White House 'tried to rush' sale of nuclear power technology to Saudi Arabia, report says

The White House has been accused of pushing a project to share nuclear power technology with Saudi Arabia despite objections from national security officials.

A report released by a Democrat-controlled congressional committee said whistleblowers within the administration had witnessed "abnormal acts" regarding the White House's proposal to build dozens of nuclear reactors across the kingdom.

Democrats and some Republicans have expressed concerns that Saudi Arabia could develop nuclear weapons if US technology is transferred without proper safeguards.

Donald Trump has made the kingdom a centrepiece of his foreign policy in the Middle East as he tries to further isolate Iran.

According to the report, the nuclear effort was pushed by former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, who was fired in early 2017.

Derek Harvey, a National Security Council official brought in by Flynn, continued work on the proposal, which has remained under consideration by the Trump administration.

Elijah Cummings, Democrat chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, announced the investigation Tuesday.

The committee's report details how National Security Council and ethics officials repeatedly warned that the actions of Flynn and a senior aide could run afoul of federal conflicts of interest law, and statutes governing the transfer of nuclear technology to foreign powers.

Congressional investigators are also probing the role of Tom Barrack, a proponent of the nuclear proposal who ran Mr Trump's presidential inaugural committee.

A spokesman for Mr Barrack said in a statement that he will cooperate with the House probe.

According to the report, the whistleblowers came to the committee because they had concerns "about efforts inside the White House to rush the transfer of highly sensitive US nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia in potential violation of the Atomic Energy Act and without review by Congress as required by law - efforts that may be ongoing to this day."

The nuclear proposal is known as the "Marshall Plan for the Middle East".

According to the report, H R McMaster, who replaced Flynn as national security adviser, directed that work stop on the proposal because of concerns about its legality, but it continued.