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Congress Mulls U.S. Embargo On Saudis
 The Senate has begun to examine legislation that could halt U.S. arms sale to Saudi Arabia. Sen. Arlen Specter, a Pennsylvania Republican, has introduced the Saudi Arabia Accountability Act of 2005 into the Senate. The co-sponsors of the bill, designated Senate bill 1171, are Senators Evan Bayh, Susan Collins, Russ Feingold, Tim Johnson, Patty Murray and Ron Wyden.The legislation, introduced on June 7, establishes sanctions for Saudi Arabia unless the kingdom complies with United Nations Security Council resolution 1373, which calls on states to deny haven to terrorist financiers and planners. The bill asserts that Riyad has failed to arrest Saudi nationals deemed to have funded terrorism. The proposed sanctions against Saudi Arabia include a ban on the export of advanced U.S. weaponry and technology to Riyad. Saudi Arabia has been the leading importer of U.S. weaponry although orders by the kingdom dropped significantly since 2001, when it bought $2.7 billion worth of air-to-air missiles missiles and aircraft systems. Riyad has been negotiating with the United States for the purchase of Black Hawk multi-role helicopters. Posted by: Fred 2005-06-18 |
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