A close-run thing

By a margin of only four votes, 52 in favour and 48 against, the United States Senate has approved the sale to Saudi Arabia of the five AWACS surveillance aircraft; an agreeable confirmation of the "educated guess" made in Saudi Arabia Newsletter No.54. The close-run vote has been hailed by most of the American and European press as a victory for Mr Reagan and comment is devoted to the American domestic aspects of the Administration's successful battle with congress. The finer points of the US debate ad the niceties of individual Senatorial voting will no doubt be carefully analysed by all the interested parties. But the first importance of the vote is that the kingdom's stated defensive requirements will now be met.