Ms. Rice, along with Defense Secretary Robert Gates, left for Egypt and
Saudi Arabia. The secretary of state, blaming Iran and Syria for an
escalation of tension in the Middle East, said the arms package would not
alter the strategic balance in the Middle East.
"Further modernizing the Egyptian and Saudi Armed Forces and increasing
interoperability will bolster our partners' resolve in confronting the
threat of radicalism and cement their respective roles as regional leaders
in the quest for Middle East peace and in ensuring Lebanon's freedom and
independence," Ms. Rice said.
The Bush administration did not specify the weapons offered to Egypt or
Saudi Arabia. But officials said they would include advanced fighter-jets,
precision-guided
munitions, naval platforms and missile defense systems.
"We are helping to strengthen the defensive capabilities of our partners
and we plan to initiate discussions with Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf
states on a proposed package of military technologies that will help support
their ability to secure peace and stability in the Gulf region," Ms. Rice
said.
A senior defense official said Saudi Arabia would be the biggest
beneficiary of the U.S. weapons package. The official said the United States
plans to enhance the eastern fleet of the Royal Saudi Navy, sell the PAC-3
missile defense system as well as radars, the Joint Direct Attack Munition,
and systems to counter Iran's weapons of mass destruction threat.
"It's a very broad package," the official said.
Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns, who plans to tour the Middle
East in August, said the administration would require six weeks until it
releases the final draft of the arms sales package. Burns said the arms
sales would consist largely of defensive weapons.
"The majority of what we are planning with these countries are defensive
systems, not offensive systems," Burns said. "We do not have a price tag
and are not able to give you a number."
Congress has been skeptical of the administration plans to supply
advanced weapons to Saudi Arabia. Several House members said they would
introduce a resolution to block the deal.
"The folly of this arms deal is beyond belief," Rep. Jerrold Nadler, a
New York Democrat, said. " Saudi Arabia is the number one exporter of
terrorism in the world today. They are not our friends. We cannot trust how
they will use their arms. We don't have to give them high-tech weapons which
may be turned against our friends or us."