US President Donald Trump issued three vetoes on Wednesday overriding Congress decisions and allowing arms and defence sales to Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
The White House announced late on Wednesday that Mr Trump vetoed Congressional joint resolutions 36, 37, and 38, which would have prohibited arms sales and defence licences to Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Congress passed the bills two months ago, fuelled by the opposition to the war in Yemen, and the killing of the Saudi writer and journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
But without a Presidential authorisation, the resolutions could not become law, and are now returned to Congress for another vote.
To override Mr Trump’s veto, the lawmakers would need two thirds majority which is not expected.
He said the resolutions would “directly conflict with the foreign policy and national security objectives of the US, which include strengthening defence alliances with friendly countries throughout the world, deepening partnerships that preserve and extend our global influence, and enhancing our competitiveness in key markets".
Mr Trump said it was his duty to "protect the safety of the more than 80,000 US citizens who reside in Saudi Arabia and are imperiled by Houthis attacking from Yemen using missiles, armed drones and explosive boats".
He called the UAE “an important part of the Saudi-led Coalition that helps to protect Americans from these Iranian-supported Houthi attacks on civilian and military facilities, including those in areas frequented by US citizens, such as the airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia".
“The joint resolution would degrade the UAE's military preparedness and ability to protect its sovereignty, directly affecting its ability to defend the thousands of United States military personnel hosted there,” Mr Trump said.
He called the UAE “a bulwark against the malign activities of Iran and its proxies in the region", and “an active partner with the United States in battling terrorism in Yemen and elsewhere".
The UAE announced its plan to redeploy its troops in Yemen this month, and UN envoy Martin Griffiths made a trip to Washington last week to explore ways to end the conflict.
Mr Trump, said the US was "very concerned about the conflict's toll on innocent civilians and is working to bring the conflict in Yemen to an end".
This is the third time Mr Trump has used his veto to override Congressional resolutions.
Nicholas Heras, a senior fellow at the Centre for New American Security, told The National that "the Trump administration believes that cutting arms sales to the UAE and Saudi Arabia during this heightened period of tensions with Iran sends the wrong signal".
Mr Heras said the move may draw those countries “into the arms of Russia".
He said the war “has entered an inflection point and the big problem is that the UAE and Saudi Arabia do not have the same mission there any more".
Mr Heras said that Riyadh now needed the Trump administration “to help clear the Houthis from the Saudi border as part of the US broader counter-Iran campaign".
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Reputation
Taylor Swift
(Big Machine Records)
Punchy appearance
Roars of support buoyed Mr Johnson in an extremely confident and combative appearance
UNSC Elections 2022-23
Seats open:
- Two for Africa Group
- One for Asia-Pacific Group (traditionally Arab state or Tunisia)
- One for Latin America and Caribbean Group
- One for Eastern Europe Group
Countries so far running:
EXPATS
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Will the pound fall to parity with the dollar?
The idea of pound parity now seems less far-fetched as the risk grows that Britain may split away from the European Union without a deal.
Rupert Harrison, a fund manager at BlackRock, sees the risk of it falling to trade level with the dollar on a no-deal Brexit. The view echoes Morgan Stanley’s recent forecast that the currency can plunge toward $1 (Dh3.67) on such an outcome. That isn’t the majority view yet – a Bloomberg survey this month estimated the pound will slide to $1.10 should the UK exit the bloc without an agreement.
New Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeatedly said that Britain will leave the EU on the October 31 deadline with or without an agreement, fuelling concern the nation is headed for a disorderly departure and fanning pessimism toward the pound. Sterling has fallen more than 7 per cent in the past three months, the worst performance among major developed-market currencies.
“The pound is at a much lower level now but I still think a no-deal exit would lead to significant volatility and we could be testing parity on a really bad outcome,” said Mr Harrison, who manages more than $10 billion in assets at BlackRock. “We will see this game of chicken continue through August and that’s likely negative for sterling,” he said about the deadlocked Brexit talks.
The pound fell 0.8 per cent to $1.2033 on Friday, its weakest closing level since the 1980s, after a report on the second quarter showed the UK economy shrank for the first time in six years. The data means it is likely the Bank of England will cut interest rates, according to Mizuho Bank.
The BOE said in November that the currency could fall even below $1 in an analysis on possible worst-case Brexit scenarios. Options-based calculations showed around a 6.4 per cent chance of pound-dollar parity in the next one year, markedly higher than 0.2 per cent in early March when prospects of a no-deal outcome were seemingly off the table.
Bloomberg
Racecard
6.35pm: American Business Council – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.10pm: British Business Group – Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,200m
7.45pm: CCI France UAE – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,400m
8.20pm: Czech Business Council – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh105,000 (D) 1,400m
8.55pm: Netherlands Business Council – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,600m
9.30pm: Indian Business and Professional Council – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,200m
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
At Eternity’s Gate
Director: Julian Schnabel
Starring: Willem Dafoe, Oscar Isaacs, Mads Mikkelsen
Three stars
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League quarter-final second leg:
Juventus 1 Ajax 2
Ajax advance 3-2 on aggregate