MENL,
WASHINGTON [MENL] — Saudi Arabia is said to have agreed to expand defense and military cooperation with the United States in what could pave the way for major U.S. weapons sales to the Arabian kingdom.
U.S. officials said Saudi Arabia has agreed to the expanded cooperation after more than two years of deteriorating defense and military ties accelerated by the Sept. 11, 2001 Al Qaida attacks on New York and Washington. Fifteen of the 19 Al Qaida attackers were Saudi nationals.
The Saudi willingness to expand military relations was relayed to the Bush administration over the past few weeks. U.S. officials cited the toppling of the regime of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and the withdrawal of virtually all U.S. soldiers from Saudi Arabia.
The first stage of the expanded cooperation will focus on U.S. training of Saudi forces. The United States has proposed training of Saudi junior land force officers in a program designed to deepen the relations between the U.S. Army and the Saudi Army.
