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- <text id=91TT2638>
- <title>
- Nov. 25, 1991: The Gulf Will Do Nicely. . .
- </title>
- <history>
- TIME--The Weekly Newsmagazine--1991
- Nov. 25, 1991 10 Ways to Cure The Health Care Mess
- </history>
- <article>
- <source>Time Magazine</source>
- <hdr>
- GRAPEVINE, Page 33
- The Gulf Will Do Nicely Without The Planes
- </hdr><body>
- <p>By Sidney Urquhart
- </p>
- <p> After months of clamoring for more high-tech aircraft,
- Saudi Arabia has reversed the throttle and quietly backed off
- its request for 72 more F-15 jet fighters. KING FAHD's
- surprising flip-flop may prove to be a pragmatic move. The
- Saudis relish their role as Washington's pre-eminent Arab
- partners in the Middle East peace process, so they would rather
- not risk embarrassing GEORGE BUSH. The $4 billion transaction
- would have undercut the President's vow to scale back arms sales
- to the Middle East and would surely launch a bruising battle
- between the White House and Israel's allies in Congress. The
- Saudis will renew their request after things quiet down, but if
- they have to, they can always turn to Britain for state-of-the-art
- aircraft. They've done it before.
- </p>
-
- </body></article>
- </text>
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