Wraps Off Arms Sales in Lideast
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Kuwaiti officials the "commonality of spare parts and training" that would be Wraps Off achieved by all states choos- sales drive to get Arai] ihg the same plane. This states to agree to make the 'Was a selling plus for those i Arms Sales Tiger their standard fighter. officials who want to build a Sudan and Qatar are identi- pan-Arab military force to fied in the Northrop docu- confront Israel. ments as prime sales tar- Arab officials also . report, In lideast gets, and Saudi Arabia or- that they were interested'I 7 26/75/ because of strong hints from B. -Jim Hoagland dered 60 Tigers this year. • British Aircraft Corp. Washington that the United„ Washington Post Persian Service States would eventually all BEIRUT, July 19—The made sales presentation to the Saudis for the Jaguar, a low sales of the Tiger to k United States and Western fighter-bomber capable of Egypt. American diplomats European nations are aban- carrying nuclear weapons, in the region concede that doning restraints they have long after it became known the theory that the United shown in the ,past as they within the aircraft Industry States could gain Increased race to sell billions of dol- that Saudi Arabia was shop- influence in Egypt by sup- lars of highly destructive ping for the planes for im- plying arms directly is an el- weapons to nations in the mediate transfer to Egypt. ement of official thinking. volatile, fabulously rich The Egyptians eventually Reliable sources have also Middle East. chose to let the Saudis buy reported that 50 to 60 Egyp- Conolstr on sales prac- (France's Mirage deep pene- tian air force technicians tices and the types of weap- tration bomber for them. and pilots went to Iran ear- ons being offered to specific • The United States Is lier this year for F-5 train- countries have significantly preparing to sell Iran the ing. loosened in the ppast two Lance surface-to-surface But the Arab states appar- years, documents from missile, which can carry a ently balked at having a re- weapons manufacturers and nuclear warhead. Negotia- gional supply center located Interviews with arms sales- tions have progressed signif- in friendly but non-Arab men in this region Indicate. icantly since December 1974, Iran. That aspect of the deal American diplomats, CIA when, without naming the was also undermined when agents and even the shah of Lance system, Rep. Clarence Kuwait, after consulting Iran have been used in et- D. Long (D.-Md.) said he had Egyptian military officials, forts to whet appetites learned that Shah Mohamed rejected strong entreaties, abroad for particular arms, Reza Pahlevi had asked the from U.S. Ambassador Wil- according to more than 500 US "to sell him a missile liam A. Stolzfus to buy the pages of documents record: which is worth having only F-5. Kuwait decided instead log the operations of the if armed with a nuclear war- to buy a radically cede-, Northrop Corp. that were head." signed A4 Skyhawk, similar released by a Senate sub- The Helter-skelter arms to the one in use by the Is- committee in Washington race, in which' the United raeli air force, which has a last month. States sold $5 billion worth longer range and more fire- The Northrop documents of arms to Middle Eastern power than the F-5. and others obtained by The over thee past fis- Ambassadorial concern Washington Post have sig- cal year, stands in contrasttr about the F-5 sale to Saudi nificantly lifted the veil of to the caution most indus- Arabia is reported in the -2-:aeorecy that normally sur- trial nations showed in deal- Northrop documents. A Nor- rounds the competitive ing with the Middle East af- throp vice president re- world of arms sales to Arab ter the 1967 Arah-Israell. ported to his home office states and Iran. Points dis- war. hat on Nov.29, 1973, James See Aams, A14, Cot 1 Northrop's inadvertent E. Akins, the AmericanA am- confirmation that it has bassador in Jeddah said been trying to sell F-5E "that I had better find squadrons to Sudan, which Khasggiho and get him to would pay for the warplanes speed up Sultan" on com- ARMS, From Al with Saudi money, and to mitting Saudi Arabia to buy the F-5. closed that indicate the new the oil-rich Sheikhdom of attitudes include: Qatar, which has fewer than Adnan Khashoggi is the 2,500 men in its armed Saudi financier who col- • Northrop agreed with forces,. adds weight to re- lected a 5 per cent commis- the Iranian government to ports here that the United sion on the $756 million establish a jointly owned as- States last year launched a sembly plant for manufac- sale. According to previ- major sales' campaign to get ously undisclosed