Obama Calls British, Saudi Leaders About Bomb Plot

Published October 30, 2010

| Associated Press

President Obama has called British Prime Minister David Cameron and Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah to discuss the thwarted mail bomb attacks.

White House spokesman Bill Burton says the president also received a briefing Saturday from his national security adviser, John Brennan.

Yemeni authorities are checking more packages in the search for terrorists who tried to mail bombs to Chicago-area synagogues. The plot has raised fears of a new al-Qaida terror attack.

Obama is campaigning Saturday in Bridgeport, Conn., Philadelphia and Chicago.

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Obama Administration to Sell $60B in Weapons to Saudi Arabia

WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration notified Congress on Wednesday that it plans to sell up to $60 billion in advanced weaponry to Saudi Arabia in one of the largest-ever single U.S. arms sales, a deal intended to counter the rising influence of Iran.

State Department and Pentagon officials told lawmakers that the sales that will include 84 new F-15 fighter jets, upgrades to 70 existing Saudi F-15s, 190 helicopters and a wide array of missiles, bombs and delivery systems, as well as accessories such as night-vision goggles and radar warning systems.

The sale, first revealed in September, has been in the works for months and is designed to strengthen the defense forces of Saudi Arabia, a longtime U.S. ally, and counter Iran as a regional power in the Persian Gulf.

"This proposed sale has tremendous significance from a strategic regional perspective," said Andrew Shapiro, the assistant secretary of state for political and military affairs who announced the deal.

"It will send a strong message to countries in the region that we are committed to support the security of our key partners and allies in the Arabian Gulf and broader Middle East," Shapiro told reporters. "And it will enhance Saudi Arabia's ability to deter and defend against threats to its borders and to its oil infrastructure, which is critical to our economic interests."

Congress has 30 days to block the deal, but the officials said they did not expect significant opposition despite concerns by some lawmakers' about the impact the sales might have on Israel's security.

Shapiro and Alexander Vershbow, the assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs, said the sales would not affect Israel's qualitative military edge in the Middle East and that Israel is not expected to object.

Israeli officials have said previously that they were not pleased with the proposed sales but would not try to prevent them.

Iran is now seen by Israel, the Gulf Arab states and the West as a significant and unpredictable threat that has changed the old calculus of the region's balance of power. The U.S. is realigning its defense policies in the Persian Gulf as Iran improves the range and accuracy of missiles and other weapons that could threaten Israel or U.S. allies in Europe.

Vershbow said the new and upgraded F-15s would be key to accelerating defense cooperation between the United States and Saudi Arabia as it would standardize the fleet of the Saudi Air Force and make it more compatible with that of the U.S. and other Gulf allies.

The helicopters, including Apaches, Black Hawks and Little Birds attack choppers, will give Saudi authorities greater ability to protect borders along with military installations and oil facilities.

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NASA Chief Who Called Muslim Outreach 'Foremost' Job Heads to Saudi Arabia

Published October 01, 2010

| FoxNews.com

The NASA chief who caused an uproar over the summer when he said outreach to the Muslim world might be his "foremost" priority has embarked on a trip this weekend to Saudi Arabia. 

A NASA spokesman said the visit is part of a multicountry tour. Administrator Charles Bolden and a delegation of several other NASA officials arrive in Saudi Arabia on Friday following a trip to Prague. From the Middle East, they will head next to Nepal where Bolden will give a keynote address at a climate change conference. 

Though Bolden's comments about Muslim outreach earlier raised concerns that the White House was squeezing him into an out-of-place diplomatic role, NASA spokesman John Yembrick said the trip "was not initiated" by either the White House or the State Department. 

"This trip, including the visit to Saudi Arabia, is driven by specific, appropriate agency-level objectives," he said in an e-mail. 

Bolden plans to attend an aerospace technology conference Saturday and a ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of the shuttle flight STS-51G, a U.S. flight that carried the first Muslim -- a member of Saudi royalty -- into space. Bolden also may hold a meeting with Saudi King Abdullah. 

The Orlando Sentinel reported that "top" NASA officials had urged Bolden not to make the trip, but NASA had no comment when asked about the claim. 

The White House in July tried to walk back Bolden's remarks after he told Al Jazeera about his diplomatic mission regarding Muslim nations. Bolden had said President Obama wanted him to help those countries "feel good" about their scientific contributions; critics said that while the outreach was worthwhile, it should not be a top priority for the space agency. 

Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said at the time that Bolden probably misspoke and that space exploration is still NASA's top job.

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