President Bush announced a $123 million arms deal with the Saudis as he visited the oil kingdom for the first time today. Part of $20 billion in military sales to shore up Gulf states against Iran, the Saudi deal will offer advanced "smart bomb" technology that some US lawmakers worry could be used to strike Israel. But Saudi Arabia's war on terror efforts and anti-Iran stance appear to override such fears, the AP reports.
Bush was welcomed by King Abdullah with great ceremony on an unusually brisk day and spent much time discussing the weather. Also on the agenda are oil—rising costs are hurting the US economy—and peace talks between Israel and Palestine. The trip is also payback for Abdullah being hosted by Bush recently at his Texas ranch. (More George W. Bush stories.)