The Senate Foreign Relations Committee unanimously approved last night a requirement that before any AWACS are delivered to Saudi Arabia, President Reagan certifies to Congress that the Saudis have contributed to the peace process in the Middle East.
The requirement was proposed by Sen. Alan Cranston (D. Calif.) as an amendment to the Foreign Aid Bill which was adopted by the Committee. When the Senate approved the sale of the AWACS in 1981, Reagan sent a letter to then Majority Leader Howard Baker (R. Tenn.) saying that before delivery he would certify that the Saudis had been helpful in the peace process as well as several technical requirements to protect the security of the technology in the AWACS.
The first five AWACS are scheduled to be delivered in January. The Cranston amendment would now make Reagan’s promise a requirement under law if adopted by the full Senate and the House. Rep. Michael Barnes (D. Md.) is introducing a similar amendment in the House.
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