Post date: Sep 13, 2010 8:26:45 PM
A U.S. State Department spokesman declines to comment on a possible arms deal with Saudi Arabia -- but adds the United States will ensure Israel can "provide for its own security."
WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (SEPTEMBER 13, 2010) STATE DEPARTMENT TV - State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley refused on Monday (September 13) to comment on an arms deal with Saudi Arabia, saying Congress needed to be notified first.
But Crowley quickly added that the U.S. would do nothing to upset security and stability in the Middle East.
"Suffice it to say that at the core of our policy is making sure that there is stability in the region. And part of that stability is making sure that Israel has what it needs to be able to provide for its own security," he told reporters in Washington.
"So the United States would do nothing to upset the current balance in the region and will talk about it forthcoming. But obviously anything we do in the region is geared towards maintaining security and stability in an important part of the world."
The Obama administration will soon notify Congress of an arms deal with Saudi Arabia worth up to $60 billion, but the kingdom is expected to only initially commit to about half that, a senior U.S. defense official said on Monday (September 13).
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the package would include 84 new Boeing Co F-15 fighter jets and upgrades to another 70 of them.
It would also include 72 Black Hawk helicopters built by Sikorsky Aircraft, a unit of United Technologies Corp.
Earlier on Monday, Pentagon spokesman Colonel Dave Lapan said he expected Congress would receive official notification of the long-anticipated Saudi deal within the next week or so.
The senior defense official said the U.S.-Saudi arms deal also included 70 of Boeing's Apache helicopters and 36 Little Birds.
The United States and Saudi Arabia were also discussing a package for the kingdom's navy, potentially worth $30 billion, but the timing of that deal was unclear and would not be included in the upcoming congressional notification, the official said.
Upon congressional notification, lawmakers get 30 days to object to the deal. But notifications are usually not sent unless lawmakers have already broadly agreed to the sale.
Saudi Arabia was the biggest buyer of U.S. weapons during a four-year span of 2005 through 2008, with $11.2 billion in deals, according to the U.S. Congressional Research Service.
There are reports that the deal could create as many as 75,000 jobs, which should help shore up support in Congress.
In the past, pro-Israel lawmakers have voiced concerns about arms sales to Saudi Arabia, saying they may undercut Israel's military edge and provide support to a government with a poor human rights record.