Collision Course for AWACS

The White House sends a Saudi deal to a surly Congress

There was no compromise. The Senate had fervently hoped for some modification of the Administration's plan to sell five Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) jets to Saudi Arabia, some face-saving deal that would give the U.S. more control over use of the sophisticated radar planes. Yet Ronald Reagan decided last week to place his presidential power and prestige behind a proposal that most members had already declared unacceptable. "I have proposed this sale because it significantly enhances our own vital national security...