U.S. Plans Saudi Arms Sales, Baker Says

Secretary of State James A. Baker III said Thursday that the Bush Administration plans “a number of arms sales” to Saudi Arabia and other Arab nations during the rest of this year. His announcement drew a tart warning from a California congressman that the deals will face tough scrutiny on Capitol Hill.

“I am disturbed to see that this Administration seems intent on continuing the reckless arms sales policy of the previous Administration,” California Rep. Mel Levine (D-Santa Monica) said in a letter to Baker only hours after the secretary of state had told a House committee that new arms transactions will be announced soon.

Baker promised to consult members of the Senate and House in advance of submitting the arms packages. However, Levine, a staunch supporter of Israel, complained that the Administration already has sent Congress formal notification of plans to sell Saudi Arabia $850-million worth of improvements for F-5 and F-15 warplanes without discussing the plan in advance with key lawmakers.

In his letter, Levine said that the notification “represents a decision already reached regarding an arms sale, for which the Administration merely seeks ratification. Congress needs to be involved much earlier in the process, particularly for sales to countries in which it historically has taken an active interest.”

In the past, a coalition of pro-Israeli lawmakers sometimes has challenged arms sales to Saudi Arabia and other Arab nations. Most of the sales eventually have been approved, sometimes after bruising legislative battles.

Under the law, arms sales can go through unless rejected by legislation passed by both the Senate and House. Since every President has vetoed legislation blocking sales proposed by his Administration, the procedure, in effect, requires opponents to muster a two-thirds majority in both houses to override the veto if they hope to stop a sale.

Answering questions at a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing, Baker urged the lawmakers to avoid “knee-jerk” opposition to the upcoming arms deals.

“We have a number of arms sales, some of which have not as yet come up,” Baker said. “We need to consult as much in advance as we can with you, but you need to not rule these things out across the board automatically in advance because we have interests there with respect to modern Arab states that are quite important to the United States and, if I may say so, quite important to Israel.

“I want to make certain that when we send these things up here (to Capitol Hill), there’s not going to be a knee-jerk response that, by golly, we’re not going to sell anything . . . ,” Baker said.