Arms: Beijing Surprise: Missiles for the Saudis

Missiles for the Saudis

When China was accused by the U.S. last summer of selling Iran Silkworm missiles that threatened shipping in the Persian Gulf, officials in Beijing entered the diplomatic equivalent of a consent decree. They denied having made such sales but promised to make none in the future. The same officials are saying even less about another recently disclosed missile deal: the sale to Saudi Arabia of an undisclosed number of intermediate-range CSS-2 missiles capable of reaching virtually anywhere in the Middle East, including Israel.

U.S. intelligence agencies confirmed the missile deal only about two months ago, and it was disclosed publicly in...

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