The US Senate on Thursday (13/6) about the rejection of arms sales from Bahrain and Qatar, in the midst of continuing to demand intensive sales of weapons for US allies in the Middle East.
The Senate voted 43-56 which was rejected by Bahrain's resolution from the Foreign Relations Committee and approved when the full assembly. The Senate also voted 42-57 which was rejected by the resolution imposed with Qatar.
The bill issued by Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky was rejected by the Trump administration's decision, which was approved in May, to sell US missile systems to Bahrain and helicopters to Qatar, each valued at around $ 3 billion.
"The Middle East is a hot area and continues to be a threat," Paul said demanding the Senate vote. "I think it is wrong to channel weapons to conflicts that have been going on for a century," he said.
Paul said weapons sent to the Middle East could end up in the hands of American enemies.
"Until now, Iran still has some US weapons, the remaining weapons for the Shah, the former Iranian leader supporting the US that was overthrown in 1979. In Iraq, some weapons to support Iran, there is still a compilation of us fighting Saddam Hussein. "Against the Taliban [after the 9-11 attacks by 2001, some of the weapons we gave to the Mujahideen against Russia (in the 1980s) are still there," Paul added.
Last year, the Senate also foiled the efforts of Senator Rand Paul to divert the sale of the rocket system to Bahrain.
Source : VOA