58 Senators Threaten Arms Sale to Saudis : Vow to Block Deal Unless Regime Gives Up Chinese Missiles

Members of Congress threatened Thursday to halt the Reagan Administration’s proposed $450-million arms sale to Saudi Arabia until the Saudis agree to remove Chinese intermediate-range ballistic missiles from the region.

Sen. Howard M. Metzenbaum (D-Ohio) released a letter sent by 58 senators to Secretary of State George P. Shultz, calling on him to defer the planned sale of equipment for the AWACS (airborne warning and control system) radar surveillance plane, TOW (anti-tank) missiles and Bradley fighting vehicles.

At the same time, several House members announced that they are collecting signatures on a similar letter in their chamber and have gathered 47 so far.

Both the House and Senate letters were signed by Democrats and Republicans alike.

Congress has the power to veto military arms sales to foreign countries within 30 days after receiving official notification of the sales from the Administration. Although Congress has received no formal notification of the new sale, Shultz has told congressional leaders informally that the Administration intends to sell the AWACS equipment to the Saudis.

Although virtually all military sales to Saudi Arabia are controversial in Congress, the opposition to the current sale appeared to be fueled specifically by concern about the implications of the presence of Chinese missiles in the Arab state.

The Saudis bought the Chinese-made missiles two years ago but initially kept the purchase secret from the United States. This is the first U.S. sale of arms to the Saudis that has been undertaken by the Administration since the transaction was discovered.

Missile Range Cited

In both the House and Senate, opponents of the sale argued that the presence of the mobile Chinese missiles in Saudi Arabia has increased the danger of war in the region. Metzenbaum’s letter noted that the missiles have a range of 1,850 miles, “giving the Saudis the capability to strike targetsthroughout the Middle East and beyond.”

“Congress is shocked and disappointed by the Saudi acquisition of these missiles,” said Rep. Constance A. Morella (R-Md.), who already has signed the House letter. “Their long-range and nuclear-chemical capability poses a great threat to our ally, Israel, and escalates the arms race in a volatile region.”

The draft House letter noted that U.S. policy in the Middle East has been based on the strategy of maintaining Israel’s military advantage over its Arab neighbors. It added that Saudi possession of the Chinese missiles “not only undermines this strategy, but dangerously alters the entire military equation of the Middle East.”

Also, members of Congress were especially upset that the Saudis had tried to keep their acquisition of the missiles secret from U.S. intelligence officials. The draft House letter said the episode “raises serious questions about the true nature of the American-Saudi military relationship.”

“Congress will not permit Saudi deceit to be rewarded,” said Rep. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), another letter signer. “Congress will not approve the sale of any weapons to Saudi Arabia until its leaders remove the Chinese missiles and until they pledge they will not pursue such destabilizing arms purchases in the future.”

In a separate letter, Sen. Claiborne Pell (D-R.I.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, called on Shultz to provide Congress with additional information about the Chinese missiles in Saudi Arabia and the present state of the Saudi military.