Corker hold puts Saudi arms deal at risk
Congressional aides say the Senate Foreign Relations chairman’s threat to block arms sales to the Gulf until the Qatar crisis is resolved could have a wide-ranging impact.
The chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee could be standing in the way of a potential $110 billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia.
On Monday, Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., sent a letter to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson vowing to block future arms sales to Gulf countries pending a resolution to the regional dispute over Qatar. The letter is widely seen as an effort to give Tillerson more leverage as he tries to negotiate an end to the crisis, which began June 5 when Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt cut ties with Doha over its alleged support for terrorism.
