Fear Boeing-Sourced Weapons Will Be Used On Israel

Just how much can we trust Saudi Arabia? A letter sent to President Bush last week by 188 lawmakers, questioning a proposed sale by Boeing of satellite-guided laser bomb kits to the Islamic country, says that question must be answered before the sale goes through.

Bloomberg News reports the letter, sent last Thursday, asks for "solid assurances" from Saudi Arabia it won't use the weapons -- intended as a defensive measure against Iran -- on Israel instead. Those concerns could result in a bipartisan effort in Congress to block the transaction, lawmakers warn.

"Without such assurances, we will oppose the sale," said the letter, arranged by Congressmen Mark Kirk (R-IL) and Christopher Carney (D-PA).

Ostensibly an ally with the United States in the War on Terrorism, Saudi Arabia does not maintain diplomatic ties with Israel, and supports the position that country must withdraw from territory occupied in June 1967. The country also maintains an economic boycott of Israel.

The US State Department wants to sell kits to convert older bombs into precision-guided weapons to Saudi Arabia. Such kits have already been sold to Israel, and the United Arab Emirates, as part of $20 billion in arms sales to bolster the region against possible threats from Iran.

The letter sent last week includes the signatures of 47 lawmakers who signed a similar letter in August, opposing any weapons sales to the Saudi government.

Among the signatories on the most recent letter includes Florida's Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs panel; C.W. "Bill" Young, ranking Republican on the House defense panel; and the Select Intelligence Committee's top Republican, Congressman Peter Hoekstra. The #2 Democrat on the Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep. Howard Berman, also signed.

"The numbers of signatures are so large they would be wise to heed our counsel very directly," Kirk said Monday.

State Department spokesman Jay Greer said the agency had no immediate comment on the letter.

FMI: www.saudiembassy.net, www.state.gov