Israel stalls US arms sales to Saudis: report

The New York Times said on its website that Israeli officials, including former defense minister Shaul Mofaz, have strongly lobbied Washington to block parts of a planned arms package for the Saudis and unspecified others in the Middle East that could be worth five billion to 10 billion dollars.

Israel is particularly concerned that the United States will supply the Saudis with precision-guided, air-based weapons that could erode Israel's military superiority in the region, the newspaper said, citing unnamed US government sources.

"The Israeli complaints have introduced a new uncertainty into the administration's plan to beef up Persian Gulf militaries as a bulwark against Iran and as a demonstration that, no matter what happens in Iraq, Washington remains committed to the Sunni Arab governments around the region," the Times said.

State Department spokesman Sean McCormack Thursday refused to confirm the report, but did say that arms sales to several countries in the Gulf were the subject of discussion between those countries and the US Congress.

"We are working with Saudi Arabia, states in the Gulf, on their particular defensive needs given the strategic challenges in the Gulf," he said.

"I would describe it as an ongoing discussion. There are no final decisions yet."

Washington remained committed however to preserving the "qualitative edge" it has accorded Israel in arms issues, he said.

"As for the issue of the so-called qualitative military edge, this is something that we are dedicated to helping Israel preserve for a number of different reasons," he said.

Among those reasons was the Jewish state's "defensive needs, for the deterrent nature of that edge, as well as allowing Israel to take calculated risks in the interest of peace," McCormack said.

"We are committed to Israel's security," he said, adding: "We're also committed to our historical relationships -- good, strong relationships -- with other states in the region, including Saudi Arabia."

According to the New York Times, Israel is concerned closer relations envisioned between Washington and Israel on one side and Riyadh on the other might never happen.

It is also worried that the Saudi regime could give way to an Islamic fundamentalist government.

"The Israelis believe the government of Saudi Arabia is under a great deal of pressure," former Pentagon official David Schenker told the paper.

Al-Qaeda leader "Osama bin Laden would like to change the Saudi government to what he considers a real Islamist government. So Israel doesnt want them to have this heightened military capability," said Schenker.

The Times said the package of arms for Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries provisionally includes tanks, warships and advanced air defense systems.

If the whole deal is approved, the value could run from five billion to 10 billion dollars, according to an unnamed US defense industry executive.

Source

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