Secret Saudi Nuclear Deal, Pentagon Orders Troops Out of Battered Libya, and More Sanctions Imposed on Venezuela by U.S.

Congress is angry at the backroom dealings Trump has had with Saudi Arabia to secure a nuclear deal. Congress is supposed to be the lawmaker, and congressional power were not too keen on the idea of a Saudi nuclear power to begin with. Plans developed with the Saudis for a deal saw Saudi Arabia refuse limits that would prevent them from developing their own nuclear weapon.

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But Trump went ahead with making a deal anyways. This infuriated the congressional branch of government. Trump approved certain companies sharing nuclear energy technology with Saudi Arabia, even before a general nuclear deal was in place.

Lawmakers want answers from Trump, especially when the dealing was being done. Specifically, were the approvals done after the October 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), is the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and said:

"First we want the information from [the Department of Energy], and we’re demanding it. We should get it."

"And I think it’s critical to know exactly how this happened, when it happened and particularly were you doing this after Khashoggi?"

Many congressmen and women are trying to change the U.S.-Saudi relationship int he wake of the murder last fall. Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.) said:

"If you cannot trust a regime with a bone saw, you should not trust them with nuclear weapons."

Sens. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.). wrote to Energy Secretary Rick Perry who approved six authorizations that let U.S. companies share certain nuclear energy technology with Saudi Arabia. They said:

"The kingdom has engaged in many deeply troubling actions and statements that have provoked alarm in Congress and led lawmakers to begin the process of reevaluating the U.S.-Saudi relationship and our long-term stability and interests in the region. We therefore believe the United States should not be providing nuclear technology or information to them at this time."

Pentagon Orders Troops Out of Battered Libya

Far from the stated alleged "plan" to "free" Libya, the U.S. has turned a then-stable nation into a chaos ridden battle zone. Now that things have gone from bad to worse, the Pentagon is cleaning it's hands of the mess they created, saying it's too dangerous to American troops to stay there.

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On Sunday, the US Africa Command announced a pull-out of troops stationed there to assist against forces loyal to IS (ISIS).

"Due to increased unrest in Libya, a contingent of US forces supporting US Africa Command temporarily relocated in response to security conditions on the ground."

"We will continue to monitor conditions on the ground and assess the feasibility for renewed US military presence, as appropriate."

Two warring factions in different cities vying for supremacy of the country are increasing the conflict. Khalifa Haftar, a military commander supporting the eastern faction based in the city of Tobruk, has ordered an attack on Tripoli, justifying it by saying there are "terrorists and extremists". There are other groups that aren't as large which also seek to "govern".

Gaddafi may have used the oil riches to fuel his personal lifestyle, but he also used it to fund education, healthcare and other public services. This resulted in Libya having the highest human development index in Africa.

More Sanctions Imposed on Venezuela by U.S.

At an invite-only event at Rice University’s Baker Institute of Public Policy in Houston, Vice President Mike Pence announced more sanctions in a Venezuela-focused speech. 34 PDVSA owned or operated vessels were to the sanctions list.

Two firms that transport oil to Cuba are among the targets. Pence said more sanctions are being mulled over, with the financial sector as a next target. Maduro is a target of U.S. regime change policies, but remains resilient to the forces against him, despite all the sanctions that impose financial troubles on the country.

The oil industry in Venezuela has already taken a huge hit. The crude oil production has dropped to 740,000 barrels per day in March, which represents a 16 year low. The industry is hurt also by the numerous blackouts that have struck Venezuela recently. Oil exports are expects to fall even more this month, which will have greater financial impact on the government as the sector represents 90% of the revenues.

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References:

• Secrecy behind Saudi nuclear talks infuriates Congress
• Pentagon orders troops to leave Libya which it helped destabilize, laments ‘security conditions’
• U.S. Hits Venezuela With New Sanctions And More Still On Table

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