Originally appeared at ZeroHedge
The Trump administration has been sharing sensitive nuclear technology and energy information with the Saudis — an issue that’s gained increased scrutiny since the Oct. 2 murder of journalist Jamal Kashoggi by a Saudi hit team at the consulate in Istanbul.
American lawmakers now want to get to bottom of it, and a group of senators have notified Energy Secretary Rick Perry to demand answers over how and why he allowed multiple US firms to provide Riyadh with potential nuclear secrets and information sharing typically only available to Washington’s closest western allies. The Senators are also seeking answers regarding the kingdom’s possible development of atomic weapons and the degree to which they’ve received any level of assistance from the United States.
Rick Perry with Saudi officials, via AFP/Getty
Starting a week ago various media reports revealed that Perry had authorized so-called Part 810 approvals, which gave US companies authorization to share otherwise closely guarded nuclear information with Riyadh. Alarmingly, according to Reuters, the “approvals were kept from the public and from Congress.” The approval had been reportedly given first in November 2017, which facilitated the transfer of “unclassified civil nuclear technology”.
It appears the Energy Department’s defense will hinge on the necessity of leaving such information sharing programs private in order not to reveal “proprietary business information.” The department has further emphasized “no enrichment or reprocessing technology” was shared with Saudi Arabia.
Perry has also recently testified before Congress that countries like Saudi Arabia will go elsewhere, relying on unsavory actors like Russia and China, for help with nuclear energy if the US shuts the door on them.
However, in their letter Senate leaders have given Perry until April 10 to provide answers and details over just what information was shared.
Senators Bob Menendez and Marco Rubio wrote that the Saudis have engaged in “many deeply troubling actions and statements that have provoked alarm in Congress,” according to the letter seen by Reuters. The letter further said that the lack of what’s called a 123 agreement with the kingdom prevents the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to license the export of nuclear material, equipment and components. Thus information sharing must meet with congressional approval, stated the letter.
“We are particularly concerned about this mechanism being used right now with Saudi Arabia,” the Senators wrote. They also voiced fears that Saudi Arabia could be pursuing a banned nuclear weapons program.
“RICK PERRY GOES NUCLEAR ON ELIZABETH WARREN” by @thejasonhopkins via @DailyCaller https://t.co/gtWSUtZXHp pic.twitter.com/MKF1TcpBs4
— DOE Press Staff (@EnergyPress) March 29, 2019
The letter said further, “Many in Congress, therefore, worry that Saudi Arabia’s interest in someday producing its own stocks of nuclear fuel – despite the fact the Kingdom could purchase fuel on the international market more cheaply – could lead to it to divert fuel to a covert nuclear weapons program,” according to Reuters and Washington Post reports.
The Senate leaders are further inquiring into the names of private companies involved:
The senators asked Perry to provide them by April 10 with the names of the companies that got the 810 approvals, what was in the authorizations, and why the companies asked that the approvals be kept secret. U.S. Representative Brad Sherman, a Democrat, also asked the Energy Department in a separate letter what was in the approvals.
While 810 agreements are routine, the Obama administration made them available for the public to read at Energy Department headquarters. Lawmakers say the department is legally required to inform Congress about the approvals.
Interestingly, President Trump’s son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner may have been directly involved in secret dealings with the Saudis related to nuclear power, recent reports suggest.
The Senators concluded that ultimately, “We… believe the United States should not be providing nuclear technology or information to them at this time.”
Absolutely nothing to see here, people, move along. Rest assured that your elected officials are on the job and know what they are doing. They know what’s best for your interest. Have faith in the system. All is well. Just go back to watching your prolefeed, uh, The Voice. Ain’t that new kid great?
moron #1 or donny the dunce’s son in law, jewish kushner, is doing what he can to align saudi to the paramount interest of the squatters – to finish off iran once and for all. kushner tempts mohammed bin salman with the nuke with which mbs will take out iran for and on behalf of the squatters -mbs seems to be just a tad bit stupid and seems to have taken the line hook and sinker in one swoop, just now awaiting delivery of the stuff so he can get started in securing a sunni victory over those dastardly shiites.
kushner saved the family property company from going belly up or into foreclosure when the company was short a trifling billion bucks. what to do – kushner hopped a jet and departed for doha, qatar and promised the sheik that if he wasn’t immediately made available one billion bucks, kushner would allow mohammed bin salman to close in on qatar and finish off that sheikdom for good. within a week the 1 billion bucks was released to the kushner family company up front (which is severely unusual) by a canadian company related to the qatari investment fund – that is how things are done in moronistan.
but rest assured matters ain’t closed down for good since turkey (pissed off with moronistan for masterminding the coup against turkey and edogan in 2016) and iran sort of have found each other backed by qatari money and in between syria, and are about to make life seriously unpleasant for the squatters and for saudi and for the rest of the middle east jamboree of countries. and I suppose both turkey will take a hard and fast look at the nukes stored at the incirlik air base and iran is well advised to have place a call with kim jung un, who might be willing to part with some of the stuff that makes the morons piss their pants.
