Trump administration withheld intelligence about Saudi missile program from lawmakers: CNN

CNN broke a story that President Donald Trump's administration withheld key intelligence from lawmakers about Saudi Arabia expanding their missile program.

According to CNN, the Saudis were working with China to develop the missiles, technology and infrastructure. The incident was first flagged in a public hearing in April when Secretary Mike Pompeo testified before a Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) said that it was only the probing of members that unearthed information.

Both parties in the House and Senate are working together to block arms sales to the Saudi government. The help comes not merely from random Republicans but from Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who is said to be one of Trump's best friends.

In a "60 Minutes" interview, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman made it clear that if Iran was allowed to continue working on nuclear weapons then they will follow suit.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry didn't deny anything but said in a statement, their partnership "does not violate any international laws, nor does it involve the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction."

According to CNN, Democrats discovered the information withheld from them outside of government channels.

"The discovery of the Saudi efforts has heightened concerns among members of Congress over a potential arms race in the Middle East, and whether it signals a tacit approval by the Trump administration as it seeks to counter Iran," CNN said in the report. "The intelligence also raises questions about the administration's commitment to non-proliferation in the Middle East and the extent to which Congress is kept abreast of foreign policy developments in a volatile region."

Read the full and extensive report at CNN.com.