Senate agrees to sell U.S. radar planes to Saudis

Press, 30 October 1981, Page 6

Senate agrees to sell U.S. radar planes to Saudis

NZPA-Reuter Washington

President Reagan won a crucial political victory and recorded his first important foreign-policy success yesterday when the Senate approved his proposed sale of radar planes to Saudi Arabia. The Senate voted 52-48 in favour of a SUSSB.S billion arms sale to Saudi Arabia after an intensive last-min-ute personal effort by Mr Reagan and his senior aides to reverse strong opposition. The deal, attacked by Israel, includes five airborne warning and control system (Awacs) aircraft and is the largest single American arms sale ever proposed. If the Senate had followed the House of Representatives' example the sale would have been blocked. The Senate vote came two weeks after the House of Representatives overwhelmingly rejected the proposal. It was a personal triumph for Mr Reagan who said later it boosted prospects for an over-all Middle East peace. Mr Reagan praised Saudi Arabia as a moderate force in the Middle East and said its controversial Middle East plan calling for the creation of a Palestinian State was "a beginning point for negotiations.” The Administration has been silent so far on the proposal, which has met

fierce opposition from Israel. Mr Reagan said the Saudi peace initiative was praiseworthy because, it was "the first time they (the Saudis) have recognised Israel. The Saudis have shown by their own introduction of a peace proposal that they are willing to discuss peace in the Middle East.”

But Mr Reagan was quick to declare that the United States -still had “an unshakeable commitment” to Israel.

“Our support for the security of Israel is undiminished by today's vote.” he said.

Israel’s Ambassador in Washington (Mr Ephraim Evron) said temporary disagreement with the United States would not threaten relations between the two countries.

In a statement he said he hoped’ the United States would stand by its commitment to keep Israel militarily strong “in' view of the massive flow of sophisticated weaponry to Arab countries hostile to Israel.” . In Tel Aviv, Israel Radio quoted the Defence Minister (Mr Ariel Sharon) as saying the Awacs planes were “the greatest danger facing Israel.”

Mr Sharon was quoted as telling an audience in the occupied West Bank that the sophisticated radar planes would be able to detect every Israeli aerial move-

ment. as well as the disposition of planes on the ground.

“The United States shouldn’t try to sell us Saudi Arabia, the country that finances international terrorism. the terrorism against Israel,” he was quoted as saying.

He was referring to reports of Saudi arms and money backing for the Palestine Liberation Organisation.

The official Saudi Press Agency, which had ignored the House of -Representatives’ vote, reported the Senate decision without comment.

■ Congressional opponents of the sale said the susceptibility of new Republican senators to White House pressure and Mr Reagan’s ability to use his personal charm were factors in his victory. “In 19 years in the United States Senate I have never seen individuals strongly committed to positions alter their positions 180 degrees,” Edward Kennedy, an opponent of the sale. said.

The opponents also renewed charges that the White House offered political favours in an attempt to win votes.

John Glenn, an Ohio Democrat, repeated his earlier assertion that the Administration had tried to buy votes, an accusation denied later by the National Security Adviser (Mr Richard Allen).