The Ford Ad ministration is due to present to Congress this week proposals to provide a total of about $5 billion in military equipment and services to Israel, Iran, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, the State Department said.
Department spokesman Robert Funseth, in revealing this action, would not provide figures for individual countries. He said the proposals were being made to enable Congress to have the necessary 30 days for consideration of the sales before the scheduled adjournment Oct. 2 for the Presidential election campaign.
Funseth pointed out that the $5 billion does not represent the “total programs for the countries concerned,” but only those parts that Congress may be able to consider in its present session. This seemed to leave the door open for much bigger programs to be announced to the new Congress that convenes in January.
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