U.S. Is Considering the Sale of Spy Satellite to Abu Dhabi

The Bush Administration is considering the sale of a high-technology spy satellite to Abu Dhabi, a deal that would make the tiny Persian Gulf emirate the first state in the region to obtain its own space reconnaissance capability, the State Department said Tuesday.

Department spokesman Richard Boucher said no decisions will be made on the sale until an interagency committee completes a review of U.S. policy on technology transfer.

“The United States is facing a number of technology transfer issues that we think have important implications for both our national security and our economic policy,” Boucher said. “This includes the potential transfer of photo reconnaissance satellites. We are carefully examining, on an interagency basis, the complex issues involved in such transfers.

“Any specific request, such as the United Arab Emirates (proposal), will be dealt with in the context of our broader policy review,” he said. Abu Dhabi is a part of the Emirates.

Only two months remain in the Bush Administration--which authorized the review--and Boucher said he does not know when the review will be completed. He said President-elect Bill Clinton will be free to change any policy decisions reached after the review.

Presumably Israel and perhaps other U.S. allies would object to such a sale because it would give the Emirates the capacity to observe military movements and other developments in the region. At the same time, by loosening restrictions on the export of spy satellites, the Administration would provide needed help to the beleaguered U.S. aerospace industry.