Iraqi paper condemns Saudi arms purchase from U.S.

BAGHDAD, Iraq (Reuters) -- An influential Iraqi newspaper on Tuesday condemned Saudi Arabia an arms purchase from the United States, saying there was no threat to justify spending large amounts on defense.

Riyadh is seeking $2.7 billion in U.S. arms and technical support to help modernize its National Guard and maintain a fleet of U.S.-made F-15 fighter jets, the Pentagon said last week.

One of the three packages requested by the Gulf kingdom would include $416 million in vehicles, missiles and communications equipment built by General Motors Corp. and Raytheon Corp., the Pentagon said.

ALSO Report: Iraq blocking U.N. experts but getting more food to civilians

Another valued at $690 million would involve parts, maintenance, training and modification facilities for the large Satudi fleet of F-15 jets built by Boeing Co. The prime contractor for that would be Al-Salam Aircraft Co., which is 50 percent owned by Boeing.

"Is there a real need for a state like Saudi Arabia which is not threatened by anyone to spend that unbelievable amount of money?" Babel newspaper, owned by President Saddam Hussein's eldest son, Uday, asked.

"America is looting Saudi money through selling out-dated weapons to them," the newspaper said.

Iraq has accused Saudi Arabia in recent weeks of participating in patrols of Western warplanes over Iraqi skies.

U.S. and British planes based in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait patrol a no-fly zone over southern Iraq, set up after a U.S.-led force evicted Iraqi troops from Kuwait in 1991.

"The question is what for all these weapons as the Saudi regime allows the aggressors to use its territory, military bases and ports to launch daily aggression against Iraq," the newspaper said.

The U.S. Defense Department said the prime contractor had not yet been determined for the biggest of the three Saudi packages, valued at $1.6 billion for flight simulators, parts and technical services for Royal Saudi Air Force F-15s.

Copyright 2000 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For more Middle East news, myCNN.com will bring you news from the areas and subjects you select.

See related sites about Middle East

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.