docu- turing fighter-bombers in friendly. Arab air forces to ments in the files of the Iran. The Northrop docu- make the supersonic Tiger Senate subcommittee on ments indicate that the their main fighter. United States government multinational corporations, originally approved the fa- Nortlfrop sales representa- Northrop Vice President M tives stressed to Saudi and G. .Gonsalez told Investiga- cility and then reconsidered. tors that Saudi Arabia's de- Well placed sources re- fense minister, Prince Sul- port that Northrop had tan Abdel Aziz, recom- hoped the regional assembly mended Kbashoggi as Nor- plant for F-5 "Tiger" fight- throp's agent on the sale, ers would play a role in a which was then personally approved by Prince Sultan Roosevelt's connections with the shah are so strong with Savak, the Iranian se- that at one point the Nor- Khashoggl has denied cret police which has fre- throp chairman outlines a Northrop assertions that the quently been charged with complete sale argument that corporation gave him $450,- torturing Iranian political Roosevelt is evidently ex- 000 to bribe two Saudi air dissidents, will be height- pected to pass on to the force generals to approve ened by one section of Roo- shah before the arrival ir. the sale. sevelt's reports. an of then West German Gonsalez told investiga- In an Oct. 15, 1965 letter Chancellor Kurt Georg tors that Prince Sultan re- he advises Northrop that he Kiesinger on a visit. Nor- has contacted "Allen Con- throp "can take advantage way, a member of our of this opportunity to have (Tehran) staff with special His Majesty mention to the interests and connections chancellor his concern about that could be helpful." Roo- the equipment problems of the future and his feelings portedly made the recom- sevelt, who was also repre- about Northrop" and a spe- ,mendation to Kermit Roose- senting -Northrop's commu- nications division on the cific weapons system Nor- i velt, a former Central. Intel- throp was trying to sell the ligence Agency . operative trip, reported that Conway Germans, Jones writes. who has served as a consult- "has an interest in Savak, ant for Northrop since 1965. the security organization, There is no indication in Roosevelt, who :, has been which not only needs train- the documents if Roosevelt identified by a former aSso- ing but has communications persuaded the shah to ; elate of his, Miles Copeland, responsibilities which co: praise Northrop to the Ger- as the guiding force behind across all government de- mans. • the coup that restored the partments." The documents also dis- shah to his throne in Iran in close that Northrop, which 1953, plays perhaps the cen- had Khashoggi under exclu- tral role in Northrop's Mid- sive •representation rights dle East dealings. for fighter aircraft sales to Roosevelt indirectly refer- Saudi Arabia, gave him per. red to the plan for an as- mission on Aug. 29, 1973, to sembly plant in a June 16, represent British Aircraft 1974, letter to the shah's Corp. in trying to sell the minister of court, Assadol- Saudis Jaguar fighter-bom- Iah Alam. Roosevelt records bers which, Northrop said, that the shah had asked him were "for resale or redeliv- and Northrop Chairman ery to Egypt.' Thomas V. Jones, who re- The Jaguar is one of the signed this week in the world's most sophisticated wake of the bribery disclo- figher bombers and has a sures, "if there has been nuclear delivery capability. some change in U.S. govern- A confidential presentation ment policy regarding col- booklet prepared for a sales laboration between U.S. briefing given to Royal Sa- companies and friendly for- udi air force representatives eign governments for the at Warton, England, on Aug. manufacture of fighter air- 29, 1974, by I. R. 'Yates, indi- cates that the presentation , craft" i Roosevelt assured the included discussion of the I shah he would check the Jaguar's nuclear strike capa- matter with the American bility. , ambassador in Tehran, Rich- Britain appears to have ard Helms—with whom Roo- significantly shifted its arms 1 sevelt had worked at the sales policies in recent CIA before Helms became months. The government the agency's director. has let stand published re- Roosevelt sprinkles his re- ports that Saudi and Kuwa- ports to Northrop with ref- iti money will finance the erences to his continuing establishment of British hel- contacts "in my old place of icopter and tactical fighter employment" and assures assembly plants in Egypt. Northrop at one point that Arab sources report the "my friends in CIA are Egyptian-based factory will keeping an eye on things in effectively replace the pro- regard to Northrop's bid to posed Northrop plant. In sell F-5s to the Saudis.