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The Influence Industry. Democrats say McCain is breaking his own law. USDA plaintiffs celebrate settlement
CORRECTIONS
l AlKamen’s IntheLoopcolumn on theOct. 20 Fed Page incorrect-
ly said that Sen. Christopher J. Dodd (D-Conn.) and three aides wereontheirway toChina.Sucha trip had been contemplated, but Dodd decided against it.
l An Oct. 20Metro article about gunshots fired at the Pentagon
incorrectly saidthat the JointTer- rorism Task Force is taking the leadinthe investigation.ThePen- tagon Force Protection Agency is leading the probe.
l AmapwithanOct. 20KidsPost article about statistics, showing
the percentage of the population inselected countries that is age 14 oryounger, incorrectlylocatedAf- ghanistan and Hong Kong. The country labeled as Afghanistan is Iran, and the country labeled as HongKong is Taiwan.
l Walter Pincus’s Fine Print col- umn on the Oct. 19 Fed Page,
about the B-53 thermonuclear bomb, misidentified the atomic
test that rained radioactive fall- out on Marshall Islanders living onRongelapAtoll. Itwas the 1954 Bravo test, not the 1952 Ivy Mike test. The column also misstated the TNT equivalent of the bomb droppedonHiroshima.Thebomb was as powerful as 9million tons, not 9million pounds, of TNT.
l An Oct. 18 Page One article about a poll on perceptions of
federal workers incorrectly re- ferred to NASA as being head- quartered in suburban Washing- ton. The agency’s Goddard Space Flight Center is in Greenbelt, but its headquarters is in Southwest Washington.
l AnOct. 18Metroarticle about a video game tournament at Na-
tional Harbor incorrectly said that a group of gamers met for a “land practice.” It was a LAN (lo- cal area network) practice. Dur- ing a LANpractice, also known as a LAN party, gamers bring their equipment and network it so they can play against one another.
The Washington Post is committed to correcting errors that appear in the newspaper. Those interested in contacting the paper for that purpose can: E-mail:
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DEAN J. KOEPFLER/TACOMA NEWS TRIBUNE VIA ASSOCIATED PRESS
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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2010 Pentagon plans arms sale to Saudi Arabia
$60 billion proposal still faces reviewin Congress after election recess
BY DANAHEDGPETH The Defense Department has
notified Congress that it wants to sell $60 billionworth of advanced aircraftandweaponstoSaudiAra- bia. The proposed sale, which in- cludes helicopters, fighter jets, ra- dar equipment and satellite-guid- ed bombs, would be the largest arms deal to another country in U.S. history if the sale goes through and all purchases are made. Congress has 30 days to review
the sale before the Pentagon and theweaponsmakers go intomore detailedcontractdiscussionswith Saudi Arabia. Congress is expect- ed to review the deal when it is back in session after the elections. The arms package includes 84 newF-15 fighter jets andupgrades
to 70 more F-15s that the Saudis alreadyhave,aswellas threetypes of helicopters: 70 Apaches, 72 Black Hawks and 36 Little Birds. Saudi Arabia would also get ver- sions of a satellite-guided “smart bomb” system, plus anti-ship and anti-radarmissiles. The deal could be completed
over five to10years,dependingon production schedules and train- ingneeded. Defense industry analysts said
the weapons sale is key to U.S. efforts to boost support among Arab allies and counter any threats fromIran. The deal is also seen as a boon for U.S. defense companies as the Pentagon tight- ens its budget in ways that could curb contracting opportunities. Boeing makes the F-15, the
Apaches, theLittleBirdsandsome of the other equipment.Raytheon makes some of the anti-radarmis- siles. “There’s an enormous amount
at stake in terms of U.S. foreign policy, credibility in the region, and the health of the aerospace
industry,” said Richard Aboulafia, an aerospace industry analyst at the Teal Group in Fairfax. “When yousellcombataircraftyou’realso selling a strategic relationship. It is a symbolic commitment to con- sult on common defense issues, and when you operate the same equipment, thatoftenmeans joint training and an ongoing military relationship.” Andrew J. Shapiro, assistant
secretary for political military af- fairs at the StateDepartment, said the administration had looked at the regional balance of power in theMiddle East and “concluded it would not negatively impact Isra- el’s security interests or Israel’s qualitative military edge.” Israel recently signed a deal to buy 20 U.S.F-35 Joint StrikeFighter jets. “The U.S. gets to reinforce a
relationship with an important ally,” Aboulafia said. “It gets to cement itsdominance onthemili- tary aerospace export market. And Israel gets a pretty good deal inreturn.” But some on Capitol Hill are
already expressing reservations. “It seems to be rewarding a
country that hasn’t been particu- larly helpful to any of our foreign policy objectives and one that doesn’t seem to be well-suited to be a military bulwark against Iran,” said Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.).Hesaidhewasalso“trou- bled”by the administration’sdeci- sion to announce the arms deal whileCongress is inrecess. “This is too important of a deal
to be dropping in themiddle of an electionrecess,”hesaid. “Theines- capable conclusion based on the timing is that they did not want Congress totakeahardlookat this deal.” Weiner said he plans to work
with congressional leaders to try to stop the deal from going through but acknowledged that it wouldbedifficult to block. Defense industry analysts say
Congress inthepasthas onlybeen successful in getting adjustments made toarms sales—not formally blocking them.
