum that can be expected from the Saudis is the possible leakage of nuclear materials and the transfer of spent nuclear fuel, highly toxic, into the hands of terrorist organizations. This is the only serious risk that is worth worrying about, ”the expert stressed.

At the same time, Evstafiev noted that a significant part of the American elite is not sure that Saudi Arabia is capable of ensuring the safety of nuclear materials.

In turn, the Chief Researcher of the Institute of the USA and Canada, Vladimir Batyuk, recalled that the narrow-minded idea that an atomic bomb could be created using a nuclear reactor installed at nuclear power plants does not correspond to reality.

“This is a completely different technology, which has no relation to the peaceful atom,” the expert emphasized.

Moreover, nothing is known about the plans of the Saudis to develop nuclear weapons, the source said. So, to Saudi Arabia there are no complaints - neither from the side of IAEA, nor from the nuclear powers. Although he called it indisputable fact that the kingdom had previously provided financial assistance to Pakistan for the creation of the first "Islamic" nuclear bomb.

“This accusation against the White House in the transfer of Saudi Arabia’s nuclear technology would sound rather strange, if not for the cold US civil war between the Democratic and Republican parties with Trump at the head. In this situation, any accusations are possible, even those that, from the point of view of common sense, look quite ridiculous, ”he stressed.

Money decides everything

Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif accused the US authorities of "hypocrisy" in connection with alleged plans to transfer nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia.

“Every day the world community is becoming increasingly aware of what has always been clear to us: neither human rights nor the nuclear program were the real cause for concern for the United States. First a dismembered journalist (Jamal Hashukji. - RT ), and now the illegal sale of nuclear technology in Saudi Arabia, ”the minister wrote on his Twitter page.

According to Zarif, such actions "completely expose" the policy of the White House.

  • Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif
  • Reuters
  • © Murad Sezer

Agency AR notes that the report was published against the background of close attention of legislators to very close relations between the administration of the White House and Saudi Arabia. Washington took the kingdom central to its foreign policy in the Middle East, trying to isolate Iran. In addition, the media reminds that Trump did not actually respond to the murder of journalist Jamal Hashukji, committed on October 2, 2018 in the building of the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul, as well as to the Saudi Arabian military operation against the Hussite rebels in Yemen.

According to Dmitry Evstafyev, the alleged agreement between the Trump administration and the kingdom’s leadership on the construction of a nuclear power plant indicates a very high level of partnership between the countries.

In turn, the Director General of the Center for Political Information, Aleksey Mukhin, in an interview with RT, stated that only at first glance the “secret” actions of the US presidential administration on the possible transfer of nuclear technology to Riyadh look illogical. So, the kingdom is interested in obtaining such technologies, and Trump - in maintaining a multi-billion dollar deal with Riyadh. However, Trump has a serious lobby in Israel that hardly wants to see Saudi Arabia a nuclear power.

Recall that in May 2017, the American leader concluded the largest agreement in the history of the US military-industrial complex to supply weapons to Saudi Arabia for more than $ 100 billion. Therefore, Trump will continue to do everything possible to maintain close cooperation with Riyadh, experts say.

“No one has canceled the Mega-deal, and for Trump this is a fix idea. This is a very significant transaction, including in financial terms. This is huge money, ”Mukhin said.

According to the expert, if the accusations against the American president in the transfer of nuclear technology to Riyadh are confirmed, it will put a reputation mark on the United States. And if the Democrats bring their investigation to the end and establish the guilt of the Trump administration in the transfer of nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia, the president will not be able to hush up the matter, the expert said. At the same time, he linked the appearance of the investigation with the election campaign and the attempts of the Democrats to prevent Trump from running for a second term.

“I believe that all these accusations are electoral in nature. The goal is to prevent Trump from being re-elected for a second term. For this, the congress creates a lot of negative informational reasons, ”the expert concluded.

A similar opinion is shared by the chief researcher of the Institute of the USA and Canada, RAS, Vladimir Vasiliev. According to him, the election campaign is already beginning in the USA and the Democrats are trying to discredit the government in the absence of a constructive agenda.

“The beginning of such an investigation is an objective boost to what has been discussed recently: the launch of the 25th Amendment to the American Constitution (which allows impeachment of the president if he is unable to exercise the rights and duties provided by the post. - RT ). In fact, this is the beginning of the formation of the American Emergency Committee, ”the expert believes.

At the same time, if Trump really transferred nuclear technology to Riyadh, then this, of course, is the reason for the investigation, Vasiliev said.

“Such a move is subject to US law, which provides for a prison term and a large fine. If the transfer of nuclear technology was actually authorized by Trump, his opponents can use this investigation to initiate an impeachment procedure, ”he added.

“This is no longer just a disregard for one’s duties on the part of the president, but a form of high treason,” the expert states.