PROPOSED SALES TO JORDAN OF THE HAWK AND VULCAN AIR DEFENSE SYSTEMS WEDNESDAY, JULY 16, 1975 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, AND MILITARY AFFAIRS, The subcommittee met, in open session, at 3:05 p.m. in room 2255, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Dante B. Fascell (chairman of the subcommittee) presiding. Mr. FASCELL. The subcommittee will come to order. This afternoon the International Political and Military Affairs Subcommittee meets to hear testimony from the State and Defense Departments on proposed sales to Jordan of the Hawk and Vulcan air defense systems. On July 10, 1975, the Defense Department submitted to the International Relations Committee reports on each of the two proposed sales as required by section 36(b) of the Foreign Military Sales Act as amended. Section 36(b) requires the President to notify Congress of any proposed sales offer under the Foreign Military Sales Act in excess of $25 million. The section stipulates that the offer shall not be made if Congress by concurrent resolution states that it objects to such a sale within 20 calendar days after receiving notice from the President of a proposed offer to sell defense articles. Since the Congress was notified on July 10 of proposed sales to Jordan, any action to disapprove the proposed sales must be completed by Congress by July 30. On July 14 Congressman Jonathan Bingham and 10 cosponsors, including three members of the subcommittee, introduced House Concurrent Resolution 337 disapproving the proposed sales to Jordan of both the Hawk and Vulcan air defense systems. The resolution has not been referred to the subcommittee but is of obvious interest to us in our deliberations on this issue. Without objection we will include in the record at this point Chairman Morgan's letter referring the two section 36(b) reports to the subcommittee as well as unclassified portions of the reports. (1) [The material referred to follows:] COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, Hon. DANTE B. FASCELL, I am hereby referring these two Letters of Offer to the Subcommittee on Political and Military Affairs for your consideration. With best wishes, I am Sincerely yours, THOMAS E. MORGAN, Chairman. OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR, DEFENSE SECURITY ASSISTANCE AGENCY, Re: 1-23591/75. Hon. THOMAS E. MORGAN, Chairman, Committee on International Relations, House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: Pursuant to the reporting requirements of Section 36(b) of the Foreign Military Sales Act, as amended, we are forwarding under separate cover Transmittal No. 75-35, concerning the Department of the Army's proposed Letter of Offer to Jordan for a Vulcan Air Defense System. Sincerely, H. M. FISI, Lieutenant General, USAF. TRANSMITTAL No. 75-35-NOTICE OF PROPOSED ISSUANCE OF LETTER OF OFFER PURSUANT TO SECTION 36(b) OF THE FOREIGN MILITARY SALES ACT, AS AMENDED (a) Prospective purchaser: Jordan. (b) Total estimated value: [Security deletion.] (c) Description of articles or services offered: [Security deletion] M163 full track, self-propelled, 20mm antiaircraft weapons, one year's current spare parts and tool sets and test equipment. (d) Military department: Army. (e) Date report delivered to Congress: 10 Jul 75. OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR, DEFENSE SECURITY ASSISTANCE AGENCY, Re: 1-23778/75. Hon. THOMAS E. MORGAN, Washington, D.C., July 10, 1975. Chairman, Committee on International Relations, House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: Pursuant to the reporting requirements of Section 36(b) of the Foreign Military Sales Act, as amended, we are forwarding under separate cover Transmittal No. 75-40, concerning the Department of the Army's proposed Letter of Offer to Jordan for the Hawk Air Defense System. Sincerely, H. M. FISH, Lieutenant General, USAF. TRANSMITTAL No. 75-40-NOTICE OF PROPOSED ISSUANCE OF LETTER OF OFFER PURSUANT TO SECTION 36(b) OF THE FOREIGN MILITARY SALES ACT, AS AMENDED (a) Prospective purchaser: Jordan. (b) Total estimated value: [Security deletion.] (c) Description of articles or services offered: Improved Hawk Air Defense Equipment. [Security deletion] batteries, with supporting test equipment, current spare parts, and [security deletion] improved Hawk Missiles. (d) Military department: Army. (e) Date report delivered to Congress: 10 Jul 75. Mr. FASCELL. To discuss with us the proposed sales to Jordan we are pleased to welcome to the subcommittee Hon. Alfred Atherton, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs and Lt. Gen. Howard A. Fish, U.S. Air Force, Director, Defense Security Assistance Agency. Mr. Atherton, you may proceed. STATEMENT OF HON. ALFRED L. ATHERTON, JR., ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE FOR NEAR EASTERN AND SOUTH ASIAN AFFAIRS Alfred L. Atherton, Jr., was sworn in as Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs in April 1974. Mr. Atherton had served since 1965 in the Bureau for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs in various positions dealing with the Middle East and most recently as Deputy Assistant Secretary. Mr. Atherton was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1921, but lived most of his life prior to entering the Foreign Service in Springfield, Massachusetts. He received both his B.S. and M.A. degrees in history from Harvard University. During World War II, he served as an artillery officer with the United States Army in the European Theatre. Mr. Atherton was appointed to the United States Foreign Service in 1947 at which time he served in the American Consulate General in Stuttgart, Germany. During his early Foreign Service career, Mr. Atherton completed diplomatic assignments in Stuttgart, Bonn, Damascus, and Aleppo, Syria. He returned to Washington in 1958 and in 1961 was detailed to the University of California for advanced economic studies. His most recent overseas assignment was at the United States Consulate General in Calcutta, India. Mr. Atherton is married to the former Betty Wylie, and they have one daughter and two sons. Mr. ATHERTON. