The Reagan administration, seeking to capitalize on the momentum of
sales would "contribute to the foreign policy and national security of
the United States by helping to improve the security of a friendly
country which has been and continues to be an important force for
progress in the Middle East."
Despite the administration's justification, the transaction is
expected to trigger a no-holds-barred struggle with congressional
opponents of part of the sale, which would provide the Saudis with $325
million in support equipment for its Airborne Warning and Control System
(AWACS) radar surveillance planes.
The critics argue that the AWACS support systems should not be given
to Saudi Arabia at this time because of its secret acquisition of
Chinese CSS2-class, intermediate-range ballistic missiles, which are
capable of reaching most points in the Middle East, including Israel.
The sale can be blocked if both houses of Congress adopt disapproval
legislation within 30 days of yesterday's formal notification.
In an effort to defuse the criticism, the Saudis, who say the
missiles are solely for defense and will not be nuclear-armed, announced
Monday that they will sign the nonproliferation treaty, which obligates
the kingdom not to acquire or develop nuclear weapons.
The Saudis also broke diplomatic relations with Iran, whose
escalation of attacks on Persian Gulf shipping as part of its war
against Iraq has created an increasingly confrontational situation with
U.S. naval forces in the gulf.
In addition to the AWACS equipment, the Pentagon notified Congress
yesterday of plans to sell the Saudis 200 Bradley Fighting Vehicles and
4,460 TOW II antitank missiles at an estimated cost of $500 million.
However, that deal drew no objections from Congress when it was first
proposed last year, and is not expected to be a problem now.
The AWACS deal covers contractor maintenance, ground training of air
crews and technicians, augmentation of staff and various other support
and refueling services for the planes bought by Saudi Arabia in 1981
after a sharp administration struggle with Congress.
The cost of the program, which would run from 1989 to 1992,
originally was estimated at $450 million. However, Pentagon officials
said yesterday that negotiations with the prime contractor, Boeing Co.,
had reduced the final total to $325 million.
The administration decided to go ahead despite appeals from a
bipartisan group of 58 senators and a growing list of House members, now
believed to number about 200, that the sale be postponed. Congressional
sources said yesterday that the opposition appears to be unchanged
despite Saudi reassurances, but they added that it is too early to tell
whether there are sufficient votes to pass legislation blocking the sale
and override a certain veto by President Reagan.
