NEWS
U.S. Sells Patriots
To Saudi Arabia
Washington (JTA) — The
Pentagon has informally
notified Congress that it in-
tends to sell Saudi Arabia 14
Patriot anti-missile bat-
teries, according to congres-
sional sources.
Such a package would be
worth as much as $3 billion,
said a pro-Israel lobbyist
here.
Under U.S. law, any pro-
posed arms sale costing more
than $14 million must be
formally proposed to Con-
gress within 30 days after
informal notification. Con-
gress then has another 30
days to vote to block the sale;
otherwise, it automatically
goes through.
One congressional source
said that Pentagon officials,
who held a classified brief-
ing for members of Congress
on the subject, were told
there are negative feelings
about such a sale on Capitol
Hill.
Several lawmakers are
apparently unhappy with
the administration's
Since Congress
balked at a
proposed massive
sale of arms to
Saudi Arabia last
year, the
administration has
been introducing
such sales in
smaller chunks.
"piecemeal approach" to
Middle East arms sales.
Since Congress balked at a
proposed massive sale of
arms to Saudi Arabia last
year, the administration has
been introducing such sales
in smaller chunks, none of
which is likely to meet con-
gressional opposition.
Lawmakers told the Pen-
tagon they want a "big-
picture briefing" to unveil
the U.S. view of the "grand
security needs of the region"
in the wake of the Persian
Gulf War, a congressional
staffer said.
Another Capitol Hill
source said the Pentagon
also was told that Congress
would prefer to see the
United States preposition
weaponry in Saudi Arabia
that could be used by U.S.
forces, rather than sell new
weapons outright to the
Saudis.
The Pentagon had no for-
mal comment on the brief-
ing, saying only that no
unclassified briefing had
taken place.
The Pentagon is also play-
ing down reports that the
administration is consider-
ing selling F-15 fighter
planes to Saudi Arabia.
Earlier last week, the St.
Louis-based McDonnell
Douglas Corp. reported at an
arms fair in the United Arab
Emirates that the Saudis
have formally asked the
Bush administration for 72
F-15s, which would cost in
the range of $5 billion.
But a Pentagon official,
speaking on condition of
anonymity, told the Jewish
Telegraphic Agency on
Nov. 21, "I don't see any
offensive weapons sales even
possibly being considered
until after the new year."
That did not surprise a pro-
Israel lobbyist here, who
said that no such sale would
be proposed as long as there
is an active peace process in
the Middle East.
Absent such a process, the
lobbyist said, a sale of F-15s
is much more likely, but
would probably be in the
range of a squadron of 24 F-
15s and not a full wing of 72.
Also unclear is what model
F-15 would be sold to the
Saudis. The Saudis want the
F-15E, the most advanced
version of the plane, which
until now has only been sold
in the region to Israel.
The McDonnell Douglas
statement was a "trial
balloon" designed "to force
the Pentagon into suppor-
ting the sale," the pro-Israel
lobbyist charged.
The idea of selling the
Saudis an additional 24 F-
15s was contained in "Phase
2" of an administration
blueprint of future arms
sales to the Saudis unveiled
in June 1990.
The Saudis had 60 F-15Cs
and F-15Ds when the
August 1990 Iraqi invasion
of Kuwait took place, the
maximum allowed under the
1987 Metzenbaum Amend-
ment, which limits the
number of weapons sold to
the Saudis unless the presi-
dent certifies otherwise.
President Bush subse-
quently waived the ceiling
and transferred 12 F-15s
that the Saudis had already
paid for but were being held
in keeping with the congres-
sional limit. He also sold the
Saudis an additional 24 F-
15s.
By contrast, Israel has a
fleet of 55 to 60 F-15s, the
pro- Israel lobbyist said.
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In Memory Of
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BARBARA ELLEN
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ABRAM
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NORMA
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THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
127