The State Department acknowledged today that an American official furnished the Saudi Arabian government with the names of American firms that they might engage to handle a public relations campaign in this country for the U.S. sale of F-15 warplanes to Saudi Arabia. Replying to questions on the matter, Department spokesman John Trattner said, “We have no reason to believe there was any impropriety of any U.S. official.”
The State Department spokesman added, “I would say it is up to the Saudi government, as any other government, to make up its own mind as to which U.S. firms to hire to do its public relations work in this country and who it retains.”
Trattner confirmed that, in response to their request, the Saudis were furnished with the names of several competent firms that they might hire for public relations work but that there was no explicit recommendation made of any of the firms. “I don’t know if it is customary. I don’t rule out that it has been done before by other governments. It could be someone in the Consulate” (in Saudi Arabia), Trattner said. “I don’t know the specific circumstances beyond what I have said,” he added.
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