U.S. to Sell $60B in Arms to Saudis

The Obama administration has approved the largest-ever weapons sale to Saudi Arabia: $60 billion in Boeing F-15s, missiles, night vision goggles, and Apache and Blackhawk helicopters to be delivered over 15 to 20 years. The U.S. says the sale will improve the Saudi air force’s ability to defend against “regional threats,” which is to say, Iran. Israel was okay with the deal, partly because the U.S. agreed to restrict the long-range capacity of the F-15s and to sell Israel the more advanced F-35s. An Israeli spokesman said, “Within the framework of the U.S. commitment to maintaining Israel’s military edge, we have had a close, consistent dialogue about the Saudi deal, even though we are not thrilled about it.” The sale is expected to pass Congress, though some members are concerned about the long-term effects of arming Saudi Arabia so heavily.