State Department Holds Off on Saudi Arms Deal

Source: Associated Press

(12-04) 11:12 PST WASHINGTON, (AP) --

The State Department has agreed to wait until January to announce plans to sell precision-guided bombs to Saudi Arabia, after senior-ranking lawmakers said they wanted more time to review the deal.

Congress was to receive formal notification of the arms sales agreement as early as Tuesday. While members were briefed on the deal last month, the official announcement would kick off a 30-day review period during which lawmakers could move to block it.

In a private telephone call on Monday, Rep. Tom Lantos, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, asked Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to wait until next month when members will have more time to review the deal. Congress faces a jam-packed schedule for the next couple of weeks, before departing for a holiday break.

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While blocking foreign arms sales is extremely rare by Congress, the Bush administration's plans to sell Saudi Arabia such sophisticated weaponry has raised eyebrows on both sides of the aisle. The Joint Direct Attack Munitions technology would lend the country's armed forces highly accurate targeting abilities that could threaten Israel, lawmakers say.


"If it falls into the wrong hands, JDAM technology could significantly harm U.S. forces in the region and undercut Israel's qualitative military edge," wrote 186 House members in a Nov. 15 letter to Bush.



Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2007/12/04/national/w111230S33.DTL

Good work AIPAC!

The State Department has agreed to wait until January to announce plans to sell precision-guided bombs to Saudi Arabia, after senior-ranking lawmakers said they wanted more time to review the deal.

Guess these newer "precision-guided" bombs are more attractive to the Saudis than the older "human-guided" ones.