Three members of the US Congress have proposed a bill to withdraw troops and missile defense systems from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in response to the decision to cut oil production of the two Gulf countries.
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies (OPEC+) agreed on October 5 to cut production by 2 million barrels/day, equivalent to 2% of global supply.
" Saudi Arabia and the UAE's sharp cuts in oil production, despite President Biden's public proposals to both countries in recent months, are a hostile act against the United States," RT quoted Democratic lawmakers Sean Casten, Tom Malinowski and Susan Wild as saying in a joint statement.
The statement reads: "Both Saudi Arabia and the UAE have long relied on the US military presence in the Gulf to protect their security and oil fields. We do not see any reason for the US military or contractors to continue providing this service to countries that are actively fighting us."
According to the White House, President Joe Biden is "disappointed by OPEC+'s short-term decision." This organization brings together most of the world's oil-rich countries, including the Arab countries in the Middle East, Iran, Russia, Nigeria, Venezuela and Malaysia.
Saudi Arabia's Energy Minister, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, has denied allegations of armaments at oil prices amid the energy crisis.
US lawmakers note that about 3,000 US soldiers are stationed in Saudi Arabia and 2,000 in the UAE, as well as F-35 fighter jets and other weapons systems operated by US military. Riyadh and Abu Dhabi are two of Washington's traditional important allies in the Middle East.
The US State Department approved the sale of the latest phase-to-phase anti-aircraft ballistic missile (THAAD) to the UAE and the MIM-104 patriot anti-aircraft missile system to Saudi Arabia in August.
