"When US President Donald Trump bypassed Congress last month to approve a multibillion-dollar arms deal to Saudi Arabia, he also allowed the kingdom to develop complex precision-bomb parts, according to the New York Times.
Trump's emergency declaration allows American arms firm Raytheon to share technology with Riyadh that could allow Saudi Arabia to develop its own laser-guided bombs, the newspaper reported on Friday.
Among the components which the Saudis are now allowed to work on with the firm are the control systems and vital electronics for Raytheon's Paveway series of smart bombs. That technology was previously closely guarded by Washington.
The technology sharing is just one part of a sweeping arms package Trump bypassed Congress to push through by declaring a national emergency, citing tensions with Iran.
Outrage on Capitol Hill
The move has infuriated politicians, including some of Trump's staunchest allies, who were holding up the sale because of humanitarian concerns with the kingdom, including the civilian toll of the Saudi-UAE air campaign in Yemen and the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Al Jazeera's Kimberly Halkett, reporting from Washington, DC, said that with these new details, "there is even greater concern in the US Congress."
Politicians "are concerned that this technology could be used by Saudi Arabia to produce a Saudi version of this American weapon."
at https://www.blacklistednews.com/article/73122/trump-oks-advanced-bomb-parts-to-be-built-in-saudi.html
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