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The Qatari prime minister defended his country’s offer of a $400 million 747 jet as a gift to the Trump Administration, calling it a “normal thing” for allies.
President Donald Trump wants to accept the gift to the U.S. as a temporary replacement for the ageing Air Force One plane, which is due for an upgrade.
But the gift has sparked bipartisan criticism over ethical and national security concerns.
“I see it as a normal thing that happens between allies,”
Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani told the Qatar Economic Forum in Doha on Tuesday.
Al Thani said he did not understand why critics viewed the gift as a form of bribery or corruption toward the Trump Administration.
“I don’t see any honestly valid reason for that,” he said, adding that nothing has been done “under the table” or as a “covert operation”.
He noted that a lot of nations have gifted things to the U.S.
“I am not comparing that to the Statue of Liberty,” Al Thani said.
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