Congressional Opposition to ‘hawk’ Sale Caves in After Compromise is Reached with the Administration

Congressional opposition to the sale of 14 “Hawk” anti-aircraft missile batteries to Jordan crumbled today in the wake of a compromise reached with the Ford Ad- ministration in which the latter assured Congress that the missiles would be deployed in a purely defensive capacity around the Jordanian capital of Amman and out of range of Israeli air space.

Leaders of the opposition–Sen. Clifford P, Case (R.NJ) and Rep. Jonathan Bingham (D.NY)–acknowledged today that the “facts of life” made further opposition “futile.” Both expressed serious reservations over the compromise and the Administration’s assurances. But they differed over the impact the sale of “Hawks” to Jordan would have on the military balance in the Middle East.

Case said that “Israel still is the dominant force in the area and will remain dominant” But Bingham said he continued to feel that “the sale will substantially change the military balance between Jordan and Israel to Israel’s sharp disadvantage.”

The Senator made the announcement this morning that “a satisfactory agreement” had been reached between the Senate and the Ford Administration on the sale of “Hawks” to Jordan, calling for the delivery of the batteries over the next four years and their installation in the vicinity of Amman.

FORD ASSURES SENATE, HOUSE

Case read a letter President Ford sent to the leadership of both the Senate and House, containing assurances that the missiles “will be permanently installed” in the Amman area as “fixed defensive and non-mobile anti-aircraft batteries.”

The President’s letter also referred to a proviso prohibiting the transfer of the “Hawks” by Jordan to a third party without written consent from the U.S. Case said he believed the compromise on the $350 million arms deal will be approved by both the Senate and House. The original terms of the sale, he pointed out, had not specified defensive use only.

Case made it clear that politics and not defense had dictated the issue. In that connection, he mentioned “serious consequences” for King Hussein if the deal fell through, He alluded to pressures on the Jordanian ruler such as his standing in the Arab world, “dissidents” in his own country and the attitude of Syria. While “the majority in Congress felt it was wrong” to provide the 14 batteries, Case said, the agreement to install them as defensive units that “cannot reach Israeli air space” brought the issue toward a compromise.

DROPS REQUEST FOR COMMITTEE VOTE

But Bingham said he recognized that Jordan, with Saudi Arabian financial backing is “now in a position to move ahead with military preparations with or without the cooperation of the United States” and “it is perhaps that fact more than the specifics of this particular (Hawks) weapon sale which has changed the military situation between Jordan and Israel.”

Bingham, who made his remarks after emerging from a meeting of the House International Relations Committee which was hearing testimony from Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs, Joseph J. Sisco, said that he had dropped his request for a committee vote on a resolution opposing the missile, sale to Jordan. The Bingham resolution had 10 sponsors in the 37-member committee. He added, however. “I am still very unhappy over this deal.”

Rep; Benjamin S. Rosenthal (D-L NY) remained adamantly opposed to the “Hawk” sale and the Administration compromise with Congress. He called the Administration’s assurances that the missiles would be used only defensively “meaningless and worthless,” pointing out that the assurances are from one branch of the U.S. government to another and are “not binding on Hussein and cannot be effectively monitored.”

Rosenthal charged that the sale “significantly alters the balance of power in the Middle East.” He quoted officials of the Raytheon Co., manufacturer of the “Hawks” as saying the weapon is “basically designed for defense of a mobile field army in combat.”