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Last update - 07:08 30/07/2007
U.S. Congressmen say will try to block proposed Saudi arms deal
By Shmuel Rosner, Haaretz Correspondent

Some Members of Congress announced Sunday they will oppose a planned U.S.-Saudi Arabia arms deal to be announced Monday morning ahead of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's trip to the Middle East.

The Congressmen said they will introduce legislation to block the deal. The proposed package of advanced weaponry for Saudi Arabia is expected to eventually total $20 billion. It reportedly includes advanced satellite-guided bombs, upgrades to its fighter jets and new naval vessels.

The administration also plans to sell advanced weaponry to six Gulf Cooperation Council countries, including Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman.

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Two Democratic Congressmen, Anthony Weiner and Jerrold Nadler, said they would introduce legislation to block the deal "the minute Congress is officially notified".

"We need to send a crystal clear message to the Saudi Arabian government that their tacit approval of terrorism can't go unpunished," Weiner said at a Sunday news conference.

Weiner added: "Saudi Arabia should not get an ounce of military support from the U.S. until they unequivocally denounced terrorism and take tangible steps to prevent it."

A Republican member of Congress, Roy Blunt, who's the Republican House whip, told reporters that getting the deal through Congress could prove to be "a challenge".

Rep. Robert Wexler, D-Fla., said he will also join legislation to block the deal. Administration officials were hoping to avoid a long battle in Congress, building on the fact that the Saudi deal is announced as part of a package that will include an increase in military aid to Israel.

One of Israel's staunchest supporters in Congress, Democrat Tom Lantos of California - who's also the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee - was briefed on the deal Tuesday.

He told the Boston Globe that he still has several reservations about the deal. "This is not a sale at Macy's that you go in and buy a bunch of stuff," Lantos said.

