The US Senate on Wednesday thwarted an effort to block a major arms deal between the United States and the UAE. Senators voted 47 to 49 on the measure, falling short of the majority required to prevent the sale of over $23B worth of Reaper drones to the United Arab Emirates.
In a November statement, human rights group Amnesty International criticized the US sale of military equipment such as armed drones and 50 F-35 Lightning II aircraft to the UAE, saying they might be used in the armed conflict in Yemen.
Last month, in a statement announcing the sale, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the accord “offers a once-in-a-generation opportunity to positively transform the region’s strategic landscape. Our adversaries, especially those in Iran, know this and will stop at nothing to disrupt this shared success. The proposed sale will make the UAE even more capable and interoperable with US partners in a manner fully consistent with America’s longstanding commitment to ensuring Israel’s Qualitative Military Edge.”
Earlier, the US State Department approved a potential $600 million deal of four MQ-9B Reaper drones and associated hardware to Taiwan.
The UAE is set to become the first Arab country to receive the stealth fighters as well as the second country in the region after Israel.
Sourse: sputniknews.com
