Carter ‘backs Saudi sales’

Press, 12 July 1980, Page 8

Carter ‘backs Saudi sales’

NZPA-Reuter Washington |< President Carter, whether I; he wins re-election or not, I; will ask Congress to ap- I prove the sale of some of' the extra equipment Saudi" Arabia wants for its Ameri-i' can-built Fl 5 jets, Adminis- 1 (ration officials have pre- j dieted. |i Riyadh has been pressing I strongly for permission to. buy additional fuel tanks, < bomb racks,' and other ; 1 equipment that would great-" ly increase the range and!| firepower of- the 60 Flssll I scheduled to begin arriving j] [in Saudi Arabia early in 11982. ]’ [ More than two-thirds of i [the Senate and at least 50;; [members of the House of; [Representatives -'are on irecord against the sale of' [the advanced .equipment. ’ Administration officials I lagreed that the request; [raised emotional issues for; [lsrael and its American sup-i porters, too emotional fori.

either the President or Conigress to come to grips with until after the election in November. But one official said: “Win, lose or draw. Carter iwill make a decision after the election, and there is only one decision he can make — to sell the Saudis the equipment.” He said, however, that he did not expect the Administration to agree to the entire Saudi request. The most sophisticated version . of the sidew'inder missile would probably be;withheld. The official conceded it [would be tough to get Conl gressional approval even for a scaled-down package that [included fuel tanks ■ more [than doubling the Fls’s [fighting range from about 1 700 to 1600 km. ! The range would permit ;the planes to strike at Israel i from planned bases at DhahIran and Taif in Saudi i Arabia.