Some Democrats Sour On F-35 Sale To UAE

WASHINGTON: House and Senate Democrats are pushing new legislation to slow or slap restrictions on the proposed sale of 50 F-35s to the United Arab Emirates, signaling a potentially rocky road ahead for the deal no matter who occupies the White House come January.

On Thursday, Democratic Rep.  Eliot Engel, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, confirmed the Trump administration had sent the proposed deal to the Hill, after Israel had signed off on the package. The deal would represent a major change in US policy in the region, where Washington normally prioritizes Israeli security in arms deals by ensuring an Israeli technological edge in military weaponry. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu secretly signed off on the sale, just before signing peace agreements between Israel and the UAE and Bahrain. In exchange, the US is moving to sell more F-35s, grant access to highly classified systems on the F-35 that Israel can’t access today, as well as potentially granting Israel access to highly classified SBIRS satellites. 

Today, Engel introduced legislation that would place caveats on the proposed F-35 deal, along with other future weapons sales to Middle East countries outside of Israel. 

“The Trump Administration has made it clear that they’ll put lethal weaponry in just about anyone’s hands without regard to potential loss of life so long as the check clears,” Engel said in a statement. “So it’s up to Congress to consider the ramifications of allowing new partners to purchase the F-35 and other advanced systems.” The bill has 10 Democratic co-sponsors.

Engel’s bill follows Senate legislation unveiled on Oct. 20 that would block the delivery of the aircraft to UAE unless the US government meets certain criteria.

The Secure F-35 Exports Act of 2020 would require the White House to submit a report laying out the risks of selling the F-35 to any country outside the bubble of NATO members, and close allies Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and Israel.

The report would also have to certify that any F-35 sales to Middle Eastern nations would not erode Israel’s qualitative military edge, along with a commitment to upholding human rights.

The legislation was sponsored by Sen. Bob Menendez, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Sen. Dianne Feinstein.

“Ensuring that the United States and its crucial partner in the Middle East, Israel, maintain their critical qualitative military advantages over all potential adversaries is enshrined in law,” Menendez said in a statement.

Engel followed suit in his own statement today, charging that “the Trump Administration has made it clear that they’ll put lethal weaponry in just about anyone’s hands without regard to potential loss of life so long as the check clears. So it’s up to Congress to consider the ramifications of allowing new partners to purchase the F-35 and other advanced systems.” 

Non-NATO countries such as Finland and Switzerland are also weighing purchases of the F-35, and would also have to adhere to the new rules if some version of the bills are passed.

Engel’s bill, the Middle East Advanced Technology Protection Act, also includes any sale of electronic warfare aircraft and drones to countries in the Middle East countries, and would require them to consult with the US “relating to the mission, flight plan, and purpose of use of the weapons.”

For its part, the Senate bill would require the White House to certify that the customer has not purchased any foreign technologies that could threaten the F-35 — specifically Russian or Chinese equipment like the Russian S-400 air defense system purchased by Turkey.