hedgpethd@washpost.com
XOXO homecoming
Staff Sgt. JorgeMendoza hugs and kisses daughters Jazel, 7, and Alyssa, 3, during a homecoming for the 5th Battalion, 3rd Artillery Regiment of the 17th Fires Brigade, which returned from deployment in Afghanistan on Wednesday morning, at Joint Base Lewis-McChord,Wash.
U.S. judge rules Bank of China can be sued in terrorism case BY SPENCER S.HSU A federal judge ruled Wednes-
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day that theBank ofChinamay be foundliablefor supportingterror- isminacasebroughtbythefamily of a U.S. citizen killed in a 2006 suicide bombing in Israel. The unusual 118-page ruling
came as Chief Judge Royce C. Lamberth of the U.S. District Court for theDistrict ofColumbia denied a request by attorneys for the state-controlled bank, one of China’s largest, to have it dropped fromthe case. Victims of overseas terrorist at-
tacks are increasingly turning to U.S. courts for restitution. Many are pursuing claims not only against shadowy groups or rogue nations but also against financial institutions with substantial eco- nomic interests to defend. The case in the D.C. federal
court was brought by the parents of Daniel Wultz, a 16-year-old fromSouth Floridawhowas visit- ing Israel four years ago when he
was fatally wounded in an attack on a Tel Aviv restaurant. The Pal- estinian group Islamic Jihad, which the U.S. government says receives financial support and training fromIran and safe haven fromSyria, claimed responsibility for the attack. In the suit,Wultz's parents, Ye-
kutiel and SherylWultz, are seek- ing$300millionindamages from Iran and Syria, aswell as fromthe Bank of China (BOC), under legis- lation that allows victims to sue terrorist-sponsoring states inU.S. court. The 2008 lawsuit alleges that
officials at the Bank of China ig- nored warnings by senior Israeli officials that Islamic Jihad was financing deadly bombings through a Bank of China account in the United States maintained byapurportedseniorofficerof the militant group, Said al-Shurafa. Specifically, the lawsuit claims
that in an April 2005 meeting, counterterrorismofficialswithIs- rael’s prime minister’s office de-
manded thatChina’s central bank and Ministry of Public Security stop the Bank of China from as- sisting Shurafa, but China “de- murred.” Inweighingwhether theclaims
against the bank can go forward, Lamberthwrote: “TheCourtmust assume the truth of this allega- tion,which is plausible because it is reasonable to assume that, al- though BOC is not directly owned by China . . . China does exert a measure of control over the BOC through China’s central bank, the People’sBank ofChina.” In a statement,WangBaodong,
a spokesman for the Chinese Em- bassy in Washington, said that China and Chinese businesses firmly oppose terrorism and “strongly question the allegations in question.” Wang added, “Our hearts are of
course with victims of terrorist activities and their families, but we need to respect facts when it comes to credits and liabilities.” Mitchell R. Berger, an attorney
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for theBank of China and partner at the Patton Boggs law firm in Washington, which is also being paida$420,000-a-year retainer to represent the Chinese Embassy, declined to comment. Spokesmen for the State and
Justicedepartmentsalsodeclined to comment. The Wultzes’ attorney, Robert
TolchinofNewYorkCity, saidthat while the ruling was not a final finding of liability andwouldlike- ly be appealed, the judge sent a clearwarning. “The lifeblood of terrorism is
money. You can’t shootmissiles if you can’t getmoney to buy them,” Tolchin said. “Judge Lamberth has taken a significant bite out of that process by allowing this case toproceed.Therewill be financial consequences for thosewho try to profit from aiding and abetting terrorists.”
hsus@washpost.com
Staff researcher Julie Tate contributed to this report.
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