Haig Israel’s Concern over Saudis Arms Package is ‘understandable’ but Reflects Misinformation

— Secretary of State Alexander Haig told newspaper editors last Friday that while concern being expressed by Israel over the Reagan Administration’s proposed multi-billion dollar arms package to Saudi Arabia was “understandable,” some of it is a “reflection of a lot of misinformation and exaggeration in terms of the capabilities of the system.”

Haig was not specific but apparently his remarks were in line with the briefing given reporters by a senior White House official last Thursday, who stressed that U.S. military and civilian personnel would be needed to maintain and operate the AWACS.

The official, who was not identified, said that 30 U.S. Air Force personnel and about 410 American civilian, hired by Boeing and other defense contractors, will be needed to fly, operate and maintain the five AWACS the Administration wants to sell to Saudi Arabia. But the Administration still has not made clear what the eventual role of the American personnel will be when the Saudis take complete title to the planes.

Haig’s remarks were made in response to questions following his address to the American Society of Newspaper Editors at the Washington-Sheraton Hotel. Haig did not refer to the sale to the Saudis of the AWACS nor to enhancement equipment for the 62 F-15s already sold to the Saudis during his speech which dealt with the direction of American foreign policy in general under the Reagan Administration.

Haig said no decision has been made on sending the arms request to Congress. He urged everyone to first look at “the technical arrangements and modalities for transferring the system” and not pre-judge it.

EXPLAINS NEW MIDEAST REALITIES

Noting that the Carter Administration had assured Congress, when it approved the sale of the F-15s to Saudi-Arabia in 1978, that there would be no further sales to enhance the offensive capabilities of the plane, Haig said this assurance was given at a time when the strategic situation in the Middle East was “fundamentally very different” from the present situation.

He said that since then there has been the over-throw of the Shah’s regime in Iran, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, and whole new security threats to the area. When, it was noted, that arms were provided to the Shah of Iran, the U.S. argued that this would stabilize the region and hold down the price of oil, Haig replied tersely that the Reagan Administration would not have responded to the situation in Iran as did the Carter Administration. He did not elaborate.

Haig also said that when the Saudis made their new arms request last year, the Carter Administration “reassessed” the situation and agreed to supply the arms except for a “nuance of difference on aerial surveillance.” He said the Carter Administration agreed to allow the Reagan Administration to make its own judgement and did not send the request to Congress because it wanted to make a joint effort with the new Republican Administration, which rejected the idea, preferring to make its own proposal.

On another matter, Haig stressed that the plight of Soviet Jews and others oppressed in the USSR was a top concern of the Reagan Administration. He said that at the Madrid conference on the Helsinki accords the U.S. was seeking to persuade the Soviets to release Jewish refuseniks now in prisons or labor comps. He said that, thus for, the U.S. has been “notoriously unsuccessful” in budging the Soviets from their “intransigence,” but added nevertheless there has been success but not much.