The resignation of Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Charles Faulkner last month appears to have been less a resignation and more of a sacking, according to officials familiar with the situation.
Faulkner, a former Raytheon lobbyist turned Trump appointee, was spearheading the administration’s scheme to declare a phony “state of emergency” to avoid Congressional oversight on arms sales. In this case, the arms sales included billions from his former employer, Raytheon.
Faulkner’s role in this decision cannot be overstated, and since Congress started moving to restrict sales to the Saudis he had been one of the lone voices in the State Department urging Pompeo to sign off on sales, as well as being a heavy advocate of skirting oversight.
Though officials state that Faulkner was planning to resign from his post soon, they seem to have decided to spin it as a resignation, they also say his departure was related to his work on Raytheon-related arms deals.
This is expected to be a major topic of discussion next week when Congress takes up the matter of the arms sales, and the State Department’s role in them. Congressional aides suggest Faulkner’s former employment with Raytheon and his role in decision-making on their sales appear particularly problematic.
Potentially, Faulkner’s actions also run afoul of an ethics pledge he was required to sign as a Trump appointee. This pledge bans former lobbyists, like Faulkner, from working on issues “directly or substantially related” to former clients. This is exactly what he did.
This gives the entire affair a particularly crooked appearance, and could be big in the Senate in particular, where indications are that all Democrats, Democrat-leaning Independents, and three Republicans (Sens. Paul, Graham, and Young) are opposing the arms sales to the Saudis. Only one more Republican would be needed to turn the vote against the sale. Faulkner’s activities could easily convince one or more Republicans to switch sides on the issue.
And why is Congress so keen on containing Saudi Arabia? For the murder of a jounalist? For killing Yemeni population?
Seriously!
Congress is now stuck between two sides whose interests once always coincided. No more. Neocons with close ties to Israel are very alarmed. They know of coziness beteen Saudi King&Son tandem with China and Russia. And they are not comfortable with so mych arms sales, co-production and even nuclear exploration with Saudi Arabia. Their concern is — all that can be used against Israel. Saudis — by fattening up Raytheon — are buying insurance policy, making it difficult for US to turn Saudi Kingdom into an enemy, allowing Riyadh wiggle room in policy maneuvers US may not be happy with. Once Israel’s interests and arms manufacturers were on the same page. No more. Some Congressmen with this anti-Saudi bent can use little live from Israel, especially when they know nothing can be done.
So, it all boils down to Iran, and US ability to oressure the region into war “alliance”. Which for all of them means heavy duty punishment from Russia and China. Who from among the Gulf nations can afford it? Ag the moment a large gas pipeline to China — The Power of Siberia — is nearing completion. As China is converting more and more to natural gas, Saudis need to think carefully about losing the largest customer. And the second spur of the pileline is heading to Pacific. It is not much mystery that Japan and Korea are looking forward to it. Japan even thinking pipeline. And Saudis are investing heavily into Russian exploration, extraction and petrochemicals. Thus is their largest push into leveraging their know how, technology and money abroad into non-financial and non-speculative investments. Russian influence is strong in the region, in Egypt, Lebanon, Iraq, Turkey, Qatar. There are warning signs to Saudi Arabia’s pro-American busjness interests, as America can easily out presdure on them personally by freezing assets, suing businesses, denying visas — just to coerce them to jnfluence Ritadh. Friend or foe, nobody is safe. They all kniw that 9/11 can be pulled if necessary to attack their assets jn US or anywhere else. They had that wake up call already, and the race is under way to insulate themselves from harm. Niw it is all about buying time.
Nobody wants war.
Especially us uncomfortable being in the middle. Chinese say that when tigers are fighting in the valley, smart monkey observes from safe distance. The question is — can Saudis manage to extracate themselves from the spot they are in.
Brilliant as always Bianca. But again, one has to almost be a code-breaker, a cryptologist, to decipher your posts. I’ve often wondered why you don’t use a spell-checker, being as they are ubiquitous? Now I’m thinking maybe it’s intentional! But why would you do that? It’s a puzzle. One of the world’s little mysteries.
I need to fix that. Not intentional. Just speed and i-phone. Must stop using phone, get back to laptop. Would not hurt my eyes either.