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US woos Oman with fighter deal

October 5, 2001 (by Lieven Dewitte) - The Pentagon last night announced it planned to sell 12 F-16 fighter jets, laser-guided bombs and other arms to Oman in a deal worth $1.12bn, as Donald Rumsfeld, the US defence secretary, visited the Gulf state yesterday to discuss how the country could help in the campaign to target those guilty of the attacks on September 11.
The defence department said Oman had requested the possible sale of 12 F-16 fighters along with engines, radar targeting pods used for all-weather attack and several different kinds of air-to-air missiles and bombs. Mr Rumsfeld's trip was part of a tour of Middle Eastern countries in preparation for the coming conflict and is an attempt to counter fears in Arab countries that the campaign against terrorism is aimed at Muslims.

Mr Rumsfeld held talks with Sultan Qaboos of Oman, whose country is within striking distance of Afghanistan. The defence secretary and several senior aides flew by helicopter from the capital to Sham Camp, the monarch's desert encampment, for private talks. A senior US official said Mr Rumsfeld did not intend to ask the Omanis for expanded access for American forces or for new forms of military cooperation.