December 31st – On the 30th local time, U.S. Secretary of State Pompeo was sued by a non-governmental organization for rushing to approve the sale of weapons to Middle Eastern countries the day before.
According to the British Middle East Eye News Network, the New York Center for Foreign Policy Affairs (NYCFPA), a New York non-governmental organization, sued Pompeo in the District Court for the District of Columbia on the 29th for the approval of the sale of weapons worth $23 billion to the United Arab Emirates by the U.S. State Department of State.
Failure to provide a reasonable account of the transaction and without considering the impact of the transaction on U.S. security and world peace, is in violation of the United States Arms Export Control Act (ACEA).
“This deal will prompt the start of an arms race in the Middle East.” Justin Russell, director of the Center for Foreign Policy Affairs in New York, said in a press release.
It is understood that the sale of weapons to the United Arab Emirates is only one of the foreign arms sales projects approved by the U.S. State Department on the 29th.
According to the U.S. Capitol Hill and other media, the U.S. State Department also approved the sale of Boeing’s GBU-39 small diameter bombs and related equipment to Saudi Arabia on the same day.
The United States will also sell eight Apache helicopters worth $4 billion and $200 million worth of spare parts to upgrade the Patriot anti-missile system to Kuwait. In addition, the United States will sell anti-missile systems worth $104 million for presidential planes to Egypt, and 20 sets worth $65.6 million for military aircraft’ aiming pods.
