Weiner, Nadler Oppose a Deal To Arm Saudis

Two New York congressmen say they plan to introduce legislation to stop the Bush administration's proposed $20 billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia.

Standing in front of the Saudi Consulate, Reps. Anthony Weiner, a Democrat of Brooklyn and Queens, and Jerrold Nadler, a Democrat of Manhattan and Brooklyn, yesterday condemned Saudi Arabia as a sponsor of terrorism unworthy of American military support.

"The folly of this arms deal is beyond belief," Mr. Nadler said. "Saudi Arabia is the no. 1 exporter of terrorism in the world today."

He continued: "They are not our friends. We cannot trust how they will use their arms. … We don't have to give them high-tech weapons which may be turned against our friends or us."

Secretary of State Rice is expected to announce today that America is entering into discussions with the Saudis on the specifics of the deal. The arms package is expected to include Joint Direct Attack Munitions and satellite-guided bombs, which Mr. Weiner said would be "accurate enough to shoot through the window of a building."

Under the law, the president is required to formally notify Congress of an impending arms deal, and Congress then has a 30-day window to pass a Joint Resolution of Disapproval. Messrs. Weiner and Nadler said they would introduce such legislation as soon as Congress is officially notified.

"They are paying the bills for the suicide bombers," Mr. Weiner said. "It is not an accident that 15 of the 19 suicide attackers here on our soil were Saudis." He added that 70% of the most-wanted international terrorists, and 40% of foreign fighters combating American troops in Iraq, are Saudis.

While military aid to Saudi Arabia has often been justified by the need to cultivate allies in the Arab world, Mr. Weiner said that "looking for the moderate Arab state might be akin to looking for the unicorn."

At least seven other members of Congress, including Rep. Carolyn Maloney, a Democrat of Manhattan and Queens, have expressed support for a Joint Resolution of Disapproval, writing, "We have grave reservations that this arms sale to Saudi Arabia could allow weapons to slip into terrorist hands."

A White House spokeswoman declined to comment. Officials at the Saudi embassy did not return a call for comment.

An assistant professor of Arab Politics at Georgetown University, Samer Shehata, said it was unlikely that congressional opposition could block the arms deal. "It's $20 billion. The arms industry is a major industry," he said. "Lots of people make money from this."

Dr. Shehata said the Bush administration had been able to justify the arms sale as a way to counter Iran's ambitions in the region.

An analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Anthony Cordesman, said there is going to be "a lot of domestic political maneuvering over this issue. Can this potentially block the sale? Yes." He characterized such efforts as unwise. "Given the problem of Iran, given the uncertainties of Iraq, given the fact that Saudi Arabia can turn to Europe for virtually the same arms, and given the fact that we need to have strong regional allies, exactly what is the point of trying to stop this sale?"

According to published reports, America has agreed to increase aid to Israel, providing $30 billion over 10 years, in part to allay concerns over the Saudi arms sale. The Associated Press quoted Israel's prime minister, Ehud Olmert, as saying yesterday at a Cabinet meeting: "We understand the need of the United States to support the Arab moderate states, and there is a need for a united front between the U.S. and us regarding Iran."