— The Reagan Administration announced today that it has approved the sale of a package of sophisticated military equipment to Saudi Arabia but said that it has not yet decided when it will officially send the package to Congress. The package includes five AWACS surveillance aircraft, KC-35 air-to-air refueling planes, extra fuel tanks and Sidewinder air-to-air missiles for the 62 F-15 jet fighters the Saudis have already purchased from the U.S.
Congress has 50 days, after it receives official notification, to reject the sale which must be by a majority vote in both houses. Today’s announcement was immediately attacked by Sen. Edward Kennedy (D. Mass.) who said the equipment does not “meet legitimate Saudi defense needs. They are offensive weapons that can be used to threaten the security of Israel, our closest ally in the Middle East.”
He noted that he has joined as a co-sponsor of a resolution of disapproval being prepared by Sen. Alan Cranston (D. Calif.), the assistant minority leader, and Sen. Joseph Biden (D. Del.).
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
