Pentagon Green Lights $6 Billion in Arms Sales to Saudi Arabia

The Bush administration has approved the sale of 24 UH-60L Black Hawk helicopters, 2,300 long-range military radios, 724 armored vehicles and other military equipment worth more than $6 billion to Saudi Arabia. Congress has 30 days to block the sales, although such action is rare.

The Pentagon's Defence Security Cooperation Agency said in a mandatory notice to Congress that the arms sales would help strengthen Saudi Arabia's military and help make Saudi Arabia more capable of defending stability in the region, less reliant on deployment of U.S. forces and help the U.S. fight terrorism around the world.