The Congressman continued: "There are a complex set of relationships behind it, and while it's very desirable to have the Saudis and others recognize that Iran is an existential threat, there is also a degree of responsibility that they have to show on broader US foreign policy interests".
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  1.   Oil, not Israel 02:26  |  W 30/07/07
  2.   Block proposed 03:07  |  Shmuelshachor 30/07/07
  3.   SAY NO TO SAUDI BINLADEN NATION GAVE US 9-11,SUPPORT PALESTATE))) 03:20  |  VOICE of MOSHIACH))) 30/07/07
  4.   Jewish Lobby Money Affects their Brains 03:28  |  Abe 30/07/07
  5.   Why are they all Jewish? 03:34  |  Tosefta 30/07/07
  6.   These guys just do not understand 04:32  |  Mark Lincoln 30/07/07
  7.   BLOCK ENTIRE PROPOSAL 05:42  |  summary of deal 30/07/07
  8.   Saudi Arms Deal 05:50  |  Paula 30/07/07
  9.   To Tosefta: why are they all Jews? 05:56  |  David James Vickery 30/07/07
  10.   arms deal 06:25  |  Shmuelshachor 30/07/07
  11.   This is the same bunch 06:54  |  Hunter 30/07/07
  12.   #5, counting Jews once more 07:06  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 30/07/07
  13.   They`re not all Jews!! 07:07  |  Macabee 30/07/07
  14.   saudi arms deal 07:27  |  Mark Katzman 30/07/07
  15.   #11, Hunter 07:30  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 30/07/07
  16.   DON`T WORRY ISRAEL 08:10  |  indrajaya 30/07/07
  17.   Bush-Olmert,Rice-Livni increase dangers against Israel security 08:56  |  Joseph E . 30/07/07
  18.   You Might Have A Point Indrajaya 09:16  |  Yosemite 30/07/07
  19.   Path To Further Regional Instability or Worse 09:50  |  Raoul Isaac 30/07/07
  20.   Question for Shmuelshachor # 2 10:14  |  Clickfool 30/07/07
  21.   Vast arms sales and plenty of oil or Israel? 10:20  |  Clickfool 30/07/07
  22.   The day the Arabs are well armed enough to threaten Israel 10:26  |  Efox 30/07/07
  23.   NO Way. Saudis have VERY close ties to the President 10:41  |  PETER SM 30/07/07
  24.   what are these muppets doing??? 10:47  |  Simon Jenkins 30/07/07
  25.   #8, Jews in Saudi Arabia 10:47  |  Fritz 30/07/07
  26.   Saudi arms against Israel? Think again 10:52  |  Uri 30/07/07
  27.   # 25, Fritz, Are you sure Russians would sell? 10:59  |  Uri 30/07/07
  28.   For Simon Jenkins # 24 11:00  |  Clickfool 30/07/07
  29.   #20 clickfool - you already have the answer 11:16  |  CK Tan 30/07/07
  30.   How would the 30Billion be financed 11:34  |  Bandar Michaels 30/07/07
  31.   What about the Smokey Mountains, Congressmen...??? 12:13  |  Swiss (Dino) 30/07/07
  32.   cipora 12 12:35  |  realism 30/07/07
  33.   Oily Saudis 12:36  |  Simon Jenkins 30/07/07
  34.   The Congressmen should be short sighted about this 13:03  |  Ronnie Wolman 30/07/07
  35.   #32 realism - Is the whole Congress made up of Jewish members? 13:26  |  CK Tan 30/07/07
  36.   IRAN objects while spending billions on arms & nuclear technology 13:27  |  PETER SM 30/07/07
  37.   The Congressmen shouldnt be short sighted about this 13:29  |  Ronnie Wolman 30/07/07
  38.   CLICKFOOL AND VICKERY 13:44  |  Brant 30/07/07
  39.   # 38, An old Russian saying 13:58  |  Uri 30/07/07
  40.   Extreme Stupidity Can Stem from Gentlemen too! 14:17  |  Sharif Hafez 30/07/07
  41.   STOP the vicarious Cold War!!! Imagine, no weapons in the ME. 14:29  |  Virginia 30/07/07
  42.   Sharif tell them,explain it to them,please... 14:33  |  Ronnie Wolman 30/07/07
  43.   Looks like Anthony Wiener and Ahmadinejad.... 14:55  |  Yaakov Sullivan 30/07/07
  44.   virginia the aniive 14:56  |  Simon Jenkins 30/07/07
  45.   That`s fine as long as he also blocks the rise in mil aid to IL 15:32  |  Don Camill 30/07/07
  46.   To #12 Cipora Juliana Kohn 15:39  |  Velvl Shmerlson 30/07/07
  47.   Our Friends the Saudis 15:49  |  By the Book 30/07/07
  48.   To Tosefta # 55. 16:06  |  Dolly 30/07/07
  49.   Tosefta 16:10  |  Lynn 30/07/07
  50.   c k tan 35 16:16  |  realism 30/07/07
  51.   # 40 sharif 17:18  |  Lynn 30/07/07
  52.   Tosefta - the real situation 17:28  |  Mark Lincoln 30/07/07
  53.   "57"Mark Lincoln Re the "British Connection`. 17:55  |  Labhras 30/07/07
  54.   #46, Velvl thinks four is a crowd 18:10  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 30/07/07
  55.   If this continues.. 18:11  |  Kris 30/07/07
  56.   #32, realism, you are not 18:18  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 30/07/07
  57.   I find it all amusing 18:46  |  Chris Linthwaite 30/07/07
  58.   49 Lynn - Right On 19:00  |  Mark of Lewiston 30/07/07
  59.   `56" Cipora Julianna Kohn re Realism 19:01  |  Labhras 30/07/07
  60.   #50 realism - by the same logic the whole US leadership is racist 19:02  |  CK Tan 30/07/07
  61.   This Chris Linthwaite person 19:05  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 30/07/07
  62.   cipora 56 19:19  |  realism 30/07/07
  63.   #56 Cipora J. Kohn on the 250,000 in Saudia Arabia 19:42  |  Yaakov Sullivan 30/07/07
  64.   Our Current American Government - Epitome of Hypocrisy 19:43  |  Ali bin Abu ibn Abd 30/07/07
  65.   Congress opposes Saudi arms 19:52  |  Fed up 30/07/07
  66.   #61 Margie of Tel Aviv 19:53  |  Chris Linthwaite 30/07/07
  67.   Al-Qaida Is Saudi Don`t They Get It? 19:54  |  Yosemite 30/07/07
  68.   "Margie in Tel Aviv" #61 re Chris Lintwaithe 19:55  |  Labhras 30/07/07
  69.   For Margie in Tel Aviv # 61 20:08  |  Clickfool 30/07/07
  70.   Dear Cipora Juliana Kohn 20:11  |  Velvl Shmerlson 30/07/07
  71.   Israel should stop illegal activities 20:13  |  Fed up 30/07/07
  72.   Congress AND Iran united against Saudis? 20:23  |  Toronto`s Finest 30/07/07
  73.   If You Think Anthony Weiner`s Deamnds... 20:28  |  Yaakov Sullivan 30/07/07
  74.   # 49 Lynn.You are confused!Last week US blaming Syria,and Iran 20:41  |  Toronto`s Finest 30/07/07
  75.   Tosefta, Cipora, Vickery 20:58  |  tadchase 30/07/07
  76.   c k tan 60 20:59  |  realism 30/07/07
  77.   9/11 Hijackers=Saudis 21:01  |  David Torres 30/07/07
  78.   Arms Deal? 21:16  |  P. J. Casey 30/07/07
  79.   tadchase on the jewish congressman #75 21:18  |  Yaakov Sullivan 30/07/07
  80.   Israeli first congressman from brooklyn 21:37  |  levi 30/07/07
  81.   Yaakov Sullivan Re: Weiner 21:39  |  tadchase 30/07/07
  82.   Nuclear arms in the middle east 21:55  |  Locos Pueblos