The Associated Press
January 14, 2008
The Bush administration announced its intention on Monday
to sell $123 million worth of sophisticated, precision-guided
bomb technology to Saudi Arabia as part of a larger arms package
to the country and its Gulf neighbors, estimated to total $20
billion. Congress has 30 days to lodge objections to the sale.
The notification was the sixth to be made since December under
the administration's Gulf Security Dialogue proposals to boost
the defenses of friendly Arab nations, particularly with an
eye toward containing Iranian ambitions in the region. The
deadline for congressional approval of more than $11.5 billion
in sales has already passed.
According to the Pentagon's Defense Security Cooperation Agency,
the earlier proposed sales of advanced U.S. weaponry, which
are subject to final purchase orders, include:
- A total of $9.763 billion to the United Arab Emirates for
a Patriot missile system, "various munitions and weapon
systems," and upgrades and refurbishment of E-2C early
warning aircraft.
- A total of $1.691 billion to Kuwait for precision missiles,
missile upgrades and upgrades to its Patriot missile ground
support system.
- A total of $743 million to Saudi Arabia for Joint Direct
Attack Munitions, or JDAMs, AWACS aircraft upgrades, sniper
target pods and associated equipment and services.
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