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I have a brief statement. With your permission I think it would be useful if I could read it. Mr. FASCELL. Go ahead. Mr. ATHERTON. Mr. Chairman and members of this committee, I welcome this opportunity to appear before you to discuss the sale to Jordan of a modern air defense system composed of Hawk and Redeye missiles and Vulcan antiaircraft guns. These sales were agreed to after the most careful consideration by the responsible agencies of the Government. I am convinced that denial of these sales would be detrimental to United States-Jordanian relations and to the long-established pattern of cooperation between us which is essential in strengthening the foundation for Jordan's moderate policies. I believe, therefore, that they are in the best interests of the United States and of peace and stability in the Middle East. The alternative would not serve our interests or the interests of peace. In considering whether to proceed with these sales we studied them within the context of our broad goals and relationships in this region and I should like to approach them in that manner today. Jordan's central geographic location makes it a major factor in the maintenance of regional stability. At the same time its location exposes the country to a variety of pressures that could undermine its own stability and with it that of the area as a whole. Despite the pressures it faces Jordan has consistently followed policies of restraint and moderation in the Middle East. It has consistently cooperated with the United States in our efforts to move toward the goals of peace and security in the area. It has been a force for peace and for moderation and it has played-and we believe will continue to play-a positive role in the ongoing search for peace in the Middle East. The United States has seen it in its interest to do what it could to insure that Jordan remained able to pursue these constructive policies. A Jordan committed to a process of peaceful and just resolution of the Arab-Israel conflict is essential to the peacemaking effort. We have, therefore, worked to reinforce our traditionally close and fruitful cooperation with King Hussein's government in order to achieve this. A significant factor in this connection-in addition to the maintenance of Jordanian economic viability and growth-has been the readiness of the United States to provide effective assistance to help Jordan achieve and maintain a sense of confidence in its ability to defend itself from attack. Since 1970, a year in which Jordan successfully resisted internal and external threats to its existence, we have collaborated even more closely in helping the country meet its legitimate defense needs. During that time the U.S. Government has undertaken first to replace Jordan's combat losses and then to assist in the modernization of Jordan's Armed Forces. U.S. military assistance to Jordan from 1970 to 1975 has totaled approximately $210 million in grant military aid and $70 million in FMS credits. This assistance has been provided under worldwide programs which Congress has authorized and for which funds have been appropriated on an annual basis. Since 1970, and particularly since the war of October 1973, Jordan has watched with mounting anxiety as the buildup of sophisticated aircraft and the most modern air defense systems in the inventories of neighboring states caused its effective but relatively modest military establishment to become increasingly vulnerable to air attack. Almost alone among its neighbors, Jordan has no air defense system worthy of the name. Israel and Saudi Arabia have the Hawk and Israel has other systems-including the Redeye-as well. Syria and Iraq possess modern defense systems obtained from the Soviet Union. As a result King Hussein some time ago-as early as December 1973-felt obliged to turn to the United States, his friend and Jordan's principal arms supplier, for assistance in this regard. Comprehensive discussions of Jordan's air defense capability were carried on for over a year, by which time the Jordanian Government had begun receiving funds from certain friendly Arab governments which placed it in a better position to afford modern air defense equipment. The situation reached a point early this year where King Hussein decided he had to act. In the absence of a positive response from the United States regarding the supply of air defense weaponry, there was an increasing possibility that the Jordanians would feel obliged to turn to alternate sources of supply, despite their clear preference for maintaining their continuing close and virtually exclusive military relationship with the United States. With modern air defense systems increasingly regarded as essential components of a meaningful military force, the United States supply of an effective air defense system to Jordan was perceived as a measure of our support for Jordan's moderate policies. Within Jordan the morale of the armed forces, so important for the stability of the state, was related increasingly to reducing their continuing vulnerability to air attack. The issue, therefore, was not whether Jordan would acquire modern air defense equipment but from whom? The U.S. Government with the concurrence of the Congress has long judged that U.S. cooperation in providing military equipment to Jordan would serve the interests of peace and stability better than any alternative. Further delay on our part in responding to Jordan's request to obtain American air defense equipment would have created a situation in which the United States was discriminating against one of its closest friends whose moderate policies and independent existence we have traditionally supported. Faced with this situation, President Ford in early 1975 took a decision to accede, in principle, to Jordan's request to purchase air defense equipment. In February he directed the Defense Department to conduct a study based on an in-country review of Jordanian air defense requirements. The findings of this study together with advice from the Departments of State and Defense and further specific requests from the Jordanians, were then reviewed by the President, who made a further decision to maintain the U.S. commitment in principle to sell the equipment. The composition of such a system was discussed with the Jordanian chief of staff and with King Hussein during their visits at the end of April. In the ensuing negotiations, agreement was reached on a modest air defense system and training package to be supplied to Jordan at phased intervals over a period of several years. The details of the sales involved are included in letters of offer prepared by the Defense Department for submission to the Jordanian Government. Pursuant to the pertinent provisions of the Foreign Military Sales Act, as amended, information from the letters of offer on Hawk and Vulcan were submitted to the Congress last week, in part on a classified basis. In conclusion, the sales we are considering today do not constitute the injection into the Middle East of new and advanced technology or of vast quantities of highly sophisticated weapons. Jordan is the last country with substantial military forces in the region to acquire these or other systems of comparable sophistication and effectiveness. Furthermore, Jordan will receive them in phased amounts over a considerable period of time. The other states already have sizable arsenals. While I do not want in open session to go into details on the numbers of weapons to be supplied ultimately to Jordan through these sales I can say that they are modest indeed when compared to identical or similar weaponry already at the disposal of neighboring states. The provision of these weapons by the United States to Jordan is a restrained and considered |