Not unusual when it involves the son-in-law of the POTUS. Do you have a link to share, like to read up on this. I think Trump and Kushner should not assume MbS will be their unquestioning puppet once he has nukes – the Khashoggi affair should serve as fair warning. As for Turkey, add to that US support for Kurds. Turkey is showing they also can do Bolton diplomacy – see new SF article on Turkey counter-ultimatum.
the story about kushner and qatar was a link on moonofalabama.org earlier in the week – take a gander on the material from early this week to 10 days ago and you’ll find it towards the end. this is the kind of information which msm tend to avoid touching in order not to cause friction with the powers that are.
Thank you
I see that the Golan proposal from Trump did not fare well with KSA. I really can’t see the reason why the Sauds would object, they left the pro-Arab contingent long, long ago. Unless they fear a money/energy/power grab by Israel that would leave them out in the cold, I see no reason why they would object. Is this a psyop?
Have to look into but can say this – KSA is struggling to keep its population from rising up to overthrow the monarchy. The Yemen war allied with infidel stated against fellow Muslims is a problem compounded by war going very badly and that war carried into KSAmaking it difficult to hide from population that the war backed by infidels against Muslims is being lost. If KSA supports Golan annexation by Israel, that could light the fuse for insurrection and so KSA has to at least oppose even if lip service. Examine the reactions of players including Israel, US, KSA, Turkey, Syria, Russia UAE etc… the language and actions should tell us something – actually a lot if one knows how to read between the lines
I hope you see this post. You are correct in that KSA does have a problem with their people ‘rising up’. My family spent time in KSA under contract with the Saudi government under a US/Saudi/Israeli program called Peace Sun II back in the early 80s. Foreigners were well advised to never go out unattended for good reason (we lived on a secure compound). However, there were some Saudis that did talk with us and they made it quite plain, without ever saying, that the royal family survived only because of their iron hand. Getting back to the Golan…you are right, IMHO, about civilian blowback vis-a-vis Golan. Sorry for replying so late, but I have something that might interest you. This involves what the Trump investigation found that they won’t talk about. The countries mentioned are to be expected, as are the countries conspicuously not included in this ‘plan’. It tends to explain a lot…especially when reading between the lines. Note…ACU is Israel, IPC is owed by ACU. https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/rngs/TEST-TEST/010051ZP4H5/pdf-redacted.pdf
I looked at it and I think it is likely a psyop plant. There may be a message between the lines but the narrative seems bizarre. I will comment further on this after I do a little diggin
…sharing programs private in order not to reveal “proprietary business information…Meaning kickbacks and payoffs. Good ole Rick Good Hair…who could possibly be a better energy sec? This admin is going gangbusters in the race downhill. So many wise decisions made lately, way too many to even begin to list. What could possibly go wrong giving crypto Jews nuke tech?, especially in the part of the world where really smart decisions have already been made. It’s all cool though…the US already gave unofficial OK to KSA acquiring Pakistani nukes years ago. Onward to the ‘end times’!
You got that right. With the wise decisions starting off with a bang (literally) when the partition plan was approved in the UN assembly in 1947. Hard to think of a more disastrous start for an organization that is intended, in the Orwellian sense, to promote world peace as the successor of the failed League of Nations.
Yeah, too bad more people then did not see the hypocrisy involved in displacing an Arab political state for an invading Zionist cabal. But then, wasn’t this outcome the true goal of WWI & WWII? The idea of (basically) war for the cause of peace that was instigated should have been a huge red flag. Nothing has changed since…except that they have become more adept at the same tactics with minor adjustments. But the idea is the same. Israel used it to great effect in it’s ‘preemptive strike’ on Egypt in ’67. That has continued up to the overt actions we see today, with no regard to (or fear of) the truth…only the goal is important. The same with the Trump event, it was not a one-off, it was the rule. The Zionists enthroned their choice of satraps. Has he not done well by them? His personal demeanor is a carbon copy of Zionist attitude and his actions have spoken loudly. Trumps’ admin reminds me of Slim Pickens riding a nuke to his demise, cheered on by deluded followers.
Trump mused a while back that Japan and KSA should be permitted to have nuclear weapons. This statement raised many eyebrows and certainly annoyed the hell out of Iran and China. But this story continues to evolve towards realization. Consider the reports of Japan militarization and shedding defensive only military constraints put in place post WW2. KSA is involved with Pakistan which under Atomic scientist Khan was responsible for the worst nuclear proliferation breaches known that makes Iran nuclear fear-mongering laughable. KSA will not go to Russia or China, they have Pakistan with Trump’s blessing. We are being prepared for the coming announcement that KSA is now a part of the nuclear club. To make this surrealist picture complete, have Bolton make the announcement to the world and say a nuclear armed Saudi Arabia makes the Middle East more stable and the world a ‘safer’ world…
That’s a lot of kool-aid…
Just more American madness, the Saudis already have nukes, courtesy of Pakistan. It’s an open secret that American intelligence would be well aware of, so what are the Americans doing? They are doing what crazy people do.
What are Americans doing? Your answer is right on the money. What do you expect from a people that elects actors, CIA directors, draft dodging silver spoons and conmen to run their country? Cogent thinking went out of fashion in the US long ago. We vote by tweet! …from twits.