The arms deal of the century, newspapers around the world are calling it. Over the next two decades, Saudi Arabia will buy as much as $25 billion worth of jet fighters, helicopters, minesweepers and military services from Britain in exchange for oil and hard cash. The agreement, signed earlier this month, means that Britain will supplant the U.S. as the Saudis' main arms supplier. The British thus benefited directly from the U.S. Congress's refusal to approve the transfer to the Saudis of 40 advanced F-15 fighters in 1985 and 800 Stinger missiles in 1986.
The accord delivers a blow to U.S....
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