The United Arab Emirates, formerly known as the seven Trucial states, are likely to win congressional approval of a $7 billion purchase of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense anti-ballistic missile system.
A congressional aide told me today that Congress is unlikely to oppose the sale, which would be the main obstacle standing in the way of the system's first foreign sale. Congress has been notified of the pending sale.
The purchase stands as stark testament to the level of fear that Iran has generated throughout the Gulf states and in Saudia Arabia as it tests increasingly longer range ballistic missiles.
A tip of the hat to my colleague Jim Wolf of Reuters, who broke the story late Monday.
