Senate swings to Reagan

Press, 29 October 1981, Page 9

Senate swings to Reagan

NZPA-Reuter Washington President Reagan yesterday moved- closer to victory in' his congressional battle over the sale of radar planes to Saudi Arabia as a stream of senators announced they would back the deal in the crucial vote today.

Nine senators, including a formerly outspoken conservative Republican opponent, announced their support of the deal, which Israel opposes. This reduced the number of opponents to 52, just one more than the majority they need to block the deal.

The organiser of the opposition, Alan Cranston, said yesterday he would not be surprised if two more Republicans switched from the opposition to support of the SUSB.S billion deal. That would turn the vote into a neck-and-neck finish. A tie would mean approval of the deal.

The California Democrat said the additional defections would cut the opponents’ lead to 50-49, leaving the fate of the deal in the hands of the one remaining unannounced senator, a conservative Democrat, Russell Long, of Louisiana.

President Reagan said he was cautiously optimistic of winning the vote. "I think it looks good." he told reporters at the White House.

Mr Reagan said he was telling senators that the sale of the Awacs (airborne warning and control system) planes to Saudi Arabia would be good for the United States, good for peace in the Middle East, and good for the security of Israel. Asked if he were promising political favours in exchange for votes, Mr Reagan replied: “I don’t make deals.”

Later the President told a political rally in Virginia that peace in the Middle East would be more difficult to achieve if the sale were vetoed.

Mr Reagan said the Saudis represented a moderate force in the region. “Rejection tomorrow, I’m afraid, will be a step towards closing them out of any peace initiative ... We need the good will of the Saudis,” he said.

The President's biggest boost came from an eleventh-hour switch by an lowa Republican, Roger Jepsen, an early opponent of the sale, who told reporters' he changed his mind partly in response to pressure from his constituents.

The House of Representatives has already voted against the deal, and it will be killed if the Senate also rejects it.

Eight other previously undecided senators announced yesterday they would vote for the sale.