Democrats in Congress turning against Saudi arms deal
WASHINGTON — Opposition has been building within the
Democratic-controlled Congress to a Bush administration plan to sell up to
$20 billion worth of advanced weapons to Saudi Arabia.
Critics said Saudi Arabia does not need aircraft, munitions and other
advanced systems, which could fall into the hands of Al Qaida or Iran. They
also asserted that Riyad has refused to block financing to Al Qaida or halt
the flow of Islamic insurgents to Iraq.
"In the end, selling them arms won't guarantee their cooperation, much
less their love," Rep. Gary Ackerman, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs
subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia, said. "The results of such
deals are usually a mixed bag of hoopla, limited behind-the-scenes
cooperation and ugly public disappointments down the road, and I believe
this will be the outcome of the deal currently being proposed."
Ackerman's subcommittee discussed the proposed Saudi deal during a
hearing on Sept. 18. No details were provided on what the administration
plans to sell the Saudi military.
"If we can't get Saudi cooperation on the internal situation in Iraq, on
stopping the flow of fighters and cutting off money going to insurgents
there and to other terrorists around the world, then why should we believe
that they see the war on terror as we do, and why sell them these weapons?"
Ackerman asked.
The hearing was addressed by U.S. experts on Saudi Arabia, who doubted
whether the kingdom would use U.S. advanced weapons. F. Gregory
Gause, director of the University of Vermont's Middle East studies program,
said the Saudi military would not be deployed outside the kingdom.
"It has never done so on its own in the history of the modern state,"
Gause said.
Subcommittee members were critical of the Saudi refusal to prosecute
those designated by the United States and United Nations as terrorist
financiers. They said the administration has refused to sanction or even
criticize the Saudi royal family.
"They have to prove they are not in a secret coalition with terrorists,"
Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, a California Republican, said.
Rep. David Scott, a Georgia Democrat, agreed. Scott said the Saudi
kingdom has released Al Qaida operatives.
"If the Saudis capture Al Qaida they allow them to melt back into the
population," Scott said.
