WASHINGTON, D.C.: Three US senators on Wednesday (Thursday in Manila) launched a bid to block the sale of top-of-the-line F-35 jets to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), voicing concern over the deal seen as a reward for the nation’s recognition of Israel. Even if the three can persuade a majority in Congress to oppose the $23 billion package, lawmakers would face an uphill climb to override a veto by outgoing President Donald Trump. Senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat close to President-elect Joe Biden, said that the UAE violated terms of previous sales, pointing to reports that weapons sent to the US ally have been discovered in war-ravaged Libya and Yemen. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo last week formally informed Congress of the sale, hailing the UAE normalization with Israel and casting the sale as part of efforts against mutual adversary Iran. The UAE had long requested the F-35s, which have stealth capacity and can be deployed for precision bombing, intelligence gathering and air-to-air combat.

Source: Manila Times November 20, 2020 16:31 UTC