Statement of Administration Policy: S.J. Res. 316 - Prohibiting the Proposed Sales of Certain Missiles to Saudi Arabia

(Revision)
(Senate)
(Sen. Cranston (D) California and 64 others)

The Administration strongly opposes enactment of S.J. Res. 316.

The President's Senior Advisors will recommend disapproval of this bill if it reaches the President's desk.

The proposed limited sale of missiles will allow Saudi Arabia, with which we have had close and mutually beneficial ties for over 40 years, to meet military threats in the future. Missiles of these types are already in the Saudi inventory; this increment will not be delivered until 1989-1991. The Administration has gone forward with the sale now, however, to achieve important political objectives: to send a clear signal to Iran not to expand the Iran-Iraq war to the moderate Gulf states and to bolster the resolve of those states with whom we share important security interests.

The Administration judges that the sale to Saudi Arabia proposed by the President supports U.S. interests in the Middle East and clearly poses no threat to the security of Israel.

If the Saudis are not able to meet their defense needs through the purchase of U.S. weapons, they will be forced to go elsewhere. It serves neither United States nor Israeli interests to allow other countries to sell these needed arms to the Saudis, particularly since only U.S. arms sales require important safeguards and assurances. This sale could also have large economic benefits to the U.S. economy.