WASHINGTON – The Trump administration tried to sell sensitive nucleartechnology to Saudi Arabia, according to a report from US House Democrats.They aren’t sure whether these efforts are still ongoing.
The House Oversight and Reform Committee released a report on Tuesdaydetailing a plan spearheaded by now-disgraced former national securityadviser Michael Flynn to sell technology for around 40 nuclear power plantsto Saudi Arabia. The plan had already been reported by the *Wall StreetJournal* but the new report adds more insight into what was happeningbehind the scenes to push the proposal through.
The effort was part of a broader Middle East economic development planFlynn began putting together before Trump’s inauguration while he wasserving as an adviser to Trump’s campaign and transition team.
During that same time period, though, Flynn was also working as an adviserfor a private company called IP3 International — a firm run by retired USmilitary generals that calls itself a “global enterprise to developsustainable energy and security infrastructure.”
Once Trump was took office, Flynn and longtime Trump associate ThomasBarrack worked with other senior officials in the new Trump administrationto make the plan a reality.
On January 27, 2017 — just seven days after the inauguration — severalretired generals from IP3 went to the White House to meet with DerekHarvey, a senior staffer on Trump’s National Security Council at the time,to discuss the nuclear plan for Saudi Arabia.
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“Immediately after the meeting,” the House report states, “Mr Harveydirected the NSC staff to add information about IP3’s ‘plan for 40 nuclearpower plants’ to the briefing package for President Trump’s call with[Saudi Arabia’s] King Salman.”
As of now it seems the proposal is still under consideration, but there’sno indication one way or the other that the president will agree to it. Ata minimum, the White House is still in discussions to sell nuclearequipment to Saudi Arabia despite widespread Democratic opposition.
On the surface, the proposed nuclear deal makes sense: An American businesswould make a lot of money — possibly billions of dollars — selling nucleartechnology to Saudi Arabia and Riyadh would get a new energy source topower its economy, explained *Vox*.
