Of course the arms sales to Middle Eastern countries needs to pass, because what better to prove US military might then to have our arms in the hands of our friends and foes to fight each other – PB/TK
NYT: Blocking arms sales a new tool to end Gulf impasse – al Jazeera / June 30 2017
A decision by influential US Senator Bob Corker to block the approval of future US arms sales to Gulf countries could give Washington “a new tool” for resolving a “dangerous dispute” between a Saudi-led bloc of countries and Qatar, the Editorial Board of The New York Times (NYT) said on Wednesday.
As chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Corker plays a central role in allowing or withholding US weapons sales.
The Tennessee Republican on Monday said in a letter to US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson that “recent disputes” among Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries undermine efforts “to fight” ISIL and “counter Iran”.
He said that approval of future arms sales would be held up until there is a clear path for settling the major diplomatic crisis in the Gulf.
“This would give Mr Tillerson a new tool for resolving the crisis, though the impact may not be immediate,” the Board wrote in an opinion piece titled “A Way out of the Qatar Mess”.
The Gulf dispute “shows little sign of resolution”, the NYT said. “Nothing good can come of this dispute if it is allowed to persist.”
Continue to Aljazeera.com article: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/06/nyt-blocking-arms-sales-tool-gulf-impasse-170629133258766.html
