The Gulf Will Do Nicely Without the Planes

By Sidney Urquhart

After months of clamoring for more high-tech aircraft, Saudi Arabia has reversed the throttle and quietly backed off its request for 72 more F-15 jet fighters. KING FAHD's surprising flip-flop may prove to be a pragmatic move. The Saudis relish their role as Washington's pre-eminent Arab partners in the Middle East peace process, so they would rather not risk embarrassing GEORGE BUSH. The $4 billion transaction would have undercut the President's vow to scale back arms sales to the Middle East and would surely launch a bruising battle between the White House and Israel's allies in Congress. The Saudis will renew their request after things quiet down, but if they have to, they can always turn to Britain for state-of-the-art aircraft. They've done it before.