Reject the Nuclear Deal With the Saudis

The best thing in respect of President Trump’s deal to provide nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia would be for the Senate to reject it. Received wisdom may be that it would be difficult for the House and Senate to hash out a joint resolution and then gather a two-thirds majority to override a presidential veto. It may be that a rejection would enhance Mr. Trump’s leverage in tightening some deal provisions and convincing Riyadh to make peace with Israel. At stake is a 30-year nuclear agreement Mr. Trump signed in July with Saudi Arabia. The project, involving the construction of reactors, is worth tens of billions of dollars. It would benefit Westinghouse, which is jointly owned by Canada-based Cameco and Brookfield Asset Management, Reuters reports. The deal gets a bit murky as nagging questions are raised about regional proliferation and uranium enrichment. In a Truth Social post in July, Mr. Trump clarified that “there will be no enrichment of material.” Yet the Wall Street Journal reports that the deal contains a promise for a joint American-Saudi study “to determine the commercial viability of American companies building a uranium enrichment facility in the kingdom.” Can we say with a straight face that we need to block Iranian enrichment, while we “study” enrichment in the Saudi kingdom?Too, wouldn’t the Saudi deal encourage others in the region, like, say, Egypt or Turkey, to develop their own nuclear capabilities? America “should not be the country that reintroduces the most proliferation-sensitive technology into the region,” a nuclear watcher at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Andrea Stricker, writes. Meanwhile, Riyadh is making a lot of noise about hedging its bets on its alliance with America. The Mecca defense agreement is one such hedge. An alliance that boasts Saudi money, the large military force of Turkey, and nuclear-armed Pakistan is not quite what President Roosevelt had in mind when, in 1945, he sat down with King Abdulaziz Al Saud onboard the United States Ship Quincy. Today’s Islamist pact could undermine Mr. Trump’s vision of a powerful pro-American Mideast bloc with Riyadh and Jerusalem as its top pillars. Turkey is emerging as a formidable opponent of Israel. Pakistani passports specify they are valid in all world countries, except for the Jewish state. After inking the Saudi deal in July, Mr. Trump made clear it is contingent on Riyadh’s recognition of Israel. “The president’s position has not changed that the agreement will only move forward if Saudi Arabia joins the Abraham Accords,” an unidentified official told Reuters yesterday. Congress is scheduled to launch on Wednesday a 60-day review of the deal, as required by law. A Congressional rejection could force the White House to tighten the terms and nix any idea of enrichment on Saudi soil. It could also strengthen America’s hand in negotiations, telling Riyadh that hands are tied and that the only way the deal goes through is if Saudi recognizes Israel. Even if a bad Saudi deal materializes, a Congressional rejection would improve it.

Reject the Nuclear Deal With the Saudis

Reject the Nuclear Deal With the Saudis

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